Did you know
He led the NHL in scoring in 1939, while also winning the Hart Trophy for most valuable player, and served as captain of the Canadiens from 1940 to his retirement
Notable Deaths on May 17
106 people
528 – 2024
May 17 has seen 106 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 528 – 2024. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1995 — Toe Blake
Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1912)
Did you know
He won the Stanley Cup three times as a player: in 1935 with the Maroons, and in 1944 and 1946 with the Canadiens
Did you know
Blake played in the NHL from 1935 to 1948 with the Montreal Maroons and Montreal Canadiens
Did you know
In 2017, Blake was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history
Did you know
Joseph Hector "Toe" Blake was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League (NHL)
Empress Dowager Hu, formally Empress Ling (靈皇后), was an empress dowager of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Wei dynasty (515–528). She was a concubine of Emperor Xuanwu, and she became regent and empress dowager after…
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528
528
528
Chinese warlord
Liu Jianfeng, courtesy name Ruiduan (銳端), was a Chinese military general and politician during the Tang dynasty. He controlled Wu'an Circuit from 894 to his death in 896.
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896
Chinese warlord and king (born 856)
Li Maozhen, born Song Wentong (宋文通), courtesy name Zhengchen (正臣), formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin (秦忠敬王), was the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Qi (901–924). He had become a…
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924
Fatimid caliph (born 893)
Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh, better known by his regnal name al-Qāʾim (القائم) or al-Qāʾim bi-Amr Allāh, was the twelfth Isma'ili Imam and second caliph of the Fatimid dynasty, ruling in Ifriqiya from 934 to…
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946
Duchess of Austria (born 1269)
Agnes of Bohemia was a Bohemian princess, Countess of Habsburg, and Duchess of Austria.
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1296
Lithuanian prince (born c. 1240)
Daumantas was a Lithuanian nobleman who reigned as Prince of Pskov from 1266 until he died in 1299. Originally a Duke of Nalšia in the Kingdom of Lithuania, Daumantas fled internal political conflict and sought refuge…
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1299
emperor of Japan (born 1288)
Emperor Go-Fushimi was the 93rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1298 to 1301.
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1336
1365
Serbian ruler (born 1355)
Konstantin (Kostadin) Dejanović or Konstantin Dragaš was a Serbian magnate that ruled a large province in eastern Macedonia under Ottoman suzerainty, during the fall of the Serbian Empire. He succeeded his older brother…
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1395
9th Baron de Ros, English politician (born 1427)
Thomas Ros or Roos, 9th Baron Ros of Helmsley was a follower of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses.
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1464
Italian painter (born 1445)
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli or simply Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century,…
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1510
3rd Duke of Buckingham, Welsh politician, Lord High Constable of England (born 1478)
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Katherine Woodville and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thus, Edward…
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1521
2nd Viscount Rochford, English courtier and diplomat, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (born 1504)
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s as the brother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. George was the maternal…
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1536
English courtier (born 1487)
William Brereton, c. 1487/1490 – 17 May 1536, was a member of a prominent Cheshire family who served as a courtier to Henry VIII. In May 1536, Brereton was accused of committing adultery with Anne Boleyn, the king's…
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1536
English courtier (born 1482)
Henry Norris was an English courtier who was Groom of the Stool in the privy chamber of King Henry VIII. While a close servant of the King, he also supported the faction in court led by Queen Anne Boleyn, and when Anne…
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1536
German explorer (born 1511)
Philipp von Hutten was a German adventurer and an early European explorer and conquistador of Venezuela. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig, the concession of Venezuela Province to the Welser…
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1546
South Korean poet and calligraphist (born 1504)
Shin Saimdang was a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet, who lived during the Joseon period. She was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Her birth home, Ojukheon, which is also her maternal family's home, is…
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1551
Portuguese poet (born 1485)
Francisco de Sá de Miranda was a Portuguese poet of the Renaissance.
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1558
English archbishop and academic (born 1504)
Matthew Parker was an English bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 to his death. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of a distinctive tradition of…
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1575
pretender to the Russian throne (born 1582)
False Dmitry I or Pseudo-Demetrius I reigned as the Tsar of all Russia from 10 June 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dmitriy Ivanovich. According to historian Chester S. L. Dunning, Dmitry was "the…
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1606
French princess (born 1531)
Anna d'Este was an important princess with considerable influence at the court of France and a central figure in the French Wars of Religion. In her first marriage, she was Duchess of Aumale, then of Guise, in her…
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1607
Catalan organist and composer (born 1570)
Joan Pau Pujol was a Catalan and Spanish composer and organist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. While best known for his sacred music, he also wrote popular secular music.
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1626
Italian organist and composer (born 1571)
Giovanni Picchi was an Italian composer, organist, lutenist, and harpsichordist of the early Baroque era. He was a late follower of the Venetian School, and was influential in the development and differentiation of…
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1643
Catherine I was Empress of Russia from 8 February 1725 until her death in 1727. She was previously empress consort of Russia from 1721 to 1725 as the second wife of Peter the Great, and tsaritsa consort from 1712 to…
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1727
English clergyman and philosopher (born 1675)
Samuel Clarke was an English philosopher and Anglican priest. He is considered the major British figure in philosophy between John Locke and George Berkeley. Clarke's altered, Nontrinitarian revision of the 1662 Book of…
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1729
French mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (born 1713)
Alexis Claude Clairaut was a French mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. He was a prominent Newtonian whose work helped to establish the validity of the principles and results that Sir Isaac Newton had outlined in…
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1765
French playwright and composer (born 1719)
Michel-Jean Sedaine was a French dramatist and librettist, especially noted for his librettos for opéras comiques, in which he took an important and influential role in the advancement of the genre from the period of…
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1797
1801
American general (born 1745)
John Gunby was an American planter and soldier from Somerset County, Maryland, who is considered by many to be "one of the most gallant officers of the Maryland Line under Gen. Smallwood". He entered service…
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1807
Austrian physician (born 1722)
Josef Leopold Auenbrugger or Avenbrugger, also known as Leopold von Auenbrugger, was an Austrian physician who invented percussion as a diagnostic technique. On the strength of this discovery, he is considered one of…
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1809
Duc de Richelieu, French general and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of France (born 1766)
Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac, was a French statesman during the Bourbon Restoration. He was known by the courtesy title of Count of Chinon until 1788, then…
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1822
American politician and diplomat, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (born 1745)
John Jay was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United States and from 1795 to…
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1829
French explorer and author (born 1799)
Auguste René Caillié was a French explorer and the first European to return alive from the town of Timbuktu. Caillié had been preceded at Timbuktu by a British officer, Major Gordon Laing, who was murdered in September…
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1838
French politician, Prime Minister of France (born 1754)
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, 1st Prince of Benevento, then Prince of Talleyrand, was a French secularized clergyman, statesman, and leading diplomat. After studying theology, he became Agent-General of the…
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1838
Scottish priest and author (born 1757)
Archibald Alison was a Scottish Anglican priest and essayist.
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1839
Japanese commander (born 1834)
Kondō Isami was a Japanese swordsman and samurai of the late Edo period. He was the fourth generation master of Tennen Rishin-ryū and was famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi.
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1868
American lawyer and politician, 14th Vice President of the United States, Confederate States general (born 1821)
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861, and as a general in the Confederate Army during the…
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1875
American businessman, founded Lehigh University (born 1805)
Asa Packer was an American businessman who pioneered railroad construction, was active in Pennsylvania politics, and founded Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was a conservative and religious man who…
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1879
Greek author and translator (born 1826)
Ziya Pasha, the pseudonym of Abdul Hamid Ziyaeddin, was an Ottoman writer, translator and administrator. He was one of the most important authors during the Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire, along with İbrahim…
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1880
American blacksmith and businessman, founded the Deere & Company (born 1804)
John Deere was an American blacksmith, businessman, inventor and politician. He founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction-equipment manufacturers in the world. Born in…
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1886
1888
German-American businessman, founded FAO Schwarz (born 1836)
Frederick August Otto Schwarz was a German-born American toy retailer known for founding FAO Schwarz.
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1911
Russian physicist and seismologist (born 1862)
Prince Boris Borisovich Golitsyn was a prominent Russian Empire physicist who invented the first electromagnetic seismograph in 1906. He was one of the founders of modern seismology. In 1911 he was chosen to be the…
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1916
American nurse (born 1880)
Clara Ayres was an American nurse who joined the United States Army during the First World War. Ayres and Helen Burnett Wood were the first two women to be killed while serving in the United States military, following…
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1917
Rajah of Sarawak (born 1829)
Sir Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke was the head of state of Sarawak from 3 August 1868 until his death. He succeeded his uncle, James Brooke, who was the first of the so-called "White Rajahs" of Sarawak.
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1917
Austrian-German journalist, author, and poet (born 1848)
Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List, was an Austrian occultist, journalist, playwright, and novelist. He expounded a modern Pagan new religious movement known as Wotanism, which he claimed was the…
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1919
Danish actor and director (born 1860)
Karl Mantzius was a Danish actor, stage and film director, theatre scholar, and operatic baritone.
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1921
English racing driver and journalist (born 1882)
Dorothy Elizabeth Levitt was a British racing driver and journalist. She was the first British woman racing driver, holder of the world's first water speed record, the women's world land speed record holder, and an…
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1922
American pilot and lieutenant (born 1884)
Major Harold Geiger was an American military officer and pioneer U.S. Army aviator, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1927. He was U.S. military aviator number 6. He was also a balloonist. Spokane International…
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1927
American architect (born 1859)
Cass Gilbert was an American architect. An early proponent of skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minnesota, Arkansas, and West…
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1934
French composer, critic, and educator (born 1865)
Paul Abraham Dukas was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical and abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions. His best-known work is…
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1935
Greek lawyer and politician, 124th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1868)
Panagis Tsaldaris was a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece twice. He was a revered conservative politician and leader for many years (1922–1936) of the conservative People's Party in the period…
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1936
Czech-Austrian academic and politician (born 1877)
Jakob Ehrlich was an early Zionist and leader of the Jewish Community in Vienna, Austria. Ehrlich represented the city's 180,000 Jewish citizens in the city government before World War II, and was among those deported…
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1938
German author and activist (born 1864)
Johanna Elberskirchen was a feminist writer and activist for the rights of women, gays and lesbians as well as blue-collar workers. She published books on women's sexuality and health among other topics. Her last known…
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1943
New Zealand farmer and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1869)
George William Forbes was a New Zealand politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of New Zealand from 28 May 1930 to 6 December 1935. He was the last leader of the remnant of the Liberal Party having entered the…
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1947
Anglo-Indian field marshal (born 1865)
Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood was a senior and highly decorated and distinguished British Indian Army officer. He saw active service in the Second Boer War on the staff of Lord Kitchener.…
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1951
Uruguayan-French poet and author (born 1884)
Jules Supervielle was a Franco-Uruguayan poet and writer born in Montevideo. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times.
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1960
American football player, coach, and physician (born 1888)
John Woodworth Wilce was an American college football player and coach, physician, and university professor. He served as the head football coach at Ohio State University from 1913 to 1928, compiling a record of…
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1963
Hungarian-American psychologist and parapsychologist (born 1895)
Nandor Fodor was a British and American parapsychologist, psychoanalyst, author and journalist of Hungarian origin.
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1964
German-American photographer and scholar (born 1898)
Ernest Nash was a student of Roman architecture and pioneer of archaeological photography. Nash was born as Ernst Nathan in Potsdam, Germany, but later changed his name to Nash when he was living in the United States…
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1974
American admiral and pilot (born 1892)
Charles Emery Rosendahl was a highly decorated vice admiral in the United States Navy, and an advocate of lighter-than-air flight.
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1977
Turkish football player and coach (born 1918)
"Baba" Gündüz Kılıç was a Turkish football player and coach. He was Ali Kılıç's son and Altemur Kılıç's brother.
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1980
American director, composer, and author (born 1910)
Abe Burrows was an American writer, composer, humorist, director for radio and the stage, and librettist for Broadway musicals. His versatile career in radio, Broadway, and television spanned many decades. He is best…
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1985
Swedish economist, sociologist, and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1898)
Karl Gunnar Myrdal was a Swedish economist and sociologist. In 1974, he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences along with Friedrich Hayek for "their pioneering work in the theory of money and economic…
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1987
American accordion player and bandleader (born 1903)
Lawrence Welk was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the easy…
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1992
American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1966)
Kevin Matthew Gilbert was an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and producer. He was best known for his solo progressive rock projects, Toy Matinee and his contributions to Tuesday Night Music Club (1993),…
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1996
Canadian trumpet player and producer (born 1949)
Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and record producer.
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1999
1999
English archbishop (born 1909)
Frederick Donald Coggan, Baron Coggan, was the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury from 1974 to 1980. As Archbishop of Canterbury, he "revived morale within the Church of England, opened a dialogue with Rome and supported…
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2000
French mathematician (born 1928)
Jacques-Louis Lions was a French mathematician who made contributions to the theory of partial differential equations and to stochastic control, among other areas. He received the SIAM's John von Neumann Lecture prize…
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2001
American physician and author (born 1908)
Frank Gill Slaughter, pen-name Frank G. Slaughter, pseudonym C. V. Terry, was an American novelist and physician whose books sold more than 60 million copies. His novels drew on his own experience as a doctor and his…
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2001
Hungarian-Spanish footballer, coach, and manager (born 1927)
László Kubala was a professional footballer. He played as a forward for Ferencváros, Slovan Bratislava, Barcelona, and Espanyol, among other clubs. Regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Kubala is…
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2002
Turkish poet and composer (born 1940)
Şerif Cırık, popularly known as Aşık Mahsuni Şerif, was a Turkish ashik, folk musician, composer, poet, and author. Aşık is a title used to indicate his position as a respected musician and his relationship with Alevism.
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2002
Danish poet and painter (born 1920)
Jørgen Nash was a Danish artist, writer and central proponent of Situationism.
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2004
American actor (born 1920)
Anthony Leonard Randall was an American actor, comedian, director, producer and singer, active in film, television and stage.
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2004
Iraqi politician (born 1943)
Ezzedine Salim, also known as Abdelzahra Othman Mohammed, was an Iraqi politician, author, educator, Islamist theorist and one of the leading members of the Iraqi Dawa Movement between 1980 and 2004. He served as the…
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2004
American actor (born 1934)
Frank John Gorshin Jr. was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on television variety and talk shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Tonight Starring Steve Allen, The Dean…
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2005
2006
American soldier and author (born 1924)
Lloyd Chudley Alexander was an American author of more than 40 books, primarily fantasy novels for children and young adults. Over his seven-decade career, Alexander wrote 48 books, and his work has been translated into…
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2007
Indian poet and author (born 1921)
T. K. Doraiswamy, also known by his pen name Nakulan, was an Indian poet, professor of English, novelist, translator and short fiction writer, who wrote both in Tamil and English, and is known for his surrealism and…
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2007
Uruguayan journalist, author, and poet (born 1920)
Mario Benedetti Farrugia, was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet and an integral member of the Generación del 45. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being published in twenty languages, he was not well…
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2009
South Korean journalist and producer (born 1965)
Jung Seung-hye was a South Korean film producer.
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2009
French pianist, composer, and educator (born 1924)
Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.
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2010
Chinese-American painter and poet (born 1929)
Walasse Ting was a Chinese-American visual artist and poet. His colorful paintings have attracted critical admiration and a popular following. Common subjects include nude women and cats, birds and other animals.
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2010
American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1936)
Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr., nicknamed "the Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball player as a first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. He spent most of his 22-year career in Major…
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2011
Israeli geographer and politician, Israeli Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (born 1937)
Gideon Ezra was an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 1996 and 2012 and also held several ministerial portfolios.
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2012
Congolese-Rwandan footballer (born 1980)
Patrick Mutesa Mafisango was a Rwandan international footballer who played as a midfielder.
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2012
American singer-songwriter (born 1948)
Donna Adrian Gaines, known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music gained…
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2012
French cyclist (born 1973)
Philippe Gaumont was a French professional road racing cyclist. He earned a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics, 100 km team time trial. In 1997, he won the Belgian classic Gent–Wevelgem and he was twice individual…
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2013
German politician, Mayor of Hamburg (born 1930)
Peter Schulz was a German politician, member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and First Mayor of Hamburg.
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2013
American golfer and sportscaster (born 1931)
Kenneth Paul Venturi was an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. In a career shortened by injuries, he won 14 events on the PGA Tour including a major, the U.S. Open in 1964. Shortly before his death in…
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2013
Argentine Commander in Chief and dictator (born 1925)
General Jorge Rafael Videla was an Argentine military dictator and the President of Argentina from 1976 to 1981 during the National Reorganization Process. His rule, which was during the time of Operation Condor, was…
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2013
American biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1929)
Gerald Maurice Edelman was an American biologist who shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Rodney Robert Porter on the immune system. Edelman's Nobel Prize-winning research concerned…
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2014
Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts (born 1922)
Captain Chittarath Poovakkatt Krishnan Nair was an Indian businessman who founded The Leela Group. He was a 2010 recipient of the Padma Bhushan, given by Government of India. He was sometimes popularly known as Captain…
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2014
Laotian politician (born 1944)
Lieutenant general Douangchay Phichit was a Laotian politician from Attapeu and a Politburo member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense.
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2014
Laotian politician (born 1953)
Thongbanh Sengaphone was a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). He served as Minister of Public Security and held seats in the LPRP's Central Committee and the Secretariat.
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2014
American rapper (born 1983)
Lionel Du Fon Pickens, professionally known as Chinx, was an American rapper. He was a member of The Rockaway Riot Squad alongside fellow slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx later joined French Montana's Coke Boys…
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2015
Serbian football player and manager (born 1930)
Todor "Toza" Veselinović was a Yugoslav and Serbian football manager and player.
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2017
American author (born 1915)
Herman Wouk was an American author. He published 15 novels, many of them historical fiction such as The Caine Mutiny (1951), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1952. Other well-known works included The…
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2019
American blues singer, keyboardist and guitarist (born 1964)
Judge Kenneth "Lucky" Peterson was an American musician who played contemporary blues, fusing soul, R&B, gospel and rock and roll. He was a vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. Music journalist Tony Russell, in his book…
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2020
2022
American World War II flying ace (born 1922)
Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson was an officer in the United States Air Force and a triple ace of World War II. During the war he was the highest scoring flying ace in his P-51 Mustang squadron.
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2024
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Notable deaths
Who died on May 17?
Toe Blake — Canadian ice hockey player (1912–1995)
FeaturedToe Blake
Death year1995
Known forBlake played in the NHL from 1935 to 1948 with the Montreal Maroons and Montreal Canadiens
Deaths on this date106 (528 – 2024)
Explore May 17
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on May 17 in History
2014
A military plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people. Wikipedia →
2010
Pamir Airways Flight 112 crashes in Afghanistan's Shakardara District, killing 44. Wikipedia →
2007
See all events on May 17
Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953. Wikipedia →
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