People who died on February 20 81
Leo of Catania
d. 789 (b. 709)
Leo of Catania, saint and bishop of Catania (b. 709)
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Theodora (wife of Romanos I)
d. 922
Theodora, Byzantine empress
Yaroslav the Wise
d. 1054 (b. 978)
Yaroslav the Wise, husband of Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden (b. 978)
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Wulfric of Haselbury
d. 1154
Saint Wulfric of Haselbury (b. c. 1080)
Conan IV, Duke of Brittany
d. 1171 (b. 1138)
Conan IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1138)
Tancred, King of Sicily
d. 1194 (b. 1138)
Tancred, King of Sicily (b. 1138)
Al-Musta'sim
d. 1258 (b. 1213)
Al-Musta'sim, Iraqi caliph (b. 1213)
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
d. 1408 (b. 1342)
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, English politician, Earl Marshal of the United Kingdom (b. 1342)
Pope Martin V
d. 1431 (b. 1368)
Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
Lazar Branković
d. 1458
Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia
John, King of Denmark
d. 1513 (b. 1455)
King John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1455)
Tecun Uman
d. 1524 (b. 1500)
Tecun Uman, Mayan ruler (b. 1500)
Nicholas Bacon (Lord Keeper)
d. 1579 (b. 1509)
Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)
Philip William, Prince of Orange
d. 1618 (b. 1554)
Philip William, Prince of Orange (b. 1554)
John Dowland
d. 1626 (b. 1563)
John Dowland, English lute player and composer (b. 1563)
Tobias Mayer
d. 1762 (b. 1723)
Tobias Mayer, German astronomer and academic (b. 1723)
Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan
d. 1771 (b. 1678)
Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist and astronomer (b. 1678)
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
d. 1773 (b. 1701)
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (d. 1773)
Laura Bassi
d. 1778 (b. 1711)
Laura Bassi, Italian physicist and scholar (b. 1711)
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
d. 1790 (b. 1741)
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1741)
Lachlan McIntosh
d. 1806 (b. 1725)
Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-American general and politician (b. 1725)
Andreas Hofer
d. 1810 (b. 1767)
Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean rebel leader (b. 1767)
William Wallace Lincoln
d. 1862 (b. 1850)
William Wallace Lincoln, American son of Abraham Lincoln (b. 1850)
Paul Kane
d. 1871 (b. 1810)
Paul Kane, Irish-Canadian painter (d. 1871)
P. G. T. Beauregard
d. 1893 (b. 1818)
P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (d. 1893)
Frederick Douglass
d. 1895 (b. 1818)
Frederick Douglass, American author and activist (b. 1818)
Washakie
d. 1900 (b. 1798)
Washakie, American tribal leader (b. 1798)
Henri Moissan
d. 1907 (b. 1852)
Henri Moissan, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
Boutros Ghali
d. 1910 (b. 1846)
Boutros Ghali, Egyptian educator and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1846)
Klas Pontus Arnoldson
d. 1916 (b. 1844)
Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish journalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1844)
Jacinta and Francisco Marto
d. 1920 (b. 1908)
Francisco Marto, Portuguese saint (d. 1919)
Robert Peary
d. 1920 (b. 1856)
Robert Peary, American admiral and explorer (d. 1920)
Max Schreck
d. 1936 (b. 1879)
Max Schreck, German actor (d. 1936)
Sadri Maksudi Arsal
d. 1957 (b. 1878)
Sadri Maksudi Arsal, Turkish scholar and politician (b. 1878)
Percy Grainger
d. 1961 (b. 1882)
Percy Grainger, Australian-American pianist and composer (d. 1961)
Jacob Gade
d. 1963 (b. 1879)
Jacob Gade, Danish violinist and composer(b. 1879)
Chester W. Nimitz
d. 1966 (b. 1885)
Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (d. 1966)
Anthony Asquith
d. 1968 (b. 1902)
Anthony Asquith, English director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
Ernest Ansermet
d. 1969 (b. 1883)
Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
Maria Goeppert-Mayer
d. 1972 (b. 1906)
Maria Goeppert-Mayer, Polish-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
Walter Winchell
d. 1972 (b. 1897)
Walter Winchell, American journalist and radio host (d. 1972)
René Cassin
d. 1976 (b. 1887)
René Cassin, French judge and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
Nicolas de Gunzburg
d. 1981 (b. 1904)
Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and publisher (b. 1904)
Wayne Boring
d. 1987 (b. 1905)
Wayne Boring, American illustrator (d. 1987)
A. J. Casson
d. 1992 (b. 1898)
A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (d. 1992)
Dick York
d. 1992 (b. 1928)
Dick York, American actor (d. 1992)
Ferruccio Lamborghini
d. 1993 (b. 1916)
Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, created Lamborghini (d. 1993)
Ernest L. Massad
d. 1993 (b. 1908)
Ernest L. Massad, American general (b. 1908)
Solomon Asch
d. 1996 (b. 1907)
Solomon Asch, American psychologist and academic (b. 1907)
Audrey Munson
d. 1996 (b. 1891)
Audrey Munson, American model (b. 1891)
Toru Takemitsu
d. 1996 (b. 1930)
Toru Takemitsu, Japanese composer and theorist (d. 1996)
Sarah Kane
d. 1999 (b. 1971)
Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
Gene Siskel
d. 1999 (b. 1946)
Gene Siskel, American journalist and critic (b. 1946)
Anatoly Sobchak
d. 2000 (b. 1937)
Anatoly Sobchak, Russian scholar and politician, Mayor of Saint Petersburg (d. 2000)
Rosemary DeCamp
d. 2001 (b. 1910)
Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
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Donella Meadows
d. 2001 (b. 1941)
Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (b. 1941)
Mushaf Ali Mir
d. 2003 (b. 1947)
Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani air marshal (b. 1947)
Maurice Blanchot
d. 2003 (b. 1907)
Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and theorist (d. 2003)
Orville Freeman
d. 2003 (b. 1918)
Orville Freeman, American soldier and politician, 16th United States Secretary of Agriculture (d. 2003)
Sandra Dee
d. 2005 (b. 1942)
Sandra Dee, American model and actress (d. 2005)
John Raitt
d. 2005 (b. 1917)
John Raitt, American actor and singer (b. 1917)
Hunter S. Thompson
d. 2005 (b. 1937)
Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (d. 2005)
Curt Gowdy
d. 2006 (b. 1919)
Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster and actor (d. 2006)
Lucjan Wolanowski
d. 2006 (b. 1920)
Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (d. 2006)
Emily Perry (English actress)
d. 2008 (b. 1907)
Emily Perry, English actress and dancer (b. 1907)
Larry H. Miller
d. 2009 (b. 1944)
Larry H. Miller, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
Alexander Haig
d. 2010 (b. 1924)
Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (b. 1924)
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Knut Torbjørn Eggen
d. 2012 (b. 1960)
Knut Torbjørn Eggen, Norwegian footballer and manager (b. 1960)
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Katie Hall (politician)
d. 2012 (b. 1938)
Katie Hall, American educator and politician (b. 1938)
Kenji Eno
d. 2013 (b. 1970)
Kenji Eno, Japanese game designer and composer (b. 1970)
David S. McKay
d. 2013 (b. 1936)
David S. McKay, American biochemist and geologist (b. 1936)
Antonio Roma
d. 2013 (b. 1932)
Antonio Roma, Argentinian footballer (b. 1932)
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Rafael Addiego Bruno
d. 2014 (b. 1923)
Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (d. 2014)
Walter D. Ehlers
d. 2014 (b. 1921)
Walter D. Ehlers, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1921)
Garrick Utley
d. 2014 (b. 1939)
Garrick Utley, American journalist (b. 1939)
Govind Pansare
d. 2015 (b. 1933)
Govind Pansare, Indian author and activist (b. 1933)
Henry Segerstrom
d. 2015 (b. 1923)
Henry Segerstrom, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1923)
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John C. Willke
d. 2015 (b. 1925)
John C. Willke, American physician, author, and activist (b. 1925)
Fernando Cardenal
d. 2016 (b. 1934)
Fernando Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest and politician (b. 1934)
Vitaly Churkin
d. 2017 (b. 1952)
Vitaly Churkin, Russian diplomat, former Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations (d. 2017)
Mildred Dresselhaus
d. 2017 (b. 1930)
Mildred Dresselhaus, American physicist (b. 1930)