List of Famous people who died in 1971

Leo Goodwin Sr. (1886–1971) was a American businessman and philanthropist best known for founding private auto insurance company GEICO in 1936, with his wife Lillian Goodwin.

Tahsin Yazıcı was an Ottoman Army officer and later a Turkish Army general and politician.

Nicolaas Johannes Michel was a Dutch football goalkeeper who played for the Netherlands in the 1938 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Telstar.

Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen (1883–1971) was a Muslim scholar of fiqh and tafsir, and the fifth president of the Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. He is known for his expansive work on a concise manual on Islamic faith, worship and ethics called The Big Book of Islamic Catechism.

Major Hashem al-Atta was a Sudanese political and military figure. Whilst he initially served in the National Revolutionary Command Council under Nimeiry, he is best known for his involvement in the 1971 coup d'état attempt, in which he, and other pro-communist members of the Sudanese Armed Forces attempted to overthrow Nimeiry and seize power. Initially successful, after several days the Revolutionary Government collapsed when Nimeiry was freed by loyalist military units. Following the failed coup attempt Atta and the other ringleaders were executed.

Celal Esat Arseven was a Turkish painter, writer and politician. He made contributions to various fields, including photography, literary art history, theater, cinema, architecture and urbanism. He was one of the first to introduce the scholastic disciplines of history of art and architecture and urbanism to Turkey. He pioneered a unique "Turkish art" and pioneered the acceptance of the Turkish art concept. His 5-volume Art Encyclopedia is his most recognizable work.