List of Famous people who died at 78

Altiero Spinelli was an Italian communist politician, political theorist and European federalist, referred to as one of the founding fathers of the European Union.

Niels Lolk Helveg Petersen was a Danish politician. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 2000, having previously held the role of Minister for Economic Affairs between 1988 and 1990. He was a Member of Parliament (Folketinget) for the Danish Social Liberal Party from 1966 to 1974, 1977 to 1993, and again from 1994 to 2011.

Jan Stráský was a Czech politician, who served as the last Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia in 1992.

Friedrich Wilhelm "Fritz" Strassmann was a German chemist who, with Otto Hahn in early 1939, identified the element barium as a product of the bombardment of uranium with neutrons. Their observation was the key piece of evidence necessary to identify the previously unknown phenomenon of nuclear fission, as was subsequently recognized and published by Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch.

Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov was a Soviet aeroplane designer, and the founder of the Antonov aircraft company, later named in his honour. Antonov designed a number of known Soviet aeroplanes and numerous gliders for both civilian and military use.

Monique Cerisier-ben Guiga was a member of the Senate of France, representing French citizens living abroad. She was a member of the Socialist Party.

Jean-Paul Roussillon was a French actor. He appeared in 87 films and television shows between 1954 and 2008. He starred in the film Playing 'In the Company of Men', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. He won the César Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in A Christmas Tale. For years Roussillon had been battling lung cancer and died on 31 July 2009 in Auxerre, France.

Adele Kern real name Adele Kern-Klein was a German operatic and operetta coloratura soprano. She was known for her technical perfection and joy of playing. From 1927 to 1935, she sang at the Salzburg Festival as well as at the state operas of Vienna, Berlin and Munich.

Kenneth Lee O'Neil Baugh, was a Jamaican politician and surgeon. A member of the Jamaica Labour Party, he served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister of Health.

Kurt Jooss was a famous ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Tanztheater. Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen.