Celebrity Deaths in

2026

This page contains a list of the most famous people who died in 2026. The pantheon dataset contains 141 who passed this year, the most famous by HPI being Ali Khamenei, Jürgen Habermas, Chuck Norris, Robert Duvall, and Erich von Däniken. The cities with the most deaths were San Francisco (5), Tehran (4), and Berkeley, California (2). The most common occupations for people who died this year were Politician (24), Actor (16), Soccer Player (12), Writer (11), and Musician (8).

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2026 Deaths: Honoring Lives and Legacies

The year 2026 saw the passing of many beloved celebrities, leaving behind legacies that continue to inspire fans across the globe. From legendary actors like Chuck Norris, Robert Duvall, and James Tolkan and iconic musicians like Neil Sedaka, José van Dam, and Gino Paoli to groundbreaking athletes like Sepp Piontek, Jan Timman, and Lucien Muller, these remarkable individuals have made a lasting impact in their fields. This page is dedicated to commemorating the lives of those we lost in 2026, celebrating their achievements and remembering their contributions to art, culture, and history. Below are the list of the most famous people to have died in 2026 based on cultural impact.

Ali Khamenei

Iranian Politician

Jul 17, 1939 - Feb 28, 2026

Age 87

HPI: 81.36

Jürgen Habermas

German Philosopher

Jun 18, 1929 - Mar 14, 2026

Age 97

HPI: 79.46

Chuck Norris

American Actor

Mar 10, 1940 - Mar 19, 2026

Age 86

HPI: 79.26

Robert Duvall

American Actor

Jan 5, 1931 - Feb 15, 2026

Age 95

HPI: 75.73

Erich von Däniken

Swiss Writer

Apr 14, 1935 - Jan 10, 2026

Age 91

HPI: 73.20

Rifaat al-Assad

Politician

Aug 22, 1937 - Jan 20, 2026

Age 89

HPI: 71.24

Valentino

Italian Designer

May 11, 1932 - Jan 19, 2026

Age 94

HPI: 70.11

Ilia II of Georgia

Russian Religious Figure

Jan 4, 1933 - Mar 17, 2026

Age 93

HPI: 69.97

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld

Swedish Politician

Jun 2, 1938 - Jan 21, 2026

Age 88

HPI: 69.39

Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark

South African Nobleman

May 11, 1942 - Jan 15, 2026

Age 84

HPI: 69.20

Anthony James Leggett

British Physicist

Mar 26, 1938 - Mar 8, 2026

Age 88

HPI: 69.13

Birutė Galdikas

German Anthropologist

May 10, 1946 - Mar 24, 2026

Age 80

HPI: 68.91

Lionel Jospin

French Politician

Jul 12, 1937 - Mar 22, 2026

Age 89

HPI: 68.14

Len Deighton

British Writer

Feb 18, 1929 - Mar 15, 2026

Age 97

HPI: 67.44

António Lobo Antunes

Portuguese Politician

Sep 1, 1942 - Mar 5, 2026

Age 84

HPI: 67.36

J. Michael Bishop

American Biologist

Feb 22, 1936 - Mar 20, 2026

Age 90

HPI: 66.37

View Full List of 2026 Deaths Ranked by HPI →

Deaths by Month in 2026

January 2026

The following is a chronological list of the most famous people to have died in January of 2026. Sorted by popularity, the most famous people to pass away in January were Erich von Däniken (HPI: 73.20), Rifaat al-Assad (HPI: 71.24), and Valentino (HPI: 70.11).

Hessy Levinsons Taft

Jan 1, 2026

German Model

HPI: 61.00

Colin McDonald

Jan 1, 2026

British Soccer Player

HPI: 59.74

Jane Lapotaire

Jan 1, 2026

British Actor

HPI: 53.83

Mukhsin Mukhamadiev

Jan 1, 2026

Tadzhik Soccer Player

HPI: 41.78

Eva Schloss

Jan 3, 2026

Austrian Writer

HPI: 62.58

Dimitar Penev

Jan 3, 2026

Bulgarian Soccer Player

HPI: 61.28

Nora Ikstena

Jan 4, 2026

Latvian Writer

HPI: 52.29

Aldrich Ames

Jan 5, 2026

American Extremist

HPI: 62.47

Béla Tarr

Jan 6, 2026

Hungarian Film Director

HPI: 65.51

Edith M. Flanigen

Jan 6, 2026

American Chemist

HPI: 53.61

Doug LaMalfa

Jan 6, 2026

American Politician

HPI: 37.72

Glenn Hall

Jan 7, 2026

Canadian Hockey Player

HPI: 53.70

Martin Chivers

Jan 7, 2026

British Soccer Player

HPI: 53.49

Terry Yorath

Jan 7, 2026

British Soccer Player

HPI: 49.27

Uljana Semjonova

Jan 8, 2026

Lithuanian Basketball Player

HPI: 63.04

Hans Herrmann

Jan 9, 2026

German Racing Driver

HPI: 61.06

T. K. Carter

Jan 9, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 49.39

Erich von Däniken

Jan 10, 2026

Swiss Writer

HPI: 73.20

Bob Weir

Jan 10, 2026

American Musician

HPI: 48.69

Louis E. Brus

Jan 11, 2026

American Chemist

HPI: 63.32

Richard Codey

Jan 11, 2026

American Politician

HPI: 48.80

Rolland Courbis

Jan 12, 2026

French Soccer Player

HPI: 58.75

Eddie McCreadie

Jan 12, 2026

British Soccer Player

HPI: 50.52

George Vassiliou

Jan 13, 2026

Politician

HPI: 62.80

Claudette Colvin

Jan 13, 2026

American Social Activist

HPI: 57.98

Peter Duesberg

Jan 13, 2026

German Biologist

HPI: 50.91

Scott Adams

Jan 13, 2026

American Comic Artist

HPI: 48.66

Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark

Jan 15, 2026

South African Nobleman

HPI: 69.20

Luísa Diogo

Jan 16, 2026

Mozambican Politician

HPI: 60.31

Tony Dallara

Jan 16, 2026

Singer

HPI: 55.44

Gladys West

Jan 17, 2026

American Mathematician

HPI: 57.14

Roger Allers

Jan 17, 2026

American Film Director

HPI: 53.64

Ralph Towner

Jan 18, 2026

American Musician

HPI: 56.23

Valentino

Jan 19, 2026

Italian Designer

HPI: 70.11

Rifaat al-Assad

Jan 20, 2026

Politician

HPI: 71.24

Lucien Muller

Jan 20, 2026

French Soccer Player

HPI: 63.08

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld

Jan 21, 2026

Swedish Politician

HPI: 69.39

Francis Buchholz

Jan 22, 2026

German Musician

HPI: 55.43

Ota Zaremba

Jan 23, 2026

Czech Athlete

HPI: 45.87

David Abulafia

Jan 24, 2026

British Historian

HPI: 54.62

Michael Parenti

Jan 24, 2026

American Writer

HPI: 53.56

Lee Hae-chan

Jan 25, 2026

South Korean Politician

HPI: 57.68

Franco Menichelli

Jan 28, 2026

Italian Gymnast

HPI: 54.81

Fathi Kameel

Jan 31, 2026

Kuwaiti Soccer Player

HPI: 47.88

February 2026

The following is a chronological list of the most famous people to have died in February of 2026. Sorted by popularity, the most famous people to pass away in February were Ali Khamenei (HPI: 81.36), Robert Duvall (HPI: 75.73), and Antonio Tejero (HPI: 65.79).

Rita Süssmuth

Feb 1, 2026

German Politician

HPI: 62.94

Teresa de Lauretis

Feb 2, 2026

Italian Writer

HPI: 58.62

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Feb 3, 2026

Libyan Politician

HPI: 62.04

Tamás Vásáry

Feb 5, 2026

Hungarian Musician

HPI: 57.28

Jana Brejchová

Feb 6, 2026

Czech Actor

HPI: 60.32

Brad Arnold

Feb 7, 2026

American Singer

HPI: 49.78

Eddy Antoine

Feb 8, 2026

Haitian Soccer Player

HPI: 59.38

Antonino Zichichi

Feb 9, 2026

Italian Physicist

HPI: 58.50

Marie-Rose Tessier

Feb 10, 2026

French Celebrity

HPI: 63.87

Cees Nooteboom

Feb 11, 2026

Dutch Writer

HPI: 65.75

Bud Cort

Feb 11, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 60.41

Helmuth Rilling

Feb 11, 2026

German Musician

HPI: 57.81

James Van Der Beek

Feb 11, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 50.16

Bożena Dykiel

Feb 12, 2026

Polish Actor

HPI: 58.92

Michel Portal

Feb 12, 2026

French Composer

HPI: 57.50

Roy Medvedev

Feb 13, 2026

Georgian Writer

HPI: 60.74

Dóra Maurer

Feb 14, 2026

Hungarian Painter

HPI: 57.96

Susan George

Feb 14, 2026

American Philosopher

HPI: 57.74

Tom Noonan

Feb 14, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 57.41

Robert Duvall

Feb 15, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 75.73

Bruno Cipolla

Feb 15, 2026

Italian Athlete

HPI: 59.02

Goran Sukno

Feb 15, 2026

Croatian Athlete

HPI: 57.77

Semyon Gluzman

Feb 16, 2026

Ukrainian Physician

HPI: 57.83

Frederick Wiseman

Feb 16, 2026

American Film Director

HPI: 57.77

Helene Ahrweiler

Feb 16, 2026

Greek Historian

HPI: 55.15

José van Dam

Feb 17, 2026

Belgian Singer

HPI: 62.16

Jesse Jackson

Feb 17, 2026

American Social Activist

HPI: 60.65

Doug Moe

Feb 17, 2026

American Basketball Player

HPI: 50.23

Sepp Piontek

Feb 18, 2026

German Soccer Player

HPI: 65.77

Jan Timman

Feb 18, 2026

Dutch Chess Player

HPI: 63.83

Leila Shahid

Feb 18, 2026

Lebanese Diplomat

HPI: 62.35

Borislav Paravac

Feb 18, 2026

Bosnian, Herzegovinian Politician

HPI: 56.26

Polycarp Pengo

Feb 19, 2026

Tanzanian Religious Figure

HPI: 59.88

Eric Dane

Feb 19, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 57.90

Angela Luce

Feb 20, 2026

Italian Actor

HPI: 59.98

Hans-Georg Reimann

Feb 20, 2026

Lithuanian Athlete

HPI: 56.22

Bill Mazeroski

Feb 20, 2026

American Baseball Player

HPI: 50.70

Dan Simmons

Feb 21, 2026

American Writer

HPI: 65.38

Adam Sandurski

Feb 21, 2026

Polish Wrestler

HPI: 56.80

Willie Colón

Feb 21, 2026

American Singer

HPI: 54.17

Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi

Feb 21, 2026

Italian Racing Driver

HPI: 51.61

Birgitta Andersson

Feb 22, 2026

Swedish Actor

HPI: 58.32

Éliane Radigue

Feb 23, 2026

French Composer

HPI: 61.10

Robert Carradine

Feb 23, 2026

American Actor

HPI: 55.74

Antonio Tejero

Feb 25, 2026

Spanish Military Personnel

HPI: 65.79

Ludwig Scotty

Feb 25, 2026

Nauruan Politician

HPI: 60.34

Neil Sedaka

Feb 27, 2026

American Singer

HPI: 62.23

Sandro Munari

Feb 27, 2026

Italian Racing Driver

HPI: 60.74

Ali Khamenei

Feb 28, 2026

Iranian Politician

HPI: 81.36

Abdolrahim Mousavi

Feb 28, 2026

Iranian Military Personnel

HPI: 60.34

Mojtaba Khamenei

Feb 28, 2026

Iranian Politician

HPI: 59.07

Mohammad Pakpour

Feb 28, 2026

Iranian Military Personnel

HPI: 58.94

Aziz Nasirzadeh

Feb 28, 2026

Iranian Military Personnel

HPI: 54.32

March 2026

The following is a chronological list of the most famous people to have died in March of 2026. Sorted by popularity, the most famous people to pass away in March were Jürgen Habermas (HPI: 79.46), Chuck Norris (HPI: 79.26), and Ilia II of Georgia (HPI: 69.97).