Discover the most famous people who died on December 1. The list includes people like Aleister Crowley, James Baldwin, David Ben-Gurion, Ambrose Bierce, G. H. Hardy. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, novelists, economists and essayists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Israel & Germany and many more countries.

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 1 

James Baldwin

(Author Best Known for His Novel 'Go Tell It on the Mountain')

Birthdate: August 2, 1924

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States

Died: 1987

Amongst the greatest writers of the 20th century and a leading literary voice in the civil rights movement, James Baldwin extensively explored issues like race, sexuality and humanity in his work. His best known work include his debut novel Go Tell It on the Mountain andhis books of essays Notes of a Native Son and Nobody Knows My Name.

Birthdate: March 26, 1930

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, United States

Died: 2023

Sandra Day O’Connor is a retired attorney who became the first woman to serve as the associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US when she took office in 1981. While serving as the associate justice, O’Connor was considered one of the most powerful women in the world. In 2009, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Birthdate: October 16, 1886

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Płonsk, Poland

Died: 1973

David Ben-Gurion was the founder of the State of Israel and also served as Israel’s first prime minister. He was the leader of the Jews in British Mandate Palestine and had also been the country’s defense minister and the chairman of the Provisional State Council of Israel.

Birthdate: 1068 AD

Birthplace: Selby, United Kingdom

Died: 1135

Henry I, fourth son of William the Conqueror, seized the throne of England after his brother William II’s death, and ruled as the King of England from 1100 to 1135. He was strict but efficient, and is known for his conquest of Normandy following the Battle of Tinchebray.

 5 

G. H. Hardy

(English Mathematician Known for His Contributions in Number Theory and Mathematical Analysis)

Birthdate: February 7, 1877

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Cranleigh, England

Died: 1947

English mathematician G. H. Hardy is best recognised for his work and achievements in number theory and mathematical analysis, and also as mentor of distinguished Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. He is noted for his essay on mathematics titled A Mathematician's Apology. He also made his mark in biology formulating a basic principle of population genetics called Hardy–Weinberg principle.  

Birthdate: December 23, 1777

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1825

Alexander I was the emperor of Russia and the eldest son of Paul I. While he was initially a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, he later joined hands with his opponents to defeat him. He was also part of the Congress of Vienna and later contributed to the formation of the Holy Alliance.

Birthdate: June 24, 1842

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Meigs County, Ohio, United States

Died: 1914

 8 

Jack Hemingway

(Conservationist, Writer)

Birthdate: October 10, 1923

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Died: 2000

Birthdate: January 5, 1931

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Rogers, Texas, United States

Died: 1989

 10 

Paul Benedict

(Actor)

Birthdate: September 17, 1938

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Silver City, New Mexico, USA

Died: 2008

Height: 6'4" (193 cm)

Birthdate: May 3, 1906

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New York City

Died: 1975

Anna Roosevelt Halsted was an American writer and newspaper editor. The daughter of Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anna played an important role during World War II, serving as her father's key advisor. After her marriage, Anna moved into the White House and served as First Lady of the USA as per her parents' request.

 12 

Shelley Morrison

(Known for Her Role as Maid Rosario Salazar in the NBC Comedy 'Will & Grace')

Birthdate: October 26, 1936

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: South Bronx, New York, United States

Died: 2019

Shelley Morrison was an American actress best remembered for her portrayal of Rosario Salazar in the popular NBC sitcom Will & Grace. During her career, which spanned more than five decades, Shelley Morrison played a housekeeper or maid on 32 separate occasions.

 13 

Jovan Belcher

(American Football Player)

Birthdate: July 24, 1987

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: West Babylon, New York, United States

Died: 2012

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

 14 

George Everest

(British Surveyor and Geographer Who Served as Surveyor General of India From 1830 to 1843)

Birthdate: July 4, 1790

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 1866

George Everest was a British geographer and surveyor. From 1830 to 1843, he served as Surveyor General of India. His work and contributions were honored by naming Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, after him.

 15 

Bobby Layne

(American football player)

Birthdate: December 19, 1926

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Santa Anna, Texas, United States

Died: 1986

 16 

Mary Hayley Bell

(English Writer and Actress Who is Best Remembered for Her Novel 'Whistle Down')

Birthdate: January 22, 1911

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Shanghai, China

Died: 2005

Mary Hayley Bell was an English writer and actress. She is perhaps best remembered for her novel Whistle Down the Wind, which was later adapted into a film with her daughter Hayley Mills playing the lead role. As far as her acting career is concerned, Mary Hayley Bell had a prominent stage acting career for about a decade. 

 17 

J.B.S. Haldane

(British Scientist Who Developed the Mathematical Theory of Population Genetics and One of the Founders of ‘Neo-Darwinism’)

Birthdate: November 5, 1892

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Oxford, England

Died: 1964

British geneticist J.B.S. Haldane is remembered for his pioneering use of statistics in biology. A proponent of neo-Darwinism, he was the son of physiologist John Scott Haldane and had begun assisting his father at age 8. He later joined the British Communist Party and also moved to India.

 18 

Nellie Fox

(Baseball Player)

Birthdate: December 25, 1927

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: 1975

 19 

Stéphane Grappelli

(French Jazz Violinist)

Birthdate: January 26, 1908

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1997

Stéphane Grappelli was a French-Italian violinist best remembered as the co-founder of a jazz group named The Quintette du Hot Club de France. The group became famous for being one of the first jazz bands to house only string instruments. Nicknamed the grandfather of jazz violinists, Stéphane Grappelli went on to play in concerts well into his 80s.

Birthdate: September 27, 1840

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: West Point, New York, United States

Died: 1914

 21 

Pat Sullivan

(American football player)

Birthdate: January 18, 1950

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Died: 2019

 22 

Rick Majerus

(Basketball coach)

Birthdate: February 17, 1948

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States

Died: 2012

 23 

Sergio Corbucci

(Italian Film Director, Screenwriter and Producer)

Birthdate: December 6, 1926

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Rome, Italy

Died: 1990

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Birthdate: January 17, 1911

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Renton, Washington, United States

Died: 1991

 25 

Dave McNally

(Baseball player)

Birthdate: October 31, 1942

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Billings, Montana, United States

Died: 2002

 26 

Edmund Campion

(English Catholic Jesuit Priest and Martyr)

Birthdate: January 25, 1540

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 1581

Catholic Jesuit priest Saint Edmund Campion was hailed as a martyr after being hanged for treason at Tyburn by Queen Elizabeth I’s government. Born to a bookseller in London, Campion taught at Oxford, before being ordained. He was later canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

 27 

Claude Jade

(Actress)

Birthdate: October 8, 1948

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Dijon, France

Died: 2006

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

 28 

Teddy Sheean

(Sailor, Military personnel)

Birthdate: December 28, 1923

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Lower Barrington, Australia

Died: 1942

Tasmanian war veteran Teddy Sheean was initially a farm laborer and then joined the Australian navy. Seventy-eight years after he died after strapping himself to a sinking HMAS Armidale’s anti-aircraft gun and shooting at the attacking Japanese war planes, he was awarded with the Victoria Cross.

Birthdate: December 11, 1475

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: 1521

Son of Lorenzo the Magnificent and part of the Medici banking family of Florence, Giovanni de’ Medici, was tonsured at 7, as a mark of his entry into ecclesiastical life. He took over as Pope Leo X after Julius II’s death. An art connoisseur, he was a true Renaissance pope.

 30 

Isabella Clara Eugenia

(Sovereign)

Birthdate: August 12, 1566

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Palacio de Valsaín, Segovia, Spain

Died: 1633

 31 

Charles de Foucauld

(French Soldier, Explorer, Catholic Priest and Hermit)

Birthdate: September 15, 1858

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Strasbourg, France

Died: 1916

Charles de Foucauld was a cavalry officer in the French Army in the late 19th century. He later became an explorer and geographer, eventually adopting the life of a hermit and a Catholic priest. He was assassinated in 1916 and is listed as a martyr in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. 

 32 

Hugo Haas

(Czech Actor, Writer, and Director)

Birthdate: February 19, 1901

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Brno, Moravia, Austria-Hungary

Died: 1968

 33 

Billy Lyall

(Singer)

Birthdate: March 26, 1953

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Edinburgh

Died: 1989

 34 

Joseph Engelberger

(American Physicist, Engineer and Entrepreneur Who Developed the First Industrial Robot in the United States)

Birthdate: July 26, 1925

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, United States

Died: 2015

Known as the Father of Robotics, Joseph Engelberger went down in history as the developer of the first industrial robot in the U.S., the Unimate, which was installed in a GM plant. His book Robotics in Practice is classic in the field of robotics and has been translated in multiple languages.

 35 

Jean Lesage

(Lawyer)

Birthdate: June 10, 1912

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Montreal, Canada

Died: 1980

 36 

Robert Anthony

Birthdate: December 6, 1916

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Silver Spring

Died: 2006

 37 

Joe McKnight

(American football player)

Birthdate: April 16, 1988

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Kenner, Louisiana, United States

Died: 2016

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

 38 

Freddie Young

(British Cinematographer Best Known for His Work on David Lean's Movies)

Birthdate: October 9, 1902

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 1998

Freddie Young was a British cinematographer best remembered for his work on David Lean's movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Ryan's Daughter, and Doctor Zhivago, winning Academy Awards for Best Cinematography for all three films. Freddie Young also served during World War II as a captain of the British Army's Kinematograph Unit.

 39 

Fritz Fischer

(Historian)

Birthdate: March 5, 1908

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Ludwigsstadt, Germany

Died: 1999

 40 

Feodosia Morozova

(Saint)

Birthdate: May 21, 1632

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Died: 1675

 41 

Takizawa Bakin

(Japanese Novelist)

Birthdate: July 4, 1767

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

Died: 1848

Japanese novelist Takizawa Bakin belonged to the Edo period and was known as a gesaku author. Admired for his lengthy and serious historical novels, Bakin published over 200 works during his prolific career. He created the historical romance in Japan with special attention to Chinese civilization, Buddhist philosophy, and national history. Nansō Satomi hakkenden is among his most popular works.

 42 

Ken Berry

(Actor)

Birthdate: November 3, 1933

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Moline, Illinois, United States

Died: 2018

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

 43 

Edwin Rosario

(Puerto Rican Professional Boxer)

Birthdate: March 15, 1963

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Died: 1997

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 44 

Aleister Crowley

(British Occultist, Ceremonial Magician and Founder of the Religion 'Thelema')

Birthdate: October 12, 1875

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England

Died: 1947

Aleister Crowley was an occultist, writer, and ceremonial magician. He is credited with founding a religion called Thelema and promised his followers with guiding them into the Aeon of Horus, a time of self-realization. More than seven decades after his death, Crowley remains influential among those who revere counterculture and Western esotericism and is considered a prophet in Thelema.

 45 

George William, Elector of Brandenburg

(Elector of Brandenburg)

Birthdate: November 13, 1595

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Kolln an der Spree, Germany

Died: 1640

 46 

Magnus IV of Sweden

(King)

Birthdate: 1316 AD

Birthplace: Norway

Died: 1374

 47 

Dario Moreno

(Singer)

Birthdate: April 3, 1921

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Aydın, Turkey

Died: 1968

 48 

Jim Loscutoff

(Basketball player)

Birthdate: February 4, 1930

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: San Francisco San Francisco, California

Died: 2015

Height: 6'5" (196 cm)

 49 

Fred Rose

(Musician)

Birthdate: August 24, 1897

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Evansville, Indiana, United States

Died: 1954

 50 

Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye

(Writer)

Birthdate: October 21, 1928

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Southampton, England

Died: 2015