Famous People Who Died in 1932

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1932. This list includes people like John Philip Sousa, Nadezhda Alliluyeva, George Eastman, Peg Entwistle, Ronald Ross and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, artists, prime ministers and novelists who died in 1932. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & France and many more countries.

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 1 

Molly Brown

(American Socialite, Philanthropist and Actress Who Survived the Sinking of the Titanic)

Birthdate: July 18, 1867

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Hannibal, Missouri, United States

Died: October 26

Molly Brown was an American philanthropist and socialite. She is often referred to as the Unsinkable Molly Brown for surviving the 1912 sinking of Titanic and for unsuccessfully encouraging the crew members of Lifeboat No. 6 to look for survivors by returning to the debris field. Her life and work inspired the 1960 musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Birthdate: November 6, 1854

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Died: March 6

Birthdate: July 12, 1854

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Waterville

Died: March 14

George Eastman revolutionized the world of photography with his Eastman Kodak Company and the roll film, which also came to be used in movies. Initially a banker, he later devoted himself to his camera company. A dedicated philanthropist, too, he contributed financially to music, dentistry, and medicine.

Birthdate: February 5, 1908

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Port Talbot, Glamorgan, England

Died: September 16

Birthdate: July 20, 1873

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Santos Dumont

Died: July 23

Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont was born to an affluent coffee plantation owner and studied engineering in France. He was the man behind the first public flight in a winged aircraft in Europe. Later, the use of planes in warfare made him so depressed that he committed suicide.

 6 

Sophia of Prussia

(Princess of Prussia and Former Queen consort of the Hellenes (1913 - 1917))

Birthdate: June 14, 1870

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: New Palace, Potsdam, Germany

Died: January 13

The daughter of German emperor Frederick III, Princess Sophia of Prussia was also one of the granddaughters of Queen Victoria through her mother. She later became the queen consort of the Hellenes by her marriage to King Constantine I of Greece. Following the National Schism, she spent her life in exile.

Birthdate: November 15, 1889

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Died: July 2

Son of King Carlos I, Manuel II, was the last king of Portugal. While he came to power after his father’s assassination, he had to flee to England after the Portuguese monarchy was dissolved by a revolution. He later devoted himself to books and published Early Portuguese Books.

Birthdate: August 2, 1861

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Geraldton, Australia

Died: June 9

Edith Cowan was an Australian social reformer best remembered for serving as a member of parliament; she was the first Australian woman to do so. She is also remembered for working for the welfare and rights of children and women. In recognition of her contribution, Cowan has been depicted on Australia's fifty-dollar note since 1995.

 9 

William Wrigley, Jr.

(Industrialist)

Birthdate: September 30, 1861

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: January 26

Birthdate: May 13, 1857

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Almora, India

Died: September 16

Nobel Prize-winning British doctor Ronald Ross is best remembered for his pathbreaking work on malaria, which proved that the disease was caused by the Anopheles variant of mosquitoes. After his extensive research in India, he went back to London, where he was knighted. He also wrote poetry and songs.

 11 

Bill Pickett

(Cowboy)

Birthdate: December 5, 1870

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Williamson County, Texas, United States

Died: April 2

 12 

Edgar Wallace

(Multi-genre writer who is most famous for King Kong and the J. G. Reeder detective series)

Birthdate: April 1, 1875

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Greenwich, Kent, England, united Kingdom

Died: February 10

 13 

Gertrude Jekyll

(Horticulturist, Painter, Gardener, Non-fiction writer, Botanist, Architect)

Birthdate: November 29, 1843

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: London

Died: December 8

Landscape architect Gertrude Jekyll was born into an affluent family and grew up in a refined environment, learning music and traveling. Initially interested in painting, she gave it up to focus on gardening when she developed eyesight problems. She built around 400 gardens and also collaborated with Sir Edwin Lutyens.

 14 

Paul Bern

(American Film Director, Screenwriter, and Producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Birthdate: December 3, 1889

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Wandsbek, Germany

Died: September 5

Filmmaker and producer Paul Bern was the man behind the launch of American sex symbol Jean Harlow. He, unfortunately, died of a gunshot wound only 2 months after his marriage to Bern, which gave rise to numerous theories, one of them being suicide. The handwritten suicide not found was not conclusive.

 15 

Florence Kelley

(American Social and Political Reformer and the Pioneer of the Term 'Wage Abolitionism')

Birthdate: September 12, 1859

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: February 17

Florence Kelley was an American political and social reformer who pioneered the term wage abolitionism. Kelley's work for the minimum wage, children's rights, and eight-hour workdays are widely acclaimed today. After serving as the National Consumers League’s first general secretary, Florence Kelley helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.    

 16 

Hart Crane

(Poet)

Birthdate: July 21, 1899

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Garrettsville, Ohio, United States

Died: April 27

Birthdate: September 2, 1853

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Riga

Died: April 4

Wilhelm Ostwald was a Baltic German philosopher and chemist who is credited with co-founding the field of physical chemistry. A polymath, Ostwald made significant contributions to philosophy, art, and politics, especially after his retirement from academic life. His contributions to the fields of reaction velocities, chemical equilibria, and catalysis earned him the 1909 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Birthdate: January 10, 1893

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Winchelsea

Died: January 17

Albert Jacka was the first Australian to be decorated with the Victoria Cross during the First World War. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a young man and fought in the Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War. He became a businessman after the conclusion of the war but never recovered fully from his wartime injuries.  

 19 

Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov

(Biologist)

Birthdate: August 1, 1870

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Shchigry

Died: March 20

Birthdate: March 28, 1862

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Nantes

Died: April 7

Nobel Peace Prize-winning French stateman Aristide Briand had been the prime minister of his country for 11 terms, apart from holding 26 ministerial posts throughout his career. He played major roles in the drafting of the Pact of Locarno and Kellogg-Briand Pact, and had founded journals such as l’Humanité.

 21 

Henry M. Leland

(American Machinist, Inventor, Automotive Entrepreneur and Founder of Automotive Brands ‘Cadillac’ and ‘Lincoln')

Birthdate: February 16, 1843

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Vermont, United States

Died: March 26

While initially working in the machine plants and firearms industries, Henry M. Leland gradually mastered the art of toolmaking and manufacturing. He later revolutionized the auto industry and was the man behind the car brands Cadillac and Lincoln. He introduced inventions such as the electric starter and the V-8 engine.

 22 

Major Taylor

(One of the Greatest American Sprinters of All Time)

Birthdate: November 26, 1878

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Died: June 21

Major Taylor was a professional cyclist who set many world records between 1898 and 1899. In 1899, he became the first African American to win the sprint event at the world track championships and only the second black athlete to emerge victorious in a world championship irrespective of the sport.

 23 

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden

(Canadian-born American Inventor)

Birthdate: October 6, 1866

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: East Bolton, Canada

Died: July 22

 24 

Dorabji Tata

(Key figure in the history and development of the Tata Group)

Birthdate: August 27, 1859

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Died: June 3

 25 

Julius Rosenwald

(Businessman)

Birthdate: August 12, 1862

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois, United States

Died: January 6

 26 

Giuseppe Peano

(Italian Mathematician and Glottologist)

Birthdate: August 27, 1858

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Cuneo, Italy

Died: April 20

Remembered as the founder of symbolic logic, Giuseppe Peano laid down the symbols of union and intersection of sets. He also worked on geometric calculus and taught at institutes such as the University of Turin. His works are written in a simplified version of Latin. He was knighted by Italy.

 27 

Frederick Augustus III of Saxony

(King)

Birthdate: May 25, 1865

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Dresden, Germany

Died: February 18

 28 

Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.

(Theatrical Producer)

Birthdate: March 21, 1867

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: July 22

 29 

Aḥmad Shawqī

(Arabic Poet Laureate, Playwright, and Writer)

Birthdate: October 17, 1870

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt

Died: October 14

Aḥmad Shawqī was an Arabic poet laureate who worked at the court of the Khedive. He also wrote plays and prose, including five tragedies. On 17 June 1977, Aḥmad Shawqī's Giza residence was converted into a museum. His work is celebrated even today at a cultural center called the El Sawy Culture Wheel.

 30 

King Camp Gillette

(Businessman)

Birthdate: January 5, 1855

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Died: July 9

 31 

Karl Blossfeldt

(German Photographer and Sculptor Best Known for His Close-up Photographs of Plants and Living Things)

Birthdate: June 13, 1865

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Schielo, Germany

Died: December 9

Karl Blossfeldt was a German photographer, artist, sculptor, and teacher. He is best remembered for his work Urformen der Kunst, a collection of close-up photos of animals and plants. The book became highly influential and Blossfeldt's works were used as teaching tools in Berlin. Blossfeldt also served as a professor at the United State Schools for Fine and Applied Art. 

 32 

Gustav Meyrink

(Austrian Novelist Famous for His Novel 'The Golem')

Birthdate: January 19, 1868

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: December 4

Austrian author, novelist, dramatist, translator, and banker, Gustav Meyer, who used the pseudonym Gustav Meyrink, is best-known for his novel The Golem. Gustav established his own bank but was eventually charged with fraud and jailed for two months. He depicted his jailhouse experiences in The Golem. A prolific translator, Gustav’s translation works include translating fifteen-volumes of Charles Dickens into German.

 33 

Kang Pan-sok

(Activists)

Birthdate: April 21, 1892

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Mangyongdae, Pyongyang, North Korea

Died: July 31

 34 

Pritilata Waddedar

(Former Indian Revolutionary Nationalist Known for Pahartali European Club Attack (1932))

Birthdate: May 5, 1911

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Dhalghat, Patiya, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Died: September 24

Pritilata Waddedar was a prominent Indian revolutionary leader who was an integral part of India’s freedom movement. She joined Surya Sen’s revolutionary group and led the 1932 armed raid on Chittagong’s Pahartali European Club. She died by consuming cyanide to avoid arrest. The Birkannya Pritilata Trust was later established in her honor.

 35 

Mabel Loomis Todd

(Editor)

Birthdate: November 10, 1856

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Died: October 14

 36 

Ellen Churchill Semple

(American Geographer Who Made Immense Contributions to the Development of Geography as Discipline in the US)

Birthdate: January 8, 1863

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Died: May 8

Ellen Churchill Semple was an American geographer best remembered for her association with the Association of American Geographers, where she served as the first female president. Semple made immense contributions to the development of geography as discipline in the US, especially studies of human geography. In 1914, Semple was honored by the American Geographical Society with the Cullum Geographic Medal.

 37 

William Williams Keen

(American Physician and the First Brain Surgeon in the United States)

Birthdate: January 19, 1837

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: June 7

William Williams Keen pioneered brain surgery in the U.S. Working on neurological injuries as an army surgeon, he discovered many previously unknown neurological ailments. He was also part of a secret operation on a yacht to remove a tumor from the upper jaw of U.S. president Grover Cleveland.

Birthdate: January 26, 1861

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Étrépagny, France

Died: August 19

 39 

Karl Fazer

(Finnish Confectioner and Businessman, Who Was Also a Sharp Shooter and an Olympian)

Birthdate: August 16, 1866

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland

Died: October 9

Initially a businessman, who redefined the confectionery and chocolate industry of Finland and led to the development of the innovative chocolate brand Fazer Blue, Karl Fazer was also a talented sport shooter. He was part of the Finnish shooting team at the 1912 Olympic games. He also established several natural parks.

 40 

Anna Elizabeth Dickinson

(Orator)

Birthdate: October 28, 1842

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: October 22

 41 

Maironis

(Poet)

Birthdate: November 2, 1862

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Raseiniai District Municipality, Lithuania

Died: June 28

 42 

Dugald Clerk

(Scottish Engineer Known for Designing the World’s First Successful 'Two-Stroke Engine')

Birthdate: March 31, 1854

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland

Died: November 12

Scottish engineer Dugald Clerk is best known for his invention of the two-stroke engine, used widely in motorcycles and other machines. He also headed engineering research of the British Admiralty as its director and was knighted, too. He also co-established the intellectual property service provider Marks & Clerk.

 43 

Max Wolf

(Astronomer)

Birthdate: June 21, 1863

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Heidelberg

Died: October 3

Born to a doctor father, German astronomer Max Wolf had an observatory in his backyard, as a child. He is best remembered for pioneering astrophotography and for discovering comets. He was also the first to use the stereocomparator, which helps locate motion in celestial photos.

 44 

Julia Lathrop

(American Social Reformer and 1st Director of United States Children's Bureau)

Birthdate: June 29, 1858

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Rockford, Illinois, United States

Died: April 15

Born to a well-known lawyer, Julia Lathrop initially worked in her father’s law office and later turned into a full-fledged social reformer working on areas such as education and children’s welfare. She also created history by serving as the first director of the U.S. Children’s Bureau.

 45 

Augusta, Lady Gregory

(Dramatist)

Birthdate: March 15, 1852

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Galway, Ireland

Died: May 22

 46 

Christian von Ehrenfels

(Philosopher)

Birthdate: June 20, 1859

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: September 8

One of the pioneers of Gestalt psychology, Austrian philosopher Christian von Ehrenfels also made a significant contribution to the value theory. Apart from his pathbreaking work System of Value Theory, he had also penned plays and pamphlets. He also believed Asians were a threat to the European race.

 47 

C.P. Scott

(British Journalist and the Editor of 'The Guardian’ from 1872 to 1929)

Birthdate: October 26, 1846

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bath, England

Died: January 1

Legendary British journalist C.P. Scott is best remembered as the editor of the iconic Manchester Guardian, which later became known as The Guardian. As part of its liberal stance under his editorship, the Guardian took up many controversial issues, such as the Irish Home Rule.

 48 

Émile Friant

(Former Artist known for painting, sculpture)

Birthdate: April 16, 1863

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Dieuze, France

Died: June 9

 49 

Minnie Maddern Fiske

(Actress)

Birthdate: December 19, 1865

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Died: February 15

 50 

Charles Gore

(Clergyman)

Birthdate: January 22, 1853

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Wimbledon, London, England

Died: January 17