Notable Deaths in 2012
-
1 of 71
Etta James,a rhythm and blues singer known for her song "At Last," died Jan. 20 after battling leukemia. She was 73.
-
2 of 71
Joe Paterno, head coach of the Penn State football team from 1966 to 2011, died on Jan. 22 after a battle with cancer. He was 85.
-
3 of 71
Musician Davy Jones of the Monkees died Feb. 29 of a heart attack. He was 66.
-
4 of 71
Producer Don Cornelius, who created the popular Soul Train television show, committed suicide on Feb. 1. He was 75.
-
5 of 71
Whitney Houston, recording artist, actress, producer, and model, was found dead in a bathtub the day before the Grammys on Feb. 11. She was 48.
-
6 of 71
Conservative activist Andrew Breitbart who served as an editor for the The Drudge Report and helped launch The Huffington Post, died on March 1 of heart failure. He was 43.
-
7 of 71
American radio and television personality Dick Clark died April 18. He was 82.
-
8 of 71
Artist Thomas Kinkade whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches have been big sellers for dealers across the U.S., died April 6 from alcohol poisoning. He was 54.
-
9 of 71
Journalist Mike Wallace, famed for his tough interviews on 60 Minutes, died April 7. He was 93.
-
10 of 71
Musician Levon Helm, member of The Band, died of cancer on April 19. He was 71.
-
11 of 71
Charles Colson, Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, died on April 21 at the age of 80.
-
12 of 71
Musician Chuck Brown, known as the father of "Go-go," died May 16, at the age of 75.
-
13 of 71
Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees died of cancer on May 20, at the age of 62.
-
14 of 71
Singer and guitarist Doc Watson, known for his lightning-fast style of flatpicking, died May 29. He was 89.
-
15 of 71
Famed disco singer Donna Summer died May 17 of lung cancer. She was 63.
-
16 of 71
Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, known for his books The Death of Artemio Cruz, and Aura, died on May 15 at the age of 83.
-
17 of 71
Hairdresser Vidal Sassoon died from leukemia on May 9. He was 84.
-
18 of 71
Children's book author Maurice Sendak, known for the popular book Where the Wild Things Are, died on May 8 from complication after a stroke. He was 83.
-
19 of 71
Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys died on May 4, after a long battle with cancer. He was 47.
-
20 of 71
New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau was found dead at his home with a gunshot wound to the chest on May 2. He was 43.
-
21 of 71
Rodney King, whose beating by the LAPD caused riots on police brutality and racism, died on June 17. He was 47.
-
22 of 71
Author Ray Bradbury, known for his books The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Fahrenheit 451, died on June 5. He was 91.
-
23 of 71
Author, screenwriter, and director Nora Ephron, known for movies "When Harry Met Sally," and "Sleepless in Seattle," died of leukemia on June 26. She was 71.
-
24 of 71
Richard Dawson, host of Family Feud, died of cancer on June 2. He was 79.
-
25 of 71
Actor Ernest Borgnine, who won an Academy Award for the movie Marty, died on July 8. He was 90 years old.
-
26 of 71
Actor Andy Griffith died from a heart attack on July 3, at the age of 86.
-
27 of 71
Actress Celeste Holm, known for her role as Annie in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! died on July 15 at the age of 95.
-
28 of 71
Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, died July 23 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61.
-
29 of 71
Sherman Hemsley, known for starring in the television sitcom The Jeffersons, died from cancer on July 24. He was 74.
-
30 of 71
Author Gore Vidal, known for writing Lincoln and The City and the Pillar, died on July 31.
-
31 of 71
Johnny Pesky, shortstop, manager, and broadcaster who spent more than 70 years with the Boston Red Sox, died on Aug. 13. He was 92.
-
32 of 71
Marvin Hamlisch, a conductor and award-winning composer best known for the torch song The Way We Were, died Aug. 6 of lung failure. He was 68.
-
33 of 71
Helen Gurley Brown, former editor in chief of editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine, died on Aug. 13. She was 90 years old.
-
34 of 71
Director Tony Scott, a director known for the movies Top Gun and Crimson Tide, died on Aug. 19 after jumping off of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in California. He was 68.
-
35 of 71
Phyllis Diller, an American actress and comedian with the persona of a wild-haired and eccentrically dressed housewife, died on Aug. 20 at the age of 89.
-
36 of 71
Steve Van Buren, shown here in 1947, a professional American football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died on Aug. 23. He was 91.
-
37 of 71
Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, died on Aug. 25 after complications resulting from the cardiovascular procedure. He was 82.
-
38 of 71
Hal David, the Grammy winning lyricist known for penning the songs What's New Pussycat, and Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, died on Sept. 1 at the age of 91.
-
39 of 71
Actor Michael Clarke Duncan, known for his breakout role in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, died on Sept. 3 after a long illness caused by a heart attack. He was 54.
-
40 of 71
Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed messiah who founded Unification Church, died on Sept. 3 at age 92.
-
41 of 71
Chris Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, was killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11, by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad. He was 52.
-
42 of 71
Steve Sabol co-founder of NFL Films, died on Sept. 18 from brain cancer. He was 69 years old.
-
43 of 71
Andy Williams, shown here in 1966, known for his Oscar-winning song Moon River, died on Sept. 25 at the age of 84.
-
44 of 71
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., shown here in 1971, the publisher and chairman of The New York Times, died on Sept. 29 at the age of 86.
-
45 of 71
Gary Collins, shown in this 1982 file photo, an actor, television show host, and former master of ceremonies for the Miss America Pageant, died Oct. 13. He was 74.
-
46 of 71
Detroit Lions football player Alex Karras, shown here in this 1971 photo, who gained fame in the NFL as a fearsome defensive lineman and later as an actor died on Oct. 10 at the age of 77.
-
47 of 71
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., who represented his state for 30 years in the Senate, died on Oct. 14 at the age of 82.
-
48 of 71
Sen. George McGovern, U.S. Senator and Democratic Party presidential nominee of the 1972 election, died on Oct. 21 at the age of 90.
-
49 of 71
Russell Means, shown here in 1986, was an actor was and an activist for the rights of Native American people. Means died of cancer on Oct. 22 at the age of 72.
-
50 of 71
Letitia K. Baldrige, shown here in 1960 during her first press conference, was the White House social secretary during the Kennedy administration. Baldrige died on Oct. 29 at the age of 86.
-
51 of 71
Milt Campbell, the first black person to win the Olympic decathlon in 1956, died on Nov. 2 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.
-
52 of 71
Composer Elliott Carter, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice, died on Nov. 5 at the age of 103.
-
53 of 71
Former Texas head football coach Darrell Royal, who led the Longhorns to three national championships died on Nov. 7 at the age of 88.
-
54 of 71
Lee MacPhail, shown in front of the Baltimore Memorial Stadium in 1959, was a baseball executive for 45 years, serving as the director of player personnel for the New York Yankees, the president and general manager of the Baltimore Orioles, executive vice president and general manager of the Yankees, and president of the American League. He died on Nov. 8 at the age of 95.
-
55 of 71
Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H., shown here in 1986, died of cancer on Nov. 19. He was 82.
-
56 of 71
Hector "Macho" Camacho is lifted into the air after winning the IBC Middleweight title fight in 1996. Camacho was shot and killed on Nov. 20 at age of 50.
-
57 of 71
Art Ginsburg, also known as Mr. Food, died on Nov. 21 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.
-
58 of 71
Bryce Courtenay, author of The Power of One, died on Nov. 22 of gastric cancer. He was 79.
-
59 of 71
Actor Larry Hagman, made famous in the television show Dallas, died on Nov. 23 following complications from throat cancer. He was 81.
-
60 of 71
Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for the first successful kidney transplant on identical twins, died on Nov. 26 after suffering from a stroke. He was 93.
-
61 of 71
Mickey Baker, shown here in 1999, was guitarist known for his part in bridging of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. He died on Nov. 27 at the age of 87.
-
62 of 71
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, an author of more than 30 books known for a focus on living a balanced life, died after suffering from pneumonia on Nov. 28. He was 86.
-
63 of 71
Marvin Miller, shown here in 2003, is known for being the union leader who created free agency for baseball players and revolutionized professional sports with multimillion dollar contracts. Miller died Nov. 27 at the age of 95.
-
64 of 71
Famed jazz musician Dave Brubeck died of heart failure two days before his 92nd birthday on Dec. 5.
-
65 of 71
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, known for playing a key part in the development of modern architecture, and a collaborator in the design of the UN building in New York, died on Dec. 5 at the age of 104.
-
66 of 71
Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera died during a small plane crash on Dec. 9. She was 43.
-
67 of 71
Ravi Shankar, shown here in 1985, a sitar icon who played in the Beatles, died on Dec. 11 at the age of 92.
-
68 of 71
Joe Allbritton, founder of Allbrittion Communications, died Dec. 12 at the age of 87.
-
69 of 71
Daniel Inouye, Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Senator from Hawaii, died Dec. 17. He was 88.
-
70 of 71
Robert H. Bork, an American legal scholar whose Supreme Court nomination by Ronald Reagan was rejected by the Senate, died on Dec. 19 from complications from heart disease. He was 85.
-
71 of 71
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf is shown at ease during Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. Schwarzkopf died Dec. 27, 2012. He was 78.
-
Nation
-
I-5 Bridge Collapses Near Seattle
-
Remembering Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day 2013
-
Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Members
-
Women on Death Row: Females Executed in the U.S. Since 1976
-
Cicadas Emerge From Hibernation
-
Heroic Oklahoma Tornado Rescues
-
3-D Printed Objects
-
Lap of Luxury: America’s Most Expensive Homes
-
The 2013 Billboard Music Awards
-
The 66th Cannes Film Festival
-
The 40th Anniversary of the Watergate Hearings
-
Obama Honors Fallen Officers at Police Memorial Service
← prev -
-
Latest Galleries
-
Remembering Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day 2013
-
Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Members
-
I-5 Bridge Collapses Near Seattle
-
Cicadas Emerge From Hibernation
-
British Soldier Killed in London Cleaver Attack
-
India Water Crisis
-
Women on Death Row: Females Executed in the U.S. Since 1976
-
3-D Printed Objects
-
Heroic Oklahoma Tornado Rescues
← prev -
