Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1970. This list includes people like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Charles de Gaulle, Bertrand Russell, Gamal Abdel Nasser and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, poets, journalists and novelists who died in 1970. This list includes people from United States, Germany, France & United Kingdom and many more countries.

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 1 

Jimi Hendrix

(One of the Most Influential Electric Guitarists & the Greatest Instrumentalist in the History of Rock Music)

Birthdate: November 27, 1942

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States

Died: September 18

One of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. As his career progressed, he became the first musician to use stereophonic phasing effects in recordings. Rolling Stone ranked him as the greatest guitarist and the sixth greatest artist of all time. He died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 27.

 2 

Janis Joplin

(American Singer Known for Her Powerful Mezzo-Soprano Vocals)

Birthdate: January 19, 1943

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas, United States

Died: October 4

Best known for her powerful mezzo-soprano voice, Janis Joplin was one of the most successful rock stars of her era. Before dying at the age of 27, she achieved so much that Rolling Stone magazine included her in its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list in 2004 and 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list in 2008.

 3 

Charles de Gaulle

(Former French President & Army Officer Who Led 'Free France' against Nazi Germany in World War II)

Birthdate: November 22, 1890

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Lille, France

Died: November 9

Charles de Gaulle was a French statesman and army officer. Charles de Gaulle fought against Nazi Germany in the Second World War by leading the Free French Forces. He also worked towards re-establishing democracy in France. He founded the Fifth Republic, France's current republican system, and rewrote the Constitution of France. He then served as the president of France.

Birthdate: May 18, 1872

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales

Died: February 2

Bertrand Russell was a British polymath and Nobel laureate. His work, which is spread across various fields, has had a considerable influence on philosophy, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, linguistics, and logic. Russell is also credited with leading the revolt against idealism in Britain and is regarded as one of the founders of analytic philosophy.

Birthdate: May 8, 1932

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States

Died: December 30

Renowned as the Big Bear, Sonny Liston became the world heavyweight champion in 1962. Known for his intimidating appearance, formidable punching power, toughness, and long reach, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the WBC title to Muhammad Ali, in 1964.

 6 

Vince Lombardi

(One of the Greatest Coaches and Leaders in the History of All American Sports)

Birthdate: June 11, 1913

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: September 3

Football coach, Vince Lombardi, is best known for being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. Beginning his career as a high school coach, he eventually started coaching  National Football League (NFL) teams. As a head coach in the NFL, he never had a losing season. He died of cancer in 1970.

 7 

Abraham Maslow

(American Psychologist Who was Known for Creating Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)

Birthdate: April 1, 1908

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: June 8

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist best remembered for creating an idea in psychology called Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow, who advocated self-actualization, is also credited with co-founding the school of transpersonal psychology. In 1967, he was adjudged Humanist of the Year by the popular non-profit organization, American Humanist Association.

 8 

Tammi Terrell

(Known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye)

Birthdate: April 29, 1945

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: March 16

 9 

E. M. Forster

(English Author Known for His Novels: ‘A Room with a View’, ‘Howards End’ and ‘A Passage to India’)

Birthdate: January 1, 1879

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Marylebone, London, United Kingdom

Died: June 7

Best known for his iconic novels Howard’s End and A Passage to India, British author E. M. Forster dealt with themes such as class division and gender. Born in England and educated at Cambridge, he had also spent some time as a secretary to Maharaja Tukojirao III of India.

 10 

Gypsy Rose Lee

(One of the First Burlesque Artists to Imbue a Striptease With Grace and Style)

Birthdate: January 8, 1911

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States

Died: April 26

Gypsy Rose Lee was an American vedette and burlesque entertainer best remembered for her striptease act. She was also an actress, playwright, and author whose memoir inspired the 1959 stage musical, Gypsy. Lee's life inspired several works of art, including a song titled Gypsy Rose Lee by The Distillers. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 11 

Mark Rothko

(American Painter Known or His Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Paintings)

Birthdate: September 25, 1903

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia

Died: February 25

Considered part of the New York school of painters of the 1940s, Mark Rothko was best known for his signature color field paintings, consisting of vertically set rectangular patches of color. A significant figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement, he also experimented with murals and mythological themes.

 12 

Bruce McLaren

(New Zealand Formula One Driver, Engineer & Inventor)

Birthdate: August 30, 1937

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

Died: June 2

Bruce McLaren was a New Zealand engineer, inventor, racing car designer, and driver. He is credited with founding McLaren Automotive in 1963. Formula One's successful team, McLaren, is named after him. McLaren has been inducted into various halls of fame, including the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

 13 

Billie Burke

(Actress)

Birthdate: August 7, 1884

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Died: May 14

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

Birthdate: November 7, 1888

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Tiruchirappalli, Madras Province

Died: November 21

Indian physicist C.V. Raman earned the Nobel Prize in Physics after discovering the Raman effect. He was the first director of the IISc and founded the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Raman Research Institute. He destroyed his Bharat Ratna medal in protest against Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies on science.

 15 

William Hopper

(Actor)

Birthdate: January 26, 1915

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

Died: March 6

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

 16 

Inger Stevens

(Swedish-American Actress Best Known for Her TV Series ‘The Farmer's Daughter’)

Birthdate: October 18, 1934

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Died: April 30

Inger Stevens was a Swedish-American actress whose promising career was cut short when she committed suicide at age 35. Stevens is remembered for her performance in TV series like The Farmer's Daughter, for which she received the Golden Globe for Best TV Star – Female in 1963. Her performance in the series also earned her an Emmy nomination in 1964.

 17 

Frances Farmer

(American Actress and Television Hostess)

Birthdate: September 19, 1913

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States

Died: August 1

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 18 

Max Born

(German Physicist Who Won Nobel Prize for His Contribution to Quantum Mechanics)

Birthdate: December 11, 1882

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland

Died: January 5

From being home-schooled for being too sickly to attend school, Max Born went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution to quantum mechanics. Being a Jew, with the rise of the Nazi power, he lost his professorship at the University of Göttingen, and moved to Cambridge.

Birthdate: June 6, 1901

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Surabaya, Indonesia

Died: June 21

Sukarno was an Indonesian politician who played a major role in the Indonesian struggle for independence. An important leader of the country's nationalist movement, Sukarno declared Indonesian independence from the Dutch Empire and became Indonesia's first president in 1945. He was successful in resisting Dutch re-colonization efforts and went on to serve as the Indonesian president until 1967.

Birthdate: July 4, 1883

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: San Francisco, U.S.

Died: December 7

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Rube Goldberg, whose works gave rise to the expression Rube Goldberg machines, had started as an engineer and designed sewer pipes. He later worked for the San Francisco Chronicle and eventually soared to fame with his cartoons depicting gadgets and the character Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts.

Birthdate: October 26, 1883

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Pound, Virginia

Died: November 8

 22 

Brian Piccolo

(American football player)

Birthdate: October 31, 1943

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States

Died: June 16

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Birthdate: June 22, 1898

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Osnabrück, Germany

Died: September 25

German novelist Erich Maria Remarque is best remembered for his landmark novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Born in the late 1890s, he was conscripted into the German Imperial Army during World War I. His wartime experiences later motivated him to write what would become his seminal work. He also authored many other poignant novels.

 24 

Ed Begley

(Actor)

Birthdate: March 25, 1901

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Died: April 28

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

 25 

Yukio Mishima

(One of the Most Important Japanese Authors of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: January 14, 1925

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan

Died: November 25

Japanese author, poet, and playwright Yukio Mishima is counted amongst the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. His best-known works feature a fusion of traditional Japanese and modern Western literary styles. He was the founder of the Tatenokai, an unarmed private militia dedicated to traditional Japanese values. He was considered controversial due to his political activities. 

 26 

Sam Sheppard

(American Neurosurgeon Who Was Exonerated in 1966, Having Been Convicted of the 1954 Murder of His Pregnant Wife)

Birthdate: December 29, 1923

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Died: April 6

Sam Sheppard went from being a popular doctor at the Bay View Hospital to a murder suspect. After spending a decade behind bars, convicted of bludgeoning his wife, Marilyn Reese, to death in their bedroom and sentenced to life, he was eventually acquitted due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

 27 

Peter II of Yugoslavia

(Last King of Yugoslavia)

Birthdate: September 6, 1923

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Belgrade, Serbia

Died: November 3

Peter II of Yugoslavia reigned as the last king of Yugoslavia from 9 October 1934 until his ousting from power on 29 November 1945. Considered the last reigning king of the Karađorđević dynasty, Peter II of Yugoslavia moved to the USA after his deposition where he suffered from alcoholism and depression.

 28 

Alexander Kerensky

(Minister-President of the Russian Republic (September 1917 - November 1917))

Birthdate: May 4, 1881

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Ulyanovsk, Russia

Died: June 11

Alexander Kerensky was a Russian revolutionary and lawyer who played a major role in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexander Kerensky is often portrayed in films and TV series. In the 1971 epic historical drama film Nicholas and Alexandra, he was played by John McEnery. In the 2019 series The Last Czars, he was portrayed by Kestutis Cicenas.

Birthdate: December 29, 1893

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, England

Died: March 29

Birthdate: May 21, 1895

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Jiquilpan, Mexico

Died: October 19

Lázaro Cárdenas had a difficult childhood and supported his family doing odd jobs after his father’s death. He rose to be the president of Mexico and was known for his efforts to implement the objectives of the Mexican Revolution, such as nationalization of industries and making loans available to farmers.

 31 

Jochen Rindt

(German-Born Austrian Racer Who Became the First Posthumous F-1 Champion)

Birthdate: April 18, 1942

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Mainz, Germany

Died: September 5

Though born in Germany, racer Jochen Rindt competed for Austria throughout his illustrious career, which saw him score 6 Grand Prix wins. At 28, he was killed in a practice race for the Italian Grand Prix. He later became the only racer to be posthumously named the F-1 World Champion.

 32 

Erle Stanley Gardner

(American Writer, Lawyer and Novelist)

Birthdate: July 17, 1889

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Malden, Massachusetts, United States

Died: March 11

 33 

Leslie Groves

(United States Army Officer in Charge of the Construction of 'The Pentagon' and Director of 'The Manhattan Project')

Birthdate: August 17, 1896

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States

Died: July 13

US Army officer Leslie Groves is best remembered for his association with the Manhattan Project, which was aimed at developing atom bombs during World War II. He was also in-charge of building a place to house the War Department’s staff in a structure that later became the Pentagon.

 34 

Otto Heinrich Warburg

(German Physiologist, Medical Doctor and Winner of the 1931 Nobel Prize in Medicine)

Birthdate: October 8, 1883

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Died: August 1

Otto Heinrich Warburg was a German medical doctor and physiologist. In 1931, his discovery of the nature of the respiratory enzyme earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He also played an important role during World War Iwhere he served as an officer in the cavalry regiment; he was honored with the Iron Cross for bravery.

Birthdate: March 17, 1900

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Died: February 17

 36 

Alan Wilson

(singer, singer-songwriter, guitarist)

Birthdate: July 4, 1943

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Boston

Died: September 3

Birthdate: January 22, 1877

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Tinglev, Denmark

Died: June 3

German banker Hjalmar Schacht was appreciated for his role in saving the Weimar Republic from inflation and later served as the Reichsminister of Economics under Adolf Hitler. Following as assassination attempt on Hitler, her was imprisoned, but was later freed and then set up his own bank in Düsseldorf.

 38 

Eva Hesse

(American Sculptor)

Birthdate: January 11, 1936

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Hamburg, GermanyEva Hesse

Died: May 29

Born in Germany, Eva Hesse moved with her family to England, and then to the U.S., in a bid to escape the Nazi regime. Her death due to brain tumor at age 34 cut short her dynamic career. A sculptor and painter, she experimented with media such latex, metal, and mesh.

 39 

Barnett Newman

(Painter, Sculptor, Visual artist, Architect)

Birthdate: January 29, 1905

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: New York City

Died: July 4

Barnett Newman was an American artist widely regarded as one of the most prominent figures in abstract expressionism. Although his work was unappreciated for much of his life, it served as a major influence on several younger artists like Bob Law, Frank Stella, and Donald Judd.

 40 

John Scopes

(Educator)

Birthdate: August 3, 1900

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Paducah, Kentucky, United States

Died: October 21

 41 

Abraham Zapruder

(Tailor)

Birthdate: May 15, 1905

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kovel

Died: August 30

 42 

Richard Hofstadter

(American Historian and Public Intellectual)

Birthdate: August 6, 1916

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, United States

Died: October 24

Richard Hofstadter was an American intellectual and historian who served as a professor at Columbia University. Hofstadter mentored Eric Foner and Paula S. Fass, who became respected historians in their own right. In 1956, Hofstadter won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for his work The Age of Reform. In 1964, he received his second Pulitzer Prize for Anti-intellectualism in American Life.

 43 

Agustín Lara

(Composer, Singer, Actor, Songwriter)

Birthdate: October 30, 1897

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Tlatlauquitepec Municipality

Died: November 6

Agustín Lara was a Mexican composer and songwriter. Apart from gaining popularity in Mexico, Lara's work has also been appreciated in places like the Caribbean, United States, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Central and South America. Many of his songs have been recorded by several international singers like Enrico Caruso. Lara's life inspired the 1959 film The Life of Agustín Lara.

 44 

Amado V. Hernandez

(Filipino Revolutionary, Labor Leader, and Writer)

Birthdate: September 13, 1903

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Hagonoy

Died: March 24

Amado V. Hernandez was a Filipino labor leader and writer. He is best remembered for his participation in the communist movement, for which he was arrested and imprisoned. Amado V. Hernandez criticized the social injustices in the Philippines through his writings and often included his experiences as a labor leader and as a guerrilla in his socio-political novels.

 45 

Paul Celan

(One of the Most Important and Influential German-Language Poets of the Post-Second World War Era)

Birthdate: November 23, 1920

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Died: April 20

Paul Celan was a Romanian-born poet who wrote in the German language. One of the most important and influential German-language poets of the post-Second World War era, Celan was awarded the Bremen Literature Prize and the Georg Büchner Prize in 1958 and 1960 respectively. Paul Celan is also remembered for his work as a translator.

 46 

Albert Ayler

(Saxophonist, Composer)

Birthdate: July 13, 1936

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Died: November 25

 47 

Arthur Shields

(Actor)

Birthdate: February 15, 1896

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland

Died: April 27

 48 

Johnny Hodges

(Saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band)

Birthdate: July 25, 1907

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Died: May 11

 49 

Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia

(Aristocrat)

Birthdate: July 15, 1895

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Fermerskiy Dvorets, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: February 26

 50 

Fritz Perls

(Psychologist, Psychiatrist)

Birthdate: July 8, 1893

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Berlin

Died: March 14

Fritz Perls initially fought in World War I, following which he treated brain injuries of soldiers. He was later drawn to Freudian psychoanalysis. During World War II, he was the psychiatrist for the South African military. His Gestalt therapy, which he co-created with his wife, Laura, redefined psychology.