List of Famous people who died in 1974

William Harold Coltman, was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the most decorated rank and file soldier of the First World War.

Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement.

Holger Klaus Meins was a German cinematography student who joined the Red Army Faction (RAF) in the early 1970s and died on hunger strike in prison.

Vannevar Bush was an American engineer, inventor and science administrator, who during World War II headed the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), through which almost all wartime military R&D was carried out, including important developments in radar and the initiation and early administration of the Manhattan Project. He emphasized the importance of scientific research to national security and economic well-being, and was chiefly responsible for the movement that led to the creation of the National Science Foundation.

Karen Gay Silkwood was an American chemical technician and labor union activist known for raising concerns about corporate practices related to health and safety in a nuclear facility.

Helmuth Koinigg was an Austrian racing driver who died in a crash in the 1974 United States Grand Prix, in his second Grand Prix start.

Kurt Matthias Robert Martin Hahn was a German educator. He founded Stiftung Louisenlund, Schule Schloss Salem, Gordonstoun, Outward Bound and the United World Colleges.

Hans Lauda was an Austrian industrialist who co-founded the Federation of Austrian Industries and served as president from 1946 to 1960. He was the paternal grandfather of Formula One World Champion Niki Lauda.

Benjamin Edwin Paschal was an American baseball outfielder who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929, mostly for the New York Yankees. After two "cup of coffee" stints with the Cleveland Indians in 1915 and the Boston Red Sox in 1920, Paschal spent most of his career as the fourth outfielder and right-handed pinch hitter of the Yankees' Murderers' Row championship teams of the late 1920s. Paschal is best known for hitting .360 in the 1925 season while standing in for Babe Ruth, who missed the first 40 games with a stomach ailment.

Tokuzō Akiyama was a Japanese chef who served as Emperor Taishō's and later Emperor Shōwa's imperial chef. He is regarded as an influential figure in spreading French cuisine in Japan. His life was adapted into a novel and several television series. He is regarded as the "Japanese Escoffier".