Europe

Ruth Kluger (1931–2020), Holocaust survivor who wrote “Still Alive” memoir

Ruth Kluger was a Holocaust survivor known for her memoir, “Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered.”

Peter Lindbergh (1944–2019), photographer of supermodels

Peter Lindbergh was a fashion photographer who is credited with jump-starting the rise of the supermodel in the 1990s.

What Is a Wake?

A wake is one of the ceremonies some people perform after a death. It’s often used interchangeably with visitation or viewing, though historically it was a different kind of ceremony from our modern-day visitation.

Rutger Hauer (1944–2019), “Blade Runner” star

Versatile Dutch actor starred in “Batman Begins” and “Ladyhawke.”

Niki Lauda (1949–2019), three-time Formula One champion

Niki Lauda was a three-time Formula One champion known for his remarkable comeback after a serious accident at the 1976 German Grand Prix.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash Victims (2019)

157 people were killed Sunday morning when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed just six minutes after takeoff. There were no survivors.

Bruno Ganz (1941–2019), played Hitler in “Downfall”

Bruno Ganz was a Swiss actor known for his portrayal of Hitler in the 2004 Oscar-nominated movie “Downfall.” He was a favorite of director Wim Wenders, appearing as an angel who chooses mortal life after he falls in love with a trapeze performer in 1987’s “Wings of Desire.” and starred opposite Dennis Hopper in Wender’s “The American Friend.” He also appeared in “The Boys from Brazil” and “The Reader.”

George Brady (1928–2019), Holocaust survivor immortalized in “Hana’s Suitcase”

He was the only one of his family who lived—and he lived to the age of 90.

Joachim Roenneberg (1919–2018), Norwegian World War II hero

Leader of a daring raid that crippled Nazis’ nuclear ambitions.

Nikolai Volkoff (1947–2018), Soviet wrestling villain

Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Johan van Hulst (1911–2018), Holocaust hero

Dutch principal saved hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Turku, Finland, Attack Victims

Two people died in a knife attack.

Michael Nyqvist (1960 - 2017), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star

Michael Nyqvist, an actor who starred in the Swedish film version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” died Tuesday, June 27, 2017, of cancer, according to multiple news sources. He was 56.

Helmut Kohl (1930 - 2017), former chancellor of Germany

Former German chancellor presided over his country's reunification...

London Terrorist Attack Victims

8 people were killed in a terrorist attack in London.

Secret History of the Illuminati Revealed (video)

A video exploration of the historical Secret Order of the Illuminati.

Remembering the Battlefield Poets of World War I (video)

A video tribute to the soldiers who told us what combat really looked like.

Christine Kaufmann (1945 - 2017), German-Austrian actress

The German-Austrian actress was Germany's first winner of a Golden Globe Award.

Piet Keizer (1943–2017), Dutch soccer star

International soccer star played for Ajax Amsterdam.

Sandor Tarics (1913 - 2016), Olympic water polo gold medalist

Sandor Tarics, the oldest living Olympic champion, died May 21, according to the Hungarian Olympic Committee. He was 102.

EgyptAir Flight 804 Crash Victims

Rescue crews were searching early Thursday for EgyptAir Flight 804, which French President Francois Hollande said "was lost and that it has crashed" into the Mediterranean Sea with 66 people aboard.

Gene Gutowski (1925 - 2016), producer of The Pianist

Gene Gutowski, who produced films of the director Roman Polanski during the 1960s and later teamed with Polanski to produce the Academy Award-winning Holocaust masterpiece, "The Pianist," died May 10 of pneumonia in Warsaw, Poland, according to multiple news sources, including The Associated Press. He was 90. Gutowski, a Holocaust survivor, died of pneumonia at a hospital there. The death was announced by Gutowski's son, Adam Bardach. Gutowski produced some of the 20th century's finest films including "Repulsion" (1965), "Cul-de-Sac" (1966), and "The Fearless Vampire Killers" (1967).

Guy Hamilton (1922 - 2016)

Guy Hamilton, a film director who helmed four of the James Bond movies, died Thursday. He was 93. Hamilton died at his home in Majorca, Spain. No cause of death was immediately available. Hamilton directed the Bond films "Goldfinger" (1964), "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), "Live and Let Die" (1973), and "The Man With the Golden Gun" (1974).

Jules Schelvis (1921 - 2016)

Jules Schelvis, a Dutch historian who was the last insurgent of the Nazis' Sobibor World War II extermination camp, died Sunday evening in his native Netherlands, according to multiple news sources, including The Associated Press. He was 95. The death was announced by the Amsterdam-based Sobibor Foundation. The cause of death wasn’t immediately reported. In an Oct. 14, 2013, ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the uprising in the concentration camp, Schelvis was honored along with Philip Bialowitz and Thomas Blatt as the last insurgents of Sobibor. The trio received medals of merit during the observance.

These Obituaries Offer a Glimpse Into a Concentration Camp

In Holocaust survivors' obituaries, horrific places like Treblinka are mentioned alongside recollections of happy marriages and personal achievements.

George Gaynes (1917 - 2016), Punky Brewster co-star

George Gaynes, the actor who played Punky Brewster's adoptive father on the eponymous TV show, has died, according to multiple news sources. He was 98. Gaynes died Monday at his home in North Bend, Washington. No cause of death was disclosed.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1922 - 2016), former secretary-general of the United Nations

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Egyptian scholar, statesman and former secretary-general of the United Nations, died Tuesday, Feb. 16. He was 93. Boutros-Ghali became the sixth secretary-general of the United Nations Jan. 1, 1992. Despite the end of the Cold War, his term was fraught with international crises, including the breakup of Yugoslavia, genocide in Rwanda and several other civil wars in Africa. He initiated several reform efforts at the U.N. and broadened peacekeeping missions around the world.

Benoit Violier (1971 - 2016), acclaimed chef

Chef Benoí®t Violier, whose acclaimed Le Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville in Lausanne, Switzerland, was ranked recently atop a list of the world's best high-end dining establishments, was found dead at his home Sunday of a likely self-inflicted gunshot wound, police reported. Violier was 44. The restaurant in western Switzerland, which Violier operated with his wife, Brigitte, was the recipient of three Michelin stars, a mark of top quality in haute cuisine. Violier took over the restaurant in 2012 after having worked under its previous owner, Philippe Rochat, for 15 years. Rochat became a mentor and father figure to Violier over the years before passing the torch.

Andre Courreges (1923 - 2016), miniskirt inventor

Andre Courreges, a French fashion designer who claimed to have invented the miniskirt during the 1960s, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 92.

Five Facts About Nikola Tesla

How much do you know about the man who invented the 20th century?

Refugee Drowning Victims

At least 34 people died Tuesday by drowning off the coast of Turkey. They were refugees attempting to leave Turkey and travel to Greece. Their two boats capsized in the rough waters of the Aegean Sea. At least three children were among the 34.

Tibor Rubin (1929 - 2015), Holocaust survivor and decorated U.S. soldier

Tibor Rubin, a Holocaust survivor who went on to become a highly decorated U.S. infantry soldier decades after the Korean War, has died in California, according to multiple news sources. Rubin, who was born in Hungary, died Saturday of natural causes in Garden Grove, California, his nephew, Robert Huntly, told the Los Angeles Times. He was 86.

Ernst Fuchs (1930 - 2015)

Austrian painter Ernst Fuchs, whose works combined a love of color and texture with clear lines, mysticism and religious themes, died Monday, according to The Associated Press. He was 85. Though most of his work involved vivid paintings, Fuchs also was an internationally recognized sculptor, stage designer and print maker, composer and poet, the AP said.

Henning Mankell (1948 - 2015)

Henning Mankell, the hesitant figurehead of Scandinavian crime fiction whose books about the gloomy, soul-searching police inspector Kurt Wallander enticed readers around the world, has died, according to The Associated Press.

Remembering Those Lost on Germanwings Flight 4U9525

On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 4U9525 crashed in the Alps of France, killing all 144 passengers and all six crew members.

Miep Gies, Hero of the Holocaust

For decades, schoolchildren the world over have learned about Anne Frank. The teenager who hid with her family from the Nazis, in an attempt to escape the concentration camps where she later died, has become a household name. From time to time, Frank's writing turned to the scant six visitors her family sometimes received in the annex. As we grow up, we learn less about them than we do about the Frank family, but they're as deserving of international fame as Frank was, because they were the brave friends who worked to keep the Franks hidden. Their names were Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, Bep Voskuijl, Johannes Hendrik Voskuijl, Jan Gies and Miep Gies.

Eartha Kitt: Sex Symbol

When died five years ago at 81, her New York Times obituary called her "a seducer of audiences." One of the first widely known African-American sex symbols, Kitt purred—literally—whether on screen as Catwoman in the Batman television series or onstage singing "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman alive."

Christina Onassis: Money Did Not Buy Happiness

Her devoted father called her "chryso mou," or "my golden one." And from the outside, Christina Onassis seemed to have a golden life ...

The Legacy of Alfred Nobel

We examine the intriguing life of the man behind the Nobel Prize.

Grace Kelly's Fairy Tale

Grace Kelly was living proof that sometimes fairy tales aren't just stories...

Ingrid Bergman at the Oscars

We're celebrating Ingrid Bergman's life with a look at her Academy Award-nominated movie performances.

Albert Einstein, Movie Star

Albert Einstein is one of few scientists to achieve the status of pop culture icon.

The Real Maria von Trapp

On the 24th anniversary of her death, here are 24 facts – some familiar, some a bit surprising – about Maria von Trapp.

Eartha Kitt: The Most Exciting Woman in the World

What does it take to be the most exciting woman in the world? Beauty certainly doesn't hurt. A gift for singing, dancing and acting can help, too. How about a great sense of humor and a love for social justice? Add a seductive purr of a voice, mix well, and you've got , the performer once called "the most exciting woman in the world."

Karel Capek, Beyond The Robots

Karel Capek, who introduced the world to the robot, was one of the 20th century’s most versatile writers. On his 120th birthday, we take a look at how his work weathered Europe’s geopolitical storms.

Victor Borge, Classical Music's Clown Prince

Pianist Victor Borge delighted audiences worldwide with his musical comedy routines.

The Many Hats of Roald Dahl

Children's author, writer of spooky adult fiction, TV host, ace fighter pilot and inventor Roald Dahl died 20 years ago today. Here are 20 facts about his life and work.

Bram Stoker, Father of Vampire Fiction

We're remembering Bram Stoker on his birthday with a look at his most famous creation, Count Dracula.

Hedy Lamarr: Actress and Inventor

If you’re reading this over a Wi-Fi connection, you have Hedy Kiesler Markey to thank.