30 Famous People Whose Birthday Was Also the Day They Died

Birthdays are usually associated with celebration, reflection, and the passing of another year. For some well-known figures, however, the date of their birth also became the date of their death, creating one of the more unusual coincidences in biography and popular history.

Tempo looked at famous people who died on the same calendar date they were born, including actors, musicians, writers, artists, athletes, public figures, and historical names whose lives left a lasting mark. Some died at advanced ages after long careers, while others passed away much earlier or under circumstances that remain widely discussed.

The list includes people remembered for major accomplishments as well as figures whose fame is tied to controversy or infamy. From cultural icons and entertainers to historical figures, athletes, inventors, and public personalities, these stories show how one date can hold both the beginning and end of a life.

While the coincidence itself is rare, the people on this list span centuries, professions, and very different legacies. Together, they offer a surprising look at famous lives where a birthday became something far more complicated than a simple anniversary.

• Lifespan: Dec. 11, 1830-1872
• Known as: King of Hawai’i
• Cause of death: Unknown
• Kamehameha V was the fifth monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, reigning from 1863 until he died in 1872. He left no heir to the throne and the next ruler of the island was determined by an election, which chose Kamehameha’s cousin William Charles Lunalilo to succeed him.

• Lifespan: Nov. 9, 1883-1942
• Known as: Oscar-nominated actress
• Cause of death: Intestinal illness
• Oliver was a stage and screen actress who played a range of characters throughout her prolific career. She was nominated for Best Support Actress for her role in “Drums Along the Mohawk” in 1939. She died at the age of 59 from an intestinal illness.

• Lifespan: Jan. 8, 1903-1998
• Known as: Inventor of bubble gum
• Cause of death: Heart failure
• Diemer was an accountant by trade but liked to experiment with gum recipes and invented bubble gum doing just that. The cheap treat quickly took off during the Great Depression. He died at the age of 94 in Pennsylvania.

• Lifespan: April 6, 1483-1520
• Known as: Renaissance painter
• Cause of death: Mysterious causes
• Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, commonly known simply as Raphael, was one of the most famous painters and architects of the Italian Renaissance. He died at only 37 but left an enormous body of work. His birthday is sometimes given as March 28, but April 6 is favored by some historians, and that’s the date of his death.

• Lifespan: April 23, 1564-1616
• Known as: Playwright
• Cause of death: Fever
• The most famous playwright in the English language died on his birthday at the age of 52. He retired from writing at 49 and died three years later of a sudden fever.

• Lifespan: May 16, 1824-1920
• Known as: Vice-president under Benjamin Harrison
• Cause of death: Pneumonia
• Morton served between 1889 and 1893 as the 22nd vice-president of the United States. He had previously been twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and worked as a cotton merchant and investment banker.

• Lifespan: Jan. 5, 1864-1943
• Known as: American botanist and inventor
• Cause of death: Complications from a fall
• Carver was the most prominent Black scientist in the United States during his lifetime and helped to revolutionize agriculture by promoting the growth of alternative crops to fight soil depletion. At the age of 79, he had a bad fall down the stairs in his home and died later of his injuries.

• Lifespan: Sept. 6, 1885-1974
• Known as: Actor
• Cause of death: Stroke and cerebrovascular complications
• Kruger was a Broadway, film, and TV star, who often played charismatic villains throughout his career. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film and the other for television.

• Lifespan: Oct. 13, 1894-1975
• Known as: Chicago White Sox shortstop
• Cause of death: Unknown
• Risberg played shortstop for the “Black Sox,” the name given to the Chicago White Sox after they threw the 1919 World Series. When he died at 81, he was the last surviving member of the infamous team.

• Lifespan: July 27, 1880-1948
• Known as: Chicago professional baseball player and manager
• Cause of death: Complications from diabetes
• Tinker played for the Chicago Cubs when they won four pennants and two World Series in the 1900s. In 1948, Tinker developed a toe infection related to diabetes that eventually spread to the rest of his body.

• Lifespan: May 14, 1897-1959
• Known as: Jazz saxophonist
• Cause of death: Lung cancer
• Bechet was an acclaimed jazz saxophonist and clarinet player, known for his fiery temper. He spent much of his later life in France, where he eventually passed away at the age of 62.

• Lifespan: Nov. 8, 1887-1977
• Known as: Actress
• Cause of death: Stroke
• Astor began her entertainment career as a trombone player but then switched to acting and appeared in over 250 movies. She died of a stroke on her 90th birthday.

• Lifespan: Dec. 13, 1903-1986
• Known as: Civil rights activist
• Cause of death: Unknown
• Baker worked largely behind the scenes as a civil rights activist for over five decades, operating mainly in New York City and the American South. She died in New York at the age of 83.

• Lifespan: Aug. 11, 1925-2006
• Known as: Talk-show host
• Cause of death: Unknown
• Douglas was a genial singer, actor, and talk show host, best known for “The Mike Douglas Show.” His cause of death was never revealed, but his wife said he became dehydrated after golfing and never recovered.

• Lifespan: Feb. 4, 1921-2006
• Known as: Founder of National Organization for Women
• Cause of death: Congestive heart failure
• Friedan was a feminist writer and activist who is credited with helping spark the second wave of American feminism. She died in Washington D.C. on her 85th birthday.

• Lifespan: Feb. 14, 1907-2003
• Known as: Jockey
• Cause of death: Various health problems
• Longden was one of the greatest jockeys of his time, winning the Triple Crown of horse racing in 1943. Born on Valentine’s Day, Longden would die on February 14 at the age of 96.

• Lifespan: July 25, 1918-1993
• Known as: Film actress
• Cause of death: Heart attack
• Grey was an actress who appeared in several films in the 1930s and voiced a character in the NBC radio soap opera “Those We Love.” She also invented and sold cosmetic mirrors for near-sighted women. She died at the age of 75.

• Lifespan: Aug. 17, 1914-1988
• Known as: Congressman, son of U.S. president
• Cause of death: Lung cancer
• Son of the longest-serving president in U.S. history, F.D.R. Jr. served in Congress and as under-secretary of commerce under President Kennedy. On his 74th birthday, he lost his battle with lung cancer.

• Lifespan: Sept. 21, 1913-2010
• Known as: Actress
• Cause of death: Age-related causes
• Bradley made her Broadway debut at the age of 17. After a few plays, she transitioned to film where she acted in dozens of movies in the 1930s and early ’40s. She passed away at the age of 97 in California.

• Lifespan: Sept. 2, 1918-1998
• Known as: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
• Cause of death: Heart failure
• Drury was a novelist and reporter who covered the U.S. Senate. He wrote 20 novels – including the Pulitzer-winning “Advise and Consent” – and several non-fiction works, often dealing with the topics of government and politicians. He completed his final novel two weeks before he died.

• Lifespan: Aug. 29, 1915-1982
• Known as: Three-time Oscar winner
• Cause of death: Breast cancer
• Bergman, born in Stockholm, starred in such classic movies as “Casablanca,” “Gaslight,” and “Anastasia.” Her acting career spanned five decades, and she won three Academy Awards along the way. She died in London at the age of 67.

• Lifespan: March 4, 1926-2013
• Known as: Singer
• Cause of death: Natural causes
• Born Francis Wolff, Fran Warren started as a big band singer and eventually went solo with some success, and acted in three movies. She passed away in Connecticut at the age of 87.

• Lifespan: July 18, 1895-1954
• Known as: Gangster
• Cause of death: Heart attack
• Kelly was an infamous bootlegger and criminal whose exploits included kidnapping and ransoming an oil tycoon for $200,000 ($4 million today). He received a life sentence in 1933 and eventually died in prison in 1954.

• Lifespan: Jan. 1, 1934-2022
• Known as: Actor
• Cause of death: Unknown
• Julien was an actor, sculptor, and clothing designer. His largest film role was as Goldie in the 1973 Richard Pryor blaxploitation film “The Mack,” and he appeared in other films and TV shows over the years. He died in Los Angeles at the beginning of this year.

• Lifespan: April 15, 1892-1983
• Known as: Dutch woman who protected Jews during the Holocaust
• Cause of death: Multiple strokes
• Ten Boom was a watchmaker from the Netherlands during World War II. Her family was contacted by a Jewish woman fleeing persecution. The ten Bloom family agreed to help and soon became involved in the Dutch Resistance and helped many Jews escape to safety.

• Lifespan: April 6, 1937-2016
• Known as: Country singer
• Cause of death: Pneumonia
• Haggard was a country singer/songwriter and guitarist, who after a few stints in prison early in his life, went on to become a successful musician. He had dozens of No. 1 hits on the country charts and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

• Lifespan: Oct. 21, 1935-1978
• Known as: Country singer
• Cause of death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound
• Mel Street was a country music singer who had over 10 top-20 Billboard 200 hits. He suffered from depression and alcoholism for much of his life and eventually committed suiсide at the age of 43.

• Lifespan: July 27, 1949-2010
• Known as: Actor
• Cause of death: Complications of a heart valve infection
• Chaykin was most known for his portrayal of the titular detective in the television show “Nero Wolfe.” Chaykin grew up in New York City but moved to Toronto as an adult until he died of a heart valve infection at the age of 61.

• Lifespan: Oct. 28, 1944-1986
• Known as: Actor
• Cause of death: Heart attack
• The English-born Marter started as a stage actor before transitioning into television. He was involved with several series, notably writing for and acting in “Dr. Who.” He died suddenly of a diabetic heart attack on his 42nd birthday.

• Lifespan: July 18, 1960-2021
• Known as: Reality TV star
• Cause of death: Drug overdose
• Frankie Lons was the mother of singer Keyshia Cole, and originally became known for her appearances in the reality series “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is.” Lons eventually got her own BET reality series, “Frankie & Neffie,” alongside Cole’s sister, Neffeteria Pugh.