Aged 81
Famous people who died at 81
268 of the 11,867 best-known people in our data died aged 81, including J. R. R. Tolkien, Richard Nixon and Victoria. Here are the 100 best known.
- J. R. R. TolkienEnglish writer and philologist · 1892–1973
- Richard NixonPresident of the United States from 1969 to 1974 · 1913–1994
- VictoriaQueen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901 · 1819–1901
- David HilbertGerman mathematician · 1862–1943
- Selma LagerlöfSwedish writer · 1858–1940
- André GideFrench author and Nobel laureate · 1869–1951
- Henri BergsonFrench philosopher · 1859–1941
- John XXIIIPriest, bishop, cardinal, pope · 1881–1963
- John McCainAmerican politician · 1936–2018
- Pius XIPope of the Catholic Church from 1922 to 1939 · 1857–1939
- William GoldingBritish novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate · 1911–1993
- Hildegard of BingenGerman Benedictine abbess, polymath, mystic and Doctor of Church · c. 1098–1179
- Bette DavisAmerican actress · 1908–1989
- George III of Great BritainKing of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820 · 1738–1820
- Maria MontessoriItalian physician and educator · 1870–1952
- Uthman ibn AffanCaliph of the Rashidun Caliphate from 644 to 656 · c. AD 575–656
- Pedro Calderón de la BarcaSpanish dramatist · 1600–1681
- Peter O'TooleBritish-Irish actor · 1932–2013
- Farabi10th century Persian philosopher and jurist · c. AD 870–951
- Zhuang ZhouChinese Taoist philosopher · c. 369–288 BC
- Charles BronsonAmerican actor · 1921–2003
- Erich HoneckerFormer leader of East Germany, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party · 1912–1994
- Pius VIIHead of the Catholic Church, ruler of the Papal States from 1800 to 1823 · 1742–1823
- Horst KöhlerGerman politician (CDU); president of Germany, 2004–2010 · 1943–2025
- Nebuchadnezzar IIKing of Babylon · c. 642–561 BC
- António de Oliveira SalazarPrime Minister of Portugal · 1889–1970
- Paul IIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1534 to 1549 · 1468–1549
- Marcel DuchampFrench painter, sculptor, and chess player · 1887–1968
- William Lawrence BraggAustralian-born British physicist and X-ray crystallographer · 1890–1971
- Arthur BalfourBritish Prime Minister, Conservative politician, and statesman · 1848–1930
- ColetteFrench novelist · 1873–1954
- Pius VIPope of the Catholic Church from 1775 to 1799 · 1717–1799
- Johann Heinrich PestalozziSwiss pedagogue and educational reformer · 1746–1827
- Otto SternGerman-American physicist · 1888–1969
- James FranckGerman-American physicist · 1882–1964
- Alexander IIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1159 to 1181 · c. 1100–1181
- Gertrude B. ElionAmerican biochemist and pharmacologist · 1918–1999
- Herbert MarcuseGerman philosopher, sociologist, and political theorist · 1898–1979
- Jefferson DavisPresident of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865 · 1808–1889
- Joan RiversAmerican comedian, actress, and television host · 1933–2014
- Georges BraqueFrench painter and sculptor · 1882–1963
- Karl WeierstraßGerman mathematician · 1815–1897
- OrhanSecond Ottoman Sultan · c. 1281–1362
- John RawlsAmerican philosopher, philosophy teacher · 1921–2002
- Victor Francis HessAustrian physicist and Nobel prize laureate · 1883–1964
- Martin of ToursChristian saint · c. AD 316–397
- Benedict XIIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1724 to 1730 · 1649–1730
- Celestine V13th‑century Italian hermit and founder of the Celestines, Catholic saint, first pope to resign · c. 1215–1296
- Eartha KittAmerican singer and actress · 1927–2008
- Gian Lorenzo BerniniItalian sculptor and architect · 1598–1680
- Marguerite DurasFrench writer and film director · 1914–1996
- Samuel P. HuntingtonAmerican political scientist · 1927–2008
- Adolf von BaeyerGerman chemist · 1835–1917
- Charles XIV John of SwedenKing of Sweden and Norway between 1818–1844. Prince of Ponte Corvo 1806–1810 and French field marshal · 1763–1844
- Elias LönnrotFinnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry · 1802–1884
- Jack KilbyAmerican electrical engineer · 1923–2005
- Ted KaczynskiAmerican mathematician and domestic terrorist · 1942–2023
- A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaIndian spiritual teacher and founder of the ISKCON · 1896–1977
- Alfred KastlerFrench physicist · 1902–1984
- Ernst RuskaGerman physicist · 1906–1988
- Herbert von KarajanAustrian conductor · 1908–1989
- Kenny RogersAmerican country singer · 1938–2020
- Wu ZetianFounding empress of Zhou dynasty (r. 690–705); de facto ruler of Tang dynasty from 665 to 690 · AD 624–705
- Alfred MarshallBritish economist · 1842–1924
- Daphne du MaurierBritish writer · 1907–1989
- Garry MarshallAmerican actor and filmmaker · 1934–2016
- Ilya FrankSoviet physicist · 1908–1990
- Bülent Ecevit16th Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey · 1925–2006
- Leopold III of BelgiumKing of the Belgians from 1934 to 1951 · 1901–1983
- Vladimir VernadskyRussian and Soviet mineralogist and geochemist, one of the founders of geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and of radiogeology · 1863–1945
- Bartolomé de las CasasSpanish Dominican friar, historian, and social reformer · 1484–1566
- John HustonAmerican film director, screenwriter, and actor · 1906–1987
- Pietro MascagniItalian composer known for operas · 1863–1945
- Robert AltmanAmerican filmmaker · 1925–2006
- Winnie Madikizela-MandelaSouth African activist and politician · 1936–2018
- Heinrich Wilhelm OlbersGerman physician and astronomer · 1758–1840
- John Hasbrouck Van VleckAmerican physicist · 1899–1980
- Hans KrebsGerman-British biochemist · 1900–1981
- Toshihide Maskawa ↗Japanese theoretical physicist · 1940–2021
- Samuel Adams ↗American statesman, political philosopher, governor of Massachusetts and Founding Father of the United States · 1722–1803
- Constantin Brâncuși ↗Romanian sculptor, photographer and painter · 1876–1957
- Mary Astor ↗American actress and author · 1906–1987
- Abd el-Krim ↗War leader and president of the Rif Republic from 1921 to 1926 · 1882–1963
- Vincent Auriol ↗16th President of the French Republic · 1884–1966
- Vivienne Westwood ↗British fashion designer · 1941–2022
- Kunishige Kamamoto ↗Japanese association football player and manager · 1944–2025
- Rainier III, Prince of Monaco ↗Prince of Monaco from 1949 to 2005 · 1923–2005
- Enrico de Nicola ↗President of Italy from 1946 to 1948 · 1877–1959
- George Porter ↗British chemist · 1920–2002
- Günter Blobel ↗German American biologist · 1936–2018
- Henrik Dam ↗Danish biochemist and physiologist · 1895–1976
- Nikolaas Tinbergen ↗Dutch Zoologist, ethologist · 1907–1988
- Pat Nixon ↗First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 · 1912–1993
- Wolfgang Schäuble ↗German politician and statesman · 1942–2023
- Carl Menger ↗Founder of the Austrian School of economics · 1840–1921
- Gordon Banks ↗English association football player · 1937–2019
- John Dee ↗16th-century English mathematician, astrologer, and alchemist · 1527–1609
- Larry Hagman ↗American actor · 1931–2012
- László Sólyom ↗Politician and former President of Hungary · 1942–2023
- Lucas Cranach the Elder ↗German painter and printmaker · 1472–1553
"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.
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