Aged 70
Famous people who died at 70
284 of the 11,867 best-known people in our data died aged 70, including Hans Christian Andersen, Nicolaus Copernicus and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Here are the 100 best known.
- Hans Christian AndersenDanish writer and poet · 1805–1875
- Nicolaus CopernicusPolish mathematician and astronomer · 1473–1543
- Gottfried Wilhelm LeibnizGerman mathematician and philosopher · 1646–1716
- Muḥammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi9th-century Persian mathematician and astronomer · c. AD 780–850
- Stanley KubrickAmerican filmmaker and photographer · 1928–1999
- Cyrus the GreatFounder of the Achaemenid Empire · c. 600–530 BC
- Denis DiderotFrench Enlightenment philosopher writer and encyclopædist · 1713–1784
- Satyajit RayIndian filmmaker and writer · 1921–1992
- Boris PasternakRussian writer · 1890–1960
- Henryk SienkiewiczPolish writer, novelist, journalist, philanthropist and Nobel Prize laureate · 1846–1916
- Rutherford B. HayesPresident of the United States from 1877 to 1881 · 1822–1893
- Ptolemy2nd-century Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer · c. AD 100–170
- James Prescott JouleEnglish physicist and brewer · 1818–1889
- Kim Jong-ilSupreme Leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011 · 1941–2011
- Emma GoldmanRussian-born American anarchist · 1869–1940
- SolonAthenian legislator · c. 630–560 BC
- Orson WellesAmerican actor and filmmaker · 1915–1985
- Thomas Henry HuxleyBritish biologist and comparative anatomist · 1825–1895
- George VKing of the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1936 · 1865–1936
- ProtagorasPre-Socratic Greek philosopher · c. 490–420 BC
- Guru NanakFirst Sikh Guru and founder of Sikhism · 1469–1539
- Charles-Augustin de CoulombFrench physicist · 1736–1806
- Roger EbertAmerican film critic and author · 1942–2013
- Buster KeatonAmerican motion picture director, motion picture producer, motion picture producers and director, comedian, actor · 1895–1966
- GiottoItalian painter and architect · c. 1267–1337
- Allen GinsbergAmerican poet and writer · 1926–1997
- Dennis M. RitchieAmerican computer scientist, co-inventor of the Unix operating system and the C programming language · 1941–2011
- Joseph PriestleyEnglish chemist, theologian, educator, and political theorist · 1733–1804
- GalbaSixth Roman Emperor · 3 BC–AD 69
- André BretonFrench writer and poet, co-founder of Surrealism · 1896–1966
- Diodorus Siculus1st-century BC Greek historian · c. 90–20 BC
- Raymond ChandlerAmerican novelist and screenwriter · 1888–1959
- Abdus SalamTheoretical physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics recipient · 1926–1996
- Alexander DubčekFirst Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party · 1921–1992
- Gilles DeleuzeFrench philosopher · 1925–1995
- Joe CockerBritish singer · 1944–2014
- Ali Abdullah SalehPresident of North Yemen (1978–1990) and Yemen · 1947–2017
- Diego RiveraMexican muralist · 1886–1957
- G.H. HardyBritish mathematician · 1877–1947
- Hipparchus2nd century Greek astronomer, geographer and mathematician · c. 190–120 BC
- Nadezhda KrupskayaRussian revolutionary and politician · 1869–1939
- Nina SimoneAmerican singer, songwriter and pianist and civil rights activist · 1933–2003
- Sixtus IVPope of the Catholic Church from 1471 to 1484 · 1414–1484
- John CockcroftBritish physicist · 1897–1967
- Pelagius IIPope and Bishop of Rome · c. AD 520–590
- Herod the GreatKing of Judea from 37/6 BCE to 4/1 BCE · c. 74–4 BC
- Hermann WeylGerman mathematician · 1885–1955
- Mikhail Ivanovich KalininSoviet politician · 1875–1946
- Tommaso CampanellaItalian philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet · 1568–1639
- Ahmed ZewailEgyptian chemist · 1946–2016
- Howard HughesAmerican aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer · 1905–1976
- Ramana MaharshiIndian spiritual teacher · 1879–1950
- Cemal Gürsel4th President of the Republic of Turkey · 1895–1966
- Cesária ÉvoraCape Verdean singer-songwriter · 1941–2011
- Hassan IIKing of Morocco from 1961 to 1999 · 1929–1999
- Nelson RockefellerVice President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 · 1908–1979
- Niki LaudaAustrian former Formula 1 driver · 1949–2019
- Yves MontandFrench-Italian actor and singer · 1921–1991
- Martha WashingtonFirst Lady of the United States from 1789 to 1797 · 1731–1802
- PhidiasGreek sculptor, painter and architect · c. 500–430 BC
- Konstantinos P. CavafyGreek-Egyptian poet and journalist · 1863–1933
- Alexios I KomnenosByzantine emperor · c. 1048–1118
- Charles Albert GobatSwiss politician and lawyer · 1843–1914
- Giovanni Antonio CanalItalian painter of landscapes · 1697–1768
- Karl MayGerman writer · 1842–1912
- Bridget of SwedenSwedish nun, mystic, and saint · c. 1303–1373
- France GallFrench singer · 1947–2018
- LemmyBritish rock musician · 1945–2015
- Ivan MazepaHetman of Ukrainian Cossacks from 1687 to 1708 · 1639–1709
- JordanesLate Roman historian and writer, author of Getica · c. AD 490–560
- Sarojini NaiduIndian poet, politician, governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh from1947 to 1949 · 1879–1949
- Appian ↗Greco-Roman historian · c. AD 95–165
- Benvenuto Cellini ↗Florentine sculptor and goldsmith · 1500–1571
- Christian IV of Denmark ↗King of Denmark and Norway · 1577–1648
- Gilbert N. Lewis ↗American physical chemist · 1875–1946
- Maximian ↗Roman emperor · c. AD 240–310
- Gottfried Keller ↗Swiss poet and writer of German literature · 1819–1890
- Honoré Daumier ↗French artist · 1808–1879
- Pausanias ↗Ancient Greek geographer, travel writer and mythographer · c. AD 110–180
- Saxo Grammaticus ↗Danish historian · c. 1150–1220
- Charles IV of Spain ↗King of Spain from 1788 to 1808 · 1748–1819
- Aspasia ↗5th-century BC partner of Athenian statesman Pericles · c. 470–400 BC
- Cyril Norman Hinshelwood ↗English physical chemist · 1897–1967
- Dixie Carter ↗American actress · 1939–2010
- Ernst Cassirer ↗German philosopher · 1874–1945
- James Hutton ↗Scottish geologist, physician, chemical manufacturer, naturalist, and experimental agriculturalist; · 1726–1797
- Liu Shaoqi ↗2nd President of the People's Republic of China · 1898–1969
- Shapur II ↗Sasanian emperor · c. AD 309–379
- Gene Roddenberry ↗American television screenwriter and producer · 1921–1991
- Jules Massenet ↗French composer · 1842–1912
- Lazare Carnot ↗French political, engineering and mathematical figure · 1753–1823
- Leonid Gaidai ↗Soviet film director · 1923–1993
- Louis the German ↗King of East Francia from 843 to 876 · c. AD 806–876
- Mika Waltari ↗Finnish writer · 1908–1979
- Pytheas ↗Ancient Greek explorer · c. 359–289 BC
- Abd-ar-Rahman III ↗Final Emir of Córdoba (r. 912–929); founder and 1st Caliph of Córdoba · AD 891–961
- Muddy Waters ↗American blues musician · 1913–1983
- Paul Reubens ↗American actor and comedian · 1952–2023
- Vladimir Dal ↗Russian lexicographer · 1801–1872
- Dorothea Lange ↗American photojournalist · 1895–1965
"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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