Discover the most famous people who died on December 21. The list includes people like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franz Boas, John Newton, Stella Adler, Nikolaas Tinbergen. Famous personalities featured on this list, include actors, journalists, soldiers and novelists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany and many more countries.

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Birthdate: September 24, 1896

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Died: 1940

Novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and short-story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. However, he wasn’t much popular during his lifetime. His works gained international acclaim only in the years following his untimely death at 44. Many of his works have been adapted into films.

 2 

George Patton

(One of the Most Successful Combat Generals in United States History)

Birthdate: November 11, 1885

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: San Gabriel, California, United States

Died: 1945

George Patton was a general of the US Army, remembered for his work as a commander of the Seventh United States Army during World War II. He is also remembered for commanding the Third Army in the Western Front in June 1944 after the Allied invasion of Normandy. His life and work inspired the 1970 epic biographical war film Patton.

 3 

Kevin Greene

(American Football player)

Birthdate: July 31, 1962

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Schenectady, New York, United States

Died: 2020

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

 4 

Edda Göring

(Only Child of German Politician Hermann Göring and Actress Emmy Sonnemann)

Birthdate: June 2, 1938

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Died: 2018

Edda Göring was the only child of Nazi Party member Hermann Göring and actor Emmy Sonnemann. She grew up amidst luxury and received expensive art as gifts as a child, one of which, a painting of Madonna and Child by Lucas Cranach the Elder, dragged her into legal disputes.

Birthdate: July 24, 1725

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Wapping, London

Died: 1807

John Newton was an English Anglican cleric. As a young man, he was forcefully recruited into the navy and worked on slave ships in the slave trade for several years. He later converted to Christianity, following which he denounced slavery and became an abolitionist. He was then ordained as a Church of England cleric. 

 6 

Albert King

(Singer-songwriter, Basketball player, Musician, Guitarist)

Birthdate: April 25, 1923

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Indianola

Died: 1992

 7 

Dick Enberg

(Sportscaster)

Birthdate: January 9, 1935

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States

Died: 2017

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

 8 

John Eisenhower

(Diplomat, Military historian, Author, Writer, Biographer)

Birthdate: August 3, 1922

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Denver

Died: 2013

U.S. Army officer John Eisenhower was the son of military-general-turned-president Dwight D. Eisenhower. He had donned many hats, from teaching English to serving on his father's White House staff. He also assisted his father in writing his memoirs and had been the American ambassador to Belgium, too.

Birthdate: August 12, 1860

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Spital, Austria

Died: 1907

Klara Hitler was the mother of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany. Born into a modest family in Austria, she was a hardworking and energetic woman with a pleasant demeanor. She married Alois Hitler and had six children, of whom only two—Adolf and Paula—survived to adulthood. She died of breast cancer when she was 47.

Birthdate: February 10, 1901

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.

Died: 1992

 11 

Bruce McCandless II

(The First Person to Complete an Untethered Spacewalk)

Birthdate: June 8, 1937

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 2017

US Navy officer, aviator, and NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II was the first person to complete an untethered spacewalk. He also contributed to the development of the Manned Maneuvering Unit. Post-retirement, he became a research scientist. He once sued singer Dido for using one of his space flight photos as an album cover.

 12 

Billie Whitelaw

(Actress)

Birthdate: June 6, 1932

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Coventry, Warwickshire, England

Died: 2014

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

 13 

Kelly Johnson

(Aerospace engineer)

Birthdate: February 27, 1910

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Ishpeming, Michigan, United States

Died: 1990

 14 

Ted Healy

(American Vaudeville Performer, Actor and Comedian)

Birthdate: October 1, 1896

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Kaufman, Texas, United States

Died: 1937

 15 

Franz Boas

(German–American Anthropologist and a Pioneer of Modern Anthropology)

Birthdate: July 9, 1858

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Minden, Germany

Died: 1942

Remembered for his research on cultural relativism, German-born American anthropologist Franz Boas is often referred to as the Father of American Anthropology. The son of a merchant, he was a sickly child who grew up reading a lot. He also studied folklore and developed it as an academic discipline.

 16 

Edgar Bronfman Sr.

(Businessman)

Birthdate: June 20, 1929

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Montreal, Canada

Died: 2013

Edgar Bronfman Sr. was a Canadian-American entrepreneur best remembered for his role as president, treasurer, and CEO for the popular multinational conglomerate, Seagram. Bronfman was also a philanthropist who helped organizations like Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. In 1999, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 17 

Teji Bachchan

(Human rights activist)

Birthdate: August 12, 1914

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Faisalabad, Pakistan

Died: 2007

 18 

Dick Schaap

(Sportswriter)

Birthdate: September 27, 1934

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: 2001

 19 

Knud Rasmussen

(Greenlandic–Danish Polar Explorer and Anthropologist)

Birthdate: June 7, 1879

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Ilulissat, Greenland

Died: 1933

Knud Rasmussen was a Greenlandic–Danish polar explorer. He was the first European to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. Also an anthropologist, he is often referred to as  the "father of Eskimology." As a young man,  he pursued an unsuccessful career as an actor and opera singer before embarking on his major explorations. 

Birthdate: April 11, 1755

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Shoreditch

Died: 1824

The man who lent his name to Parkinson’s disease, which he described as paralysis agitans in Essay on the Shaking Palsy, James Parkinson was a leading English surgeon. An avid paleontologist and geologist too, he often collected specimens and fossils. He and his son also offered the first description of appendicitis.

 21 

Saparmurat Niyazov

(1st President of Turkmenistan)

Birthdate: February 19, 1940

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Gypjak, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Died: 2006

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

Birthplace: Galilee, Israel

Died: 0072

Thomas the Apostle was one of Jesus Christ's Twelve Apostles, according to the New Testament. He is often called Doubting Thomas as he doubted Jesus' resurrection. Widely considered the patron saint of India, Thomas is believed to have traveled to present-day Kerala, where Christianity is a major religion. Hence, he is credited with popularizing the religion in South India.

 23 

P. B. S. Pinchback

(Politician)

Birthdate: May 10, 1837

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, United States

Died: 1921

 24 

Ernst-Günther Schenck

(Surgeon, University teacher)

Birthdate: October 3, 1904

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Marburg

Died: 1998

While serving at the Nazi concentration camps during World War II, doctor Ernst-Günther Schenck created a protein sausage for Nazi troops, which was tested on the camp inmates, leading to many deaths. His experiences were later penned by him in his memoir, which inspired films such as Downfall.

 25 

Hobey Baker

(First American Star in Ice Hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame)

Birthdate: January 15, 1892

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: 1918

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Birthdate: October 7, 1880

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Brandenburg, Germany

Died: 1972

Paul Hausser was a German general who played an important role in the post-war efforts in order to achieve legal and historical rehabilitation. Hausser was among many former members of the Waffen-SS who strived towards achieving rehabilitation. He also played a prominent role during World War I, serving in the Prussian Army.

Birthdate: April 15, 1907

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: The Hague, Netherlands

Died: 1988

Nikolaas Tinbergen was a Dutch ornithologist and biologist. Counted among the founders of modern ethology, Tinbergen shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973 with Konrad Lorenz and Karl von Frisch for their discoveries concerning the social behavior patterns in animals. He is also credited with authoring an influential book on animal behavior titled The Study of Instinct.

 28 

Henry Fielding Dickens

(English Lawyer and Son of Novelist Charles Dickens)

Birthdate: January 16, 1849

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 1933

One of the 10 children of legendary English author Charles Dickens, Henry Fielding Dickens was named after author Henry Fielding. A Cambridge alumnus, he had initially studied math. However, he later took up law and became a successful barrister. He had also been a Liberal Party member.

 29 

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

(Princess)

Birthdate: August 28, 1691

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Brunswick, Germany

Died: 1750

 30 

Emmanuel Yarbrough

(Amateur Sumo Wrestler)

Birthdate: September 5, 1964

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Rahway, New Jersey, United States

Died: 2015

Emmanuel Yarbrough was an American professional wrestler, martial artist, actor, and football player. Remembered for his achievements as an amateur sumo wrestler, Yarbrough was the heaviest living athlete according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Emmanuel Yarbrough passed away at the age of 51 after suffering a heart attack.

 31 

Emanuel Ungaro

(French Fashion Designer Who Founded the Eponymous Fashion House in 1965)

Birthdate: February 13, 1933

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Aix-en-Provence, France

Died: 2019

Born to a tailor father, French designer Emanuel Ungaro was gifted a sewing machine as his first toy. His first job was at a tailor's shop in Paris, following which he worked for Balenciaga and Courrèges. Best known for his menswear and perfume collection, he later created his own label.

 32 

Paul de Man

(Belgian-Born American Literary Critic and Literary Theorist)

Birthdate: December 6, 1919

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Antwerp

Died: 1983

Belgian-born American literary critic Paul de Man was considered one of the 2 pioneering figures of deconstruction, the other being French philosopher Jacques Derrida. Known for his criticism of authorial intentionalism, he also had a controversial personal life and once lived with a woman and her husband in a consensual relationship.

 33 

Jasper Tudor

(Duke)

Birthdate: 1431

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England

Died: 1495

 34 

Ralph Nelson

(Film Director)

Birthdate: August 12, 1916

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Long Island, New York, United States

Died: 1987

Birthdate: December 22, 1856

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Potsdam

Died: 1937

 36 

Lewis Terman

(Psychologist, University teacher)

Birthdate: January 15, 1877

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Johnson County

Died: 1956

 37 

Dominic Frontiere

(Composer)

Birthdate: June 17, 1931

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Died: 2021

 38 

Peter Canisius

(Dutch Jesuit Catholic Priest Known for His Strong Support for the Catholic Faith During the Protestant Reformation)

Birthdate: May 8, 1521

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Nijmegen, Netherlands

Died: 1597

Jesuit scholar Peter Canisius strongly opposed Protestantism. His dedication to the cause of Roman Catholicism in Germany earned him the title of the Second Apostle of Germany. He established many Jesuit colleges in Germany and is remembered for his work Triple Catechism. He is also known as a saint in the Catholic Church.

 39 

Margaret of Valois-Angouleme

(Author)

Birthdate: April 11, 1492

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Angoulême, France

Died: 1549

Margaret of Valois-Angouleme, the wife of Henry II of Navarre, was a significant figure of the French Renaissance, and is also regarded as The First Modern Woman. She patronized artists and was herself an author, with several short stories and a religious poem to her credit.

 40 

Luigi Cadorna

(Italian Military General Known for His Failure during World War I)

Birthdate: September 4, 1850

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Verbania, Italy

Died: 1928

Italian military general Luigi Cadorna served as the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army during World War I, though he is remembered for his inefficiency and bad decisions. He was later moved to the Allied military council at Versailles, and in spite of his failure, was eventually named a Field Marshal.

 41 

Florynce Kennedy

(Former activist for feminism and civil rights)

Birthdate: February 11, 1916

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Died: 2000

 42 

Harry Wills

(Boxer)

Birthdate: May 15, 1889

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Died: 1958

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

 43 

Lion Feuchtwanger

(Novelist)

Birthdate: July 7, 1884

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Munich, Germany

Died: 1958

 44 

John Chamberlain

(sculptor, painter)

Birthdate: April 16, 1927

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Rochester

Died: 2011

 45 

Carlos Mérida

(Artist)

Birthdate: December 2, 1891

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Died: 1984

 46 

Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

(Spanish Businessman)

Birthdate: May 28, 1924

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Died: 2003

 47 

Niels Gade

(Danish Violinist, Composer, Conductor, Organist, and Teacher)

Birthdate: February 22, 1817

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark

Died: 1890

 48 

Jack Hobbs

(English Professional Cricketer and One of the Greatest Batsmen in the History of Cricket)

Birthdate: December 16, 1882

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Cambridge, England

Died: 1963

 49 

Edwin G. Krebs

(American Biochemist Who Received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1992)

Birthdate: June 6, 1918

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Lansing, Iowa, United States

Died: 2009

American biochemist Edwin Gerhard Krebs is best-known for collaborating with Edmond H. Fischer in elucidating the way reversible phosphorylation works as a switch in activating proteins and regulating different cellular processes. This key discovery of reversible protein phosphorylation led the two to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1992.

 50 

Curt Richter

(American Biologist, Psychobiologist and Geneticist Who Made Important Contributions in the Field of 'Circadian Rhythms')

Birthdate: February 20, 1894

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: United States

Died: 1988

Curt Richter is best remembered for his pioneering study on biorhythms. Born to a German immigrant engineer, Richter initially studied engineering but later switched to biology and then psychology. He later taught psychobiology and also worked on concepts such as the biological clock and circadian rhythms.