1996 deaths

American astrophysicist, cosmologist and author (1934–1996)

21st President of the French Republic from 1981 to 1995 (1916–1996)

Tupac Amaru Shakur was an American rapper and actor. He was one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century, and a prominent political activist for Black America. He is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Some of Shakur's music addressed social injustice, political issues, and the marginalization of African Americans, but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap and violent lyrics.

Russian-American poet (1940-1996)

American jazz singer (1917–1996)

Italian actor (1924–1996)

theoretical physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics recipient

Greek poet and art critic (1911–1996)

American actress (1903–1996)

American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer (1912–1996)

Hungarian mathematician (1913–1996)

2nd president (1966–76) and emperor (r. 1976–79) of the Central African Republic

Soviet general, Chechen leader (1944-1996)

French writer and film director (1914-1996)

vice president of the United States from 1969 to 1973

Bulgarian psychic (1911-1996)

Polish film director and screenwriter (1941–1996)

Polish-Swiss chemist (1897-1996)

English physicist, Nobel prize winner

Soviet Armenian astrophysicist (1908–1996)

Irish crime reporter (1958-1996)

4th General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan

American psychologist (1920–1996)

British-American actress (1904-1996)

Sixth President of India (1913-1996)

Australian-British novelist, actress and journalist (1899–1996)

Canadian-American professor of economics and Nobel Laureate (1914-1996)

3rd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (1929–1996)

Greek economist and politician (1919–1996)

Japanese association football player (1914-1996)

first President of Nigeria (1904-1996)

American comedian, actor, writer and singer (1896–1996)

British Nobel laureate in Chemistry

French politician (1909-1996)

acting Secretary-General of the United Nations (1900-1996)

British paleoanthropologist (1913-1996)

author from Japan (1923–1996)

French film director (1906 – 1996)

American actress (1915-1996)

Finnish mathematician (1907-1996)

military and president of Brazil (1974–1979)

Applied mathematician, computer scientist, and electrical engineer (1925–1996)

American geneticist

American actor (1919–1996)

American film actor (1918–1996)

French film director and screenwriter (1913–1996)

Cambodian-American physician and actor (1940–1996)

German World War II Luftwafffe general and fighter pilot (1912-1996)

German football player and manager (1915-1996)

20th-century Danish mathematician, inventor, designer, writer and poet (1905–1996)

French tennis player

British Royal Air Force engineer air officer (1907–1996)

American graphic designer and filmmaker (1920–1996)

79th Prime Minister of France (1912-1996)

American actress and singer (1914-1996)

Brazilian footballer (1922–1996)

American singer (1963–1996)

American politician (1914–1996)

Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory (1930–1996)

Uruguayan footballer (1917–1996)