Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1939. This list includes people like Sigmund Freud, Amelia Earhart, James Naismith, Havelock Ellis, Norman Bethune and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, journalists, poets and playwrights who died in 1939. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Russia & Austria and many more countries.
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1
Amelia Earhart(The First Female Aviator to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean)
Birthdate: July 24, 1897
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas, United States
Died: January 5
Amelia Earhart became the first female pilot to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight, in 1932. A champion for equal rights, Amelia later wrote best-selling memoirs and contributed to the women pilot’s group The Ninety-Nines. In 1937, Amelia disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean and was later declared dead.
Birthdate: May 6, 1856
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Příbor, Czechia
Died: September 23
Regarded as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was a neurologist. Despite suffering criticism, psychoanalysis remains influential in the fields of psychology and psychiatry; such is the influence Freud has on humanities. Scholars believe that Freud is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century and that his impact is comparable to that of Marxism and Darwinism.
3
W B Yeats(One of the Greatest English-Language Poets of the 20th Century and 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner)
Birthdate: June 13, 1865
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sandymount, Ireland
Died: January 28
Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, playwright, and prose writer W. B. Yeats is remembered as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Known for works such as The Tower, he also helped establish the Abbey Theatre. An occult enthusiast, he was also part of The Ghost Club.
Birthdate: November 6, 1861
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Almonte, Mississippi Mills, Canada
Died: November 28
Canadian-American physician and coach James Naismith is considered as the inventor of basketball. He authored the first basksetball rule book and established the University of Kansas basketball team. He served as the Kansas Jayhawks athletic director and coach, and trained legends such as Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.
Birthdate: May 9, 1874
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kensington, London, England
Died: March 2
6
Ma Rainey(Street artist, Musician)
Birthdate: April 26, 1886
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia, United States
Died: December 22
7
Douglas Fairbanks(Actor)
Birthdate: May 23, 1883
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: December 12
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
8
Alphonse Mucha(Painter)
Birthdate: July 24, 1860
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ivancice, Czechia
Died: July 14
Birthdate: February 18, 1862
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 18
10
Zane Grey(Novelist)
Birthdate: January 31, 1872
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zanesville, Ohio, USA
Died: October 23
Birthdate: March 4, 1890
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gravenhurst, Canada
Died: November 12
Canadian thoracic surgeon Norman Bethune served as an army physician for the Canadian Army during World War I. He revolutionized medical science by introducing the concept of mobile blood-transfusion. A Communist Party of Canada member, he later served the Chinese army against Japan, becoming a revered name in China.
12
Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya(Deputy Minister of Education in the Government of the Soviet Union 1929 – 1938)
Birthdate: February 26, 1869
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: February 27
13
Harvey Cushing(American Neurosurgeon, Pathologist, Writer and the First Person to Describe Cushing’s Disease)
Birthdate: April 8, 1869
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died: October 7
14
Anthony Fokker(Aviation Entrepreneur & Aircraft Designer Who Pproduced Fighter Aircraft in Germany During WW I)
Birthdate: April 6, 1890
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Blitar, Indonesia
Died: December 23
Though a high-school drop-out, Dutch aviation designer and entrepreneur Anthony Fokker showed his interest in mechanics quite early. He designed over 40 types of fighter aircrafts for the Germans during World War I. The aircraft that completed the first nonstop flight across the U.S. was also made by him.
15
Carl Laemmle(Filmmaker)
Birthdate: January 17, 1867
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Laupheim, Germany
Died: September 24
16
Chick Webb(Musician)
Birthdate: February 10, 1905
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Died: June 16
Height: 4'1" (124 cm)
17
Hans Langsdorff(Soldier)
Birthdate: March 20, 1894
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bergen auf Rügen
Died: December 19
Hans Langsdorff was a German naval officer best remembered for commanding the Admiral Graf Spee, a heavily armed cruiser, which was nicknamedpocket battleship by the British. The legendary ship played a key role in the Spanish Civil War where it conducted five non-intervention patrols.
18
Ford Madox Ford(British Writer Known for His Novels: 'The Good Soldier', 'Parade’s End' Tetralogy and 'The Fifth Queen' Trilogy)
Birthdate: December 17, 1873
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Merton, Surrey, England
Died: June 26
Best remembered for his novel The Good Soldier, author Ford Madox Ford was the grandson of Pre-Raphaelite painter Ford Madox Brown. He had been part of World War I. He spent his final years in France and the US, mostly authoring criticism. The tetralogy Parade's End remains one of his best-known works.
Birthdate: June 29, 1861
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Le Sueur
Died: July 28
Physician and surgeon William James Mayo is best-known as a principal co-founder of the non-profit American academic medical center Mayo Clinic. Son of British-American medical-doctor and chemist William Worrall Mayo, William James and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo, joined the sole-proprietorship medical practice of their father, which developed under them and other doctors intothe Mayo Clinic.
20
Otto Rank(Psychologist)
Birthdate: April 22, 1884
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: October 31
Otto Rank was an Austrian psychoanalyst and philosopher. A close colleague of Sigmund Freud, Rank was also the managing director of Freud's publishing house. Rank was a prolific writer and wrote extensively on psychoanalytic themes. He was the first person who viewed therapy as a learning and unlearning experience focusing on feelings. Psychologist Rollo May was deeply influenced by Rank.
Birthdate: July 19, 1865
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rochester
Died: May 26
Part of the Mayo medical family of the U.S., Charles Horace Mayo had established the Mayo Clinic with his brother William James Mayo and others. He specialized in varied medical fields, mastering neurosurgery, goitre surgery, cataract operations, and other procedures. He later served the U.S. Army surgical team.
22
Alice Brady(Actress)
Birthdate: November 2, 1892
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: October 28
23
Eugen Bleuler(Psychiatrist, Physician, University teacher)
Birthdate: April 30, 1857
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Zollikon
Died: July 15
One of the most prolific psychiatrists of his time, Eugen Bleuler is known as the man who introduced the term schizophrenia. He also introduced autism and ambivalence as 2 concepts required for the study of schizophrenia. His Textbook of Psychiatry became a staple in classes of psychiatry
24
Charles R. Walgreen(American Businessman and Founder of 'Walgreens')
Birthdate: October 9, 1873
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dixon, Illinois, United States
Died: December 11
Charles R. Walgreen was an American businessman best remembered for founding Walgreens, which operates America's second-largest pharmacy store chain. Charles R. Walgreen is one of the most important members of the Labor Hall of Fame.
25
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: May 22
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.
26
Arthur Rackham(Former Illustrator best-known works include the illustrations for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm)
Birthdate: September 19, 1867
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vauxhall, London, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 6
27
Polaire(Singer)
Birthdate: May 14, 1874
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Algiers, Algiers, Algeria
Died: October 11
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
28
Richard Halliburton(Author)
Birthdate: January 9, 1900
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brownsville, Tennessee, United States
Died: March 24
29
Benjamin Tucker(Journalist, Philosopher, Economist, Translator, Anarchist)
Birthdate: April 17, 1854
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dartmouth
Died: June 22
30
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz(Writer & Painter Active Before World War I & During Interwar Period)
Birthdate: February 24, 1885
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: September 18
Polish author, painter, and dramatist Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz of the Awangarda Krakowska movement was part of the Australian expedition of anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, as an artist. He had also worked in the Russian Army. He committed suicide at the onset of World War II, though many believe he had faked his own death.
31
Joseph Force Crater(American Lawyer and Judge)
Birthdate: January 5, 1889
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Easton, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 6
32
Armand Călinescu(39th Prime Minister of Romania Who was Assassinated by ‘Iron Guard’ Members with ‘Nazi’ Support)
Birthdate: June 4, 1893
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Piteşti, Romania
Died: September 21
Romanian economist and politician Armand Călinescu served as Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister before becoming Prime Minister of Romania. He was believed to be very close to King Carol II and possibly the real-power behind the throne during the King’s royal-dictatorship. Călinescu detested Iron Guard and anti-Semitism and was eventually assassinated by Iron Guard members with Nazi support.
33
Lois Weber(Actress)
Birthdate: June 13, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: November 13
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
34
Philipp Scheidemann(Politician)
Birthdate: July 26, 1865
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kassel
Died: November 29
Social Democratic Party of Germany member Philipp Scheidemann was the man who declared the formation of the Weimar Republic and also served as its chancellor. Born into a working-class family, he initially apprenticed as a printer. The rise of the Nazi power caused him to move to Denmark later.
35
Kyōka Izumi(Japanese Author of Novels, Short Stories, and Kabuki Plays Who Was Active During the Prewar Period)
Birthdate: November 4, 1873
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Died: September 7
Often considered an eccentric and superstitious writer, Kyōka Izumi chiefly wrote on fantasy, producing numerous novels, short stories and haiku plays in the backdrop of distinctive and yet supernatural world, using fantasy to criticize many social norms and practices. Initially trained by Ozaki Kōyō, Izumi has produced several masterpieces, including The Holy Man of Mount Kōya and Worship at Yushima.
Birthdate: May 31, 1857
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Desio, Italy
Died: February 10
A man who believed in the motto “The peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ,” Pope Pius XI was also an avid scholar. His reign witnessed the rise of Benito Mussolini and the signing of the Lateran Treaty, which recognized Vatican City as an independent nation state.
37
John R. Lynch(American Writer, Attorney and Military Officer)
Birthdate: September 10, 1847
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vidalia, Louisiana, United States
Died: November 2
38
Pierce Butler(Jurist)
Birthdate: March 17, 1866
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dakota County, Minnesota, United States
Died: November 16
39
Ambroise Vollard(Art Dealer)
Birthdate: July 3, 1866
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Saint-Denis, Réunion
Died: July 22
40
Zinaida Yusupova(Lady in waiting)
Birthdate: September 2, 1861
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: November 24
41
Sidney Howard(Playwright)
Birthdate: June 26, 1891
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: August 23
42
Heywood Campbell Broun(Journalist)
Birthdate: December 7, 1888
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: December 18
43
Kelly Miller(American mathematician)
Birthdate: July 18, 1863
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Winnsboro, South Carolina, United States
Died: December 29
44
Johann Strauss III(Composer)
Birthdate: February 16, 1866
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: January 9
45
Fay Templeton(Singer and actress)
Birthdate: December 25, 1865
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Died: October 3
46
Gwen John(Painter, Visual artist, Model)
Birthdate: June 22, 1876
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Haverfordwest
Died: September 18
47
Margaret Floy Washburn(American Psychologist)
Birthdate: July 25, 1871
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: October 29
48
Yevgeny Miller(Politician, Military officer)
Birthdate: September 25, 1867
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia
Died: May 11
49
U Ottama(Theravada Buddhist Monk, Author, and Freedom Fighter)
Birthdate: December 28, 1879
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sittwe, Myanmar (Burma)
Died: September 9
U Ottama was a Theravada Buddhist author and monk. He is best remembered for leading the independence movement in Burma during British colonial rule. U Ottama kept fighting for the freedom of his country despite being imprisoned on a number of occasions for his anti-colonialist political activities.
50
Owen Moore(Film actor)
Birthdate: December 12, 1884
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland
Died: June 9
