List of Famous people who died at 78

Sidney Charles Bromley, credited as Sydney Bromley, was an English character actor. He appeared in more than sixty films and television programmes. On stage, he appeared in the 1924 premiere of Saint Joan, by George Bernard Shaw, as well as the 1957 film of the same name. He appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night during the summer of 1935 at the Open Air Theatre in London.

Luigi Melieni Mollo, known professionally as Gino Renni, was an Italian-Argentine actor, comedian and singer.

John R. Smight was an American theatre and film director.

Archibald Franklin "Archie" Williams was an American U.S. Air Force officer, athlete, and teacher, winner of 400 meter run at the 1936 Summer Olympics. As recorded on his birth certificate, his name is Archie and not Archibald.

Helmut Rix was a German linguist and professor of the Sprachwissenschaftliches Seminar of Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany.

Giani Zail Singh was the seventh President of India serving from 1982 to 1987. Prior to his presidency, he was a politician with the Indian National Congress party, and had held several ministerial posts in the Union Cabinet, including that of Home Minister. He also served as the Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1983 to 1986.

Yehuda Elkana was a historian and philosopher of science, and a former President and Rector of the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.