List of Famous people who died in 1981

Sir James Martin was an Irish engineer who together with Captain Valentine Baker founded the Martin-Baker aircraft company which is now a leading producer of aircraft ejection seats.

Jorge Pereira Jardim was a Portuguese agronomist and an entrepreneur in Mozambique, who was Secretary of State in the government of António de Oliveira Salazar.

Thomas Henry Moore was an English drummer who played with the Beatles – from May to June 1960.

Ichiko Kamichika (神近 市子, Kamichika Ichiko) was a journalist, feminist, writer, translator, and critic. Her birth name was Ichi Kamichika and her pen name was Ei, Yo, or Ou Sakaki(榊 纓). After World War II, Kamichika served in the Japanese House of Representatives as a member of the Social Democratic Party.

Ōnoumi Hisamitsu was a sumo wrestler from Minamiakita District, Akita, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1937. He fought in the top makuuchi division for 16 tournaments and his highest rank was maegashira 3. He was a member of Nishonoseki stable and recruited the future yokozuna Wakanohana Kanji I while still an active wrestler. After his retirement from active competition in 1952 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Hanakago and established the Hanakago stable, taking Wakanohana with him. He was later the coach of yokozuna Wajima, who eventually married Hanakago's daughter and took over control of the stable shortly before Hanakago's death in 1981.

Ibrahim Abdel Hady Pasha was an Egyptian politician who was the 28th Prime Minister from 28 December 1948 until 26 July 1949. He was a member of the Saadist Institutional Party.

Stylianos Mavromichalis was a Greek politician and Prime Minister.