Welcome! Check out today's deaths, recent deaths, or our deaths stats.

Feeling experimental? Head on over to our newest (and darkest) feature: Next-2-Die™ predictions

In the year 1981

497 Notable deaths

Bob Marley

Jamaican reggae musician (1945–1981).

Born February 6th, 1945 in Nine Mile. [ref]

Died May 11th, 1981 at 36 years old in Jackson Memorial Hospital (melanoma). [ref]

Natalie Wood

American actress (1938-1981).

Born July 20th, 1938 in San Francisco.

Died November 29th, 1981 at 43 years old in Santa Catalina Island (drowning). [ref]

Savitri

Indian actress.

Born December 6th, 1937 in Guntur district.

Died December 26th, 1981 at 44 years old in Chennai (drug overdose).

William Holden

American actor (1918-1981).

Born April 17th, 1918 in O'Fallon. [ref]

Died November 16th, 1981 at 63 years old in Santa Monica (exsanguination). [ref]

Albert Speer

German architect, minister of armaments and war production for nazi germany (1905-1981).

Born March 19th, 1905 in Mannheim. [ref]

Died September 1st, 1981 at 76 years old in London (stroke). [ref]

Nargis

Indian actress (1929-1981).

Born June 1st, 1929 in Kolkata.

Died May 3rd, 1981 at 51 years old in Mumbai (pancreatic cancer).

Joe Louis

American boxer (1914-1981).

Born May 13th, 1914 in LaFayette.

Died April 12th, 1981 at 66 years old in Las Vegas (myocardial infarction).

Vera-Ellen

Actress, singer, dancer (1921-1981).

Born February 16th, 1921 in Norwood.

Died August 30th, 1981 at 60 years old in Los Angeles (cancer).

Terry Fox

Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist.

Born July 28th, 1958 in Winnipeg, Hamilton.

Died June 28th, 1981 at 22 years old in New Westminster (osteosarcoma).

Gloria Grahame

American actress (1923-1981).

Born November 28th, 1923 in Los Angeles. [ref]

Died October 5th, 1981 at 57 years old in New York City (cancer, breast cancer). [ref]

Deaths 1 to 10 of 497

« 1980
1982 »

Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. Haruki Murakami