Notable Deaths on December 3

December 3 has 88 recorded notable deaths across history, from 311 to 2024. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.

Scott Weiland

2015 — Scott Weiland

American singer-songwriter (born 1967)

By · Wikipedia

Notable Deaths 88 source records 311 – 2024

Major events on December 3

See what else happened on this day in history.

  1. 1979 Iranian Revolution: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran. Source
  2. 1994 Taiwan holds its first full local elections; James Soong elected as the first and only directly elected Governor of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian became the first directly elected Mayor of Taipei, Wu Den-yih became the first directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung. Source

Did you know about Scott Weiland

Scott Weiland was best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2013, recording six albums with them.

Did you know about Dev Anand

Dev Anand is considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.

Did you know about Dhyan Chand

Dhyan Chand's influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.

Did you know about Alexander Farnese

Alexander Farnese was an Italian noble and military leader, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.

Did you know about Shiing-Shen Chern

Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese-born American mathematician.


More major people who died on December 3

Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.

2011 Dev Anand

Dev Anand

Indian actor, director, and producer (born 1923)
Dev Anand was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. Through a career that spanned over six decades, he worked in more than 100 films. Anand is a recipient of four Filmfare Awards, including two for Best Actor. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan, Indian third highest civilian honour in 2001 and with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002.
1979 Dhyan Chand

Dhyan Chand

Indian field hockey player and coach (born 1905)
Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey. Dhyan Chand's influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.
1592 Alexander Farnese

Alexander Farnese

Duke of Parma (born 1545)
Alexander Farnese was an Italian noble and military leader, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. Nephew to King Philip II of Spain, he served in the Battle of Lepanto and the subsequent campaigns of the Holy League against the Ottoman Empire. He was later appointed general of the Spanish army during the Dutch revolt and its ramifications, serving in Netherlands, France and the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1592.
2004 Shiing-Shen Chern

Shiing-Shen Chern

Chinese-American mathematician and academic (born 1911)
Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese-born American mathematician. He made fundamental contributions to differential geometry and topology. He has been called the "father of modern differential geometry" and is widely regarded as a leader in geometry and one of the greatest mathematicians of the twentieth century, winning numerous awards and recognition including the Wolf Prize and the inaugural Shaw Prize. In memory of Shiing-Shen Chern, the International Mathematical Union established the Chern Medal in 2010 to recognize "an individual whose accomplishments warrant the highest level of recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of mathematics."
1888 Carl Zeiss

Carl Zeiss

German physicist and lens maker, created the optical instrument (born 1816)
Carl Zeiss was a German scientific instrument maker, optician and businessman. In 1846 he founded his workshop, which is still in business as Zeiss. Zeiss gathered a group of gifted practical and theoretical opticians and glass makers to reshape most aspects of optical instrument production. His collaboration with Ernst Abbe revolutionized optical theory and practical design of microscopes. Their quest to extend these advances brought Otto Schott into the enterprises to revolutionize optical glass manufacture. The firm of Carl Zeiss grew to one of the largest and most respected optical firms in the world.
1956 Manik Bandopadhyay

Manik Bandopadhyay

Indian author, poet, and playwright (born 1908)
Manik Bandyopadhyay [alias Banerjee] is an Indian author regarded as one of the major figures of 20th century Bengali literature. His birth name is Prabodhkumar Bandyopadhyay. During a lifespan of 48 years and 28 years of literary career, battling with epilepsy from the age of around 28 and financial strains all along, he produced some masterpieces of novels and short stories, besides some poems, essays etc. One of the early neo-realist film shot in Pakistan, The Day Shall Dawn is based on his story.
1912 Prudente de Morais

Prudente de Morais

Brazilian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Brazil (born 1841)
Prudente José de Morais Barros was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the third president of Brazil from 1894 to 1898. Morais was elected in 1894, being the first civilian president of the country, the first to be elected by direct popular ballot under the permanent provisions of Brazil's 1891 Constitution, and the first to serve a full term. Before his presidency he served as president (governor) of the state of São Paulo and president of the Senate from 1891 to 1894. He was also president of the Constituent Assembly that drafted and enacted the 1891 Constitution.
1989 Connie B. Gay

Connie B. Gay

American businessman, founded the Country Music Association (born 1914)
Connie Barriot Gay was an American music entrepreneur who is renowned as a "founding father" and "major force" in country music. He is credited with coining the country music genre, which had previously been called hillbilly music. Gay was the founding president of the Country Music Association (CMA) and co-founder of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The CMA established the Connie B. Gay Award to recognize outstanding service to the CMA by a member not serving on the board of directors.
1265 Odofredus

Odofredus

Italian lawyer and jurist
Odofredus was an Italian jurist. He was born in Ostia and moved to Bologna, studying law under Jacobus Balduinus and Franciscus Accursius. After working as an advocate in Italy and France, he became a law professor in Bologna in 1228. The commentaries on Roman law attributed to him are valuable as showing the growth of the study of law in Italy, and for their biographical details of the jurists of the 12th and 13th centuries. Odofredus died at Bologna in 1265.
1902 Robert Lawson

Robert Lawson

New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys' High School and Knox Church (born 1833)
Robert Arthur Lawson was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography states that he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city of Dunedin. He is the architect of over forty churches, including Dunedin's First Church for which he is best remembered, but also other buildings, such as Larnach Castle, a country house, with which he is also associated.
1989 Fernando Martín Espina

Fernando Martín Espina

Spanish basketball player (born 1962)
Fernando Martín Espina was a Spanish professional basketball player who was considered to be one of the best Spanish basketball players ever. Martín was 2.06 m tall, and he played primarily at the center and power forward positions. He was considered a talented all-around athlete. He was a five-time swimming champion in Spain, as well as being a highly ranked athlete in the sports of handball, table tennis and judo.
1980 Oswald Mosley

Oswald Mosley

English lieutenant, fascist, and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1896)
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, was a British politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when, disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow from 1918 to 1924 and for Smethwick from 1926 to 1931. He founded the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932 and led it until its forced disbandment in 1940.
1981 Joel Rinne

Joel Rinne

Finnish actor (born 1897)
Toivo Joel Rinne was a prolific Finnish actor of stage and screen. Among his most memorable film parts is the title role in the Inspector Palmu movie series, which started in 1960s Komisario Palmun erehdys, and continued in three sequels. Another well-known role by Rinne is in the 1970 film Päämaja, directed by Matti Kassila, in which Rinne interprets in the role of Marshal Mannerheim.
1973 Adolfo Ruiz Cortines

Adolfo Ruiz Cortines

President of Mexico, 1952–1958 (born 1889)
Adolfo Tomás Ruiz Cortines was a Mexican politician who served as President of Mexico from 1952 to 1958. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he previously served as Governor of Veracruz and Secretary of the Interior. During his presidency, which constituted the Mexican Miracle, women gained the right to vote, and he instituted numerous public health, education, infrastructure, and works projects.
1949 Maria Ouspenskaya

Maria Ouspenskaya

Russian-American actress and educator (born 1876)
Maria Alekseyevna Ouspenskaya was a Russian actress and acting teacher. She achieved success as a stage actress as a young woman in Russia, and as an older woman in Hollywood films. She was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dodsworth (1936) and Love Affair (1939). Ouspenskaya is the first Russian actress to be nominated for an Oscar.
2003 David Hemmings

David Hemmings

English actor (born 1941)
David Leslie Edward Hemmings was an English actor, director, and producer of film and television. Originally trained as a boy soprano in operatic roles, he began appearing in films as a child actor in the 1950s. He became an icon of Swinging London for his portrayal of a trendy fashion photographer in the critically acclaimed film Blowup (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
2024 Mohamed Ali Yusuf

Mohamed Ali Yusuf

Somali politician (born 1944)
Mohamed Ali Yusuf Gaagaab was a Somali politician. He served as acting Vice President of Puntland from 10 October 2004 to 8 January 2005, and later he was appointed Minister of Finance of Puntland beginning on 25 January 2005 to 29 January 2009. He was elected as Interim Speaker of the Senate of Somalia from 11 August 2021 to 26 April 2022.
2009 Richard Todd

Richard Todd

Irish-born British soldier and actor (born 1919)
Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd OBE was an Irish-British actor, known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor nomination for his performance as Corporal Lachlan MacLachlan in the 1949 film The Hasty Heart.
311 Diocletian

Diocletian

Roman emperor (born 244)
Year 311 (CCCXI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerius and Maximinus. The denomination 311 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

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