Born 1921

Harry Chandler (1921–2024), Pearl Harbor survivor

Harry Chandler was a U.S. Navy veteran and one of the last survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor that thrust the U.S. into World War II.

Lou Conter (1921–2024), last USS Arizona survivor

Lou Conter was the last survivor of the bombing of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Richard C. Higgins (1921–2024), Pearl Harbor survivor 

Richard C. Higgins was one of the last remaining survivors of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Ben Stern (1921–2024), Holocaust survivor who clashed with Neo-Nazis 

Ben Stern was a Holocaust Survivor who moved to the United States and opposed Neo-Nazis well into his 90s. 

Iris Apfel (1921–2024), maximalist style icon

Iris Apfel was an interior designer who, late in life, became an icon of maximalist, boho style. 

Sterling Cale (1921–2024), last Pearl Harbor survivor in Hawai’i

Sterling Cale was the last survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack still living in Hawai’i and after 57 years of service, a veteran of three wars.

Wanda PóÅ‚tawska (1921–2023), Holocaust survivor befriended the Pope

Wanda PóÅ‚tawska was a Polish doctor and author who was tortured in medical experiments by the Nazis, and later went on to befriend the future .

Hughes Van Ellis (1921–2023), Tulsa Race Massacre survivor

Hughes Van Ellis was one of the last three survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Evelyn M. Witkin (1921–2023), discovered how DNA repairs itself 

Evelyn M. Witkin was an award-winning geneticist whose discoveries about how DNA repairs itself opened the door to advances in cancer treatment.

Dorothy Zehnder (1921–2023), matriarch of Michigan’s Bavarian Inn 

Dorothy Zehnder was a legend of the popular Bavarian Inn in the tourist town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, where she worked for more than 80 years.

Françoise Gilot (1921–2023), artist and muse to Picasso

Françoise Gilot was a renowned French artist whose 1964 memoir, “Life with Picasso,” told the story of her years as the muse and lover of Pablo Picasso.

Ken Potts (1921–2023), USS Arizona survivor

Ken Potts was a U.S. Navy veteran and one of the last known survivors of the USS Arizona, the battleship sunk at Pearl Harbor, the wreck of which is now a memorial.

Theodor O. Diener (1921–2023), scientist who discovered viroids

Theodor O. Diener was a scientist who discovered the tiny infectious disease agents now known as viroids.

Al Jaffee (1921–2023), Mad magazine cartoonist known for fold-ins

Al Jaffee was a cartoonist beloved by generations of Mad magazine readers for features including his iconic “fold-in” drawings.

Dot Wilkinson (1921–2023), softball and bowling hall of famer

Dot Wilkinson was a softball legend and bowler who was in the halls of fame for both of her sports.

Johnny Johnson (1921–2022), last surviving WWII Dambuster

Johnny Johnson was the last surviving member of the Royal Air Force squadron who bombed German dams in the morale-boosting World War II Dambusters raid.

Charley Trippi (1921–2022), oldest living Pro Football Hall of Famer

Charley Trippi was a Pro Football Hall of Famer who won the 1947 NFL Championship with the Chicago Cardinals.

Lily Renée Phillips (1921–2022), pioneering comic book artist

Lily Ren ée Phillips was one of the first women working in the comic book industry, drawing Señorita Rio in the 1940s.

Dean “Diz” Laird (1921–2022), World War II flying ace

Dean “Diz” Laird was the only World War II U.S. Navy pilot to shoot down both German and Japanese planes.

Alexander Jefferson (1921–2022), Tuskegee Airman

Alexander Jefferson was a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II.

Andrée Geulen-Herscovici (1921–2022), Holocaust hero who saved children

Andrée Geulen-Herscovici was a Belgian teacher who hid hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust, saving them from concentration camps.

Gloria Parker (1921–2022), bandleader known for playing “singing glasses”

Gloria Parker was a musician and bandleader who played the marimba and the “singing glasses,” or glass harp.

Justus Rosenberg (1921–2021), Holocaust hero

Justus Rosenberg was a Holocaust survivor who worked with the French Resistance to help refugees escape the Nazi regime.

Dr. Aaron Beck (1921–2021), father of cognitive therapy

Dr. Aaron Beck was a psychotherapist who was a pioneer in the development of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Armando “Chick” Galella (1921–2021), Pearl Harbor survivor

Armando “Chick” Galella was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and later worked to honor the military personnel who died there.

Phyllis Gould (1921–2021), one of the original Rosie the Riveters

Phyllis Gould was a World War II defense plant worker who fought for recognition for all the Rosie the Riveters who worked on the home front.

Henry Parham (1921–2021), soldier with only all-Black unit on D-Day

Henry Parham was at U.S. Army veteran of World War II who was the last known living member of the only all-Black unit to land on the beach at Normandy on D-Day.

Jack B. Weinstein (1921–2021), federal judge in Agent Orange case

Jack B. Weinstein was a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, who presided over notable cases.

Charles Coolidge (1921–2021), oldest Medal of Honor recipient

Charles Coolidge was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II who was the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Prince Philip (1921–2021), husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Having married Elizabeth in 1947, he was the longest-serving royal consort in British history, as well as Britain’s oldest male royal in history.

Robina Asti (1921–2021), WWII veteran and transgender advocate

Robina Asti was a World War II veteran who later became an inspiration to the transgender community as she fought for her husband’s Social Security benefits.

Cándido Camero (1921–2020), pioneering Latin jazz percussionist

C ándido Camero was a percussionist who is considered one of the fathers of Latin jazz, best known for his conga and bongo drumming.

Jackie Stallone (1921–2020), famous astrologer and Sylvester Stallone’s mother

Jackie Stallone was a popular astrologer known for her psychic hotline on television and was the mother of Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone.

Mark Sertich (1921–2020), world’s oldest hockey player

Mark Sertich wasthe worldc3a2c280c299s oldest hockey player,verified by Guinness World Records.He played in the2017 Snoopyc3a2c280c299sSenior World Hockey Tournament at the age of 96.

Jim Jarvis (1921–2020), oldest remaining survivor of WWII USS Indianapolis disaster

Jim Jarvis was a U.S. Navy veteran who was the oldest remaining survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. With his death, nine Indianapolis survivors remain.

Jesse Freitas Sr. (1921–2020), quarterback for San Francisco 49ers’ first team

Jesse Freitas, Sr. was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers’ inaugural team in 1946.

Maj. Gen. John Dolny (1921–2020), decorated WWII fighter pilot

Maj. Gen. John Dolny was a U.S. Army Air Force veteran of World War II who was highly decorated and was a member of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.

Betsy Wyeth (1921–2020), model, manager, wife of painter Andrew Wyeth

Betsy Wyeth was the longtime wife of acclaimed painter , as well as his model, muse, and manager.

Rev. Joseph Lowery (1921–2020), civil rights leader & MLK colleague

Rev. Joseph Lowery was a leader of the American civil rights movement who cofounded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) along with . He also helped organize the pivotal Montgomery bus boycott.

Don Howison (1921–2020), oldest remaining survivor of WWII USS Indianapolis disaster

Don Howison was a U.S. Navy veteran who was the last living officer of the USS Indianapolis and the oldest remaining survivor of the World War II torpedo attack and subsequent shipwreck that killed 75% of its crewmembers. Howison served as an ensign aboard the Indianapolis, and decades later, he was among the survivors who were interviewed for the bestselling book Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.

Nick Clifford (1921–2019), last surviving Mount Rushmore carver

Nick Clifford was the last surviving worker from the team that carved the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Barbara Perry (1921–2019), “The Dick Van Dyke Show” actress

Played Morey Amsterdam’s character’s wife1cPickles1d on two episodes of the classic sitcom.

Mable Lee (1921–2019), tap-dancing "Queen of the Soundies"

Mable Lee was the "Queen of the Soundies," a dancer and singer who delighted 1940s audiences in more than 100 musical short films that were designed to be played on jukeboxes in nightclubs and restaurants. Lee's "million dollar legs" made her a tap-dancing star, and her success outlived that of the soundies. She traveled with the first all-Black USO troupe during World War II, and after the war, she had a decades-long career in Broadway. She was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2008, and she continued to dance until the last years of her life.

Carol Channing (1921–2019), Broadway legend

Carol Channing, the actress and singer known best for her Tony Award-winning performance in "Hello, Dolly!", died Tuesday, Jan. 15. She was 97.

Bill Gold (1921 – 2018), iconic movie poster artist

Created thousands of posters including “Casablanca” and “The Sting”…

Naomi Parker Fraley (1921–2018), inspiration for iconic WWII "We Can Do It" poster

Naomi Parker Fraley was an inspiration for iconic WWII female factory workerRosie the Riveter.

Jon Hendricks (1921 – 2017), innovative jazz vocalist

Time Magazine called him the "James Joyce of jive”…

Pancho Segura (1921 – 2017), tennis great won 3 U.S. Pro Tennis Championship titles

Coached tennis legend Jimmy Connors…

Jim Rivera (1921 – 2017), outfielder on the 1959 "Go-Go" White Sox pennant-winning team

Led the American League in stolen bases in 1955…