List of Famous people who died at 78

Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1967 to 1991. Prior to this, he had served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland and as rabbi of the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in New York City. In addition to his official duties he was regarded as an authority in medical ethics from a Jewish standpoint. He was knighted in 1981 and became the first Chief Rabbi to enter the House of Lords in 1988 as Baron Jakobovits.

Derek Mahon was an Irish poet. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland but lived in a number of cities around the world. At his passing it was noted that his "influence in the Irish poetry community, literary world and society at large, and his legacy, is immense". President of Ireland Michael D Higgins said of Mahon "he shared with his northern peers the capacity to link the classical and the contemporary but he brought also an edge that was unsparing of cruelty and wickedness."

Sidney James van den Bergh was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman.

Ted Markland was an American character actor.

General Sir Joseph David Frederick Mostyn was a British soldier and one-time Adjutant-General to the Forces.

Lê Đức Thọ, born Phan Đình Khải in Nam Dinh Province, was a Vietnamese revolutionary, general, diplomat, and politician. He was the first Asian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but refused the award.

Ye Qisun, also named Ye Hongjuan (叶鸿眷), was a Chinese physicist and one of the founders of modern physics in China.

Adnan Şenses was a Turkish musician and actor.

Joseph Jean-Noël Yves Picard was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1965 to 1973.

Inga Maria Ålenius was a Swedish actress. She is best known for her role as "Lisen" in Fanny and Alexander.