Did you know
John von Neumann was a Hungarian and American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist and engineer.
Notable Deaths on February 8
1957 — John von Neumann
Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist (born 1903)
February 8 has 99 recorded notable deaths across history, from 538 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
99 source records
538 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on February 8
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1865 Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delaying the criminalization of slavery until the amendment's national adoption on December 6, 1865. The amendment is ultimately ratified by Delaware on February 12, 1901, the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Source
- 1807 Napoleon defeats the coalition forces of Russian General Bennigsen and Prussian General L'Estocq at the Battle of Eylau. Source
- 1937 Spanish Civil War: Republican forces establish the Interprovincial Council of Santander, Palencia and Burgos in Cantabria. Source
- 1968 American civil rights movement: An attack on Black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation leaves three dead and 28 injured in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Source
Did you know
Iris Murdoch's first published novel, Under the Net (1954), was selected in 1998 as one of Modern Library's 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
Did you know
Curtis also was the first and only Native American and first multiracial person to serve as vice president.
Did you know
Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and games managed (7,755) in Major League Baseball (MLB) history.
Did you know
Eighth in career wins at 205 and seventh in regular season wins at 200, Schottenheimer has the most wins among the league's head coaches to not win an NFL championship.
More major people who died on February 8
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1999
Iris Murdoch
Irish-born British novelist and philosopher (born 1919)
Dame Jean Iris Murdoch was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious.
1936
Charles Curtis
American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (born 1860)
Charles Curtis was the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under President Herbert Hoover. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 1924 to 1929.
1956
Connie Mack
American baseball player and manager (born 1862)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner.
2021
Marty Schottenheimer
American football player and coach (born 1943)
Martin Edward Schottenheimer was an American professional football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons.
2007
Ian Stevenson
Canadian-American psychiatrist and academic (born 1918)
Ian Pretyman Stevenson was a Canadian-born American psychiatrist, the founder and director of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
2012
Luis Alberto Spinetta
Argentinian singer-songwriter (born 1950)
Luis Alberto Spinetta was an Argentine singer, guitarist, composer, writer and poet.
2025
Dick Jauron
American football player and coach (born 1950)
Richard Manual Jauron was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL).
1296
Przemysł II of Poland (born 1257)
Przemysł II was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków from 1290 to 1291, and Gdańsk Pomerania (Pomerelia) from 1294 to 1296, and then King of Poland from 1295 until his death.
1996
Del Ennis
American baseball player (born 1925)
Delmer Ennis was an American professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1946 to 1959 for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox.
2016
Violette Verdy
French ballerina (born 1933)
Violette Verdy was a French ballerina, choreographer, teacher, and writer who worked as a dance company director with the Paris Opera Ballet in France and the Boston Ballet in the United States.
1856
Agostino Bassi
Italian entomologist and academic (born 1773)
Agostino Bassi, sometimes called de Lodi, was an Italian entomologist. He preceded Louis Pasteur in the discovery that microorganisms can be the cause of disease.
1314
Helen of Anjou
Queen of Serbia (born 1236)
Saint Helen of Serbia was the queen consort of the Serbian Kingdom, as the spouse of King Stefan Uroš I, who ruled from 1243 to 1276. Their sons were later Serbian kings Stefan Dragutin and Stefan Milutin.
1749
Jan van Huysum
Dutch painter (born 1682)
Jan van Huysum is the most notable member of the Van Huysum family of artists working in Dutch Golden Age of the 17th and 18th centuries; "by common consent, Jan van Huysum has been held to be the best painter of…
1998
Enoch Powell
English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health (born 1912)
John Enoch Powell was a British politician, scholar, soldier and writer.
1959
William J. Donovan
American head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (born 1883)
William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat.
1772
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess of Wales (born 1719)
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son and heir apparent of King George II.
538
Severus of Antioch
patriarch of Antioch (born 465)
Severus of Antioch also known as Severus of Gaza and nicknamed the Crown of Syrians, was the Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 512 until his death in 538.
2021
Mary Wilson
American singer (born 1944)
Mary Wilson was an American singer. She gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of the Supremes, the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S.
1382
Blanche of France
Duchess of Orléans (born 1328)
Blanche of France was the posthumous daughter of King Charles IV of France and his third wife, Joan of Évreux.