List of Famous people who died in 1979
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak, was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is also known as the "Hero of Quit India Movement" and he is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a "total revolution". His biography, Jayaprakash, was written by his nationalist friend and an eminent writer of Hindi literature, Rambriksh Benipuri. In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in recognition of his social work. Other awards include the Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965.
Jack Haley
John Joseph "Jack" Haley Jr. was an American vaudevillian, actor, comedian, radio host, singer and dancer, best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart "Hickory" in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz.
Konstantin Simonov
Konstantin Mikhailovich Simonov, born Kirill, was a Soviet author and a war poet. He was a playwright and a wartime correspondent, most famous for his poem Wait for Me.
Barbara Hutton
Barbara Woolworth Hutton was an American debutante, socialite, heiress, and philanthropist. She was dubbed the "Poor Little Rich Girl", first when she was given a lavish and expensive debutante ball in 1930, amid the Great Depression, and later due to a notoriously troubled private life.
Joseph Kessel
Joseph Kessel, also known as 'Jef' was a French journalist and novelist. He was a member of the Académie française and Grand officer of the Legion of Honour.
Yvonne de Gaulle
Yvonne de Gaulle was the wife of Charles de Gaulle. The couple had three children: Philippe, Élisabeth (1924–2013), and Anne (1928–1948), who was born with Down syndrome. Yvonne de Gaulle set up a charity, La fondation Anne-de-Gaulle, to help children with disabilities.
Jim Hutton
Dana James Hutton was an American actor in film and television best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name and his screen partnership with Paula Prentiss in four films, starting with Where the Boys Are. He is the father of actor Timothy Hutton.
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American professional baseball catcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, from 1969 until his death in 1979. A seven-time All-Star, Munson had a career batting average of .292 with 113 home runs and 701 runs batted in (RBIs). Known for his outstanding fielding, he won the Gold Glove Award in three consecutive years (1973–75).
Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator and test pilot. Along with Melitta von Stauffenberg, she flight tested many of Germany's new aircraft during World War II and received many honors.
Harry Meyen
Harry Meyen was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 40 films and television productions between 1948 and 1975. In the 1960s he also worked as a theatre director in West Germany.