The world lost major figures in politics, the arts, culture, and business, from Helmut Schmidt to Günter Grass, Omar Sharif, and others. Below are notable deaths listed in the original 2015 article.
This archived list reproduces the source’s dates, ages, and biographical details, including apparent inconsistencies.
January
- 1: Omar Abdel Hamid Karami, 80. The former prime minister came from a longstanding political family in northern Lebanon and entered politics after the assassination of his brother, former prime minister Rashid Karami.
- 3: Yaşar Kemal, 92. The Turkish writer and novelist was considered a pioneer of Turkish literature.
- 3: Edward Brooke, 95. The first Black senator popularly elected in the United States, representing Massachusetts from 1967 to 1979.
- 10: Francesco Rosi, 92. The Italian director won the 1972 Cannes Film Festival prize for The Mattei Affair.
- 11: Anita Ekberg, 83. The former Swedish film star became famous for the scene in which she bathed in a long dress in Rome’s Trevi Fountain in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960).
- 17: Faten Hamama, 84. Known as the Lady of the Arab Screen, she was regarded by many as a defining figure in Arab cinema.
- 23: Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, about 90. He formally took the throne in August 2005 but had effectively governed since 1995.
- 23: Adnan Pachachi. One of the prominent Iraqi politicians who returned after Saddam Hussein’s fall, dated 2013 in the source. He was appointed to the Governing Council established on July 12, 2003.
- 25: Demis Roussos, 68. The internationally known Greek singer was a member of Aphrodite’s Child.
- 29: Colleen McCullough. The Australian writer was the author of The Thorn Birds.
February
- 6: Assia Djebar, 78. The Algerian writer, novelist, and filmmaker advocated Muslim women’s emancipation and was a member of the Académie française.
- 7: André Brink, 79. The South African writer was an activist against apartheid.
- 14: Michele Ferrero, 89. Creator of Nutella chocolate spread and products including Mon Chéri, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac, and the brand rendered “Tender” in the source. These products made his family Italy’s wealthiest.
- 26: Éric Rouleau, 89. The French journalist and diplomat.
- 27: Leonard Nimoy, 83. The American actor who played Mr. Spock in the celebrated television series Star Trek.
March
- 12: Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari, 73. Secretary general of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq.
- 23: Lee Kuan Yew, 91. Singapore’s first prime minister, from 1959 to 1990, and a principal architect of its transformation into one of Asia’s most prosperous economies.
- 26: Tomas Tranströmer, 83. The Swedish poet awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.
April
- 2: Manoel de Oliveira, 106. The prolific Portuguese director received many honors, including a Golden Lion at the Venice festival in 1985 and a lifetime-achievement Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2008.
- 4: Raymond Gebara, 80. A leading figure in Lebanese theater.
- 5: Francesco Smalto, 87. The Italian fashion designer who dressed princes and stars.
- 13: Günter Grass, 87. The German writer awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 14: Percy Sledge, 74. The renowned Black American soul singer known for “When a Man Loves a Woman.”
- 22: Abdel Rahman Al-Abnudi, 76. The Egyptian poet writing in the vernacular.
- 24: Major General Rustom Ghazaleh. Former head of the Political Security Directorate and head of the Syrian forces’ security and reconnaissance apparatus, or military intelligence, in Lebanon before their 2005 withdrawal.
May
- 2: Maya Plisetskaya, 89. The Russian ballerina defied political authority and time, dancing on the Bolshoi stage for nearly fifty years.
- 2: Ruth Rendell, 85. The British writer celebrated for her crime novels.
- 14: B. B. King, born Riley B. King, 89. The American guitarist known as the king of the blues.
- 19: Mustafa Hassan, 81, as named in the source. The Egyptian actor who played the headmaster in The School of Troublemakers.
June
- 4: Leonid Plyushch, 76. The Ukrainian dissident belonged to an initiative group defending human rights in the Soviet Union and was confined in a psychiatric institution during the Soviet era.
- 5: Tariq Aziz, 79. Information minister and deputy prime minister from 1979 to 2003 under late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. He also served as foreign minister from 1983 to 1991.
- 7: Christopher Lee, 93. The British film actor known for horror roles including Frankenstein, Dr. Fu Manchu, and Dracula.
- 11: Ornette Coleman, 85. The legendary American jazz saxophonist and composer.
- 17: Süleyman Demirel, 90. A towering figure in Turkish politics for more than half a century, described in the source as a conservative prime minister from 1965 to 1976 and president from 1993 to 2000.
- 22: Laura Antonelli, 73. The Italian actress gained international fame in Malizia (1973) and formerly lived with French star Jean-Paul Belmondo.
- 25: Patrick Macnee, 93. The British actor famous for playing a spy in The Avengers.
- 26: Yevgeny Primakov, 86. The former Russian prime minister held several posts before leading the government under Boris Yeltsin in 1998.
July
- 9: Prince Saud Al-Faisal, 75. The son of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud served as foreign minister for four decades, leaving his mark on Saudi and Arab diplomacy.
- 10: Omar Sharif, 83. The Egyptian screen legend was particularly known for Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.
- 27: Abu Bakr Abdul Kalam, 83, as named in the source. The former president of India.
August
- 11: Nour El-Sherif, 72. The Egyptian actor was known for numerous films, television productions, and theater performances.
- 19: Doudou Ndiaye Rose, 85. One of Africa’s best-known musicians, the drummer was designated a living human treasure by UNESCO.
September
- 20: Jackie Collins, 77. The British-born American novelist’s debut, The World Is Full of Married Men (1968), was banned in several countries for its sexual content.
- 3: Prince Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, 82. Adviser to King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
October
- 5: Henning Mankell, 67. A leading Swedish Nordic crime novelist and creator of the celebrated detective Kurt Wallander.
- 18: Gamal Al-Ghitani, 70. The Egyptian novelist and journalist.
- 25: Maureen O’Hara, 95. The Irish-American film star.
November
- 10: Helmut Schmidt, 96. German chancellor from 1974 to 1982, known for his frankness and for helping establish the Franco-German partnership in the 1970s.
- 10: Elias Skaff, 67. The former Lebanese minister and member of parliament.
- 28: Luc Bondy, 67. The Swiss theater director who headed the Odéon theater in Paris.
- 30: Fatema Mernissi, 75. The Moroccan writer and sociologist.
December
- 1: Edwar Al-Kharrat, 89. The Egyptian novelist associated with a new vision for the Arabic novel.
- 5: Yossi Sarid, 75. A prominent figure on the Israeli left, politician, and columnist for the left-leaning newspaper Haaretz. He called for an end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- 10: Bonnie Lou, 91. The country singer was a pioneer among women in rock, with songs such as “Tennessee Wig Walk” (1953) becoming country classics.
- 15: Licio Gelli. One of modern Italy’s most controversial figures, he headed a Masonic lodge forming an influential network of politicians, judges, financiers, and military officers at the center of a political and financial scandal.
- 19: Kurt Masur, 88. The German conductor was among the world’s foremost orchestral leaders.
- 22: Alain Jouffroy, 87. The French surrealist poet received the Goncourt Prize for Poetry in 2007.
- 23: Hocine Aït Ahmed, 89. One of the founders of Algeria’s independence in 1962, an opposition politician, and a strong defender of secularism. A leading figure in the Algerian revolution and National Liberation Front, he founded the Socialist Forces Front after independence, which became one of Algeria’s largest opposition parties.
- 28: Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, 70. Founder and leader of British heavy-metal band Motörhead, and a renowned rock singer and bass guitarist.
- 30: Robert Spitzer, 83. One of the United States’ most important psychiatrists and a recognized authority in the field.