Discover the most famous people who died on May 22. The list includes people like Constantine the Great, Victor Hugo, Langston Hughes, Martha Washington, Sher Shah Suri. Famous personalities featured on this list, include poets, playwrights, novelists and boxers and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, France, United Kingdom & Italy and many more countries.
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Birthdate: February 27, 0272
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Naissus, Moesia, Roman Empire
Died: 0337
Constantine the Great served as the Roman emperor between 306 and 337. During his reign, he enacted financial, administrative, military, and social reforms to strengthen the empire. Constantine the Great is also credited with introducing the solidus, a gold coin which became the standard for European and Byzantine currencies for over a thousand years.
2
Victor Hugo(French Writer of the Romantic Movement Best Known for His Novel 'Les Misérables' and Play 'Ruy Blas')
Birthdate: February 26, 1802
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Besançon, Doubs, France
Died: 1885
Victor Hugo was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist of the Romantic movement. Regarded as one of the best-known and greatest French writers of all time, Victor Hugo wrote abundantly during his career that spanned over six decades. Thanks to his works, such as Hernani and Cromwell, Victor Hugo was one of the leading figures of the Romantic literary movement.
3
Langston Hughes(One of the Earliest Innovators of the Literary Art Form Called Jazz Poetry)
Birthdate: February 1, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Joplin, Missouri, United States
Died: 1967
Langston Hughes is best remembered as a prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He was one of the first to write jazz poetry. He also wrote plays and short stories. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers.
4
Martha Washington(Former First Lady of the United States as the Wife of President George Washington)
Birthdate: June 2, 1731
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chestnut Grove, Virginia, United States
Died: 1802
Martha Washington became the inaugural First Lady of the United States when her husband George Washington took office as the first President of the United States in 1789. She was the daughter of a wealthy man and was first married to Daniel Parke Custis, with whom she had four children. Following Custis’ death, she married George Washington.
Birthdate: August 12, 1926
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: 1998
John Derek, known for his stunning good looks, launched his last wife, Bo Derek, in Hollywood. He appeared in films such as All the King's Men and had also served in World War II. He directed Bo in Tarzan, the Ape Man and even photographed her for Playboy.
Birthdate: December 29, 1923
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: 2017
Socialite/actor Dina Merrill was the only child of Post Cereals owner Marjorie Merriweather Post and stockbroker and financier Edward Francis Hutton. Dina served RKO Pictures as their vice chairperson. She also appeared in movies such as The Sundowners and Butterfield 8, and was on the boards of various charitable trusts.
7
Philip Roth(One of the Most Awarded American Writers of His Generation)
Birthdate: March 19, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: 2018
Philip Roth was a novelist and short-story writer best remembered for creating the fictional character Nathan Zuckerman, who featured in many of his novels. The recipient of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize, he also received the inaugural Franz Kafka Prize. Roth was one of the most awarded American writers of his generation. Born a Jew, he became an atheist later on.
8
Nicky Hayden(American Professional Motorcycle Racer)
Birthdate: July 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
Died: 2017
Nicky Hayden was an American motorcycle racer best remembered for winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship by breaking Valentino Rossi's five-year streak. Hayden met with an accident while riding his bicycle in 2017 in Italy and died of traumatic brain injury at the age of 35. In 2018, he was inducted posthumously into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: December 9, 1923
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Blackheath, London
Died: 2002
Ruth Williams Khama served as the First Lady of Botswana between 1966 and 1980. The wife of Seretse Khama, Ruth married Seretse at a time when inter-racial marriage was uncommon. Their wedding attracted huge media attention with some calling it one of the greatest love stories ever. Her marriage inspired films like A Marriage of Inconvenience and A United Kingdom.
10
Margaret Rutherford(Best Known for Her Role as the ‘Duchess of Brighton’ in the Film ‘The V.I.P.s’)
Birthdate: May 11, 1892
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Balham, London, United Kingdom
Died: 1972
Margaret Rutherford was an English actress best known for playing the Duchess of Brighton in the 1963 drama film, The V.I.P.s, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. In 1961, she was made an Officer of the OBE. In 1967, she was elevated to become a DBE.
11
Thurl Ravenscroft(American Actor and Bass Singer)
Birthdate: February 6, 1914
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Norfolk
Died: 2005
American actor and bass-singer Thurl Ravenscroft is best-remembered for providing deep bass-voice for breakfast-cereal icon Tony the Tiger for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes breakfast-cereal for over five-decades and for creating and making popular the catchphrase "They're gr-r-reat!". Other notable works of Ravenscroft includes singing the Christmas song You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch and doing voice-over work and singing for Disney.
12
Matthew Cowles(American Actor and Playwright)
Birthdate: September 28, 1944
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 2014
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
13
Rocky Graziano(Boxer)
Birthdate: January 1, 1919
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1990
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
14
Whitman Mayo(Actor)
Birthdate: November 15, 1930
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 2001
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C. Day Lewis(British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972.)
Birthdate: April 27, 1904
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ballintubber, Ireland
Died: 1972
C. Day-Lewis was an Anglo-Irish poet who also wrote many mystery stories. From 1968 to 1972, he served as the Poet Laureate. He also contributed as a publications editor duringWorld War II, working for theMinistry of Information.
Birthdate: March 28, 1942
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: McLeansboro, Illinois, United States
Died: 2020
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
Birthdate: 1486 AD
Birthplace: Sasaram, India
Died: 1545
Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Suri Empire, established the rupee as the Indian currency. He was initially part of Babur’s Mughal army and then became the governor of Bihar. He is also remembered for developing Humayun's Dina-panah city, reviving Pataliputra, and extending the Grand Trunk Road.
Birthdate: September 15, 1889
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Clarendon Parish
Died: 1948
Claude McKay was a poet who played an influential role in the Harlem Renaissance. Remembered for his work If We Must Die, a poem written in response to mob attacks on African-American communities by white Americans, McKay was named the national poet of Jamaica in 1977. For his contribution to literature, he was posthumously honored with the Order of Jamaica.
19
Ronnie Hawkins(Rockabilly musician notable for his role as a talent scout and mentor of musicians he recruited for his band the Hawks)
Birthdate: January 10, 1935
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Huntsville, Arkansas, United States
Died: 2022
20
The Great Gama(Amateur wrestler)
Birthdate: May 22, 1878
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Amritsar
Died: 1963
A world-renowned Indian pehlwan, or wrestler, Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt competed using the ring name The Great Gama. Also known as Rustam-e-Hind, he remained undefeated over an illustrious career of almost 5 decades and even saved many Hindus during the communal riots at the time of the Partition of India.
21
James Forrestal(1st United States Secretary of Defense (1947 - 1949))
Birthdate: February 15, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Beacon
Died: 1949
James Forrestal was an American financier who served as the first US Secretary of Defense from 1947 to 1949. He is also remembered for his service as the US Secretary of the Navy from 1944 to 1947. James Forrestal was honored with the Medal of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal by President Harry S. Truman.
22
Judith Kerr(Writer and illustrator whose books sold more than 10 million copies around the world)
Birthdate: June 14, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: 2019
Birthdate: June 2, 1861
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: 1943
24
Lino Brocka(One of the Most Ssignificant and Influential Filmmakers in Philippine Cinema's History)
Birthdate: April 3, 1939
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pilar, Philippines
Died: 1991
Lino Brocka was a Filipino film director best remembered for co-founding Concerned Artists of the Philippines and the Free the Artist Movement. Considered one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in Philippine cinema's history, Lino Brocka is credited with directing landmark films like Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim, and Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag.
25
Lefty Grove(American Professional Baseball Player Who Played as Pitcher)
Birthdate: March 6, 1900
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lonaconing, Maryland, United States
Died: 1975
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
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Marques Haynes(Basketball player)
Birthdate: March 10, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Died: 2015
Birthdate: December 26, 1913
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Folkington
Died: 1992
Elizabeth David was a British cookery writer who strongly influenced the resuscitation of home cookery with books and articles about traditional British dishes and European cuisines. She is credited with authoring the influential cookery book, A Book of Mediterranean Food. Her works have influenced several prominent chefs like Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Tom Parker Bowles, Prue Leith, and Terence Conran.
28
Martin Gardner(Mathematician, Writer, Journalist, Literary critic, Science fiction writer, Stage magician)
Birthdate: October 21, 1914
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tulsa
Died: 2010
29
Ernst Toller(German Author, Playwright, Left-Wing Politician and Revolutionary Known for His Expressionist Plays)
Birthdate: December 1, 1893
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Szamocin, Poland
Died: 1939
German playwright and author Ernst Toller is best remembered for his Expressionist plays and his Marxism. Though he served the German Army initially, he suffered a physical breakdown soon and quit, propagating peace instead. His best-known play, Man and the Masses, was written in prison.
30
Heather Chasen(Actress)
Birthdate: July 20, 1927
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Singapore
Died: 2020
31
Maria Edgeworth(Writer)
Birthdate: January 1, 1768
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Blackbourton, England
Died: 1849
32
Bata Zivojinovic(Yugoslav and Serbian Politician and Actor)
Birthdate: June 5, 1933
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jagodina, Serbia
Died: 2016
Bata Zivojinovic was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician and actor. Counted amongst the best actors in former Yugoslavia, Živojinović played important roles in over 340 films and TV series. Over the course of his career, Bata Zivojinovic was honored with several prestigious awards including the prestigious Beogradski pobednik for his lifetime achievement.
33
Alfred Day Hershey(American Bacteriologist, Geneticist and Winner of the 1969 Nobel Prize in Medicine)
Birthdate: December 4, 1908
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Owosso, Michigan, United States
Died: 1997
Nobel Prize-winning biologist Alfred Day Hershey is best remembered for his research on bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria. He was associated with the Washington University throughout most of his life. He is also known for his blender experiment, which he conducted with his work partner Martha Chase.
34
Stjepan Filipović(Yugoslav Croat Communist Leader Who Became an Icon of Resistance to Fascism)
Birthdate: January 27, 1916
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Croatia
Died: 1942
Yugoslav Croat communist Stjepan Filipović became an icon of opposition to fascism when a picture of him with his arms raised just prior to his execution by the Germans in 1942 became public. He was a major figure of the 1941 Partisan uprising in Serbia and was posthumously named People's Hero of Yugoslavia.
35
Zbigniew Wodecki(Singer)
Birthdate: May 6, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Godów, Poland
Died: 2017
Zbigniew Wodecki was a Polish singer, composer, musician, TV presenter, and actor. He achieved tremendous popularity in Poland during the 1970s and '80s and was recognized as one of the most famous singers. He was also honored with several prestigious awards, including the Fryderyk Award. In 2017, Zbigniew Wodecki was posthumously honored with the Order of Polonia Restituta.
36
Sándor Ferenczi(Hungarian Psychoanalyst)
Birthdate: July 7, 1873
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Miskolc, Hungary
Died: 1933
Sándor Ferenczi is best remembered for his research on free association and the psychoanalytic theory. Initially an army doctor, he specialized in subjects such as neuropathology and hypnosis. He was also close to Sigmund Freud and later taught at the University of Budapest. He also established the Hungarian Psychoanalytic Society.
Birthdate: August 24, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Longlier, Neufchâteau, Belgium
Died: 1983
Born to a baker father, Nobel Prize-winning cell biologist Albert Claude had lost his mother to cancer as a child. He had served the British Intelligence Service during World War I. He used the electron microscope in biology for the first time and also discovered several components of the cell.
38
Janet Carroll(Actress, Soprano)
Birthdate: December 24, 1940
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: 2012
39
George Bacovia(Poet)
Birthdate: September 17, 1881
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bacău, Romania
Died: 1957
40
Charles Albert Bender(Baseball Player)
Birthdate: May 5, 1884
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States
Died: 1954
41
Henri Dutilleux(Former Composer best remembered for concertos like Tout un Monde Lointain)
Birthdate: January 22, 1916
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Angers, France
Died: 2013
42
Alister Hardy(Biologist, Marine biologist)
Birthdate: February 10, 1896
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nottingham
Died: 1985
43
William Glackens(American Painter)
Birthdate: March 13, 1870
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 1938
44
Constantine X Doukas(Emperor)
Birthdate: 1006 AD
Birthplace: Roman Empire
Died: 1067
45
Augusta, Lady Gregory(Dramatist)
Birthdate: March 15, 1852
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Galway, Ireland
Died: 1932
46
Jules Renard(Author and member of the Académie Goncourt)
Birthdate: February 22, 1864
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Châlons-du-Maine, Mayenne, France
Died: 1910
47
Zellig Harris(American Linguist, Methodologist of Science, and Mathematical Syntactician)
Birthdate: October 23, 1909
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Balta, Ukraine
Died: 1992
48
Joseph Brooks(screenwriter, film producer, composer)
Birthdate: March 11, 1938
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City
Died: 2011
49
Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt(Aristocrat)
Birthdate: June 10, 1898
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ballenstedt, Germany
Died: 1983
50
Rita of Cascia(Nun)
Birthdate: 1381 AD
Birthplace: Roccaporena, Italy
Died: 1457
