This is a list of famous people who are known to have committed suicide .
See also : deaths by accidental drug overdose , people by cause of death
Alphabetical
A Johnny Ace , (1954 ), singer Nick Adams , (1968 ), actor ; died of drug overdoseNeil Aggett , (1982 ), South African worker's union leader; hanged in prison, murder is suspected by someGeneral Sergey Akhromeyev, (1991 ), Soviet military commander who led an unsuccessful coup against Mikhail Gorbachev Salvador Allende , (1973 ), president of Chile whose left-wing government was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet , possibly murdered in that coupLouis Althusser , (1990 ), French philosopherJason Altom , (1998 ), Ph.D. studentJean Améry, (1978 ), Austrian writer Fridolin Anderwert , (1880 ), Swiss Federal CouncilorAman Andom , (1974 ), military ruler of Ethiopia ; committed suicide to avoid his execution in a internal purgePier Angeli , (1971 ) (on the same day that Bella Darvi also took her own life)Roger Angleton , (1998 ), brother of imprisoned Texas extortionist who admitted in his suicide note to killing his sister-in-law, socialite Doris Angleton .Mark Antony , (30 BC ), Roman politician and generalHubert Aquin , (1977 ), authorDiane Arbus , (1971 ), art photographerEdwin Armstrong , (1954 ), US inventor of FM radio; jumped from a 13th floor window believing FM was a failure.
B Mary Bacon, (1991 ), thoroughbred race horse jockey Albert Ballin , (1918 )Barney Barnato , (1897 ), South African diamond entrepreneur, jumped overboard while his ship was south of MadeiraIsobel Barnett , (1980 ), British TV personalityDiana Barrymore, (1960 ), US actress, writer ('Too Much, Too Soon') Uwe Barschel, (1987 ), German politician Carl Barth, (1853 ) Gert Bastian, (1992 ) Cliff Baxter, (2002 ), Enron vice-chairman Gertrude Bell , (1926 ), archaeologist, writer, spy and administrator known as the "Uncrowned Queen of Iraq"Walter Benjamin , (1940 ), German cultural theoristPierre Bérégovoy, (1993 ), French politician, killed himself after serving a year as Prime Minister Hans Berger , (1941 ), German physician and inventor of electroencephalography , by hangingMary Kay Bergman (1999 ), American voice actress, shot herself.Paul Bern, (1932 ), slashed his wrists after finding himself unable to consummate his marriage to Jean Harlow Alain Bernardin, (1994 ), founder/owner of "Le Crazy Horse Saloon" - Paris Ricky Berry, (1989 ), American NBA Basketball player (Sacramento Kings ) Bruno Bettelheim , (1990 ), child psychologistBlossius of Cumae , Roman philosopher who led a failed revoltRobert Bishop , (1991 ), fetish artist Barcroft Boake , (1892 ), Australian poet, hanged himself from a treeLudwig Boltzmann , (1906 ), Austrian physicistErnest Borneman , (1995 ), German sexologist Francesco Borromini , (1667 ), architectKarin Boye , (1941 ), Swedish author Charles Boyer , (1978 ), French actorJonathan Brandis , (2003 ), American actorEva Braun , (1945 ), mistress of Adolf Hitler Richard Brautigan , (1984 ), American writerGaetano Bresci , (1901 ), Italian anarchist, assassin of King Umberto I (officially suicide, but he was found strangled)Herman Brood, (2001 ), Dutch musician and painter Oskar Brüsewitz, (1976 ) Brutus , (42 BC ), Roman politician, assassin of Julius Caesar Eustace Budgell , (1737 ), remembered because his death was discussed in a conversation between Samuel Johnson and his friend and biographer Boswell Bernard Buffet, (1999 ), French painter ('The Crucifixion') Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916), Italian sculptorMichael Buonauro , (2004 ), Web Cartoonist, Web author, "Marvelous Bob"
C Capucine , (1990 ), French actressDora Carrington , (1932 ), artistJoseph Daniel 'Danny' Casolaro, (1991 ), journalist Adolphe Mouron Cassandre (1968 ), painterPaul Cassirer, (1926 ) Gaius Cassius Longinus , (42 BC ), Roman politician, co-assassin of Julius Caesar Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, (1822 ), British politician Cato the younger , (46 BC ), Roman republican statesmanUgo Cavallero , (1943 ), Italian Field MarshalPaul Celan , (1970 ), Romanian poetValerie Chacon , (1982 ), wife of Bobby Chacon Iris Chang , (2004 ), Chinese-American authorClaude Chappe , 1805 , French inventorThomas Chatterton , (1770 ), English poetLeslie Cheung , (2003 ), Hong Kong movie star and singerVere Gordon Childe , (1957 ), Australian archaeologist and historian, jumped off Govett's Leap in the Blue Mountains Vern Christie, (1991 ), Australian businessman, General Manager of the Commonwealth Bank Edwin P Christy, (1862 ), American entertainer, founder of the Christy Minstrels ; jumped from a window Christine Chubbuck , (1974 ), US newsreader, shot herself in the head on live TV after reading the newsChung Mong-hun, (2003 ), Korean businessman, chairman of Hyundai Asan Diana Churchill, (1963 ), UK social worker, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill Jeremiah Clarke , (1707 ), composer of Trumpet Voluntary, shot himselfCharmian Clift, (1969 ), Australian writer, wife of George Johnston; her namesake, Cleopatra 's maid Charmian also committed suicide Robert Clive , (1774 ), British conqueror of India and founder of the Empire, cut throat with pen-knifeKurt Cobain , (1994 ), American musician and singer (Nirvana)Billy Collins Jr., (1984 ), young boxer Ray Combs , (1996 ), former host of popular American game show Family Feud F. W. S. Craig , (1989 ), UK election expertHart Crane , (1932 ), American poet; born on the same date as Ernest Hemingway , another American writer who suicidedDarby Crash , (1981 ), lead singer of the LA punk band the Germs René Crevel, (1935 ), French painter, gassed himself Harry Crosby , (1929 ), writer, publisherAndrew Cunanan , (1997 ), killer of Gianni Versace and four othersWill Cuppy , (1949 ), American writer, humoristIan Curtis , (1980 ), English singer and songwritter (Joy Division)Adam Czerniakow , (1942 ), Warsaw Ghetto leader killed himself rather than obey Nazi orders
D Dalida , (1987 ), French singerMonika Dannemann , (1996 ), Girlfriend of Jimi Hendrix Bella Darvi, (1971 ), Polish-US actress (on the same day that Pier Angeli also took her own life) Dazai Osamu , (1948 ), Japanese novelistGuy Debord , (1994 ), French philosopher, member of Situationist InternationalC J De Garis, (1926 ), Australian financier Delphine Delamare, (1848 ), French woman, the basis for Flaubert 's Madame Bovary Gilles Deleuze , (1995 ), French philosopherDioxippus, (336 BC ?), Greek pankration fighter who nakedly defeated an armored and armed soldier of Alexander the Great 's... he was framed for theft and forced into suicide for his victory Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva , (2001 ), young King of Nepal , committed suicide after assassinating his father, King Birendra , and other members of the royal familyJenny Dolly, (1941 ), Hungarian/US entertainer, one of the Dolly Sisters Terence Donovan , (1996 ), English celebrity photographerOsvaldo Dorticós Torrado (1983 ), former president of Cuba Nick Drake (1974 ), British singer-songwriter , possibly an accidentPierre Drieu La Rochelle (1945 ), French novelistDr. Jonathan Drummond-Webb (2004 ), American heart surgeon Pete Duel , (1971 ), American actorK. Sello Duiker , (2005 ), South African authorIsaak Dunayevsky, (1955 ), Soviet composer (Katyusha ) Budd Dwyer , (1987 ), American politician
E George Eastman , (1932 ), inventorRonald 'Buster' Edwards, (1994 ), British Great Train robber and flower seller John Ellis (1931 ), remorseful hangman Empedocles , (432 BC ), Greek philosopher, threw himself into Mt EtnaPeg Entwistle , (1932 ), US actress, the first person to jump from the letter 'H' of the Hollywood sign; step-mother of Brian Keith who also committed suicideTom Evans, (1983 ), Guitarist for Badfinger
F Richard Farnsworth , (2000 ), US actor, Oscar nomineeJustin Fashanu ,(1998 ), British footballerRainer Werner Fassbinder , (1982 ), German film directorAndrea Feldman , (1972 ) Actor, Warhol superstarLolo Ferrari , (2000 ), actress, singerEd Flanders, (1995 ), US actor John Gould Fletcher , (1950 ), Pulitzer Prize winning poetJames V Forrestal , (1949 ), US Secretary of the Navy who quoted Sophocles in his suicide noteVincent Foster , (1993 ), Deputy White House CounselJohn Friedrich, (1991 ), Australian businessman and fraudster Mike Furber, (1973 ), Australian singer
G Zviad Gamsakhurdia , (1993 ), former president of Georgia Romain Gary , (1980 ), Russian-French novelist, film director and diplomatDanny Gatton , (1994 ), American guitarist Michel Gauquelin , (1991 ), French psychologist and astrology researcherCharlotte Perkins Gilman , (1935 ), American feminist and author (Herland )Henri Giffard, (1882 ), French aeronautical engineer Joseph Goebbels , (1945 ), German Nazi leaderAdam Lindsay Gordon , (1870 ), Australian poet ('Life is mostly froth and bubble')Hermann Göring, (1946 ), German Nazi leader Arshile Gorky , (1948 ), Armenian painterRichard Greene, (1983 ), boxing referee Robert von Greim , (1945 ), German Air MarshalAnton Gustafsson, (2003 ), Swedish singer (Anton Maiden) Antonio Guzmán Fernández, (1982 ), serving president of the Dominican Republic
H Kenneth Halliwell , (1967 ), English writer, lover of Joe Orton whom he killed then killed himselfMitch Halpern, (2000 ), boxing referee Peter Ham , (1975 ), rock musician (Badfinger )Lois Hamilton , (1943 -1999 ), actress, model, author, aviatrixTony Hancock , (1968 ), British comedianHannibal , (182 BC ), military commanderJames Harden-Hickey, (1898 ), US eccentric who wrote a book listing 88 poisons and 51 instruments that could be used for suicide; he chose an overdose of morphine Mary Hardy, (1985 ), Australian TV personality (found dead in the bath and was presumed to have committed suicide) Larry James Harper, (2001 ), member of the Texas 7 Brynn Hartman , (2000 ), wife of actor Phil Hartman whom she killed before turning the gun on herselfElizabeth Hartman , (1987 ), US actress who emulated a character in her film 'The Group' who jumped from a windowDonny Hathaway , (1979 ), singer, best known for his duets with Roberta Flack Felix Hausdorff , (1942 ), mathematician. He committed suicide with his wife and sister-in-law in the concentration camp .Benjamin Haydon , (1846 ), British painterJeanne Hébuterne (1898 -1920 ), painter, partner of Modigliani Ernest Hemingway , (1961 ), American novelist Margaux Hemingway , (1996 ), American actress and model; Ernest's granddaughterJames Leo Herlihy , (1993 ), US novelist ('Midnight Cowboy ')Heinrich Himmler, (1945 ), German SS leader Adolf Hitler , (1945 ), Nazi Germany 's leader. Shot/poisoned himself in bunker.Abbie Hoffman , (1989 ), US political activist and political demonstratorDoug Hopkins , (1993 ), musician, founding member of rock group The Gin Blossoms . Killed himself with a .38 pistol December 5 Elmyr de Hory , (1976 ), Hungarian art forgerHong Xiuquan, (1864 ), Chinese leader of the Taiping Rebellion Michael Hutchence , (1997 ), Australian lead singer of rock group INXS
I William Inge , (1973 ), US playwright (Picnic , Come Back, Little Sheba, Bus Stop , Splendor in the Grass )Isocrates , (338 BC ), Greek rhetoricianWafa Idis, (2002 ), Palestian. The first female suicide bomber and known as the modern Joan of Arc to her peers. She started a deadly new trend: female suicide bombers.
J Vittorio Jano , (1965 ), automobile design engineerRandall Jarrell (1965 ), US writer and poetRick Jason, (2000 ), US actor best known in 'Combat' Jiang Qing , (1991 ), 3rd wife of Mao Zedong , leader of the Gang of Four Jim Jones , (1978 ), reverend, leader of the "People's Temple" cult. Died during mass suicide that cost the lives of more than 500 in Guyana .Nafisa Joseph , (2004 ), Miss India 1997 , killed herself four weeks before being married.Judas Iscariot , (1st century ), according to the Bible , betrayed Jesus
K Frida Kahlo , (1954 ), Mexican painterAleksei Maksimovich Kaledin , (1918 ), Cossack leader during the Russian Civil War Sarah Kane , (1999 ), British playwrightKostas Karyotakis , (1928 ), Greek poet, shot himselfTerry Kath , (1978 ), guitarist , Chicago (died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound)Brian Keith , (1997 ), American actor (Family Affair Dr. David Kelly , (2003 ), British scientist, source of BBC story about the September Dossier Heinrich von Kleist, (1811 ), German dramatist and poet Jochen Klepper, (1942 ) Hans von Kluge, (1944 ), German Field Marshal Fletcher Knebel , (1993 ), US novelist ('Seven Days in May ')William F. Knowland , (1974 ), former Senate Majority Leader , self inflicted gun shotArthur Koestler , (1983 ), Hungarian novelist, political activist and social philosopher; suicided with his wifeHannelore Kohl , (2001 ), wife of ex-chancellor of Germany Helmut KohlNestor Kombot-Naguemon 2004 diplomat and politician from the Central African Republic , jumped out of a window in Paris while serving as ambassador to France Prince Fumimaro Konoe, (1945 ), Japanese war criminal Jerzy Kosinski , (1991 ), Polish-American authorPhilip Taylor Kramer , (1995 ), Rock musician and physicistIvar Kreuger , (1932 ), Swedish 'match-king'Friedrich Krupp, (1902 ), German industrialist; suicided when his homosexuality was revealed
L Paul Lafargue , (1911 ), son-in-law of Karl Marx , communist theorist and author of The Right to Be Lazy Karen Lancaume , (2005 ), French adult film star.Carole Landis , (1948 ), actressHans Langsdorff , (1939 ), captain of the Admiral Graf Spee Héctor Lavoe, (1993 ), salsa music singer Florence Lawrence , (1938 ), Hollywood's first movie StarKatherine Lawrence, (2004 ), writer Lee Kyung Hae , (2003 ), South Korean activistVictoria Lee, (1888 ), daughter of Emma Lee French Primo Levi , (1987 ), Italian author and Auschwitz survivorMeriwether Lewis , (1809 ), US explorer with Clark; died in mysterious circumstances, either murder or suicideVachel Lindsay , (1931 ), US poetPeter Llewellyn-Davies, (1960 ), UK publisher who as a boy was the inspiration for J M Barrie 's Peter Pan Ross Lockridge, Jr., (1948 }, US novelist, author of Raintree County Mark Lombardi , (2000 ), US artist whose art described international white-collar crime networks; hanged himself in his Williamsburg, New York studioJack London , (1916 ), US novelist (his doctor believed he had committed suicide by overdose of morphine and atropine, but his widow prevailed on a more senior doctor to ascribe the death to uremia, and had the body quickly cremated before an autopsy could be done)Hans Loritz (date unknown ), concentration camp commandant at various times - Esterwegen, Dachau, Sachsenhausen Malcolm Lowry , (1957 ), British writerGherasim Luca , (1994 ), Romanian surrealist Lucan , (65 ), Roman poetAleksandr Mikhailovich Lyapunov , (1918 ), Russian mathematician, mechanician and physicist
M Richard Manuel , (1986 ), singer, multi-instrumentalist, member of The Band hung himself while on tour in Fla.Kid McCoy , (1940 ), world champion boxer (real name: Norman Shelby)Billy MacKenzie, (1996 ), lead singer of 1980s pop group The Associates Magnentius , (353 ), Roman usurperJan Masaryk , (1948 ), Czech politician and statesman who either jumped, fell, or was pushed out a windowHideto Matsumoto, (1998 ), Japanese rock musician Denis Matthews, (1988 ), UK pianist Robert Maxwell , (1991 ), Czech-born UK newspaper magnate who jumped overboard in the Atlantic leaving a financial disaster in his wakeVladimir Mayakovsky , (1930 ), Russian poet; his suicide note said 'I don't recommend it for others'Jacques Mayol (2001 ), Chinese free-diverJoe Meek (1967 ), Record producerNiklaus Meienberg, (1993 ), Swiss author Kitty Melrose, (1912 ), English actress Joseph Merrick , (1890 ), UK celebrity known as the Elephant Man ; suicided by allowing his massive head to obstruct his windpipeGeneral Ioannis Metaxas , (1940 ), Greek military leader and dictator 1936-41 Charlotte Mew , (1928 ), English poetNoel Mewton-Wood, (1953 ), Australian pianist; drank prussic acid James Miller, fan man , (2003 ), parachutist Walter M. Miller, Jr., (1996 ), science-fiction writer Freddie Mills , (1965 ), world champion boxerYukio Mishima , (1970 ), Japanese novelist; committed public ritual seppukuWalther Model , (1945 ), German Field MarshalMoses Taiwa Molelekwa, (2001 ), South African jazz pianist Jürgen W. Möllemann, (2003 ), German politician Marilyn Monroe , (1962 ), American actress (some suspect foul play)Henry de Montherlant, (1972 ), French writer Donnie Moore , (1989 ), relief pitcher for the California Angels Florencio Morales Ramos , 1989 , Ramito , trova singerTed Moult, (1986 ), British television personality Renate Müller, (1937 ), German actress David Munrow , (1976 ), UK early music specialist, founder of the Early Music Consort
N Oscar Nedbal, (1930 ), Czech composer ('The Tale of the Simply Johnny'); jumped out a window on Christmas Eve Gérard de Nerval, (1855 ), French writer Frank Nitti , (1943 ), US gangster, who shot himself rather than go to jail. Some believe Nitti was murdered.
O Luis Ocaña, (1994 ), Spanish cyclist, Tour de France winner Phil Ochs , (1976 ), American singerHugh O'Connor, (1995 ), actor Johnny O'Keefe, (1978 ), Australian rock legend known as The Wild One; drug overdose
P Jan Palach , (1969 ), protesting Soviet crushing of the Prague Spring Billy Papke , (1936 ), world champion boxer Violeta Parra (1967 ), famous Chilean folk singerJules Pascin , (1930 ), French-American painterJohn Patrick , (1995 ), US playwright and screenwriter; placed a plastic bag over his headCesare Pavese , (1950 ), Italian poet, novelistPetronius Arbiter , (66 ), Roman satirist; opened his own veinsH. Beam Piper, (1964 ), American science fiction writer Sylvia Plath , (1963 ), American poetess , author and essayistDana Plato , (1999 ), American actress Stevie Plunder, (1995 ), Australian guitarist, The Whitlams Jan Potocki , (1815 ), Polish aristocrat, traveler, writer; shot himself with a silver bulletFelix Powell, (1942 ), UK song writer best known for 'Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile', once described as 'the most optimistic song ever written' Lucien Anatole Prevost-Paradol (1870 ), French journalist and diplomat George R. Price American population geneticist.Carlos Prío Socarrás, (1977 ), former president of Cuba . Boris Pugo , (1991 ), serving minister of the Interior of the USSR Jack Purvis , (1962 ), American jazz trumpeter
Q
R David Rappaport , (1990 ), actorGeli Raubal , (1931 ), niece and possibly lover of Adolf Hitler ; officially committed suicide but may have been murderedGeorge Reeves , (1959 ), US actor, played Superman on television Carlos Roberto Reina , (2003 ), former president of Honduras John Robarts . (1982 ) former Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, 1961 - 1971; committed suicide with shotgun]]]Erwin Rommel , (1944 ), German Field MarshalIris von Roten-Meyer, (1990 ), artist and jurist Mark Rothko , (1970 ), Russian-American painter Ruan Lingyu , (1935 ), Chinese actressIrv Rubin , (2002 ), leader of the Jewish Defense League Jakub Jan Ryba , (1815 ), Czech composer and teacherAkutagawa Ryunosuke , (1927 ), Japanese novelist
S Gen Alexander Samsonov, (1914 ), Russian military commander George Sanders , (1972 ), English actorAlberto Santos-Dumont , (1932 ), aviation pioneerSavannah, (1994 ), pornographic actress Romy Schneider , (1982 ), Austrian actress (officially cardiac arrest, but may have been self-induced)Margie Schoedinger , (2003 ), Filed lawsuit against George W. Bush claiming she had been rapedConrad Schumann , (1998 ), GDR refugeeWilliam Seabrook (1886-1945), adventurer, travel writer Jean Seberg , (1979 ), American actressSeneca the Younger , (65 ), was ordered to commit suicide by the emperor Nero
Feeds |
Contact