Did you know about Ludwig I of Bavaria (born 1786)
In 1835, the first German railway was constructed in his domain, between Fürth and Nuremberg, with his Bavaria joining the Zollverein economic union in 1834.
Notable Deaths on February 29
February 29 has 64 recorded notable deaths across history, from 468 to 2024. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
1868 — Ludwig I of Bavaria (born 1786)
Ludwig I of Bavaria (born 1786)
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
64 source records
468 – 2024
Today in history
Major events on February 29
See what else happened on this day in history.
Did you know about Yigal Allon
Allon was the first non-European-born Israeli to serve as Prime Minister of Israel.
Did you know about Patrick Hamilton
Hamilton began preaching in Scotland in 1527 and was invited as a friend by Archbishop James Beaton to a conference in St. Andrews.
Did you know about Louise Rennison
Louise Rennison's first and second novels, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers were portrayed in a film adaptation called Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Did you know about Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester was Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992.
More major people who died on February 29
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1980
Yigal Allon
Israeli general and politician, Prime Minister of Israel (born 1918)
Yigal Allon was an Israeli military leader and politician. He was a commander of the Palmach and a general in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He was also a leader of the Ahdut HaAvoda and Israeli Labor parties. He served briefly as acting Prime Minister of Israel between the death of Levi Eshkol and the appointment of Golda Meir in 1969. Allon was the first non-European-born Israeli to serve as Prime Minister of Israel. He was a government minister from the third Knesset to the ninth inclusive.
1528
Patrick Hamilton
Scottish Protestant reformer and martyr (born 1504)
Patrick Hamilton was a Scottish Roman Catholic priest and an early Protestant Reformer in Scotland. He travelled to Europe, where he met several of the leading reformed thinkers, before returning to Scotland to preach the doctrines of Lutheranism. Hamilton began preaching in Scotland in 1527 and was invited as a friend by Archbishop James Beaton to a conference in St. Andrews. Instead, he was tried for heresy by an Ecclesiastical tribunal led by Archbishop Beaton. He was found guilty, handed over to the secular executioner, and burnt at the stake in St Andrews.
2016
Louise Rennison
English author (born 1951)
Louise Rennison was an English author and comedian who wrote the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series for teenage girls. The series records the exploits of a teenage girl, Georgia Nicolson, and her best friends, the Ace Gang. Her first and second novels, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers were portrayed in a film adaptation called Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Rennison also wrote a series of books about Georgia's younger cousin, The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.
992
Oswald of Worcester
Anglo-Saxon archbishop and saint (born 925)
Oswald of Worcester was Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992. He was of Danish ancestry, but brought up by his uncle, Oda of Canterbury, who sent him to France to the abbey of Fleury to become a monk. After a number of years at Fleury, Oswald returned to England at the request of his uncle, who died before Oswald returned. With his uncle's death, Oswald needed a patron and turned to another kinsman, Oskytel, who had recently become Archbishop of York. His activity for Oskytel attracted the notice of Archbishop Dunstan, who had Oswald consecrated as Bishop of Worcester in 961. In 972, Oswald was promoted to the see of York, although he continued to hold Worcester also.
1972
Tom Davies
American football player and coach (born 1896)
Thomas J. Davies was an American football player and coach. He played as a halfback at the University of Pittsburgh and was a consensus All-American in 1918 and 1920. After retiring as a player, Davies worked as a football coach for the next 26 years, including stints at the University of Pennsylvania, Geneva College, Allegheny College, the University of Rochester, the Carnegie Institute of Technology, the University of Scranton, and Western Reserve University. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970.
1744
John Theophilus Desaguliers
French-English physicist and philosopher (born 1683)
John Theophilus Desaguliers was a French-born British natural philosopher, clergyman, engineer and freemason who was elected to the Royal Society in 1714 as experimental assistant to Isaac Newton. He had studied at Oxford and later popularized Newtonian theories and their practical applications in public lectures. Desaguliers's most important patron was James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. As a Freemason, Desaguliers was instrumental in the success of the first Grand Lodge in London in the early 1720s and served as its third Grand Master.
1980
Gil Elvgren
American painter and illustrator (born 1914)
Gillette Alexander Elvgren was an American painter of pin-up models, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academy of Art. He was strongly influenced by the early "pretty girl" illustrators, such as Charles Dana Gibson, Andrew Loomis, and Howard Chandler Christy. Other influences included the Brandywine School founded by Howard Pyle.
2012
P. K. Narayana Panicker
Indian social leader (born 1930)
P. K. Narayana Panicker was the President and General Secretary of the Nair Service Society (NSS), the social service organisation established in 1914. He is the second-longest-serving general secretary of the organisation, who has served 28 years in the post. He was an advocate by profession, who came to the front row of the organisation in 1977 as its treasurer and later became General secretary in 1984. He was also the General Secretary of National Democratic Party and Chairman of Changanassery Municipality.
2004
Jerome Lawrence
American playwright and author (born 1915)
Jerome Lawrence was an American playwright and author. After graduating from the Ohio State University in 1937 and the University of California, Los Angeles in 1939, Lawrence partnered with Robert Edwin Lee to help create Armed Forces Radio while serving together in the U.S. Army during World War II. The two built a partnership over their lifetimes, and continued to collaborate on screenplays and musicals until Lee's death in 1994.
2012
Sheldon Moldoff
American illustrator (born 1920)
Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff was an American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman. He co-created the Batman supervillains Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, the second Clayface, and Bat-Mite, as well as the original heroes Bat-Girl, Batwoman, and Ace the Bat-Hound. Moldoff is the sole creator of the Black Pirate.
1916
John Nanson
English-Australian journalist and politician (born 1863)
John Leighton Nanson was a journalist and politician in Western Australia. A former writer and sub-editor with The West Australian, he served in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1901 to 1905 and again from 1908 to 1914. Nanson was a minister in the governments of Alf Morgans, Walter James, Newton Moore, and Frank Wilson, including as attorney-general from 1909 to 1911.
1984
Ludwik Starski
Polish screenwriter and songwriter (born 1903)
Ludwik Starski was a Polish Jewish lyricist, sound engineer and screenwriter of the twentieth century. He was the father of the set designer Allan Starski, who often worked with movie director Andrzej Wajda and received the Academy Award for "Best Set Design" for Schindler's List in 1994. Ludwik worked with Eugeniusz Bodo, Władysław Szpilman and with Tadeusz Sygietyński.
1908
Pat Garrett
American sheriff (born 1850)
Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Stories about him, especially his involvement with Billy the Kid, are part of the legends of the American Old West.
1944
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Finnish lawyer, judge and politician, 3rd President of Finland (born 1861)
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad served as the president of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Before 1917, as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Grand Duchy of Finland, Svinhufvud played a major role in the movement for Finnish independence, and he presented the Declaration of Independence to the Parliament on 15 December [O.S. 2 December] 1917.
2004
Harold Bernard St. John
Barbadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Barbados (born 1931)
Sir Harold Bernard St. John, KA was a Barbadian politician who served as the third prime minister of Barbados from 1985 to 1986. To date, he is the shortest serving Barbadian prime minister. He was leader of the Barbados Labour Party from 1970 to 1971 and again from 1985 to 1987. He was widely known as Bree.
2020
Dieter Laser
German actor (born 1942)
Klaus Dieter Laser was a German actor. Laser's career spanned over five decades, appearing in both German and English-language productions. He achieved recognition for his lead role in the 2009 film The Human Centipede and also starred in the third entry in 2015. On television, he had a recurring role on Lexx from 1998 to 2000.
1604
John Whitgift
English archbishop and academic (born 1530)
John Whitgift was an English clergyman and academic who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 until his death in 1604. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horses. Whitgift's theological views were often controversial.
2016
Gil Hill
American police officer, actor and politician (born 1931)
Gilbert Roland Hill was an American politician, police officer, and actor, who was the President of the Detroit City Council. He gained recognition for his role as Inspector Todd in the Beverly Hills Cop film series. He was the runner-up in the 2001 Detroit mayoral election, losing to Kwame Kilpatrick.
2020
Éva Székely
Hungarian Hall of Fame swimmer and 1952 Olympic champion (born 1927)
Éva Székely was a Hungarian swimmer. She won the gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and the silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics, set six world records, and won 44 national titles. She held the first world record in the 400 m individual medley in 1953.