List of Famous people who died in 1998

Lee Tai-young, also known as Yi T'ai Yǒng, was Korea's first female lawyer [other sources refer to her as the first female lawyer in South Korea]. She was also the founder of the country's first legal aide centre. She fought for women's rights all through her career. Her often mentioned refrain was, "No society can or will prosper without the cooperation of women." Her dedication to law also got her the epithet "the woman judge."

Ramón Sampedro Cameán was a Spanish seaman and writer. Sampedro became a quadriplegic at the age of 25, following a diving accident, and fought for his right to an assisted suicide for the following 29 years.

Marvin Pentz Gay Sr. was an American Pentecostal minister. He was the father of American recording artists Marvin Gaye and Frankie Gaye and gained notoriety after shooting and killing Marvin on April 1, 1984, following an argument at their home.

Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry, nicknamed The Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, and rodeo performer who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning style on radio, in films, and on television for more than three decades beginning in the early 1930s. Autry was the owner of a television station, several radio stations in Southern California, and the Los Angeles/California Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

Marion O'Brien Donovan was an American inventor and entrepreneur. She is best known for developing the first waterproof disposable diaper, a feat which earned her election to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015.

Roland Ernst Wolf Kaiser was a German film actor. Kaiser appeared in twenty-seven films and television series between 1954 and 1997. He also worked as a voice actor, dubbing foreign films for release in Germany.

Air Marshal Sir Valston Eldridge Hancock, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Hancock transferred from the Army to the RAAF in 1929 and qualified as a pilot. His administrative training at Duntroon saw him mainly occupy staff posts, including Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters from 1931 to 1935, and Director of Works and Buildings from 1937 to 1939. During the early years of World War II, he commanded No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, and held senior planning and administrative positions. He eventually saw combat in the Aitape–Wewak campaign of the Pacific War during 1945. Flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers, he led first No. 100 Squadron, and later No. 71 Wing. His actions earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Stanislav Vasilyevich Kurilov was a Soviet, Canadian, and Israeli oceanographer. He escaped from the Soviet Union by jumping overboard from a cruise liner in the open ocean, and swimming to the Philippines.

Roland Walter "Tiny" Rowland was a controversial high-profile British businessman, corporate raider and Chief Executive of the Lonrho conglomerate from 1962 to 1994. He gained fame from a number of high-profile takeover bids, in particular his bid to take control of Harrods. He was known for his complex business interests in Africa, his closeness to a number of African leaders, and his rumoured co-operation with MI6 as it pertained to post-colonial British foreign policy in Africa.

Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.