2008 deaths

German actor (1906-2008)

Polish volleyball player

Israel López Valdés (September 14, 1918 – March 22, 2008), better known as Cachao ( ), was a Cuban double bassist and composer. Cachao is widely known as the co-creator of the mambo and a master of the descarga (improvised jam sessions). Throughout his career he also performed and recorded in a variety of music styles ranging from classical music to salsa. An exile in the United States since the 1960s, he only achieved international fame following a career revival in the 1990s.

Swedish physicist, chemist, and humanist (1918-2008)

historian, literary historian, critic, journalist (1909–2008)

linguist (1930–2008)

Nauru politician (1932-2008)

Qajar princess

Egyptian Prime Minister (1920-2008)

Dutch writer (1931–2008)

Argentine footballer (1936-2008)

Russian mathematician (1937-2008)

President of Colombia (1910-2008)

Son of actor Marlon Brando (1958–2008)

German writer (1929-2008)

Georgian poet (1924–2008)

Italian singer, actress (1947–2008)

French actor (1922-2008)

French actor (1920–2008)

Italian actor and director (1922–2008)

American science fiction and fantasy author (1946–2008)

American aerospace engineer (1919–2008)

American tennis player (1943–2008)

American football player, coach (1914-2008)

American drummer (1924–2008)

American singer, actor (1936–2008)

Colombian guerilla (1948–2008)

American actor (1955–2008)

Croatian chemist (1920-2008)

Athletics competitor from Kenya

Romanian writer (1923–2008)

French photographer (1947–2008)

Austrian sprint canoer (1928–2008)

American animator, voice actor, film director and producer (1916-2008)

French director (1932–2008)

Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (1928-2008)

Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1973-2008)

Swedish musician (1946-2008)

British writer (1932–2008)

Suzzanna Martha Frederika van Osch (13 October 1942 – 15 October 2008) was an Indonesian actress. Known as the "Queen of Indonesian horror", she is well-known in particular in Indonesia for portraying spirits, witches, and other supernatural beings. She was crowned the best female antagonist in Indonesian film industry along with Ruth Pelupessy and Mieke Wijaya.

Japanese actor (1937–2008)

German footballer-manager (1921-2008)

Brazilian anthropologist, 34th First Lady of Brazil (1930-2008)

archaeologist from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Russian ice hockey player (1989–2008)

Belgian film director, producer and screenwriter (1945–2008)

Polish sprinter (1943–2008)

American musician (1947–2008)

American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder, water polo player, lawyer

American musician (1950–2008)

Swiss footballer (1918-2008)

British politician (1922–2008)

Indian dancer

12th Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1936–2008)

American actress (1914-2008)

Mexican footballer and historian (1943-2008)

Italian rower (1912–2008)

athletics competitor (1955-2008)

American actress (1914-2008)

Slovenian chess Grandmaster (1944–2008)