People who died on February 17 79
Theodore of Amasea
d. 306
Theodore of Amasea, Roman soldier and Christian martyr
Jovian (emperor)
d. 364 (b. 331)
Jovian, Roman emperor (b. 331)
Mesrop Mashtots
d. 440 (b. 360)
Mesrop Mashtots, Armenian monk, linguist, and theologian (b. 360)
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Finan of Lindisfarne
d. 661
Finan of Lindisfarne, Irish bishop and saint
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Al-Tabari
d. 923 (b. 839)
Al-Tabari, Persian scholar (b. 839)
Evermode of Ratzeburg
d. 1178
Evermode of Ratzeburg, bishop of Ratzeburg
Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
d. 1220
Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
Otto, Duke of Austria
d. 1339 (b. 1301)
Otto, Duke of Austria (d. 1339)
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
d. 1371
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
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Adolph, Count of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst
d. 1500
Adolph, Count of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst, German noble (b. before 1463)
Giordano Bruno
d. 1600 (b. 1548)
Giordano Bruno, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (b. 1548)
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
d. 1609 (b. 1549)
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1609)
Juan de Mariana
d. 1624 (b. 1536)
Juan de Mariana, Spanish priest and historian (b. 1536)
Abel Servien
d. 1659 (b. 1593)
Abel Servien, French politician, French Minister of Finance (b. 1593)
Molière
d. 1673 (b. 1622)
Molière, French actor and playwright (b. 1622)
Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles
d. 1680 (b. 1599)
Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English politician (b. 1599)
Jan Swammerdam
d. 1680 (b. 1637)
Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist, zoologist, and entomologist (b. 1637)
Antoine Galland
d. 1715 (b. 1646)
Antoine Galland, French orientalist and archaeologist (d. 1715)
Louis Marchand
d. 1732 (b. 1669)
Louis Marchand, French organist and composer (b. 1669)
Arthur Onslow
d. 1768 (b. 1691)
Arthur Onslow, English lawyer and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 1768)
Ferdinando Carulli
d. 1841 (b. 1770)
Ferdinando Carulli, Italian guitarist and composer (b. 1770)
John Martin (painter)
d. 1854 (b. 1789)
John Martin, English painter, engraver, and illustrator (d. 1854)
Heinrich Heine
d. 1856 (b. 1797)
Heinrich Heine, German journalist and poet (b. 1797)
Adolphe Quetelet
d. 1874 (b. 1796)
Adolphe Quetelet, Belgian mathematician, astronomer, and sociologist (d. 1874)
Christopher Latham Sholes
d. 1890 (b. 1819)
Christopher Latham Sholes, American publisher and politician (b. 1819)
William Bickerton
d. 1905 (b. 1815)
William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, leader in the Latter Day Saint movement (b. 1815)
Geronimo
d. 1909 (b. 1829)
Geronimo, American tribal leader (d. 1909)
Edgar Evans
d. 1912 (b. 1876)
Edgar Evans, Welsh sailor and explorer (b. 1876)
Wilfrid Laurier
d. 1919 (b. 1841)
Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1841)
Albert I of Belgium
d. 1934 (b. 1875)
Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
Siegbert Tarrasch
d. 1934 (b. 1862)
Siegbert Tarrasch, German chess player and theoretician (b. 1862)
Willy Hess (violinist)
d. 1939 (b. 1859)
Willy Hess, German violinist and educator (d. 1928)
Dorothy Gibson
d. 1946 (b. 1889)
Dorothy Gibson, American actress and singer (d. 1946)
Lütfi Kırdar
d. 1961 (b. 1887)
Lütfi Kırdar, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of Health (b. 1887)
Nita Naldi
d. 1961 (b. 1897)
Nita Naldi, American actress (b. 1897)
Joseph Kearns
d. 1962 (b. 1907)
Joseph Kearns, American actor (b. 1907)
Bruno Walter
d. 1962 (b. 1876)
Bruno Walter, German-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1962)
Hans Hofmann
d. 1966 (b. 1880)
Hans Hofmann, German-American painter (b. 1880)
Shmuel Yosef Agnon
d. 1970 (b. 1888)
Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Ukrainian-Israeli novelist, short story writer and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)
Alfred Newman (composer)
d. 1970 (b. 1901)
Alfred Newman, American composer and conductor (b. 1900)
Nestor Chylak
d. 1982 (b. 1922)
Nestor Chylak, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1922)
Thelonious Monk
d. 1982 (b. 1917)
Thelonious Monk, American pianist and composer (d. 1982)
Lee Strasberg
d. 1982 (b. 1901)
Lee Strasberg, American actor and director (b. 1901)
Jiddu Krishnamurti
d. 1986 (b. 1895)
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian-American philosopher and author (d. 1986)
John M. Allegro
d. 1988 (b. 1923)
John M. Allegro, English archaeologist and scholar (b. 1923)
Karpoori Thakur
d. 1988 (b. 1924)
Karpoori Thakur, Indian educator and politician, 11th Chief Minister of Bihar (b. 1924)
Lefty Gomez
d. 1989 (b. 1908)
Lefty Gomez, American baseball player (b. 1908)
Jean-Marc Boivin
d. 1990 (b. 1951)
Jean-Marc Boivin, French skier, mountaineer, and pilot (d. 1990)
Randy Shilts
d. 1994 (b. 1951)
Randy Shilts, American journalist and author (d. 1994)
Ernst Jünger
d. 1998 (b. 1895)
Ernst Jünger, German soldier, philosopher, and author (b. 1895)
Steve Bechler
d. 2003 (b. 1979)
Steve Bechler, American baseball player (b. 1979)
José López Portillo
d. 2004 (b. 1920)
José López Portillo, Mexican lawyer and politician, 31st President of Mexico (d. 2004)
Dan O'Herlihy
d. 2005 (b. 1919)
Dan O'Herlihy, Irish-American actor (d. 2005)
Omar Sívori
d. 2005 (b. 1935)
Omar Sívori, Argentinian footballer and manager (b. 1935)
Ray Barretto
d. 2006 (b. 1929)
Ray Barretto, American drummer (b. 1929)
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Bill Cowsill
d. 2006 (b. 1948)
Bill Cowsill, American singer and guitarist (b. 1948)
Conchita Cintrón
d. 2009 (b. 1922)
Conchita Cintrón, Chilean bullfighter and journalist (b. 1922)
Kathryn Grayson
d. 2010 (b. 1922)
Kathryn Grayson, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
Robert Carr
d. 2012 (b. 1916)
Robert Carr, English engineer and politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1916)
Michael Davis (bassist)
d. 2012 (b. 1943)
Michael Davis, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1943)
Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn
d. 2012 (b. 1918)
Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn, Dutch mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
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Ulric Neisser
d. 2012 (b. 1928)
Ulric Neisser, German-American psychologist and academic (b. 1928)
Richard Briers
d. 2013 (b. 1934)
Richard Briers, English actor (b. 1934)
Shmulik Kraus
d. 2013 (b. 1935)
Shmulik Kraus, Israeli singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1935)
Sophie Kurys
d. 2013 (b. 1925)
Sophie Kurys, American baseball player (b. 1925)
Mindy McCready
d. 2013 (b. 1975)
Mindy McCready, American singer-songwriter (b. 1975)
Bob Casale
d. 2014 (b. 1952)
Bob Casale, American guitarist, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2014)
Peter Florin
d. 2014 (b. 1921)
Peter Florin, German politician and diplomat, President of the United Nations General Assembly (b. 1921)
Wayne Smith (musician)
d. 2014 (b. 1965)
Wayne Smith, Jamaican singer (b. 1965)
John Barrow (Canadian football)
d. 2015 (b. 1935)
John Barrow, American-Canadian football player and manager (b. 1935)
Cathy Ubels-Veen
d. 2015 (b. 1928)
Cathy Ubels-Veen, Dutch politician (b. 1928)
Liu Yudi
d. 2015 (b. 1923)
Liu Yudi, Chinese general and pilot (b. 1923)
Andy Ganteaume
d. 2016 (b. 1921)
Andy Ganteaume, Trinidadian cricketer (b. 1921)
Mohamed Hassanein Heikal
d. 2016 (b. 1923)
Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Egyptian journalist (d. 2016)
Claude Jeancolas
d. 2016 (b. 1949)
Claude Jeancolas, French historian, author, and journalist (b. 1949)
Tony Phillips
d. 2016 (b. 1959)
Tony Phillips, American baseball player (d. 2016)
Andrzej Żuławski
d. 2016 (b. 1940)
Andrzej Żuławski, Polish film director (b. 1940)
Robert H. Michel
d. 2017 (b. 1923)
Robert H. Michel, American politician (b. 1923)
Michael Novak
d. 2017 (b. 1933)
Michael Novak, American Roman Catholic theologian (b. 1933)