List of Famous people who died at 77

Kitty O'Brien Joyner was an American electrical engineer with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and then with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) upon its replacement of NACA in 1958. She was the first woman to graduate from the University of Virginia's engineering program in 1939, receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award upon graduation. When she was hired by NACA the same year, she became the first woman engineer at the organization, eventually rising to the title Branch Head and managing several of its wind tunnels. Her work contributed to research on aeronautics, supersonic flight, airfoils, and aircraft design standards.

Nina Companeez was a French screenwriter and film director. Nina Companeez was the younger daughter of Russian Jewish émigré screenwriter Jacques Companéez and younger sister of contralto Irène Companeez. She was the mother of actress Valentine Varela.

Daniel Babu Paul was an Indian civil servant, writer, member of the Indian Administrative Service and member Ombudsman for local self-government institutions of Kerala during 2000–2001. He was the Former Finance Secretary, Government of Kerala. He retired in the rank of Chief Secretary.

Vittorio Gassman, popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter.

Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail Al-Khalidi was the 24th Sultan of Johor and the 4th Sultan of modern Johor. He succeeded his father Sultan Ismail upon the latter's death on 10 May 1981. He was the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1984 to 25 April 1989. Sultan Iskandar's reign lasted for almost 29 years until his death in January 2010. His children are married into the different royal houses of Malaysia. His eldest daughter Tunku Kamariah, the Tengku Puan Laksamana, married the Tengku Laksamana of Selangor, Tengku Sulaiman Shah. His successor and eldest son Sultan Ibrahim married Raja Zarith Sofiah of the Perak Royal Family. His daughter Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah married the heir apparent of Pahang, now Sultan Abdullah. His younger son Tunku Abdul Majid married a member of the Kedah Royal Family, Tunku Teh Mazni.

Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam SJ was a Pakistani fighter pilot who was officially credited by the Pakistanis with having downed five Indian Air Force aircraft in 1 minute during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, all five aircraft are Hawker Hunter aircraft on one sortie on 7 September 1965. However, some scholars including retired PAF Air Commodore Sajad S. Haider have challenged Alam's claim regarding the sortie on 7 September 1965. He was a F-86 Sabre flying ace as per Pakistan Air Force records. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat, the nation's third highest military award and Bar for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

Basappa Jaya, commonly known as B. Jaya, was an Indian actress, known for her works in Kannada. She acted in over 200 films. For her performance in the movie Gowdru, Jaya won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2004-05.

Yoko Yamaguchi was a Japanese lyricist and novelist. In 1985, Yamaguchi won the Naoki Prize for her novels, Enka no Mushi and Robai.

John Nelson Shanks was an American artist and painter. His best known works include his portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales, first shown at Hirschl & Adler Gallery in New York City, April 24 to June 28, 1996 and the portrait of president Bill Clinton for the National Portrait Gallery.

Ikuma Dan was a Japanese composer.