List of Famous people who died at 53

Yuri Petrovich Shchekochikhin was a Russian investigative journalist, writer, and liberal lawmaker in the Russian parliament. Shchekochikhin made his name writing about and campaigning against the influence of organized crime and corruption. His last non-fiction book, Slaves of the KGB, was about people who worked as KGB informers.

Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964.

Yegor Timurovich Gaidar was a Soviet and Russian economist, politician, and author, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Russia from 15 June 1992 to 14 December 1992.

Seiji Hirao was a Japanese rugby union footballer and coach. He played as a fly-half, and was one of the most popular Japanese players of his time, earning the name of "Mr. Rugby".

Bhuma Nagi Reddy was an Indian politician. He was elected in a by-election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1992 after the sudden death of his brother, Bhuma Sekhar Reddy, an MLA from Allagadda constituency in Kurnool district. In 1996, Reddy was the Telugu Desam Party candidate against Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao in the Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency election. He served in the 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabhas. Reddy died in office on 12 March 2017 after a massive heart attack at his home in Allagadda.

Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual, who also distinguished himself as an actor, journalist, novelist, playwright, and political figure. He remains a controversial personality in Italy due to his direct style and the focus of some of his works on taboo sexual matters. He was an established major figure in European literature and cinematic arts. His murder prompted an outcry in Italy and its circumstances continue to be a matter of heated debate.

Giovanni Falcone was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian Mafia. After a long and distinguished career, culminating in the Maxi Trial in 1986–1987, on 23 May 1992, Falcone was assassinated by the Corleonesi Mafia in the Capaci bombing, on the A29 motorway near the town of Capaci.

Carolyn Sue Jones was an American actress of television and film. Jones began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Bachelor Party (1957) and a Golden Globe Award as one of the most promising new actresses of 1959. Her film career continued for another 20 years. In 1964, she began playing the role of Morticia Addams in the original black and white television series The Addams Family.

Urmas Ott was an Estonian television and radio journalist, and famous talk show host in Soviet Union, Estonia and Russia.

Hemant Karkare AC was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). He was killed in action by Pakistani terrorists during 2008 Mumbai attacks. In 2009, he was posthumously given the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.