1981 deaths

Soviet historian (1908-1981)

Soviet biologist (1900–1981)

Prime Minister of Turkey (1903–1981)

American actor (1889–1981)

German-American Marxist political writer and social revolutionary (1904-1981)

Uruguayan footballer (1898-1981)

American director, television producer (1923–1981)

British-Egyptian egyptologist (1904-1981)

Hungarian footballer (1907-1981)

racecar driver from Italy

Norwegian composer and pianist (1908-1981)

British racing driver

Argentine association football player and manager (1909-1981)

Peruvian footballer (1904-1981)

Polish-born American radio, stage, film and television actor

Swedish poet (1884–1981)

actor, film director (1904-1981)

American musician (1903–1981)

Soviet film director (1898-1981)

bobsledder (1905–1981)

Azerbaijani poet

Hungarian chemist (1890–1981)

United States Navy admiral (1911-1981)

Turkish poet (1923–1981)

German association football player (1907-1981)

Footballer (1915-1981)

German poet (1903–1981)

Dutch association football player (1903-1981)

Welsh-English Christian theologian and preacher (1899-1981)

Italian sprinter (1915–1981)

Polish archaeologist and egyptologist (1901–1981)

Australian author (1902-1981)

American conductor (1925-1981)

American Chicago blues musician (1904-1981)

Romanian footballer (1941-1981)

swimmer (1910–1981)

British actress (1893–1981)

Soviet intelligence officer (1899–1981)

Indian field hockey player (1922–1981)

bobsledder (1898-1981)

Danish mystic (1890-1981)

British philosopher (1898-1981)

American comic strip cartoonist and illustrator (1927–1981)

athlete (1895–1981)

New Zealand rower (1949-1981)

Soviet actor (1941–1981)

British sociologist (1893-1981)

Persian statesman and diplomat who saved the lives of many Jews during the Holocaust

American actress of stage, film and television (1894–1981)

Japanese film director (1902–1981)

Indian social reformer, historian, educationist, and journalist (1885–1981)

American actress (1906-1981)

American political scientist (1902-1981)

South African sprinter (1899-1981)

Canadian ice hockey defenceman (1905–1981)

Sutomo (3 October 1920 – 7 October 1981), also known as Bung Tomo (meaning Comrade or Brother Tomo), was an Indonesian revolutionary and military leader best known for his role in the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch colonial rule. He played a central role in the Battle of Surabaya, which was fought between British and Indonesian forces from October to November 1945.

Belgian cyclist (1900–1981)

Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, better known by his pen name Hamka (17 February 1908 – 24 July 1981), was an Indonesian ʿālim, philosopher, writer, novelist, lecturer, politician and journalist.

Scottish footballer and manager (1898-1981)

Swiss footballer (1897-1981)