List of Famous people who died in 1956

Rabbi Wolf Gold was a rabbi, Jewish activist, and one of the signatories of the Israeli declaration of independence

Walter John de la Mare was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of subtle psychological horror stories, amongst them "Seaton's Aunt" and "All Hallows".

Charles Gordon MacArthur was an American playwright, screenwriter and 1935 winner of the Academy Award for Best Story.

Samad Vurgun was an Azerbaijani and Soviet poet, dramatist, public figure, first People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1943), academician of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (1945), laureate of two USSR State Prizes of second degree, and member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1940.

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Panin-Kolomenkin was a Russian figure skater and coach. He won the gold medal in special figures in the 1908 Summer Olympics, became one of the oldest figure skating Olympic champions. Panin was Russia's first Olympic champion.

Karl Schelenz was a German sport teacher. He is famous as the "father" of modern handball.

Charles Ellsworth Grapewin was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably portraying Uncle Henry in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz (1939), Grandpa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Jeeter Lester in Tobacco Road (1941), and California Joe in They Died With Their Boots On (1941).

Prince Ernst Rüdiger Camillo von Starhemberg, also known as Ernst Rüdiger Camillo Starhemberg, was an Austrian nationalist and politician who helped introduce austrofascism and install a clerical fascist dictatorship in Austria prior to World War II. He was a leader of the Heimwehr and later of the Fatherland Front. He was the 1,163rd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Austrian Order.

Albrecht Alt, was a leading German Protestant theologian.

Una Mary Ross, 25th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley was a British peer. She succeeded her mother to the title in 1943. She was the daughter of Anthony, 3rd Earl of Dartrey, and his wife, Mary, Countess of Dartrey, who held the barony in her own right.