Aged 68
Famous people who died at 68
217 of the 11,867 best-known people in our data died aged 68, including Miguel de Cervantes, Maxim Gorky and Alexandre Dumas. Here are the 100 best known.
- Miguel de CervantesSpanish novelist, poet, and playwright · 1547–1616
- Maxim GorkyRussian and Soviet writer · 1868–1936
- Alexandre DumasFrench writer and dramatist · 1802–1870
- TimurThe founder of the Timurid Empire · 1336–1405
- William Henry HarrisonPresident of the United States in 1841 · 1773–1841
- Johan CruyffDutch footballer and manager · 1947–2016
- Edmund BurkeAnglo-Irish statesman, political theorist and conservative philosopher · 1729–1797
- Sully PrudhommeFrench poet, Nobel prize for literature winner 1901 · 1839–1907
- William JamesAmerican philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist · 1842–1910
- Andrei SakharovSoviet nuclear physicist and human rights activist · 1921–1989
- Fridtjof NansenNorwegian polar explorer · 1861–1930
- Ludwig FeuerbachGerman philosopher and anthropologist · 1804–1872
- Edward VIIKing of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910 · 1841–1910
- Dmitri ShostakovichSoviet composer and pianist · 1906–1975
- Thomas Robert MalthusBritish political economist · 1766–1834
- Rita HayworthAmerican actress · 1918–1987
- Svante August ArrheniusSwedish astronomer, chemist and physicist · 1859–1927
- Frederick BarbarossaHoly Roman Emperor from 1155 to 1190 · c. 1122–1190
- Josephine BakerAmerican-born French dancer, singer and actress · 1906–1975
- Louis de FunèsFrench actor and comedian · 1914–1983
- John Dryden17th-century English poet and playwright · 1631–1700
- Li KeqiangPremier of the People's Republic of China from 2013 to 2023 · 1955–2023
- René MagritteBelgian surrealist · 1898–1967
- Abū Ḥanīfa8th-century Sunni theologian and jurist · c. AD 699–767
- Leo XIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1823 to 1829 · 1760–1829
- Pius V16th‑century Italian pope and Catholic saint, leading Counter‑Reformation reformer · 1504–1572
- Louis XVIII of FranceKing of France and Navarre from 1814 to 1815 and from 1815 to 1824 · 1755–1824
- Robert WalpoleBritish statesman and art collector, 1st Earl of Orford · 1676–1745
- Jöns Jacob BerzeliusSwedish chemist · 1779–1848
- Leon Battista AlbertiItalian architect and writer · 1404–1472
- Edward I of EnglandKing of England from 1272 to 1307 · 1239–1307
- Paul V233rd pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1605 to 1621 · 1552–1621
- Boniface VIIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303 · 1235–1303
- Clement VIIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1592 to 1605 · 1536–1605
- Nils Gustaf DalénSwedish Nobel Laureate and industrialist · 1869–1937
- Idriss DébyChadian former president · 1952–2021
- Jerome K. JeromeEnglish humorist · 1859–1927
- Sixtus VPope of the Catholic Church from 1585 to 1590 · 1521–1590
- DionysiusPope and bishop of Rome from 259 to 268 · c. AD 200–268
- King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al SaudKing of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975 · 1906–1975
- Innocent XIIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1721 to 1724 · 1655–1724
- Alexander VIIPope of the Catholic Church from 1655 to 1667 · 1599–1667
- Clement XIVPope of the Catholic Church from 1769 to 1774 · 1705–1774
- Francis William AstonBritish chemist · 1877–1945
- John Evans Atta MillsSixth President of the Republic of Ghana · 1944–2012
- Heinrich SchliemannGerman businessman and archaeologist · 1822–1890
- John C. CalhounVice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832 · 1782–1850
- Kōbō AbeJapanese writer, playwright, photographer and inventor · 1924–1993
- Meister EckhartGerman philosopher and theologian · c. 1260–1328
- Samuel de Champlain16/17th-century French explorer of North America · 1567–1635
- Akira ToriyamaJapanese manga artist and character designer · 1955–2024
- Itō Hirobumi1st, 5th, 7th and 10th Prime Minister of Japan · 1841–1909
- Emperor Wu of HanSeventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China · 156–87 BC
- Allvar GullstrandSwedish ophthalmologist · 1862–1930
- Cyril of AlexandriaPatriarchate of Alexandria from 412 to 444 · c. AD 376–444
- Joshua ReynoldsEnglish painter · 1723–1792
- Gerhard DomagkGerman bacteriologist · 1895–1964
- H. Rider HaggardEnglish adventure novelist · 1856–1925
- Porphyry3rd-century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher · c. AD 233–301
- Giuseppe MeazzaItalian association football player and manager · 1910–1979
- Bill Shankly ↗Scottish footballer and manager · 1913–1981
- Leopold Kronecker ↗German mathematician who worked on number theory and algebra · 1823–1891
- Nicéphore Niépce ↗French inventor and photographer · 1765–1833
- James Rainwater ↗American physicist · 1917–1986
- Pedro III of Portugal ↗King of Portugal · 1717–1786
- Demis Roussos ↗Greek singer · 1946–2015
- Kangxi Emperor ↗3rd Emperor of the Qing dynasty · 1654–1722
- Robert Southey ↗English romantic poet · 1774–1843
- Vladimir Korolenko ↗Ukrainian-born Russian writer · 1853–1921
- Gerard Kuiper ↗Netherlands-born American astronomer · 1905–1973
- Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ↗Historical Arab ruler · c. AD 624–692
- Maria Konopnicka ↗Polish writer and activist · 1842–1910
- Murray Rothbard ↗American economist · 1926–1995
- Edgar Lungu ↗President of Zambia from 2015 to 2021 · 1956–2025
- Elizabeth Bishop ↗American poet · 1911–1979
- Juan Rulfo ↗Mexican writer · 1917–1986
- Ralph Steinman ↗Canadian immunologist and cell biologist · 1943–2011
- William Cowper ↗English poet and hymnodist · 1731–1800
- Frederik VIII of Denmark ↗King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912 · 1843–1912
- Rodion Malinovsky ↗Soviet military commander · 1898–1967
- Benny Hill ↗British comedian and actor · 1924–1992
- Ecgberht ↗King of Wessex · c. AD 771–839
- Paul Hindemith ↗German composer · 1895–1963
- Richard E. Byrd ↗American naval officer, explorer · 1888–1957
- Ted Hughes ↗English poet and children's writer · 1930–1998
- Tullus Hostilius ↗King of Rome from 672 to 640 BC · c. 710–642 BC
- James I of Aragon ↗King of Aragon · 1208–1276
- Mykhailo Hrushevskyi ↗Ukrainian politician and historian · 1866–1934
- Antonio Tabucchi ↗Italian writer and literary scholar · 1943–2012
- François-André Danican Philidor ↗French composer and chess player · 1726–1795
- James Avery ↗American actor · 1945–2013
- Tony Scott ↗British film director and producer · 1944–2012
- Maud of Wales ↗British princess (1869–1938), Queen consort of Norway from 1905 to 1938 · 1869–1938
- Michael Smith ↗Canadian Nobel laureate in chemistry · 1932–2000
- Stanford Moore ↗American biochemist · 1913–1982
- Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld ↗Finland Swedish baron, geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer · 1832–1901
- Frank Borzage ↗American film director and actor · 1894–1962
- Helmuth von Moltke the Younger ↗Chief of the German General Staff · 1848–1916
- Jayaram Jayalalithaa ↗Indian Actress, Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu · 1948–2016
- John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton ↗British politician and historian · 1834–1902
"c." means only the years are known, so the age could be a year out. Dates are from Wikidata (CC0), last updated 22 October 2026.
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