Famous People Who Died on May 4

Discover the most famous people who died on May 4. The list includes people like Tipu Sultan, Josip Broz Tito, Carl von Ossietzky, Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Christian de Duve. Famous personalities featured on this list, include philosophers, political leaders, biochemists and theologians and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, Germany, United Kingdom and many more countries.

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Moe Howard

(Actor, Comedian and Leader of Comedy Group ‘The Three Stooges’)

Birthdate: June 19, 1897

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: 1975

Moe Howard was an American comedian and actor best known for his role as the leader of one of the most popular farce comedy teams of all time, The Three Stooges. He appeared in several films as part of the comedy team and is credited with popularizing a distinctive hairstyle called a bowl cut.

Dom DeLuise

(Actor)

Birthdate: August 1, 1933

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Died: 2009

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Adam Yauch

(Founding Member of the Hip Hop Group ‘Beastie Boys’)

Birthdate: August 5, 1964

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: 2012

Rapper and bass guitarist Adam Yauch, better known by his pseudonym, “MCA,” was a founding member of the hip-hop and rap rock Beastie Boys. He also owned a film distributing company and was a practicing Buddhist who supported the Tibetan independence movement. He died of parotid cancer.

Josip Broz Tito

(Yugoslav Communist Revolutionary and the chief Architect of the 'Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia')

Birthdate: May 25, 1892

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kumrovec, Croatia

Died: 1980

Josip Broz Tito served as the prime minister of Yugoslavia from 1944 to 1963 and as its president from 1953 to 1980. He was also the Marshal of Yugoslavia. During World War II, he led the Partisans. He was also one of the main figures behind the Non-Aligned Movement.

Don Shula

(Football coach)

Birthdate: January 4, 1930

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Grand River, Ohio, United States

Died: 2020

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Diana Dors

(English Actress and a 'Sex Symbol' of the Mid 20th Century)

Birthdate: October 23, 1931

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Swindon, Wiltshire, England

Died: 1984

Diana Dors was an English singer and actress who became renowned as one of the most famous sex symbols of her generation in the UK. She achieved stardom, first as a blonde bombshell—who made headlines for organizing lavish parties—and later as a regular chat-show guest. Diana Dors’ life and career inspired a 1999 TV biographical film titled The Blonde Bombshell.

Tipu Sultan

(Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore Based in South India)

Birthdate: December 1, 1751

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Died: 1799

Tipu Sultan, or the “Tiger of Mysore,” ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 to 1799. Apart from improving his kingdom’s military arrangements, he also established a new calendar, a new land-revenue system, and a coinage system. He died while defending the fort of Seringapatam in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.

Nettie Stevens

(American Geneticist Known for Her Discovery of 'X and Y Sex Determining Chromosomes')

Birthdate: July 7, 1861

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Cavendish, Vermont, United States

Died: 1912

Nettie Stevens was an American geneticist. She is credited with discovering sex chromosomes which later came to be known as the X and Y chromosomes. In 1994, Nettie Stevens was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Paul Butterfield

(American Blues Harmonica Player, Singer and Bandleader)

Birthdate: December 17, 1942

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: 1987

George Enescu

(Romanian Composer, Violinist and Conductor)

Birthdate: August 19, 1881

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: George Enescu, Romania

Died: 1955

Jigoro Kano

(Japanese Educator, Athlete, and the Founder of Judo)

Birthdate: December 10, 1860

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Hyogo, Japan

Died: 1938

Legendary Japanese athlete Jigoro Kano is remembered as the founder of judo. A fine educator, he had also had a 23-year stint as the principal of 2 schools, which later became the University of Tsukuba. He was also the first Asian to be part of the International Olympic Committee.

Sada Thompson

(Actress)

Birthdate: September 27, 1927

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Died: 2011

Michael Taliferro

(Actor, Singer)

Birthdate: August 23, 1961

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Died: 2006

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

(Prince)

Birthdate: October 13, 1453

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Palace of Westminster, London, England

Died: 1471

Ernie Harwell

(Sportscaster)

Birthdate: January 25, 1918

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Washington, Georgia, United States

Died: 2010

Birthdate: July 21, 1880

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Košariská, Slovakia

Died: 1919

Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak politician, diplomat, aviator, and Freemason. He served as the minister of war for Czechoslovakia during World War I while simultaneously serving as a general in the French Army. He was a leading member of the Czechoslovak National Council and contributed to the cause of Czechoslovakian sovereignty. He died in a plane crash in 1919.

Elena Baltacha

(British Professional Tennis Player)

Birthdate: August 14, 1983

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine

Died: 2014

Four-time winner of the AEGON Awards, Elena Baltacha was a Ukrainian-born British tennis player, who held the British No. I position for the first time at the age of nineteen. An unbelievable fighter, she continued to play despite her debilitating illness, winning matches almost till the very end, retiring from professional tennis five months before her death from liver cancer.

Coxsone Dodd

(Jamaican Record Producer)

Birthdate: January 26, 1932

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica

Died: 2004

Coxsone Dodd was a Jamaican record producer best remembered for his influential role in the development of reggae and ska in the 1950s and 1960s. Coxsone Dodd is also credited with founding a record company named Worldisc in 1959. In 2002, the Institute of Jamaica honored him with the prestigious Gold Musgrave Medal for his contribution to Jamaican music.

Adnan Khairallah

(Iraqi Political Leader Who Served as the Minister of Defence)

Birthdate: 1939 AD

Birthplace: Tikrit, Iraq

Died: 1989

Adnan Khairallah was an Iraqi political leader who served as the Minister of Defence from 15 October 1977 until his death on 4 May 1989. Although he was Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law, Khairallah had a long-standing rift with Hussein, which led many to believe that Adnan Khairallah was killed under orders from Saddam Hussein. His death was officially labeled an accident.

E. Nesbit

(Author)

Birthdate: August 15, 1858

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Kennington, London, United Kingdom

Died: 1924

Rashidi Yekini

(Nigerian Professional Footballer Who Played as a Forward)

Birthdate: October 23, 1963

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Kaduna, Nigeria

Died: 2012

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

Potter Palmer

(Businessman)

Birthdate: May 20, 1826

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Albany County, New York, United States

Died: 1902

Luis Taruc

(Philippine Communist Leader Who Led the 'Hukbalahap Movement' against the Japanese)

Birthdate: June 21, 1913

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: San Luis, Philippines

Died: 2005

Philippine communist leader Luis Taruc was a major figure of the guerrilla movement named Hukbalahap and led its fight against the Japanese occupiers of the Philippines. Tried for terrorism, he was sentenced to a 12-year prison term but was later pardoned by President Ferdinand Marcos.

Birthdate: April 14, 1827

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Bramham cum Oglethorpe, England

Died: 1900

Jane Bowles

(Writer)

Birthdate: February 22, 1917

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: 1973

Anna Maria van Schurman

(Painter)

Birthdate: November 5, 1607

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Cologne, Germany

Died: 1678

Tatiana Samoilova

(Actress)

Birthdate: May 4, 1934

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Russia

Died: 2014

Rufus Putnam

(Military officer)

Birthdate: April 9, 1738

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Sutton, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 1824

Olle Ljungström

(Singer, Musician)

Birthdate: August 12, 1961

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Sweden

Died: 2016

Birthdate: March 8, 1886

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: South Norwalk, Connecticut, USA

Died: 1972

Nobel Prize-winning chemist Edward Calvin Kendall is best known for his work on isolating thyroxine, or the thyroid hormone, and for crystallizing glutathione. He also revolutionized medical science by curing rheumatoid arthritis with cortisone, the steroid hormone he discovered. He was also associated with the Mayo Foundation and Princeton University.

Ulisse Aldrovandi

(Naturalist)

Birthdate: September 11, 1522

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Bologna, Italy

Died: 1605

William Holmes McGuffey

(College professor)

Birthdate: September 23, 1800

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Claysville, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: 1873

Coluccio Salutati

(Chancellor)

Birthdate: February 16, 1331

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Stignano, Italy

Died: 1406

Pope Eleutherius

(Bishop)

Birthplace: Nicopolis, Greece

Died: 0189

Pope Eleutherius, the bishop of Rome for around 15 years from 174 to 189 C.E, is revered as a Saint in the Catholic Church. He is known for his stance against the Montanist movement and the food decree that he issued. Also, as per a legend, it is believed that Lucius, the King of Britain, asked him to send missionaries.

Maurice Ewing

(US Geophysicist Who Made Pioneering Use of Seismic Methods to Study Ocean Floors)

Birthdate: May 12, 1906

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Lockney, Texas, United States

Died: 1974

US geophysicist Maurice Ewing conducted path-breaking research on ocean basins and sediments, using seismic methods. Apart from teaching geology at Columbia University, he also served as the director of the Lamont Geological Observatory. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he also received the National Medal of Science, among other awards.

Victor Lanoux

(Actor)

Birthdate: June 18, 1936

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 2017

Amédée Ozenfant

(Painter)

Birthdate: April 15, 1886

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Saint-Quentin, France

Died: 1966

Lee Miglin

(Former Real estate developer)

Birthdate: July 12, 1924

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Westville, Illinois, United States

Died: 1997

Pope Theodore I

(Bishop of Rome from 24 November 642)

Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel

Died: 0649

Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino

(Ruler)

Birthdate: September 12, 1492

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: 1519

Eustace Budgell

(Author)

Birthdate: August 19, 1686

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Saint Thomas, England

Died: 1737

Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson

(Rebel)

Birthdate: 1390 AD

Birthplace: Norberg, Sweden

Died: 1436

Swedish national hero Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson was initially a mine owner. He later led the 1434 Engelbrekt rebellion against King Eric of Pomerania. He was eventually killed by Måns Bengtsson, an aristocrat and knight whose father had been involved in a legal battle with Engelbrektsson regarding the burning of a ship.

Irvin McDowell

(Officer)

Birthdate: October 15, 1818

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Columbus

Died: 1885

Géo André

(French Track and Field Athlete and Rugby Union Player)

Birthdate: August 13, 1889

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1943

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Freddy Kottulinsky

(German-Swedish Racing Driver)

Birthdate: July 20, 1932

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Munich, Germany

Died: 2010

Mitrush Kuteli

(Writer)

Birthdate: September 13, 1907

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Pogradec, Albania

Died: 1967

Birthdate: October 3, 1889

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany

Died: 1938

German journalist Carl von Ossietzky was part of the army during World War I. Later, through a series of articles in his magazine Weltbühne, he exposed the Reichswehr leaders’ secret rearmament plans. He was later tortured in a camp and forbidden to leave Germany to collect his Nobel Peace Prize.

Eddie Lowery

(American Golfer and Businessman)

Birthdate: October 14, 1902

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Newton, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 1984

Although he is best remembered as the 10-year-old who caddied for Francis Ouimet in the winning playoff at the 1913 U.S. Open, Eddie Lowery was also an amateur golfer in his own right. Raised in Massachusetts, he later moved to San Francisco, where he became a multimillionaire from his auto dealership and championed the amateur careers of many budding golfers.

Paul Green

(Author)

Birthdate: March 17, 1894

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Lillington, North Carolina, United States

Died: 1981

Laelius Socinus

(Reformer)

Birthdate: January 29, 1525

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Siena, Italy

Died: 1562