The Queen of England and a queen of country music; movie mobsters and barrier breakers; sports superstars and Broadway legends — 2022 saw the deaths of many history makers. Here are some of the most significant figures to leave us this year.
Queen Elizabeth II
The British monarch sat on the throne for more than 70 years before her at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was succeeded by her son, King Charles III. Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey church in London after a 10-day mourning period.
Bill Russell
The 11-time NBA champion and five-time MVP Boston Celtic at the age of 88 in Washington state. Widely considered one of the best basketball players of all time, the league quickly moved to retire his iconic #6 jersey. He was also the first black head coach in NBA history.
James Caan
One of the defining actors of his generation, Caan starred in a number of now-classics. during Highlights of his decades-long career include “The Godfather,” for which he received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, “Misery” and “Elf.” The Bronx-born and Queens-raised at the age of 82.
Sidney Poitier
Oscar-winner at the age of 94 in Beverly Hills. “In The Heat of The Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “The Defiant Ones” were among his many noteworthy and groundbreaking roles. He was the first black actor to win an Oscar for best actor.
Mikhail Gorbachev
The former — and final — premier of the USSR led the communist country from 1985 to 1991. He notably oversaw the USSR’s response to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The 91-year-old politician, who also ushered in the perestroika and glasnost reforms, .
Madeleine Albright
The Czech-born diplomat joined the Clinton administration in 1993 as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and became the first woman to ever serve as Secretary of State in 1997. She in Washington, D.C. at the age of 84.
Ray Liotta
The “Something Wild” and “Goodfellas” star was also one of Hollywood’s go-to supporting actors, with well-regarded turns in “Field of Dreams” and “Cop Land,” among others. The Newark-born actor was 67 when he in the Dominican Republic. His final film, “Cocaine Bear” will be released on February 24, 2023.
Angela Lansbury
The British actress at the age of 96. She starred in “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Mame” and many other films throughout her career. Lansbury appeared in the original production of “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway and portrayed Jessica Fletcher on “Murder, She Wrote” for 12 seasons.
Olivia Newton-John
The “Physical” singer and star of “Grease” and “Xanadu” on Aug. 8 at her California home. One of the best-selling artists of all time, Newton-John sold over 100 million records. She also won four Grammy awards.
Loretta Lynn
One of country music’s biggest stars, known for hits like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, on Oct. 4 in Tennessee. She won three Grammy awards during her decades-long career, including one for her partnership with Conway Twitty.
Christine McVie
As one of the members of Fleetwood Mac, the English singer wrote or co-wrote some of the group’s biggest hits, including “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere” and “Little Lies.” She won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. at the age of 79 after a brief illness.
Vin Scully
The most iconic play-by-play man in the history of baseball, the Bronx-born and Washington Heights-raised Scully graduated from Fordham before he spent the years 1950 to 2016 calling Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers games as well as leading national broadcasts for a number of networks. He was inducted into the baseball hall of game in 1982 and at 92.
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Shinzo Abe
The former prime minister of Japan was on July 8.
Jerry Lee Lewis
The rock ‘n’ roll icon sang “Great Balls of Fire” one last time on at the age of 87.
Jean-Luc Godard
The director and pioneer of French New Wave films like “Breathless” was 91 when he on Sept. 13.
Bob Saget
The 65-year-old comedian and “Full House” star in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando on Jan. 9.
Peter Bogdanovich
The Kingston, N.Y. native and New Hollywood director, known for “The Last Picture Show,” “Paper Moon” and others, at the age of 82.
Ronnie Spector
The Harlem-born lead singer of The Ronnettes, known for “Be My Baby” and other hits, on Jan. 12 at the age of 78.
André Leon Talley
The fashion journalist, who rose through the ranks at Vogue over several decades, at the age of 73 in White Plains.
Meat Loaf
The “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” singer in Nashville at the age of 74.
Louie Anderson
The 68-year-old standup comedian and long-time “Family Feud” host in Las Vegas.
Ivan Reitman
The director, known for “Ghostbusters” and its first sequel, “Stripes” and other raucous comedies at the age of 75.
Mark Lanegan
The 57-year-old singer of grunge band Screaming Trees in Ireland.
William Hurt
The Oscar-winning actor (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) at the age of 71 in Portland, Ore.
Taylor Hawkins
The Foo Fighters drummer on March 25 while on tour in Colombia.
Estelle Harris
An actress with memorable turns in “Seinfeld” as well as the “Toy Story” series at the age of 93.
Gilbert Gottfried
A comedian and actor known for his exaggerated, distinct voice and edgy sense of humor, the New Yorker at the age of 67.
Naomi Judd
A member of one of country music’s royal families — and five-time Grammy winner — Judd on April 30.
Philip Baker Hall
The 90-year-old character actor, who saw a late-career resurgence after making several films with director Paul Thomas Anderson, .
Tony Sirico
The New York actor who played Paulie Walnuts on “The Sopranos” at the age of 79.
Paul Sorvino
The veteran actor, known for “Goodfellas” and “Law & Order,” at the age of 83.
Louise Fletcher
The 1977 best actress winner (Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”) at the age of 88.
Nichelle Nichols
The ground-breaking actress, best-known for playing Lt. Uhura across a number of “Star Trek” iterations, on July 30.
Anne Heche
A long-time film and TV actress, Heche, 52, died in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, .
Coolio
The “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper, a Los Angeles native, died in the same city at the age of 59.
Sacheen Littlefeather
The Native American rights activist, known for accepting Marlon Brando’s best actor Oscar, on Oct. 2.
Takeoff
The 28-year-old member of rap group Migos was shot and in Houston.
Aaron Carter
The former child star was 34 when he on Nov. 5.
Irene Cara
The “Fame” and “What a Feeling” singer on Nov. 25.
Ivana Trump
The first wife of former president Donald Trump on July 14 at the age of 73.
Wolfgang Petersen
The German director (“Das Boot,” “The Perfect Storm”) on Aug. 12 in Los Angeles.
Kirstie Alley
The “Cheers” actress on Dec. 5.
Gallagher
The sledgehammer-wielding prop comedian at the age of 76.
Stephen “tWitch” Boss
The 40-year-old DJ and eventual co-executive producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Dec. 13.
Angelo Badalamenti
A composer for film (“Blue Velvet”) and TV (”Twin Peaks) and long-time David Lynch collaborator, Badalamenti at the age of 85.
Franco Harris
The Pittsburgh Steeler legend, pro football hall of famer and star of the most famous play in NFL history (The Immaculate Reception) on Dec. 22.
Ken Starr
The independent counsel overseeing the Whitewater controversy and author of the Starr Report, which led to the impeachment of President Clinton, at the age of 76.
Julie Powell
The blogger turned “Julie & Julia” memoirist at the age of 49.
Orrin Hatch
The former U.S. senator from Utah, who served 42 years, on April 23.
David McCullough
The American historian and presidential biographer (“Truman,” “John Adams”) at the age of 89.
Leslie Jordan
The diminutive character actor, known for work on sitcoms including “Will & Grace,” in Los Angeles on Oct. 24.
Roger Angell
The long-time New Yorker writer and editor (and baseball fan) at the age of 101.
Michael Lang
One of the organizers of the original Woodstock festival, the 77-year-old Brooklyn native .
Robert Morse
The Broadway stalwart who found later-career acclaim on “Mad Men” on April 20.
P.J. O’Rourke
The journalist and author, known for “National Lampoon” and “Rolling Stone,” at the age of 74.
Gaylord Perry
The hall of famer and two-time Cy Young-winning pitcher on Dec. 1.
Robbie Coltrane
The Scottish actor and comedian, known for the “Harry Potter” series, at the age of 72.
Bernard Shaw
The journalist and former lead anchor for CNN on Sept. 7 in Washington, D.C.
Charles McGee
The fighter pilot and one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen at the age of 102.
Guy Lafleur
The five-time Stanley Cup champion died at the age of 70 on April 22.
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