| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za - Zd Ze - Zh Zi - Zn Zo - Zt Zu - Zz Z Main |
| original human cannonball Hugo Zacchini member of the family act - first to be shot out of the cannon (1922) born on 10-20-1898 expired 10-20-1975 in San Bernardino, California age 77 cause: stroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| circus act inventor Ildebrando Zacchini came up with the "Human Cannonball" act idea & built first "cannon" in 1922 on Malta; fired his son (Hugo) out of it expired 7-17-1948 in Tampa, Florida age 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| human cannonball Mario A. Zacchini spent most of his life in the circus, being shot out of a cannon; also an excellent rope twirler; last of the sons of Ildebrando Zacchini who invented the act in 1922 on Malta born on 4-6-1911 expired 1-28-1999 in Tampa, Florida age 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington Senators pitcher Tom Zachary threw the pitch that became Babe Ruth's 60th home run in 1927 expired 1-24-1969 in Graham, North Carolina age 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| all-around athlete Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias won Javelin Throw and 80-meter Hurdles in 1932 Olympics; was world's leading woman's golfer born on 6-26-1914 in Port Arthur, Texas expired 9-27-1956 in Galveston, Texas age 42 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former King of Afghanistan (1933-73) Mohammad Zahir Shah deposed in 1968; abdicated in 1973; after his return in 2002 he began operating a small fresh fruit kiosk outside the palace, known to the locals as the Afghanistan Bananastand born on 10-30-1914 in Kabul, Afghanistan expired 7-23-2007 in Kabul, Afghanistan age 92
AKS: Mohammed Zaher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| pharmaceutical business founder Louis Zahn born on 9-24-1909 in Konigsberg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia) expired 8-21-1977 in Chicago, Illinois age 67 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| jewelry chain founder Morris Bernard Zale born on 9-5-1901 expired 3-8-1995 age 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| inventor Frank J. Zamboni inventor of ice resurfacing machine born on 1-16-1900 in Eureka, Utah expired 7-28-1988 in Long Beach, California age 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
opthamologist Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof creator of the Esperanto artificial language (1887)
expired 4-14-1917 in Warsaw, Poland age 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston Symphony Orchetra organist Berj Zamkochian born on 4-20-1929 in Boston, Massachusetts expired 2-23-2004 in Methuen, Massachusetts age 74 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spanish artist José Vela Zanetti created mural "Mankind's Struggle for Peace" at the U.N. Headquarters born on 5-27-1913 in Milagros, Spain expired 1-4-1999 in Burgos, Spain age 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| assassin Guiseppe Zangara killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak while attempting to kill president-elect Franklin Roosevelt February 15, 1933 in Miami, Florida born on --1900 in Italy expired 3-21-1933 age 32 cause: executed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italian World War I hero Tito Zaniboni did 18 years for attempting to assassinate Mussolini in 1927 expired 12-26-1960 in Rome, Italy age 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| producer & studio head Darryl Francis Zanuck co-founded 20th Century Company (1933; merged with Fox studio in 1935); had an overworked casting couch born on 9-5-1902 in Wahoo, Nebraska expired 12-22-1979 in Palm Springs, California age 77 cause: pneumonia
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| Mexican revolutionary guerilla leader Emiliano Zapata lead the Aqarian Movement born on 8-8-1879 in Anenecuilco, Mexico expired 4-10-1919 in Chinameca, Mexico age 39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Walter Zapp inventor of the Minox camera (1935) born on 9-4-1905 in Riga, Latvia expired 7-17-2003 in Binningen, Switzerland age 97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 
wacked-out rock musician Francis Vincent "Frank" Zappa Jr. father of Ahmet, Diva, Dweezil and Moon Unitborn on 12-21-1940 in Baltimore, Maryland expired 12-4-1993 in Los Angeles, California age 52 cause: cancer
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| Fellini screenwriter Bernardino Zapponi wrote screenplays for Casanova, Satyricon and City of Women born on --1927 in Rome, Italy expired 2-11-2000 in Rome, Italy age 72 cause: stroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
amateur movie photographer Abraham Zapruder took famous movie of Kennedy assassinationborn on 5-15-1905 in Kovel, Russia expired 8-30-1970 in Dallas, Texas age 65 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
tin pan alley lyricist Hy Zaret wrote the lyrics to Unchained Melody to Alex North's music for the forgotten movie Unchained (1955)
expired 7-2-2007 in Westport, Connecticut age 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Lloyd Zaslow did the Ann Landers column after Eppie Lederer; co-authored "The Last Lecture" with Randy Pausch born on 10-6-1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania expired 2-10-2012 in Elmira, Michigan age 53 cause: auto accident | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| actor Michael Zaslow first red-shirt victim on Star Trek; Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light born on 11-1-1944 in Inglewood, California expired 12-6-1998 in New York, New York age 54 cause: heart attack; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic runner Emil Zátopek only person to win the Olympic marathon twice born on 9-19-1922 in Koprivnice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia expired 11-22-2000 in Prague, Czech Republic age 78 cause: complications from stroke AKS: Zatopek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
physicist Pieter Zeeman shared the 1902 Nobel Physics prizeborn on 5-25-1865 in Zonnemaire, Schouwen Island, Zeeland, The Netherlands expired 10-9-1943 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands age 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carl Zeiss founded optical equipment company (1846) born on 9-11-1816 in Weimar, Germany expired 12-3-1888 in Jena, Germany age | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
`championship' tag-
expired 10-15-2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada age 76 cause: congestive heart failure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "New Wave" science fiction writer Roger Joseph Zelazny wrote Damnation Alley, Eye of Cat, Lord of Light, amongst others born on 5-13-1937 in Euclid, Ohio expired 6-14-1995 in Santa Fe, New Mexico age 58 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| paper company executive Harold Lionel Zellerbach Crown-Zellerbach president (1928-69); died while on a cruise born on 3-25-1894 in San Francisco, California expired 1-29-1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii age 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World War I veteran William S. Zelnicker lost a lung to a Mustard Gas attack born on 10-2-1898 in Russia expired 10-11-2000 in Los Angeles, California age 102 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zeng Jinlian purported to have been tallest woman who ever lived at 8 feet 2 inches born on 6-26-1964 in China expired 1-13-1982 in Hunan, China age 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| jazz & big band trombonist Simon H. Zentner born on 6-13-1917 in New York, New York expired 2-6-2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada age 82 cause: leukemia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German aeronaut Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich von Zeppelin inventor of the rigid airship bearing his name; builder of the Graf Zeppelin; has a small city named for him (Zeppelinheim) just east of the Frankfurt-am-Main airport born on 7-8-1838 in Konstanz, Germany expired 3-8-1917 in Charlottenburg, Germany age 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| prohibition-era Detroit mob boss Joseph Zerilli born on 12-10-1897 in Terrsini, Sicily, Italy expired 10-30-1977 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan age 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front Range Community College geography instructor Becky Zerlentes an amateur Golden Gloves boxer; believed to be the first woman to die in a "sanctioned" bout (a 3rd round punch to the head by opponent Heather Schmitz) born on 7-8-1970 expired 4-3-2005 in Denver, Colorado age 34 cause: subdural hematoma; blunt force trauma to the head | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Frederik "Frits" Zernike was the 1953 Nobel physics laureate for coming up with the phase contrast microscope born on 7-16-1888 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands expired 3-10-1966 in Naarden, The Netherlands age 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Swedish actress Mai Elisabeth Zetterling born on 5-24-1925 in Vasteras, Sweden expired 3-15-1994 age 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
singer/actress Monica Zetterlund
expired 5-12-2005 in Stockholm, Sweden age 67 cause: smoke inhalation; scoliosis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Excitable Boy Warren William Zevon rock singer and songwriter; occasionally substituted for Paul Shaffer on The Late Show with David Letterman born on 1-24-1947 in Chicago, Illinois expired 9-7-2003 in West Hollywood, California age 56 cause: mesothelioma
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| biochemist & nutritionist Zheng Ji born on 5-6-1900 in Nanxi, Sichuan Province, China expired 7-29-2010 age 110
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| World War II Soviet Army Marshall Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov brilliant tactician; led Red Army into Berlin but dismissed by Stalin & again by Khrushchev born on 12-2-1896 in Strelkovka, Russia (Moscow suburb) expired 6-18-1974 in Moscow, Russia, USSR age 77 cause: heart attack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| brutal former Bulgarian Commie leader (1954-89) Todor Zhvikov gave orders to have exiled dissident Georgi Markov murdered born on 9-7-1911 in Pravets, Bulgaria expired 8-5-1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria age 86 cause: pneumonia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pakistani dictator Zia al-Haq born on 8-12-1924 in Jullunder, India expired 8-17-1988 age 64
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| commercial & movie director Howard B. Zieff directed Slither (1973), Private Benjamin (1980), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), The Dream Team (1989) & My Girl (1991); also was the director of the "Mamma Mia. That's a Spicy Meatball." Alka-Seltzer commercial (1970) born on 10-21-1927 in Chicago, Illinois expired 2-21-2009 in Los Angeles, California age 81 cause: complications from Parkinson's disease | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broadway show producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. producer of the Ziegfeld Follies; married to Glinda, the Good Witch
expired 7-22-1932 in Hollywood, California age 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Karl Waldemar Ziegler shared the 1963 Nobel prize in chemistry born on 11-26-1898 in Helsa, Germany expired 8-12-1973 in Mülheim, Germany age 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former Nixon press secretary (1968-74) Ronald Louis Ziegler born on 5-12-1939 in Covington, Kentucky expired 2-10-2003 in Coronado, California age 63 cause: heart attack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ziff-Davis Publishing co-founder William Bernard Ziff Sr. expired 12-20-1953 in New York, New York age 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former magazine publisher William Bernard Ziff Jr. son of company co-founder; bought out dad's partner (1953) born on 6-24-1930 expired 9-9-2006 in Pawling, New York age 76 cause: prostate cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| cymbal maker Armand A. Zildjian born on 2-18-1921 in Quincy, Massachusetts expired 12-26-2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona age 81 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| violinist Efrem Zimbalist Sr. born on 4-9-1890 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia expired 2-22-1985 in Reno, Nevada age 94
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| Curtis Institute of Music founder Mary Louisa Curtis Bok Zimbalist daughter of Cyrus H.K. Curtis; second wife of Efrem Sr.; step- born on 8-6-1876 expired 1-4-1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania age 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Champagne Lady singer Norma Zimmer sang for the Welk orchestra for over 30 years
expired 5-10-2011 in Brea, California age 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| innovative Sports Illustrated photographer John G. Zimmerman born on 10-30-1927 in Los Angeles, California expired 8-3-2002 in Monterey, California age 74 cause: lymphoma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas deth row inmate Kevin Lee Zimmerman born on 5-17-1961 expired 1-21-2004 in Huntsville, Texas age 42 cause: executed; lethal injection
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| Joseph James Zimmermann Jr. invented the electronic telephone answering machine (1948) born on 8-23-1911 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin expired 3-31-2004 in Brookfield, Wisconsin age 92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
screen story author Maurice Zimring wrote the story for Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
expired 11-17-2005 in Westwood, California age 96 cause: pneumonia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| playwright Paul Zindel wrote The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man- born on 5-15-1936 in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York expired 3-27-2003 in New York, New York age 66 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KTRK-tv (Houston) consumer reporter (1973-2007) Marvin Harold Zindler Sr. early on made his bones doing an expose on the infamous LaGrange, TX "Chicken Ranch" brothel — for his efforts he got beat up by regular "ranch" patron & Fayette County Sheriff T.J. Flournoy (2 broken ribs); worse, following Larry King's 1974 Playboy article he was portrayed as a buffoon in the Broadway play and movie born on --1921 in Houston, Texas expired 7-22-2007 in Houston, Texas age 85 cause: pancreatic cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
born on 5-11-1922 in San Francisco, California expired 9-22-2004 in Fresno, California age 82 cause: complications from head injuries sustained in fall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| nuclear physicist Dr. Walter H. Zinn built the Manhattan Project's first nuclear reactor; first director of the Argonne National Laboratory born on 12-10-1906 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada expired 2-14-2000 in Clearwater, Florida age 93 cause: stroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| movie director Fred Zinneman directed High Noon (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953; oscar), A Man for All Seasons (1966; Directing & Best Picture oscars), and Julia (1977) born on 4-29-1907 in Vienna, Austria expired 3-14-1997 in London, England age 89 cause: heart attack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World War II machinist mate 1st class Gerald E. Zinser last surviving crew member of PT-109 born on 5-31-1919 in Belleville, Illinois expired 8-21-2001 in Orange Park, California age 82 cause: complications from Alzheimer's disease | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| sculptor of massive objects Korczak Ziolkowski worked on Mt. Rushmore; designed & started Crazy Horse monument born on 9-6-1908 in Boston, Massachusetts expired 10-20-1982 in Sturgis, South Dakota age 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| bank computer technologist Alfred R. Zipf led team that invented MICR; patented the forerunner of the ATM born on 10-13-1917 in Buffalo, New York expired 1-1-2000 in Oroville, California age 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. Gernot Zippe while a Soviet Army P.O.W. developed the efficient uranium centrifuges for extracting the U-235 isotope (very popular with despots); it enriches the isotope from 0.7% to upwards of 5% for reactors & 90% for bombs born on 11-??-1917 in Switzerland expired 5-7-2008 in Vienna, Austria age 90
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| movie producer Laura Ellen Ziskin worked on Murphy's Romance, Pretty Woman, The Thin Red Line, As Good As It Gets, The English Patient & the first four Spiderman movies; a co-founder of the "Stand Up To Cancer" organization born on 3-3-1950 in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California expired 6-12-2011 in Santa Monica, California age 61 cause: breast cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma last Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (from 1916-1918) following the death of Franz Josef I born on 3-9-1892 in Viareggio, Italy expired 3-14-1989 in Zizers, Switzerland age 97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1929 UofM law school graduate Frederick W. Ziv had success in 1950s syndicated tv with The Cisco Kid (1950-56), Highway Patrol (1955-59), Science Fiction Theater (1955-57), Whirlybirds (1957-59), Bat Masterson (1958-61) & Sea Hunt (1958-61)born on 8-17-1905 in Cincinnati, Ohio expired 10-13-2001 in Cincinnati, Ohio age 96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former Chinese Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang fired by Deng Xiao-Peng for sympathizing with the Tianamen Square pro-democracy protesters; lent the last 15 years of his life under house arrest born on 10-17-1919 in Xusheng, Hua County, Honan Province, China expired 1-17-2005 in Beijing, China age 85 cause: strokes; cardiopulmonary failure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian King (1928-39) Zog I second king of modern Albania; father of Leka I (by Queen Geraldine)
expired 4-9-1961 in Suresnes, France age 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| author Émile Zola wrote J'Accuse, questioning Alfred Dreyfus' guilt born on 4-2-1840 in Paris, France expired 9-28-1902 in Paris, France age 62 cause: asphyxiation (carbon monoxide poisoning) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former corporate lawyer Joseph Taube Zoline developed the Telluride ski resort (1968-72); the resort first opened for the 1972-3 ski season born on 9-5-1912 in Chicago, Illinois expired 9-23-2004 in Beverly Hills, California age 92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| one-time Soviet U.N. Security Council representative Valerian Alexandrovich Zorin verbally sparred with U.S. rep. Adlai Stevenson during the Cuban Missle Crisis born on 1-1-1902 in Novocheeckasik, Russia expired ??-??-1986 age 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
dancer & actress Vera Zornia married to George Balanchine (1938-46); widow of Goddard Lieberson
expired 4-9-2003 in Santa Fe, New Mexico age 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| religious philosopher Zoroaster proposed monotheistic belief system circa 575 BC (now known as Zoroastrianism) that replaced Persian polytheism born on --628 BC in Persia expired ??-??-551 BC age 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was the 1925 Nobel chemistry laureate born on 4-1-1865 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary expired 9-24-1929 in Göttingen, Germany age 64 AKS: Zigmondy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| retired GE research chemist Edward George Zubler co-developer of the halogen lamp (1959) born on 3-12-1925 in Lacawanna, New York expired 3-20-2004 in Cleveland, Ohio age 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| character actor George Zucco born on 1-11-1886 in Manchester, England expired 5-28-1960 in Hollywood, California age 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
mom/character actress Charlotte A. Zucker mother of movie makers Jerry & David Zucker; was a jurist in Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), the lipstick lady in Airplane (1980), the judge in Ruthless People (1986), Ludwig's secretary Dominique in The Naked Gun (1988), a bank officer in Ghost (1990), the woman with programs in Brain Donors (1992), the surgery nurse in BASEketball (1998) & elderly
Lucy in Rat Race (2001)
expired 9-5-2007 in Shorewood, Wisconsin age 86 cause: cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former Kennedy/Johnson Air Force Secretary (1961-65) Eugene M. Zuckert born on 11-9-1911 in New York, New York expired 6-5-2000 in Washington, District of Columbia age 88 cause: pneumonia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| film producer/director Albert Zugsmith made Sex Kittens Go To College (1960) and The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1961) born on 4-24-1910 in Atlantic City, New Jersey expired 10-26-1993 in Woodland Hills, California age 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| movie pioneer Adolph Zukor co-founded Famous Players Film Co. (1912); merged it with Jesse Lasky's Feature Picture Play Co. to form Famous Players-Lasky; it became Paramount Pictures Co. (1927) born on 1-7-1873 in Ricse, Austria-Hungary expired 6-10-1976 in Century City, California age 103 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former Columbian foreign minister Eduardo Zuletta Angel presided over the first United Nations General Assembly meeting in London (January 10, 1946) expired 9-26-1973 in Miami, Florida age 74 cause: cerebral hemorrhage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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retired Rear Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt Jr. during the Vietnam War he ordered the use of the Agent Orange defoliant born on 11-29-1920 in San Francisco, California expired 1-2-2000 in Durham, North Carolina age 79 cause: complications from tumor surgery; cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elmo Russell Zumwalt III born on 7-30-1946 in Tulare, California expired 8-13-1988 in Fayetteville, North Carolina age 42 cause: lymphoma & Hodgkin's disease | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| former CalTech physicist & astronomer (1942-68) Dr. Fritz Zwicky one of the first to suggest the existence of "Dark Matter" born on 2-14-1898 in Varna, Bulgaria expired 2-8-1974 in Pasadena, California age 75 cause: heart attack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| tv pioneer Vladimir Kosma Zworykin inventor of Image Orthocon tube (nicknamed the "Immy"), from which comes the name for the Television Academy's "Emmie" award born on 6-30-1889 in Mourom, Russia expired 7-29-1982 in Princeton, New Jersey age 93 AKS: Zworkin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za - Zd Ze - Zh Zi - Zn Zo - Zt Zu - Zz Z Main |
