Skip to main content
In Memoriam

The Deaths That Shook The World In 2015

These lives lost sent tremors through the news in 2015.

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151231-who-we-lost-tease_i8swb7

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast

By William Boot
galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-2year-cuomo_m6169d

Mario Cuomo (Jan. 1), Democratic powerhouse and former governor of New York State.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty for Rodale)

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-3year-scott_zdxy8p

Stuart Scott (Jan. 4), “sly, cocky and cool” ESPN personality and sports analyst.

Grant Halverson/Getty

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-04_w1xcnh

The 11 victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks (Jan. 7) and the 4 victims of the Hypercacher hostage crisis (Jan. 9) in Paris.

Stephane Mahe/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-06_ltlcdr

Swedish actress and La Dolce Vita bombshell Anita Ekberg (Jan. 11) (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-09_puld41

Saudi Arabia’s iron ruler, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (Jan. 22). (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-01_oa1syd

Kayla Mueller (early February), courageous American aid worker taken hostage by ISIS. (REUTERS/Deanna Dent)

Deanna Dent/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-9year-simon_ka4ef1

Bob Simon (Feb. 11), longtime and respected 60 Minutes correspondent for CBS.

ZUMA/Alamy

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-10year-carr_cg0tmq

The New York Times' legendary journalist David Carr (Feb. 12).

 

ZUMA/Alamy S

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-15_g4fwc8

Former Poet Laureate and voice of Detroit, Philip Levine (Feb. 14). (Chris Felver/Getty Images)

Chris Felver/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-16_qvl422

Effervescent ’60s pop singer Lesley Gore (Feb. 16), the voice of “It’s My Party, I’ll Cry If I Want To.” (Keystone/Getty Images)

Keystone/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-12year-nimoy_pkbsaq

Leonard Nimoy (Feb. 27), our beloved Mr. Spock on Star Trek.

Paramount Pictures/Alamy

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-22_zhfql0

Lee Kuan Yew (March 23) , the founding father of modern Singapore. (REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota)

Kiyoshi Ota/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-15year-grass_aydiwv

Controversial and decorated novelist Günter Grass (April 13).

Christian Marquardt/Getty

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-73_qnsgjk

Baltimore’s Freddie Grey (April 19), whose death in police custody set off massive protests.

Handout

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-21year-goldberg_jaupl2

Dave Goldberg (May 1), chief executive of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.

Stephen Lam/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-20year-king_gatlsf

Music’s blues giant B.B. King (May 14).

Jeff Christensen/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-25year-biden_ankbr8

The upstanding Beau Biden (May 30), son to Vice President Joe Biden and a political force in his own right.

Chris Wattie/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-26year-browder_dtsn3z

Kalief Browder (June 6), a Rikers inmate whose suicide after three years in jail without trial sent shockwaves through the criminal justice system.

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-40_v4lyfr

The nine members of Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (June 17) shot during a prayer service by a white supremacist. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Brian Snyder/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-who-we-lost-40_ppkztp

Egyptian actor and Hollywood heartthrob Omar Sharif (July 10).

Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-who-we-lost-45_gohgtx

Literary giant E.L. Doctorow (July 21).

Melanie Burford/Prime for The Washington Post via Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-who-we-lost-46_yhz1ju

Star from birth, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown (July 25).

Christopher Polk/WireImage/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-who-we-lost-49_mqzqij

Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (Aug. 9), husband of daytime doyenne Kathy Lee. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151229-who-we-lost-50_jzrpss

NAACP chairman and civil rights legend Julian Bond (Aug. 15).

Charley Gallay/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-57_s6mnl6

Marcy Borders (Aug. 24), who was so much more than just 9/11’s “Dust Lady.” (STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-58_sca12v

Alison Parker and Aaron Ward (Aug. 26), the two journalists shot on live television near Roanoke, Virginia.

Twitter

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-59_ziv3wq

Wes Craven (Aug. 30), Hollywood's preeminent scare-master.

Alamy

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-60_ynvwtv

Neurologist Oliver Sacks (Aug. 30), science luminary who wrote movingly about his fight with cancer. (Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)

Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-61_aicm4r

NBA great Moses Malone (Sept. 13). (Mike Powell/Getty Images)

Mike Powell/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-62_lmfaee

Best-selling British novelist, the prolific Jackie Collins (Sept. 19). (Terry O'Neill/Getty Images)

Terry O'Neill/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-63_qummfr

Yankee legend whose on-field play was superseded only by his off-field quotes, Yogi Berra (Sept. 22).

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-64_gwqpdb

Gorgeous screen siren Maureen O'Hara (Oct. 24). (Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-66_uaeu2k

Ahmed Chalabi (Nov. 3), the Iraqi exile who smooth-talked the Bush administration into war.

Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-68_meksl6

Jazz legend Allen Toussaint (Nov. 10). (RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Rafa Rivas/AFP/Getty Images

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-67_bccufw

The 129 bystanders (as of last count) massacred by terrorists in Paris (Nov. 13).

Charles Platiau/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-13_k9wmr8

The 14 co-workers slain by a murderous couple in San Bernardino, California (Dec. 2). (REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn)

Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-69_chx75w

Frontman who powered Stone Temple Pilots above and beyond the grunge era, Scott Weiland (Dec. 3).

Stephen Hird/Reuters

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-70_nzf4sf

Clown prince of the Harlem Globetrotters, Meadowlark Lemon (Dec. 27).

ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy

galleries/2015/12/31/the-deaths-that-shook-the-world-in-2015/151230-who-we-lost-72_qe4oqn

Heavy metal god and Motorhead's engine, Lemmy Kilmister (Dec. 28).

Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty Images

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE
William Boot
William Boot

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

TRENDING NOW