Did you know
Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of the most dynamic singers and performers in the 20th century.
Notable Deaths on January 21
1984 — Jackie Wilson
American singer (born 1934)
January 21 has 112 recorded notable deaths across history, from 420 to 2026. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
112 source records
420 – 2026
Today in history
Major events on January 21
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1919 A revolutionary Irish parliament is founded and declares the independence of the Irish Republic. One of the first engagements of the Irish War of Independence takes place. Source
- 1954 The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States. Source
- 1789 The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth by William Hill Brown, is printed in Boston. Source
- 1824 The Ashantis defeat British forces in the Gold Coast during the First Anglo-Ashanti War. Source
Did you know
Georges Méliès's most important films include A Trip to the Moon (1902) and The Impossible Voyage (1904).
Did you know
After years of confinement following his father's deposition, he became sultan in 1757.
Did you know
was an American attorney, civil rights activist, and Democratic Party politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1991 to 1995.
Did you know
With his writings, many composed while exiled in London, he attempted to influence the situation in Russia, contributing to a political climate that led to the emancipation of the serfs in 1861.
More major people who died on January 21
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1938
Georges Méliès
French actor, director, and producer (born 1861)
Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès was a French filmmaker, actor, magician, and toymaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of cinema, primarily in the fantasy and science fiction genres.
1774
Mustafa III
Ottoman sultan (born 1717)
Mustafa III was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III (1703–30), and his consort Mihrişah Kadın. He was succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I (1774–89).
1992
Eddie Mabo
Australian land rights activist (born 1936)
Edward Koiki Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander man, known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights in Australia, in particular the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised that…
2019
Harris Wofford
American politician, author and civil rights activist (born 1926)
Harris Llewellyn Wofford Jr. was an American attorney, civil rights activist, and Democratic Party politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1991 to 1995.
1870
Alexander Herzen
Russian philosopher and author (born 1812)
Alexander Ivanovich Herzen was a Russian writer and thinker known as the precursor of Russian socialism and one of the main precursors of agrarian populism.
1683
Anthony Ashley Cooper
1st Earl of Shaftesbury, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1621)
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, was an English statesman.
1993
Charlie Gehringer
American baseball player and manager (born 1903)
Charles Leonard Gehringer, nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played for the Detroit Tigers for 19 seasons from 1924 to 1942.
1926
Camillo Golgi
Italian physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1843)
Camillo Golgi was an Italian biologist and pathologist who was awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his works on the central nervous system.
1988
Vincent Lingiari
Australian Aboriginal rights activist (born 1919)
Vincent Lingiari was an Australian Aboriginal rights activist of the Gurindji people.
1891
Calixa Lavallée
Canadian-American lieutenant and composer (born 1842)
Calixa Lavallée was a Canadian musician and Union Army band musician during the American Civil War. He was born in the Province of Canada.
1959
Cecil B. DeMille
American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1881)
Cecil Blount DeMille, often known in popular culture as Mr. DeMille, was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he created 70 features including silent and sound films.
1789
Baron d'Holbach
French-German philosopher and author (born 1723)
Paul Thiry, Baron d'Holbach, known as d'Holbach, was a Franco-German philosopher, encyclopedist and writer, who was a prominent figure in the French Enlightenment.
1793
Louis XVI of France (born 1754)
Louis XVI was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.
1985
James Beard
American chef and author (born 1903)
James Andrews Beard was an American chef, cookbook author, teacher and television personality.
1901
Elisha Gray
American engineer, co-founded Western Electric (born 1835)
Elisha Gray was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Gray is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in Highland Park, Illinois.
1118
Pope Paschal II (born 1050)
Pope Paschal II, born Raniero Raineri di Bleda, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118.
1862
Božena Němcová
Austrian-Czech author and poet (born 1820)
Božena Němcová was a Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement.
1999
Susan Strasberg
American actress (born 1938)
Susan Elizabeth Strasberg was an American stage, film, and television actress.
2015
Marcus Borg
American scholar, theologian, and author (born 1942)
Marcus Joel Borg was an American New Testament scholar and theologian. He was among the most widely known and influential voices in Liberal Christianity.