Famous People Who Died in 1931

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1931. This list includes people like Thomas Edison, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Lili Elbe, Ida B. Wells and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include artists, poets, political leaders and philosophers who died in 1931. This list includes people from United States, Germany, France & Sweden and many more countries.

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Thomas Edison

(Inventor of Phonograph, Motion Picture Camera and Early Version of the Electric Light Bulb)

Birthdate: February 11, 1847

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Milan, Ohio, United States

Died: October 18

Described as America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison’s legacy is an everlasting one. He was the first to help make the incandescent light bulb commercially viable, even though he was not the first inventor of it. Quadruplex telegraph, phonograph, motion picture camera and the alkaline storage battery are some the many innovations that made him a worldwide phenomenon and an icon.

Ida B. Wells

(Women's Rights Activist and Civil Rights Leader)

Birthdate: July 16, 1862

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States

Died: March 25

Civil rights and women's rights activist Ida B. Wells is remembered for speaking up against the lynching of Blacks in the U.S. She was born a slave and freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. She later co-founded the NAACP. She also co-owned and wrote for Memphis Free Speech and Headlight.

Birthdate: January 6, 1883

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Bsharri, Lebanon

Died: April 10

Lebanese author and poet Khalil Gibran is best remembered for his bestselling works The Prophet and Broken Wings. One of the leaders of the Mahjar movement of Arabic literature, he specialized in incorporating mythological and mystical symbols in his works and was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche and William Blake.

Bhagat Singh

(Revolutionary Hero of the Indian Independence Movement)

Birthdate: September 28, 1907

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Banga, Punjab, British India

Died: March 23

Bhagat Singh is one of the most revered freedom fighters of Indian Independence movement. His execution by the British rulers at a young age of 23 inspired many young people to join the freedom struggle. His life’s mission was to free India from colonial rule and his legacy as a symbol of bravery and patriotism continues to live on.

Anna Pavlova

(Russian Ballerina and One of the Most-Celebrated Ballet Dancers of Her Time)

Birthdate: February 12, 1881

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: January 23

One of the first ballerinas to travel extensively around the world, Anna Pavlova had first gained an interest in the dance form after watching an adaptation of The Sleeping Beauty. She initially gained fame dancing with Mikhail Mordkin and later made waves with her iconic role in The Dying Swan.

Knute Rockne

(American Football Player and Coach)

Birthdate: March 4, 1888

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Voss Municipality, Norway

Died: March 31

Geli Raubal

(Austrian Woman Who Was the Half-Niece of Adolf Hitler)

Birthdate: July 4, 1908

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Linz, Austria

Died: September 18

Geli Raubal was the half-niece of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and the daughter of Hitler’s half-sister, Angela Raubal. She spent her childhood in Hitler’s home, where her mother worked as a housekeeper. She is said to have committed suicide after Hitler forbade her to pursue singing lessons in Vienna.

Birthdate: May 19, 1861

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Richmond

Died: February 23

Nellie Melba was an Australian singer. One of the most popular singers of the early 20th century, Melba was the first Australian classical musician to achieve international recognition. Also known for her charity work during the First World War, Nellie Melba was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918.

A'Lelia Walker

(Businesswoman)

Birthdate: June 6, 1885

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States

Died: August 17

Chandra Shekhar Azad

(Indian Revolutionary Who Reorganised Hindustan Socialist Republican Association)

Birthdate: July 23, 1906

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Badarka, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died: February 27

Chandra Shekhar Azad joined India’s freedom struggle against the British after being deeply affected by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Born Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, he declared himself as Azad when arrested in connection with Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement. He shot himself to death to escape being held captive by the British.

Birthdate: September 6, 1877

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Died: November 4

John Monash

(One of the Best Allied Generals of the First World War & the Most Famous Commander in Australian History)

Birthdate: June 27, 1865

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Died: October 8

John Monash was an Australian military commander during World War I. He played a major role in the Gallipoli campaign, which took place from February 1915 to January 1916 on the Gallipoli peninsula. John Monash is widely regarded as the most popular commander in Australian history and one of the most prominent allied generals of World War I.

Bix Beiderbecke

(Musician)

Birthdate: March 10, 1903

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Davenport, Iowa, United States

Died: August 6

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Birthdate: January 18, 1856

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: August 4

Daniel Hale Williams was a general surgeon known for performing the first documented, successful pericardium surgery in the US in 1893. Born to interracial parents, he faced numerous struggles in his journey to become a physician. He later founded the first non-segregated hospital in the United States, Chicago's Provident Hospital. He also founded a nursing school for African Americans.

F. W. Murnau

(Film director)

Birthdate: December 28, 1888

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Bielefeld, Germany

Died: March 11

F. W. Murnau was a German film director best remembered for directing the 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which is widely regarded as a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema. He also made Hollywood films like Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which is often counted among the best movies ever made by critics and film directors.

Joseph Joffre

(Commander-in-Chief of French Forces During the World War I)

Birthdate: January 12, 1852

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Rivesaltes, France

Died: January 3

Known as the Victor of the Marne and Papa Joffre, French military commander Joseph Joffre is remembered for his exploits at the Western Front during and after World War I. Following the German invasion of Verdun, he lost his command over the army and was made the Marshal of France.

Gustave Le Bon

(French Polymath)

Birthdate: May 7, 1841

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Nogent-le-Rotrou, France

Died: December 13

French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon is best remembered for his research on crowd psychology. In his iconic work La psychologie des foules, or The Crowd, he stated that people are driven by their emotions and not by their intellect when they act as part of a crowd.

Omar Mukhtar

(Ruler of Zawiyat Ayn Kalk)

Birthdate: August 20, 1858

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Zawiyat Zanzur, Libya

Died: September 16

Birthdate: February 27, 1863

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States

Died: April 26

American philosopher and social psychologist George Herbert Mead was one of the pioneers of pragmatism and symbolic interactionism. He taught at the University of Chicago, and his ideas later came to be known as the Chicago school of sociology. His notable lectures were published as books only after his death.

Birthdate: December 19, 1852

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Strzelno, Poland

Died: May 9

Arthur Schnitzler

(Austrian Playwright and Novelist )

Birthdate: May 15, 1862

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: October 21

Born to a doctor, Arthur Schnitzler had initially followed in his father’s footsteps and practiced medicine, gaining expertise in psychiatry. He later made a mark as an author and playwright with works such as Anatol and None but the Brave, which became hallmarks of modernism and the decadent movement.

Charles Comiskey

(American Major League Baseball Player and Founding Owner of the 'Chicago White Sox')

Birthdate: August 15, 1859

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: October 26

An American League co-founder Charles Comiskey, better known by his nickname Commy, was one of the early members of the St. Louis Brown Stockings. Though part of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Chicago White Sox owner was dragged into a controversy when his team was involved in the Black Sox Scandal.

Eugène Ysaÿe

(Belgian Virtuoso Violinist and Composer Regarded as 'The King of the Violin')

Birthdate: July 16, 1858

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Liège, Belgium

Died: May 12

Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, conductor, and composer. Referred to as The King of the Violin, Ysaÿe is best remembered for his finely honed technique which was without the shortcomings of violinists before Eugène Ysaÿe. He is also remembered for his great interpretations of Bach and Beethoven as well as early modern composers like César Franck.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela

(Finnish Painter, Remembered for His Landscapes and Illustrations on the Epic Poetry 'Kalevala')

Birthdate: April 26, 1865

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Pori, Finland

Died: March 7

Painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela developed a love for the Finnish countryside as a child and later depicted the beauty of the Finnish landscape through his works. Chiefly known for his illustrations of the epic Kalevala, he merged many artistic concepts such as outdoor painting and symbolism.

Thomas Lipton

(Merchant)

Birthdate: May 10, 1848

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland

Died: October 2

Daniel Chester French

(Sculptor)

Birthdate: April 20, 1850

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Exeter

Died: October 7

Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor best remembered for designing the iconic monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. He is also credited with designing the Pulitzer Prize gold medal along with H. Augustus Lukeman in 1917. Daniel Chester French also founded or co-founded many organizations like the National Sculpture Society (NSS) and the American Academy in Rome.

Nicolae Paulescu

(Romanian Scientist Known for His Research on 'Insulin' and His Anti-Semitic Writings)

Birthdate: October 30, 1869

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania

Died: July 17

Known for his pathbreaking research on the hormone insulin, Romanian physiologist Nicolae Paulescu was also a professor of medicine. He had a tiff with the Nobel Prize committee on their decision to award two other scientists for the discovery of insulin. His anti-Semitic writings influenced the Iron Guard movement.

Charles Algernon Parsons

(Anglo-Irish Engineer Best Known for His Invention of the 'Compound Steam Turbine')

Birthdate: June 13, 1854

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: London, England

Died: February 11

Copley Medal-winning engineer Charles Algernon Parsons revolutionized marine transport with his invention of a multi-stage steam turbine. His other inventions include a mechanical reducing gear. Apart from being named a Fellow of the Royal Society, he was also knighted and awarded an Order of Merit for his contributions.

David Belasco

(Theatrical Producer)

Birthdate: July 25, 1853

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Died: May 14

Charles Studd

(British Cricketer)

Birthdate: December 2, 1860

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Spratton, England

Died: July 16

Charles Studd was a British missionary and professional cricket player. He is credited with establishing the Heart of Africa Mission, which is now referred to as WEC International. As a cricketer, Charles Studd is remembered for playing in the 1882 match against Australia, which paved the way for the famous Ashes Test cricket series.

Henry Gauthier-Villars

(Writer)

Birthdate: August 8, 1859

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Villiers-sur-Orge, France

Died: January 12

Vachel Lindsay

(Poet)

Birthdate: November 10, 1879

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois, United States

Died: December 5

Carin Göring

(Swedish first wife of Hermann Göring)

Birthdate: October 21, 1888

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Died: October 17

Carl Nielsen

(Danish Composer Known for for His Six Symphonies, Wind Quintet and Concertos for Violin, Flute and Clarinet)

Birthdate: June 9, 1865

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Nørre Lyndelse, Denmark

Died: October 3

Carl Nielsen was a Danish violinist, composer, and conductor. He is widely regarded as the most important Danish composer of all time. Nielsen also taught music at the Royal Academy and served as its director in 1931. Thanks to his teaching career, he has had considerable influence on Denmark's classical music. Among his pupils were Thorvald Aagaard and Harald Agersnap.

Theo van Doesburg

(Dutch Artist Best Known as the Founder and Leader of 'De Stijl')

Birthdate: August 30, 1883

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Utrecht, Netherlands

Died: March 7

One of the pioneering figures of the Dutch art movement De Stijl, or The Style, Theo van Doesburg stressed on the importance of simplified and geometric visual arts. The son of a photographer, he grew up to create scores of abstract paintings and designed aesthetic room décor and furniture, too.

Ban Johnson

(Baseball player)

Birthdate: January 5, 1864

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Norwalk, Ohio, United States

Died: March 28

Armand Fallières

(Former President of France)

Birthdate: November 6, 1841

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mézin, France

Died: June 22

Armand Fallières began as a town councillor in Nérac and later became the president of France. Prior to this, he had been the prime minister of France, too, but he was forced to resign after just 21 days, owing to his stand on the expulsion of the pretenders to French throne.

Sukhdev Thapar

(Indian Revolutionary Who Was Involved in the Assassination of Assistant Superintendent of Police, J. P. Saunders)

Birthdate: May 15, 1907

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Punjab, India

Died: March 23

Mohammad Ali Jauhar

(Indian Muslim Activist and One of the Founders of 'The All-India Muslim League')

Birthdate: December 10, 1878

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died: January 4

Mohammad Ali Jauhar was an Indian Muslim activist, journalist, poet, and freedom fighter. After starting his career by writing articles for major Indian and British newspapers, Mohammad Ali went on to become one of the founders and an important member of the All-India Muslim League. His life and career inspired a 1984 documentary film titled Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar.

Martinus Beijerinck

(Microbiologist)

Birthdate: March 16, 1851

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Died: January 1

Lya De Putti

(Actress)

Birthdate: January 10, 1897

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Vojčice, Slovakia

Died: November 27

Infanta Isabel, Countess of Girgenti

Birthdate: December 20, 1851

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Died: April 22

Otto Wallach

(German Chemist Who was Awarded Nobel Prize for His Work on Alicyclic Compounds)

Birthdate: March 27, 1847

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Königsberg

Died: February 26

Otto Wallach was a German chemist best remembered for winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1910. He won the award for his work on alicyclic compounds. Wallach is also remembered for developing the Wallach rearrangement, the Leuckart-Wallach reaction, Wallach degradation, and Wallach's rule. In 1912, Otto Wallach was honored with the prestigious Davy Medal.

Eugene de Blaas

(Painter)

Birthdate: July 24, 1843

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Albano Laziale, Italy

Died: February 10

Alma Rubens

(Actress)

Birthdate: February 19, 1897

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Died: January 21

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Starr Faithfull

(Socialite)

Birthdate: January 27, 1906

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, United States

Died: June 6

Shishaku Shibusawa Eiichi

(Japanese Industrialist Who Spearheaded the Introduction of Western Capitalism to Japan)

Birthdate: March 16, 1840

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Musashi, Japan

Died: November 11

Industrialist Shishaku Shibusawa Eiichi is remembered as one of the pioneers of capitalism in Japan. Born into a peasant family, he grew up to become a government official and brought about major reforms in the Meiji period. He founded the First National Bank and also invested in industries such as paper and mining.

William Orpen

(Irish Artist)

Birthdate: November 27, 1878

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Stillorgan, County Dublin, Ireland

Died: September 29

Best remembered for his portraits, Irish artist Sir William Orpen was an official war artist for Britain during World War I and the official artist of the Paris Peace Conference. His initial paintings were largely inspired by Realist artist Édouard Manet. Though knighted later, he was posthumously criticized as flimsy.

Alexandre Darracq

(French Investor, Engineer, Cycle Manufacturer and Automobile Manufacturer)

Birthdate: November 10, 1855

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bordeaux, France

Died: November 2

Alexandre Darracq was a French engineer, investor, cycle manufacturer and automobile manufacturer. He established Automobiles Darracq France in Suresnes and was one of the first to plan mass production of motor vehicles. By 1904, Darracq was producing more than ten percent of all automobiles in France. He also built racing cars and founded a school for racing drivers.

Isaac Newton Lewis

(Officer)

Birthdate: October 12, 1858

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New Salem Borough, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: November 9