List of Famous people who died in 1977

Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident.

Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano.

Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun was a German-born American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany and a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the United States.

Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician affiliated with the CDU, and the second Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is known for leading the West German postwar economic reforms and economic recovery in his role as Minister of Economic Affairs under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer from 1949 to 1963. During that period he promoted the concept of the social market economy, on which Germany's economic policy in the 21st century continues to be based. In his tenure as Chancellor, however, Erhard lacked support from Adenauer, who remained chairman of the party until 1966, and failed to win the public's confidence in his handling of a budget deficit and his direction of foreign policy. His popularity waned, and he resigned his chancellorship on 30 November 1966.

In Hinduism, Chandraghanta is the third form of Goddess Durga (Parvati). Her name Chandra-Ghanta, means "one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell. Her third eye is always opened and she always ready for war against demons". She is also known as Chandrakhanda, Chandika or Rannchandi. Her worship takes place on the third day of Navaratri. She is believed to reward people with her grace, bravery and courage. By her grace all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are eradicated. It also represent her married form.

Abdel Halim Ali Shabana, commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez, was an Egyptian singer, actor, conductor, businessman, music teacher and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest Egyptian musicians along with Umm Kulthum, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Mohamed Fawzi, and Shadia. As his popularity grew, he was given the nickname 'el-Andaleeb el-Asmar, meaning The Dark-Skinned Nightingale. To date, he has sold over 80 million records.

Hamida Djandoubi was a Tunisian sentenced to death in France. He was a Tunisian agricultural worker and convicted murderer. He moved to Marseille, France, in 1968 and six years later he kidnapped, tortured and murdered 22-year-old Élisabeth Bousquet, his former girlfriend. He was sentenced to death in February 1977 and executed by guillotine in September that year. He was the last person to be executed in Western Europe, and he was the last person to be lawfully executed by beheading anywhere in the Western world. He was not however, the last person sentenced to death in France. Marcel Chevalier served as chief executioner.

Marc Bolan was an English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and poet. He was the lead singer of the band T. Rex and was one of the pioneers of the glam rock movement of the 1970s.

Marvin Pipkin was an American chemist, engineer, and scientist. During his time in the United States Army, he worked on gas mask innovations. These masks were used by soldiers as well as the public during World War I for protection against chemical weapons. His innovative improvements were used through the twentieth century.

Josef "Sepp" Herberger was a German football player and manager. He is most famous for being the manager of the West German national team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup final, a match later dubbed The Miracle of Bern, defeating the overwhelming favourites from Hungary. Previously he had also coached the Breslau Eleven, one of the greatest teams in German football history.