Famous People Who Died on March 29

Discover the most famous people who died on March 29. The list includes people like Johnnie Cochran, Mitch Hedberg, Robert Falcon Scott, Carl Orff, Emperor Wu of Han. Famous personalities featured on this list, include composers, political leaders, journalists and pianists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Germany and many more countries.

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 1 

Patty Duke

(Actress and the-then Youngest Person to Receive an Oscar in a Competitive Category)

Birthdate: December 14, 1946

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: New York, United States

Died: 2016

Best known for her Academy Award-winning portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, Patty Duke was born to a cashier mother and a cab driver father. As a child actor, she was abused by her talent managers. Suffering from bipolar disorder, she later became a mental-health advocate.

Birthdate: June 6, 1868

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Plymouth, Devon, England

Died: 1912

Robert Falcon Scott was an explorer and Royal Navy officer. He is remembered for leading two expeditions to the Antarctic regions, the second of which was the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition. Although Scott and his companions died during the second expedition, they helped discover the first Antarctic fossils, which proved that the place was once forested.

 3 

Johnnie Cochran

(American Lawyer and Civil Activist Best Known for Defending and Acquitting 'O. J. Simpson')

Birthdate: October 2, 1937

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Shreveport, Louisiana, United States

Died: 2005

Johnnie Cochran was an American civil activist and lawyer. Cochran played an important role in the acquittal of former football player O. J. Simpson in connection with the murder of the latter's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. Cochran had also represented other celebrities like Michael Jackson, Sean Combs, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Riddick Bowe, and Jim Brown to name a few.

 4 

Georges Seurat

(French Post-Impressionist Artist Who Devised the Painting Techniques Known as 'Chromoluminarism' and 'Pointillism')

Birthdate: December 2, 1859

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1891

A significant figure of the Post-Impressionist era, Georges Seurat depicted structured art, far removed from the free-flowing Impressionist art. Best known for techniques such as pointillism, he created masterpieces such as Bathers at Asnières. He died before his last exhibition ended, and eerily displayed an unfinished painting, Cirque.

 5 

Joe Diffie

(Singer-songwriter)

Birthdate: December 28, 1958

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Died: 2020

 6 

Carl Orff

(German Composer Known for His Cantata 'Carmina Burana')

Birthdate: July 10, 1895

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Munich, Germany

Died: 1982

German composer Carl Orff is remembered for his work in operas and his innovative music education system, which relied on group exercises and playing percussion instruments. A man who had started training in music at 5, Orff later co-founded the Günther School to impart lessons in dance, music, and gymnastics.

Birthdate: June 30, 0156

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Chang'an

Died: 0087

Emperor Wu of Han took over the reins of his kingdom at 15. He introduced Confucian academies to test the efficiency of candidates for government posts, selecting only those who cleared an exam on Confucian political philosophy. He also developed trade along the Silk Road but turned dictatorial later.

 8 

Paul Henreid

(Actor & Director Best Remembered for Roles in the Films 'Casablanca' and 'Now, Voyager')

Birthdate: January 10, 1908

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Trieste, Italy

Died: 1992

Born to an affluent banker, Paul Henreid had an elite education. He also initially worked as a translator and book designer, training as an actor at nights. He gained fame with his role in Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Casablanca. He later also directed a few episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

 9 

Swedenborg

(Swedish Christian Scientist, Philosopher and Theologian Best Known for His Book ‘Heaven and Hell’)

Birthdate: January 29, 1688

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Died: 1772

Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish pluralistic-Christian philosopher, mystic, theologian, and scientist. Swedenborg started hogging the limelight after writing a book on the afterlife titled Heaven and Hell, which released in 1758. A prolific scientist and inventor, Swedenborg experienced spiritual awakening after which he started working on reforming Christianity. He even claimed that he could converse with angels and demons.

Birthdate: December 29, 1893

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, England

Died: 1970

 11 

John Jacob Astor

(Entrepreneur)

Birthdate: July 17, 1763

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Walldorf, Germany

Died: 1848

 12 

Lou Saban

(American Football Players)

Birthdate: October 13, 1921

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Brookfield, Illinois, USA

Died: 2009

 13 

The Singing Nun

(Singer-songwriter)

Birthdate: October 17, 1933

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Laeken, Brussels, Belgium

Died: 1985

Singer-songwriter Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, better known as The Singing Nun, soared to fame with the Billboard-charting track Dominique. She was also a Dominican Order nun, who later took the name Sister Luc Gabriel. She often played the guitar and was accompanied by a chorus of 4 nuns.

Birthdate: December 27, 1957

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Denton, Texas, United States

Died: 2014

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

Birthdate: December 18, 1707

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Epworth, Lincolnshire, England

Died: 1788

One of the leaders of the Methodist revival movement, Charles Wesley is better known as the author numerous hymns and carols. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling and Christ the Lord Is Risen Today being some of his more popular works.  Averaging ten poetic lines per day for fifty years, he published more than 4,500 hymns, leaving some 3,000 in manuscript.

 16 

Agnes Varda

(Filmmaker and Pioneer of French New Wave Film Movement of the 1950s and 1960s)

Birthdate: May 30, 1928

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium

Died: 2019

Agnes Varda was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter, and artist. She was a key figure in the development of the French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and 1960s. She often made films addressing women’s issues and other social justice problems. She was honored with an Academy Honorary Award. She was married to director Jacques Demy. 

 17 

Krzysztof Penderecki

(Polish Composer and Conductor Who Created New Sounds From the Forms and Styles of Works From Past Centuries)

Birthdate: November 23, 1933

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Debica, Poland

Died: 2020

Krzysztof Penderecki was a Polish composer and conductor who achieved international recognition for his works, which include compositions like Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima and Anaklasis. Krzysztof Penderecki was honored with several prestigious awards such as four Grammy Awards, the Wihuri Sibelius Prize, and the Wolf Prize in Arts.

Birthdate: September 17, 1743

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Ribemont, France

Died: 1794

French mathematician and philosopher Marquis de Condorcet was a champion for liberal economy and women’s rights. He was a significant contributor of the Encyclopédie and was part of the Academy of Sciences. He is also remembered for his political activities in the wake of the French Revolution.

Birthdate: October 19, 1956

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Castelplanio

Died: 2003

Microbiologist Carlo Urbani, a parasitic infections expert, was working at the WHO Hanoi office when the deadly and contagious disease SARS had started to spread across the world in 2003. He alerted the WHO headquarters in Geneva about the disease, thus saving many lives, though he eventually succumbed to it.

 20 

Eric Williams

(Politician)

Birthdate: September 25, 1911

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Died: 1981

 21 

Rusty Staub

(Baseball player)

Birthdate: April 1, 1944

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Died: 2018

 22 

Ken Shimura

(Comedian)

Birthdate: February 20, 1950

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan

Died: 2020

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 23 

Reid Flair

(American Professional Wrestler)

Birthdate: February 26, 1988

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Died: 2013

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

 24 

Karol Szymanowski

(Polish Composer, Pianist and a Member of the Modernist Movement 'Young Poland')

Birthdate: October 6, 1882

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Tymoshivka, Ukraine

Died: 1937

Karol Szymanowski was a Polish pianist and composer best remembered for his opera King Roger, which was composed between 1918 and 1924. An internationally recognized composer, Karol Szymanowski is the recipient of some of the highest national honors such as the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and the Order of Polonia Restituta.

 25 

Alexandre Pétion

(First President of Haiti)

Birthdate: April 2, 1770

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Died: 1818

Alexandre Pétion was a Haitian political leader best remembered for his service as the first President of Haiti from 9 March 1807 until his death on 29 March 1818. Today, Alexandre Pétion is revered as one of the founding fathers of Haiti.

 26 

Mantovani

(Musician)

Birthdate: November 15, 1905

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Venice, Veneto, Italy

Died: 1980

 27 

Joe Williams

(Singer)

Birthdate: December 12, 1918

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Cordele, Georgia, U.S.

Died: 1999

 28 

Helen Levitt

(American Photographer and Cinematographer)

Birthdate: August 31, 1913

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Bensonhurst, New York, United States

Died: 2009

Photographer Helen Levitt is remembered as one of the most celebrated street photographers of her time. Her works, depicting New York City, were later published as A Way of Seeing: Photographs of New York. Her subjects were mostly underprivileged children. She had also been a cinematographer for documentary films.

 29 

Anna Louise Strong

(Writer, Journalist, Activist, Trade unionist)

Birthdate: November 24, 1885

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Friend

Died: 1970

Birthdate: January 24, 1746

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Died: 1792

Gustav III of Sweden, the eldest son of Adolf Fredrik, was a man of culture and a symbol of the Swedish Enlightenment. He is remembered for regaining control over the Swedish parliament and for introducing reforms such as free trade. He was assassinated at a masked ball.

 31 

George Murdock

(Anthropologist)

Birthdate: May 11, 1897

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Meriden, Connecticut, United States

Died: 1985

 32 

Roger Bushell

(He masterminded the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III in 1944)

Birthdate: August 30, 1910

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Springs, Transvaal, South Africa

Died: 1944

 33 

J. Arthur Rank

(Industrialist)

Birthdate: December 22, 1888

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Kingston upon Hull, England, United Kingdom

Died: 1972

 34 

Ralph Klein

(Politician)

Birthdate: November 1, 1942

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Calgary, Canada

Died: 2013

 35 

Gottfried van Swieten

(Austrian diplomat, librarian, and government official who served the Holy Roman Empire during the 18th century)

Birthdate: October 29, 1733

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Leiden, Netherlands

Died: 1803

 36 

George Washington

(Inventor and Businessperson)

Birthdate: May 20, 1871

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kortrijk, Belgium

Died: 1946

 37 

Gustavus Franklin Swift

(Business Executive)

Birthdate: June 24, 1839

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Sagamore, Bourne, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 1903

 38 

Sheila Manahan

(Actress)

Birthdate: January 1, 1924

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland

Died: 1988

 39 

Charles-Valentin Alkan

(French Composer and One of the Greatest Virtuoso Pianists of His Generation)

Birthdate: November 30, 1813

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1888

Charles-Valentin Alkan was a French virtuoso pianist and composer. During the peak of his career in the 1830s and 1840s, Alkan was counted among the most important pianists in Paris. Over the years, his music has been admired by several prominent musicians like Anton Rubinstein, Egon Petri, and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

 40 

James Rennell

(British Geographer, Historian and a Pioneer of Oceanography)

Birthdate: December 3, 1742

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Chudleigh, Devon, England

Died: 1830

James Rennell was an English historian and geographer. A pioneer of oceanography, Rennell is often referred to as the Father of Oceanography. Rennell, who served as a Surveyor General of Bengal, India, is credited with producing some of the earliest accurate maps of Bengal. James Rennell is also credited with co-founding the Royal Geographical Society in London in 1830.

 41 

Walter Hallstein

(German Diplomat, Academic, and Statesman)

Birthdate: November 17, 1901

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mainz, Germany

Died: 1982

 42 

Joyce Cary

(Novelist)

Birthdate: December 7, 1888

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Londonderry, Ireland

Died: 1957

 43 

Helge Ingstad

(Explorer)

Birthdate: December 30, 1899

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Meråker Municipality, Norway

Died: 2001

 44 

Otto Hermann Kahn

(Art collector, Banker)

Birthdate: February 21, 1867

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Mannheim

Died: 1934

Birthdate: December 13, 1923

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Died: 2020

 46 

Edward Adrian Wilson

(Explorer, Ornithologist, Painter, Scientist)

Birthdate: July 23, 1872

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Cheltenham

Died: 1912

 47 

Alan Merrill

(Musician)

Birthdate: February 19, 1951

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: 2020

Birthdate: January 2, 1877

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Ozalj

Died: 1906

 49 

Bernard Blier

(Actor)

Birthdate: January 11, 1916

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Died: 1989

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

 50 

Patrick Devedjian

(Politician)

Birthdate: August 26, 1944

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Fontainebleau, France

Died: 2020