The passage of time is fleeting, and there is perhaps no more stunning glimpse at just how fast time flies than when you recall celebrities who have passed on and realize how old they would be had they lived to see today. Below is a list of 50 celebrities of all kinds — actors, singers, politicians — along with information about how old they were when they passed, how they died and how old they would be today.
Aaliyah
American singer and actress Aaliyah (1979-2001) attends the 9th MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
- Famous for: R&B Singer and Actress
- Died: August 25, 2001 (Plane Crash)
- Age at death: 22
- Would be: 45 today
Heath Ledger
TORONTO - SEPTEMBER 08: Actor Heath Ledger from the film Candy poses for portraits in the Chanel Celebrity Suite at the Four Season hotel during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2006 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actor ("The Dark Knight")
- Died: January 22, 2008 (Drug Overdose)
- Age at death: 28
- Would be: 45 today
Brittany Murphy
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Actress and the evening's host Brittany Murphy appears on stage at the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style event honoring costume designers Edith Head, James Acheson and Milena Canonero on February 28, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actress ("Clueless")
- Died: December 20, 2009 (Pneumonia)
- Age at death: 32
- Would be: 46 today
Paul Walker
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 07: Actor Paul Walker attends the World Premiere of 'Fast & Furious 6' at Empire Leicester Square on May 7, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actor ("Fast & Furious" series)
- Died: November 30, 2013 (Car Accident)
- Age at death: 40
- Would be: 50 today
Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 25: A wax figure of Christopher 'Biggie Smalls' Wallace on display at its debut at Madame Tussauds in Times Square on October 25, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Rapper
- Died: March 9, 1997 (Drive-by Shooting)
- Age at death: 24
- Would be: 52 today
River Phoenix
River Phoenix in a scene from the film 'Sneakers', 1992. (Photo by Universal Pictures/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Film Actor ("Stand by Me," "My Own Private Idaho")
- Died: October 31, 1993 (Drug Overdose)
- Age at death: 23
- Would be: 53 today
Brandon Lee
LOS ANGELES - CIRCA 1979: Bruce Lee's Mother, wife Linda, children Brandon and Shannon celebrate Bruce Lee Day circa 1979 in Los Angeles California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actor ("The Crow")
- Died: March 31, 1993 (Accidental Shooting)
- Age at death: 28
- Would be: 59 today
Steve Irwin
SAN FRANCISCO - JUNE 26: ***EXCLUSIVE*** The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, poses with a three foot long alligator at the San Francisco Zoo on June 26, 2002 in San Francisco, California. Irwin is on a 3-week tour to promote the release of his first feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, due in theaters July 12th. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Wildlife Expert and TV Host ("The Crocodile Hunter")
- Died: September 4, 2006 (Stingray Attack)
- Age at death: 44
- Would be: 62 today
Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) attends the Ascot race meeting in England, wearing a black and white spotted dress by Victor Edelstein and a Philip Somerville hat, June 1988. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
- Famous for: British Royalty, Philanthropist
- Died: August 31, 1997 (Car Crash)
- Age at death: 36
- Would be: 63 today
Freddie Prinze
American actor Freddie Prinze (L) (1954 - 1977) speaks to an unidentified actor in a still from the television series, 'Chico And The Man,' circa 1975. (Photo by NBC Television/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actor and Comedian ("Chico and the Man"), pictured at left
- Died: January 29, 1977 (Death by self-inflicted gunshot)
- Age at death: 22
- Would be: 69 today
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (right) in publicity portrait for the television series 'The Green Hornet', 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox TV/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Martial Artist and Actor (pictured at right)
- Died: July 20, 1973 (Cerebral Edema)
- Age at death: 32
- Would be: 83 today
Judy Garland
1939: Promotional studio portrait of American actor and singer Judy Garland (1922 - 1969) wearing her costume as Dorothy from director Victor Fleming's film, 'The Wizard of Oz'. She wears a gingham bodice and a white puff-sleeved blouse, with a satin ribbon in her hair. (Photo by MGM Studios/MGM Studios/Getty Images)
- Famous for: Actress and Singer ("The Wizard of Oz")
- Died: June 22, 1969 (Drug Overdose)
- Age at death: 47
- Would be: 101 today
