Famous People Who Died on February 17
Discover the most famous people who died on February 17. The list includes people like Thelonious Monk, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Christopher Latham Sholes, Alfred P. Sloan, Alfred Newman. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, composers, philosophers and pianists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, Germany, France & Italy and many more countries.
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1
Geronimo(Bedonkohe Apache Leader of the Chiricahua Apache)
Birthdate: June 16, 1829
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Arizpe Municipality, Mexico
Died: 1909
Native American hero Geronimo is remembered for his heroics in the Apache Wars against the U.S. and Mexico. After his surrender in 1886, he lived as a U.S. prisoner of war and spent the rest of his life being exhibited at various events and selling his belongings for money.
2
Rush Limbaugh(Conservative Political Commentator and Host of 'The Rush Limbaugh Show')
Birthdate: January 12, 1951
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States
Died: 2021
Mostly known for his controversial comments on the LGBT community, sexual consent, and climate change, Rush Limbaugh has hosted The Rush Limbaugh Show, one of the highest-rated in the U.S. He has also hosted a TV show, written several books, including two bestsellers, and won the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Birthdate: October 10, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States
Died: 1982
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer who was noted for his unorthodox approach and idiosyncrasy during his performance. Mentored by Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk contributed to bebop and was associated with Columbia and Riverside labels. His run-in with the police affected his performance after his New York City Cabaret Card was confiscated following the discovery of narcotics in a car.
4
Mindy McCready(Platinum-selling country music singer who is known for albums like 1996's Ten Thousand Angels)
Birthdate: November 30, 1975
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Died: 2013
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
5
Moliere(French Playwright and One of the Greatest Writers of French Comedy)
Birthdate: January 15, 1622
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rue Saint Honoré, Paris, France
Died: 1673
Moliere was a French poet, playwright, and actor. Considered one of the greatest French-language writers of all time, Moliere's plays are often performed at the Comédie-Française and have been translated into several languages. Moliere had a huge impact on the French language and is widely regarded as the creator of modern French comedy.
6
Lee Strasberg(Actor, Director)
Birthdate: November 17, 1901
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budaniv, Ukraine
Died: 1982
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Birthdate: February 14, 1819
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mooresburg, Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 1890
8
Richard Briers(Best Known for His Roles in TV Series: ‘Roobarb’, ‘Marriage Lines’ and ‘Noah and Nelly in… SkylArk’)
Birthdate: January 14, 1934
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Merton, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Died: 2013
Richard Briers initially gained recognition as George Starling from Marriage Lines. He later gained fame as a narrator of the animated series Roobarb and Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk. Fans also loved him in The Good Life and Monarch of the Glen. He was also a skilled Shakespearean stage actor.
9
Kathryn Grayson(American Coloratura Soprano and Actress)
Birthdate: February 9, 1922
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Died: 2010
Kathryn Grayson was an American coloratura soprano and actress. She trained as an opera singer from a young age and went on to play leading roles in popular musical films like Thousands Cheer, Show Boat, and Kiss Me Kate. Later in her career, Kathryn Grayson performed in theatre and operas.
Birthdate: April 8, 1875
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Died: 1934
Albert I of Belgium ruled as King of the Belgians for over 25 years from 1909 to 1934. He played a crucial role during World War I, for which he is often referred to as the Soldier King or Knight King in Belgium. A renowned alpinist, Albert died in a mountaineering accident and his death was mourned around the world.
11
Dan O'Herlihy(Actor)
Birthdate: May 1, 1919
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wexford, Ireland
Died: 2005
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: March 17, 1900
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: 1970
13
Heinrich Heine(German Poet & Literary Critic Know for His Works 'Germany. A Winter's Tale' and 'Buch der Lieder')
Birthdate: December 13, 1797
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Düsseldorf, Germany
Died: 1856
Heinrich Heine was a German poet, literary critic, and writer. He is known internationally for his lyric poetry, which was popularized by composers like Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann who adapted Heine's lyric poetry into art songs. Heinrich Heine's radical political views forced the German authorities to ban his works, which only added to his popularity.
14
Al-Tabari(Iranian Historian and Educator)
Birthdate: 0839 AD
Birthplace: Āmol, Iran
Died: 0923
Al-Tabari was a historian, scholar, and commentator on the Quran. He is best remembered for his expertise in historiography and Qur'anic exegesis. A polymath, Al-Tabari wrote on a variety of topics like world history, poetry, mathematics, grammar, ethics, lexicography, and medicine. He is credited with founding a school of thought called madhhab which flourished among Sunni Muslims for two centuries.
15
Graham Sutherland(Painter, Artist)
Birthdate: August 24, 1903
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Streatham
Died: 1980
Birthdate: May 23, 1875
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New Haven
Died: 1966
17
Giordano Bruno(Philosopher & Mathematician Known For His Cosmological Theories)
Birthdate: 1548
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nola, Italy
Died: 1600
Giordano Bruno was an Italian philosopher, friar, mathematician, cosmological theorist, poet, and Hermetic occultist. Best remembered for his cosmological theories, Bruno insisted that the universe could have no center as it is infinite. In 2004, Herbert Steffen founded the Giordano Bruno Foundation in Bruno's honor.
18
Dorothy Gibson(Former Film Actress best remembered as a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic and for starring in the first motion picture based on the disaster)
Birthdate: May 17, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Died: 1946
19
Šaban Šaulić(Legendary Serbian Folk Music Star)
Birthdate: September 6, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Šabac, Serbia
Died: 2019
Serbian folk music star Šaban Šaulić had an illustrious career of over 5 decades and was called the King of Folk Music. He scored a hit with his debut single, Dajte mi utjehu, at 18, and never looked back. He died in a car crash while being driven to the airport after a concert.
20
Andrzej Zulawski(Polish filmmaker)
Birthdate: November 22, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lwów, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic USSR
Died: 2016
Known as a rebellious director, Polish filmmaker Andrzej Zulawski compromised on mainstream success to create a niche audience in the European art-house circle. His second film, Diabel, which depicted rape, violence, and bloodshed, was banned in Poland. He later moved to France, making films such as L’Important C’est d’Aimer.
21
Mesrop Mashtots(Linguist)
Birthdate: 0362 AD
Birthplace: Hatzikk, Armenia
Died: 0440
22
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: 1932
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.
23
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi(Swiss Educational Reformer and Pedagogue Who Exemplified Romanticism in His Approach)
Birthdate: January 12, 1746
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Zürich, Switzerland
Died: 1827
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss educational reformer and pedagogue. He is credited with establishing several educational institutions in French- and German-speaking regions of Switzerland. He also came up with many works explaining his modern principles of education. Thanks to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Switzerland was able to overcome illiteracy as early as 1830.
Birthdate: November 20, 1841
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Canada
Died: 1919
Wilfrid Laurier was a Canadian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada; he was in office from 1896 to 1911. Counted amongst the country's greatest statesmen, he envisioned Canada as a “land of individual liberty and decentralized federalism.” He was placed first on Maclean's historical ranking of Canadian prime ministers in 2011.
25
Ray Barretto(Percussionist)
Birthdate: April 29, 1929
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 2006
26
Lefty Gomez(Baseball player)
Birthdate: November 26, 1908
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rodeo, California, United States
Died: 1989
27
Jack Cole(Choreographer, Dancer)
Birthdate: April 27, 1911
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Died: 1974
28
Randy Shilts(Author)
Birthdate: August 8, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Davenport, Iowa, United States
Died: 1994
29
Jovian(Emperor)
Birthdate: 0331 AD
Birthplace: Singidunum
Died: 0364
30
Henry Steel Olcott(Military Officer)
Birthdate: August 2, 1832
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: City of Orange, New Jersey, United States
Died: 1907
31
Brad Van Pelt(American football player, Basketball player)
Birthdate: April 5, 1951
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Owosso, Michigan, United States
Died: 2009
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
32
Michael Novak(Philosopher)
Birthdate: September 9, 1933
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2017
Birthdate: November 28, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Muncie, Indiana, United States
Died: 2011
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
34
Alexander Bashlachev(Poet)
Birthdate: May 27, 1960
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cherepovets, Russia
Died: 1988
Birthdate: May 12, 1895
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Madanapalle
Died: 1986
Jiddu Krishnamurti was an Indian philosopher, speaker, and writer. Many years after his death, Krishnamurti's supporters oversee several schools based on his views and ideas. The Krishnamurti Foundation runs several schools in India and foreign countries. Among those who were influenced by his works were Toni Packer, Dada Dharmadhikari, and Achyut Patwardhan.
36
Shmuel Yosef Agnon(Israeli Novel Writer)
Birthdate: July 17, 1888
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Buchach, Ukraine
Died: 1970
Nobel Prize-winning Israeli author Shmuel Yosef Agnon remains one of the most significant Hebrew authors of his time. Homeschooled by his parents, he published his first poem at 15. Best known for works such as A Guest for the Night and The Bridal Canopy, he was also inspired by German literature.
37
Adolphe Quetelet(Belgian Astronomer and Mathematician Who Introduced Statistics in Social Sciences)
Birthdate: February 22, 1796
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ghent
Died: 1874
Belgian mathematician and astronomer Adolphe Quetelet was the first to introduce the use of statistics and probability theory in social sciences. He also pioneered anthropometry and introduced the BMI scale. He also conducted research on the measurement of the traits found in the average man.
38
Gregorio Allegri(A Roman Catholic Priest and a Celebrated Composer)
Birthdate: 1582 AD
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: 1652
Apart from being a Catholic priest, Gregorio Allegri was also a talented composer. He was associated with the Vatican’s Papal Choir throughout his life. One of his most-loved compositions, Miserere mei, Deus, is said to have inspired a teenaged Mozart to create his own version of the track.
39
Manna(Bangladeshi Actor and Producer)
Birthdate: December 6, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tangail District, Bangladesh
Died: 2008
Bangladeshi actor Manna is also known as the Dhallywood Yuvraj and the Mahanayak of Dhaliwood. His role in the film Bir Soinik won him a National Film Award. He also headed the Bangladesh Film Actors Association as its general secretary. His film Ammajan remains one of the Bangladeshi film industry’s most successful films.
40
Richard N. Cabela(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: October 8, 1936
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chappell, Nebraska, United States
Died: 2014
41
Ruby Hunter(Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: October 31, 1955
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Murray Bridge, Australia
Died: 2010
42
Seif Sharif Hamad(Politician)
Birthdate: October 22, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pemba Island, Tanzania
Died: 2021
43
Antoine Galland(Archaeologist)
Birthdate: April 4, 1646
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Rollot, France
Died: 1715
44
Ulric Neisser(German-American Psychologist)
Birthdate: December 8, 1928
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kiel, Germany
Died: 2012
45
Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin(Pianist)
Birthdate: November 25, 1862
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 1901
46
Ferdinando Carulli(Former composer for classical guitar and the author of the influential Méthode complète pour guitare ou lyre, op. 27 (1810))
Birthdate: February 9, 1770
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: 1841
47
Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din(Ruler)
Birthdate: June 18, 1869
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sana'a, Yemen
Died: 1948
48
Maurice Quentin de La Tour(Artist)
Birthdate: September 5, 1704
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint-Quentin, France
Died: 1788
49
David Garnett(Writer)
Birthdate: March 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brighton, England
Died: 1981
50
Robert H. Michel(Politician)
Birthdate: March 2, 1923
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Peoria, Illinois
Died: 2017
