Historical Figures and Celebrities Who Died on the Same Day
Throughout history, there have been numerous instances where famous historical figures and celebrities have died on the same day. Here we discuss a small but intriguing selection of them.
John F. Kennedy, Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis: November 22, 1963
The assassination of John F. Kennedy on 22nd November 1963 was such a shocking and historical event, that people of a certain age still remember where they were and what they were doing when the news broke. It was a moment in time when other news was all but ignored as frenzied news services tried to make sense of the tragedy.
Sadly, news that two giants of twentieth-century English literature — Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis – had died that same day was almost unnoticed at the time.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson: July 4, 1826
On 4th July 1826, as Americans celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the second and third presidents of the United States died in their homes. They had both lived long lives – Adams was ninety years old and Jefferson was eighty-three at the time of their passing.
Tradition has it that Adams’ last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives.” In truth, Jefferson had died several hours before him.
As if the deaths of both Adams and Jefferson on such an auspicious date were not intriguing enough, James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and next to die, passed away on the 4th of July five years later.
Orson Welles and Yul Brynner: October 10, 1985
The entertainment industry lost two legendary talents when Orson Welles and Yul Brynner both passed away on October 10, 1985 at the age of 70.
Welles, widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers ever, is remembered for his masterpiece, Citizen Kane, which he co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in.
Yul Brynner was a Russian-American actor who is known for his roles in movies such as The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments and The King and I.
Mahatma Gandhi and Orville Wright: January 30, 1948
Mohandas K. Gandhi, known as the Mahatma, and Orville Wright died on the same day – January 30, 1948.
Gandhi was a political leader who championed nonviolent resistance and played a crucial role in India’s fight for independence from British colonial rule. He was assassinated by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu Nationalist.
Wright was an American aviation pioneer who, with his brother Wilbur, built and successfully flew the first powered airplane
Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni: July 30, 2007
Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni were two giants of international cinema who died on the same day, July 30, 2007. Both directors were contemporaries whose careers followed each other closely, with their first and last films coming only a few years apart. Ingmar Bergman’s first film was released in 1946 and his last in 2003, while Michelangelo Antonioni’s first film came out in 1943 and his last in 2004 The news of their passing caused incredulous newspapers to run out of obituary space and television news shows to seek fresh phrases for successive epitaphs.
Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett: 25 June, 2009
The world lost two iconic figures on June 26, 2009 – Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Fawcett passed away after a long illness. However, the death of Michael Jackson was sudden and unexpected.
Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter, and dancer who rose to global fame in the early and mid-1980s.
Farrah Fawcett was a renowned actress, best known for her role in the TV series Charlie’s Angels.
