Aged 48
Famous people who died at 48
110 of the 11,867 best-known people in our data died aged 48, including James Clerk Maxwell, Kahlil Gibran and Whitney Houston. Here are the 100 best known.
- James Clerk MaxwellScottish physicist · 1831–1879
- Kahlil GibranLebanese-American writer, poet, and painter · 1883–1931
- Whitney HoustonAmerican singer, actress, and film producer · 1963–2012
- Mikhail BulgakovRussian author · 1891–1940
- Charles I of EnglandKing of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 to 1649 · 1600–1649
- Karel ČapekCzech writer · 1890–1938
- Al CaponeAmerican gangster · 1899–1947
- Leif EriksonNorse explorer · c. 972–1020
- Margaret MitchellAmerican author and journalist · 1900–1949
- Walter BenjaminGerman cultural critic, philosopher and social critic · 1892–1940
- Abu Bakr al-BaghdadiLeader of the Islamic State · 1971–2019
- Marina TsvetaevaRussian poet · 1892–1941
- Mark the EvangelistCredited author of the Gospel of Mark and Christian saint; traditionally identified with John Mark · c. AD 20–68
- Cecil John RhodesBritish businessman, mining magnate and politician in South Africa · 1853–1902
- Anna PolitkovskayaRussian journalist · 1958–2006
- Theodosius IRoman emperor from 379 to 395 · AD 347–395
- Anna PavlovaRussian ballet dancer · 1882–1931
- Enrico CarusoItalian opera singer · 1873–1921
- France PrešerenSlovene national poet, a Carniolan Romantic poet of Slovene descent · 1800–1849
- Joseph II, Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790, (1741-1790). · 1741–1790
- Felix DzerzhinskyBolshevik revolutionary and founder of the first Soviet secret police organs · 1877–1926
- Murad III12th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire · 1546–1595
- Ahmad Shah MassoudTajik military leader · 1953–2001
- Gregory XIPope of the Catholic Church from 1370 to 1378 · c. 1330–1378
- Léon FoucaultFrench physicist · 1819–1868
- Subhas Chandra BoseIndian nationalist leader · 1897–1945
- Aphra BehnBritish playwright, poet and spy · 1640–1689
- Benedict IIIPope · c. AD 810–858
- Ferdinand VII of SpainKing of Spain (1784–1833) · 1784–1833
- Adeodatus IPope · c. AD 570–618
- Joachim MuratGrand Duke of Berg and Cleves, The king of Naples · 1767–1815
- Gregory VIPope from 1045 to 1046 · c. 1000–1048
- Boniface IXPope of the Catholic Church from 1389 to 1404 · c. 1356–1404
- Damasus IIPope · c. 1000–1048
- Faisal I of Iraq1st king of Hashemite Iraq from 1921 to 1933 · 1885–1933
- Joseph McCarthyAmerican politician · 1908–1957
- Carl von OssietzkyGerman journalist, author, pacifist and recipient of the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize · 1889–1938
- Leonid AndreyevRussian playwright, author and poet · 1871–1919
- Sergei Kirov ↗Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary · 1886–1934
- Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor ↗Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire · 1608–1657
- Harvey Milk ↗American politician and gay rights activist · 1930–1978
- Otto Lilienthal ↗German aviation pioneer · 1848–1896
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa ↗German polymath, physician, legal scholar and soldier · 1486–1535
- Mohammad-Ali Rajai ↗Iranian Prime Minister and President of Iran · 1933–1981
- Jean-Jacques Dessalines ↗Leader of Haitian Revolution and first ruler of independent Haiti · 1758–1806
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ↗Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of qawwali · 1948–1997
- Isaac Albéniz ↗Spanish composer · 1860–1909
- Rosalía de Castro ↗Galician poet and writer · 1837–1885
- Ali al-Rida ↗Eighth of the Twelve Shia Imams · AD 770–818
- Amílcar Cabral ↗Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean politician · 1924–1973
- Emilio Salgari ↗Italian writer · 1862–1911
- Kenneth MacAlpin ↗King of the Picts · c. AD 810–858
- Álvaro Obregón ↗Mexican politician, president of Mexico · 1880–1928
- Clément Marot ↗French poet · 1495–1544
- Sadegh Hedayat ↗Iranian writer · 1903–1951
- Georges J. F. Köhler ↗German immunologist · 1946–1995
- Graham Chapman ↗English actor, comedian and writer · 1941–1989
- Ilan Ramon ↗Israeli fighter pilot and later the first Israeli astronaut · 1954–2003
- Nicolas Steno ↗Pioneer in anatomy and geology, bishop · 1638–1686
- Vasily Perov ↗Russian painter · 1834–1882
- Aaron Nimzovich ↗Latvian-born Danish chess player and theoretician · 1886–1935
- Juan Luis Vives ↗Spanish philosopher · 1492–1540
- Lili Elbe ↗Danish painter and transgender woman · 1882–1931
- Sergei Dovlatov ↗Soviet writer · 1941–1990
- Annibale Carracci ↗Bolognese painter · 1560–1609
- John the Fearless ↗Duke of Burgundy · 1371–1419
- Nikolaus Lenau ↗Austrian poet · 1802–1850
- Abd al-Karim Qasim ↗Iraqi Army brigadier, nationalist and first prime minister of Iraq after the fall of the monarchy · 1914–1963
- John Langshaw Austin ↗English philosopher · 1911–1960
- Vicente Guerrero ↗Leading revolutionary generals of the War of Independence and President of Mexico · 1782–1831
- Béla III of Hungary ↗King of Hungary and Croatia from 1172 to 1196 · c. 1148–1196
- Edward Bellamy ↗American author and socialist · 1850–1898
- Diane Arbus ↗American photographer · 1923–1971
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale ↗Indian political leader and social reformer · 1866–1915
- Karađorđe ↗Serbian Revolutionary Leader · 1768–1817
- Nikolai Trubetzkoy ↗Russian linguist · 1890–1938
- Chilperic II ↗King of Neustria · c. AD 673–721
- Peter, King of Hungary ↗King of Hungary · c. 1011–1059
- Saint Margaret of Scotland ↗Queen of Scotland from 1070 to 1093 · c. 1045–1093
- Shirley Jackson ↗American writer · 1916–1965
- Theudebert I ↗Frankish King · c. AD 500–548
- Enrique Granados ↗Spanish pianist and composer · 1867–1916
- Marty Feldman ↗British author, actor, comedian and director · 1934–1982
- Prince Shōtoku ↗Semi-legendary Japanese prince · AD 574–622
- Sara Teasdale ↗American writer and poet · 1884–1933
- Louis the Blind ↗Holy Roman Emperor from 901 to 905 · c. AD 880–928
- Marie-Antoine Carême ↗French chef · 1784–1833
- Seljuk ↗Ruler of Seljuk Turks · c. 990–1038
- Ziya Gökalp ↗Turkish sociologist and writer · 1876–1924
- William T. G. Morton ↗United States dental surgeon · 1819–1868
- Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi ↗Sahabah of Muhammad · c. AD 581–629
- Abaqa Khan ↗The second Ilkhan of Mongol Ilkhanate · 1234–1282
- Æthelflæd ↗Mercian monarch · c. AD 870–918
- Barthélemy Boganda ↗1st Prime Minister of the Central African Republic autonomous territory · 1910–1959
- Coco Lee ↗Hong Kong singer · 1975–2023
- José de Alencar ↗Brazilian writer · 1829–1877
- William of Malmesbury ↗English monk and chronicler · c. 1095–1143
- Jacobus Arminius ↗Dutch theologian, inspirator of Arminianism, champion of tolerance · 1560–1609
- Uesugi Kenshin ↗Japanese daimyo · 1530–1578
- Wenceslaus I of Bohemia ↗King of Bohemia from 1230 to 1253 · c. 1205–1253
"c." means only the years are known, so the age could be a year out. Dates are from Wikidata (CC0), last updated 22 October 2026.
Other ages
Keep score on your phone
Outlived for iPhone tracks every famous person you outlive, tells you who is next, and gives you a nudge on the day.