Famous People Who Died on July 17

Discover the most famous people who died on July 17. The list includes people like Adam Smith, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, Ty Cobb. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, journalists, nurses and f1 drivers and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, Russia, United Kingdom & France and many more countries.

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 1 

Billie Holiday

(One of the Greatest Jazz Singers from the 1930s to the 1950s)

Birthdate: April 7, 1915

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: 1959

Jazz legend Billie Holiday had a tumultuous childhood and ended up in prison due to prostitution. Upon her release, at 14, she started singing using her pseudonym and performed at sold-out Carnegie Hall shows. Nicknamed Lady Day, she was riddled with alcohol and drug issues. She won four posthumous Grammys.

Birthdate: May 18, 1868

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

Nicholas II reigned as the last Emperor of All Russia from 1894 until his abdication in 1917. His reign oversaw a series of reforms in Russia. These reforms included the introduction of literacy programs, civil liberties, and methods to modernize the empire's infrastructure. However, these reforms were eventually undermined by Nicholas' love for autocratic rule.

 3 

John Coltrane

(One of the Most Influential Saxophonists in Music History)

Birthdate: September 23, 1926

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: HaHamlet, North Carolina, United States

Died: 1967

Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane is remembered for his significant influence on modern jazz. He was initially part of the Navy band and eventually collaborated with musicians such as Miles Davis. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.

 4 

Adam Smith

(18th Century Scottish Economist Who is Considered the Father of Modern Economics)

Birthdate: June 5, 1723

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

Died: 1790

Widely considered The Father of Economics, Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and economist. A pioneer of political economy, Adam Smith played a major role during the Scottish Enlightenment. His book The Wealth of Nations is regarded as the first modern work of economics and a forerunner of today's academic discipline of economics.

Birthdate: June 18, 1901

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. She was assassinated by the Bolsheviks in July 1918. However, rumors of her escape sprung up later, with many imposters claiming to be Anastasia. Nevertheless, DNA tests have dismissed any chances of Anastasia’s survival.

 6 

Ty Cobb

(One of the Greatest Players in Baseball History)

Birthdate: December 18, 1886

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Narrows, Georgia, United States

Died: 1961

During his 22-season career in Major League Baseball, Tyrus Cobb was known for setting numerous records with his aggressive approach on the field. The outfielder with a record career batting average featured in the list of all-time great players and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Associated with Detroit Tigers for more than two decades, he was also involved in philanthropy.

 7 

Walter Cronkite

(Broadcast Journalist and Longtime Anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News’)

Birthdate: November 4, 1916

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States

Died: 2009

TV journalist Walter Cronkite, named “The most trusted man in America," is remembered for his 19-year association with CBS Evening News and his catchphrase "And that's the way it is.” His U.S. space program reports made him the only non-NASA person to receive the Ambassador of Exploration award.

Birthdate: June 6, 1872

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Darmstadt, Germany

Died: 1918

Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Nicholas II, was the last Russian tsarina and reigned from 1894 to 1917. She suffered from hemophilia. Alexandra and her entire family were murdered by the Bolshevik revolutionaries. In 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized her as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer.

Birthdate: August 12, 1904

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia was the heir apparent to the Russian Empire's throne. The only son of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II, Alexei was born with haemophilia, which was treated by the popular faith healer Grigori Rasputin. In 1918, Alexei and his family members were executed brutally by Communist revolutionaries.  

Birthdate: August 3, 1989

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Nice, France

Died: 2015

Jules Bianchi, grandson of GT World Champion Mauro Bianchi, was a Formula 3 Euro Series winner and a French Formula Renault 2.0 champion. A collision during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix caused him a diffuse axonal injury. He was in a coma for 8 months before dying at age 25.

Birthdate: February 21, 1940

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Alabama, United States

Died: 2020

Popularly known as one of the Big Six—leaders of six important civil rights organizations who masterminded the Great March on Washington in 1963—John Lewis played an important role in the civil rights movement that eventually ended racial segregation in the US. Also a statesman, Lewis was honored with many awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 12 

Katharine Graham

(American Newspaper Publisher and Heiress Who Led 'The Washington Post' (1963 - 1991))

Birthdate: June 16, 1917

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: 2001

The daughter of American publisher and financier Eugene Meyer, Katharine Graham later carried forward her family’s newspaper, The Washington Post. While the newspaper was initially handed over to her husband, Philip Graham, by her father, she took over as the owner, following Philip’s suicide. She later penned a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir.

 13 

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia

(Eldest Child of Emperor Nicholas II, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia)

Birthdate: November 15, 1895

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

 14 

Elaine Stritch

(Actress)

Birthdate: February 2, 1925

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Died: 2014

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

 15 

Henri Poincare

(French Polymath and Mathematician Known as One of the Founders of the 'Field of Topology')

Birthdate: April 29, 1854

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Nancy, France

Died: 1912

Known as The Last Universalist for his expertise in a variety of domains, French mathematician Henri Poincare conducted research that formed the basis of the modern chaos theory. Apart from his work on relativity and the three-body problem, he also laid the foundation of algebraic topology.

 16 

Jim Bridger

(Famous Mountain Man of the American Fur Trade Era)

Birthdate: March 17, 1804

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, United States

Died: 1881

Known as the ultimate American mountain man, Jim Bridger is remembered for his exploration of the Western United States. It is believed, the illiterate fur trader was the first white man to explore the Great Salt Lake and one of the first to visit Yellowstone. He also worked as a forest guide.

Birthdate: March 13, 1764

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Fallodon, Northumberland, England

Died: 1845

Birthdate: April 4, 1802

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Maine, US

Died: 1887

Dorothea Dix was an American advocate who fought for the welfare of the mentally ill. She helped create the first generation of mental asylums in the United States. Dix also played a key role during the Civil War, serving as a Superintendent of Army Nurses. In 1979, Dorothea Dix was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Birthdate: 1373 AD

Birthplace: Buda, Hungary

Died: 1399

Jadwiga of Poland reigned over the Kingdom of Poland as its first female monarch from 1384 until her death in 1399. Regarded as one of Poland's greatest rulers, Jadwiga is often compared to Casimir the Great and Bolesław the Brave. Also remembered for her charitable activities, Jadwiga of Poland established new schools, hospitals, and churches.

 20 

Juan Manuel Fangio

(Argentine Race Car Driver Who Won the World Drivers' Championship Five Times)

Birthdate: June 24, 1911

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Balcarce, Buenos Aires Balcarce, Argentina

Died: 1995

Juan Manuel Fangio was an Argentine race car driver who dominated the first 10 years of Formula One racing. He won the World Drivers' Championship on five occasions, a record which was broken by Michael Schumacher after 46 years. Juan Manuel Fangio is also the only Argentine racer to have won the prestigious Argentine Grand Prix.

 21 

Charlotte Corday

(French Revolutionary Who Was Executed for the Assassination of Jacobin Leader Jean-Paul Marat)

Birthdate: July 27, 1768

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Écorches, Normandy, France

Died: 1793

Charlotte Corday was an important figure of the French Revolution. She is remembered for murdering Jacobinleader Jean-Paul Marat, for which she was executed by guillotine. Her action changed the political position and role of women at the time. She was also considered a hero by those who opposed the teachings of Jean-Paul Marat.

 22 

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia

(Saint)

Birthdate: June 10, 1897

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

 23 

Dizzy Dean

(Baseball Player)

Birthdate: January 16, 1910

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Lucas, Arkansas, United States

Died: 1974

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

 24 

Mickey Spillane

(Novelist)

Birthdate: March 9, 1918

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York (state) New York, United States

Died: 2006

 25 

Geraldine Fitzgerald

(Actress)

Birthdate: November 24, 1913

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland

Died: 2005

 26 

Harry Guardino

(Actor)

Birthdate: December 23, 1925

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: 1995

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

 27 

Draža Mihailović

(Yugoslav Serb General During World War II)

Birthdate: April 27, 1893

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Ivanjica, Serbia

Died: 1946

Serbian military leader Dragoljub Mihailović headed the Yugoslavian underground army known as the Chetniks, during World War II. He had also fought in the Balkan Wars and World War I, but post-World War II, he was convicted of treason and executed by the communist powers of Yugoslavia.

 28 

Pat Roach

(English Professional Wrestler and Actor)

Birthdate: May 19, 1937

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Died: 2004

Height: 6'5" (196 cm)

 29 

Maude Adams

(Actress)

Birthdate: November 11, 1872

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Died: 1953

 30 

Robby Steinhardt

(Musician)

Birthdate: May 25, 1950

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: 2021

 31 

Jed Johnson

(film director, film editor, cinematographer, interior designer)

Birthdate: December 30, 1948

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Alexandria

Died: 1996

Initially a sweeper at Andy Warhol's Factory, Jed Johnson later also edited some of Warhol’s films. He later drifted to interior designing and partnered with fellow architect Alan Wanzenberg on many designs. He died at 47, when a Trans World Airlines flight he was traveling in, crashed.

 32 

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia

(Imperial Highness)

Birthdate: June 26, 1899

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: 1918

 33 

David Kelly

(Welsh Scientist and Authority on Biological Warfare)

Birthdate: May 14, 1944

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Llwynypia, Glamorgan, Wales

Died: 2003

 34 

Andrea Camilleri

(Italian Writer Best Known as the Writer of the Popular 'Inspector Montalbano' Series of Crime Novels)

Birthdate: September 6, 1925

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Porto Empedocle, Italy

Died: 2019

Andrea Camilleri was an Italian writer whose book The Potter's Field was honored with the CWA International Dagger award in 2012. Over the course of his career, Camilleri also won other prestigious awards, such as the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.

 35 

Joseph Maher

(Actor)

Birthdate: December 29, 1933

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Westport, Ireland

Died: 1998

 36 

Zizi Jeanmaire

(French Ballet Dancer, Actress and Singer)

Birthdate: April 29, 1924

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 2020

Zizi Jeanmaire was a French actress, ballet dancer, and singer. Jeanmaire achieved popularity in the 1950s after portraying the title role in the popular ballet Carmen which was created by Roland Petit and staged at the Prince's Theatre in London. She went on to marry Roland Petit, who created several revues and ballets for her.

 37 

Leszek Kołakowski

(Polish Philosopher and Historian Best Known for His Critical Analyses of Marxist Thought)

Birthdate: October 23, 1927

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Radom, Poland

Died: 2009

Leszek Kołakowski was a Polish philosopher. He is remembered for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, which he published in his three-volume history, Main Currents of Marxism. He was exiled from Poland in 1968 due to his criticism of Marxism. Despite this, he was a major inspiration for the Solidarity movement in Poland in the 1980s.

 38 

Karl Wolff

(Politician, Officer)

Birthdate: May 13, 1900

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Darmstadt

Died: 1984

Karl Wolff was a German SS official during World War II. By the end of the war, Wolff was serving as the Supreme SS and Police Leader in Italy, where he played a major role in bringing the war to an end sooner than in the rest of Europe. Wolff was prosecuted in 1962 for the deportation of Italian Jews.

 39 

Nicolae Paulescu

(Romanian Scientist Known for His Research on 'Insulin' and His Anti-Semitic Writings)

Birthdate: October 30, 1869

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania

Died: 1931

Known for his pathbreaking research on the hormone insulin, Romanian physiologist Nicolae Paulescu was also a professor of medicine. He had a tiff with the Nobel Prize committee on their decision to award two other scientists for the discovery of insulin. His anti-Semitic writings influenced the Iron Guard movement.

 40 

William Wesley Peters

(Engineer, Architect)

Birthdate: June 12, 1912

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Indiana

Died: 1991

After spending 2 years at MIT, William Wesley Peters joined Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Fellowship, becoming his apprentice. He married Wright's step-daughter, Svetlana. He played a major role in designing the Guggenheim Museum and later chaired Taliesin Associated Architects. He also taught at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

 41 

Alfred Munnings

(painter)

Birthdate: October 8, 1878

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Mendham, Suffolk

Died: 1959

 42 

Marguerite Steinheil

(Salonnière)

Birthdate: April 16, 1869

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Beaucourt, France

Died: 1954

Marguerite Steinheil was a French woman best remembered for having love affairs with prominent men, including President Félix Faure. Interestingly, it is said that Steinheil was involved in a sexual encounter with Félix Faure at the time of his death in 1899. Steinheil achieved notoriety after the incident; her character was portrayed in a TV series titled Paris Police 1900.

 43 

Pilar Bardem

(Actress)

Birthdate: March 14, 1939

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Seville, Andalusia, Spain

Died: 2021

 44 

Suzanne Dechevaux-Dumesnil

(Samuel Beckett's wife)

Birthdate: January 7, 1900

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: France

Died: 1989

 45 

Marcel Dadi

(Guitarist)

Birthdate: August 20, 1951

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Sousse, Tunisia

Died: 1996

 46 

William James Sidis

(American Child Prodigy Who Had Exceptional Mathematical and Linguistic Skills)

Birthdate: April 1, 1898

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, United States

Died: 1944

 47 

Riad al-Sulh

(Prime Minister of Lebanon (1946 - 1951))

Birthdate: 1894 AD

Birthplace: Sidon, Lebanon

Died: 1951

One of the most prominent figures of Lebanon’s independence movement, Riad al-Sulh became the country’s first prime minister after its independence. He was assassinated by Syrian Nationalist Party members, while visiting King Abdullah of Jordan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of Lebanon.

 48 

Shuba Jay

(Businessperson)

Birthdate: July 15, 1976

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Malaysia

Died: 2014

 49 

Fernande Barrey

(Artist)

Birthdate: January 9, 1893

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, France

Died: 1960

 50 

Eugene Meyer

(Financier)

Birthdate: October 31, 1875

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: 1959