List of Famous people who died at 78

Ira Marvin Levin was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His most noted works include the novels A Kiss Before Dying (1953), Rosemary's Baby (1967), The Stepford Wives (1972), and The Boys from Brazil (1976), as well as the play Deathtrap (1978). Many of his novels and plays have been adapted to film.

Hans-Jürgen Treder was a German theoretical physicist and in the GDR, specializing in general relativity, astrophysics, and cosmology. He also had an interest in the history of science and philosophy.

Eleonore Bjartveit was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party. Born in Alta, she worked as a medical doctor for several years, before entering politics. Bjartveit was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 1989, serving until 1993. She had previously been a deputy representative from 1981–1989, as well as Minister of Culture and Science in 1989, and Minister of Culture and Church Affairs in 1990.

Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and coach. Hannum coached two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams and one American Basketball Association (ABA) team to championships. In 1998 Hannum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.

Barbara Bedford was an American actress who appeared in dozens of silent movies. Her career declined after the introduction of sound, but she continued to appear in small roles until 1945.

Arnold Arturovich Belgardt was a Russian cyclist. He won bronze medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1962 and 1964 world championships in the 4000 m team pursuit; he won the world title in this event in 1963.

Alain Bosquet, born Anatoliy Bisk, was a French poet.

Juan Carlos Corazzo was a Uruguayan football player and manager.

Lloyd John Old was one of the founders and standard-bearers of the field of cancer immunology. When Old began his career in 1958, tumor immunology was in its infancy. Today, cancer immunotherapies are emerging as a significant advance in cancer therapy.