List of Famous people who died in 2006

Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series Family (1976-1980), Charlie's Angels (1976–1981), The Love Boat (1977–1986), Hart to Hart (1979–1984), Dynasty (1981–1989), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000), Melrose Place (1992-1999), 7th Heaven (1996–2007), and Charmed (1998–2006). He also served as producer of Mod Squad (1968–1973), The Rookies (1972–1976), and Sunset Beach (1997–1999).

Dorothy Ann Richards was an American politician and 45th Governor of Texas (1991–95). A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, when she gave the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards was the second female governor of Texas and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners.

James Cameron was an American civil rights activist. In the 1940s, he founded three chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Indiana. He also served as Indiana's State Director of the Office of Civil Liberties from 1942 to 1950.

Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000. He won the WBC heavyweight title in 1986 by defeating Pinklon Thomas, then lost it in his first defense in the same year to Mike Tyson. Berbick was also the last boxer to fight Muhammad Ali, defeating him in 1981.

Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the "last problem" of the Alps. He wrote the books Seven Years in Tibet (1952) and The White Spider (1959).

Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda was a Paraguayan Army officer who was the dictator of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. He ascended to the position after leading an army coup in 1954. His 35-year-long rule, marked by an uninterrupted period of repression in his country, is the longest in modern South American history.

Drafi Franz Richard Deutscher was a German singer and songwriter of Sinti origin.

Lo Man-fei was a Taiwanese dancer and choreographer. She was a member of the Cloud Gate Dance Theater, founded by Lin Hwai-min, between 1979 and 1994. Lin subsequently founded her own dance troupe, Taipei Crossover Dance Company, and led Cloud Gate 2 from 1999 to her death.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh, was a Jordanian jihadist who ran a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. He became known after going to Iraq and being responsible for a series of bombings, beheadings, and attacks during the Iraq War, reportedly "turning an insurgency against US troops" in Iraq "into a Shia–Sunni civil war". He was sometimes known by his supporters as the “Sheikh of the slaughterers".

Rut Brandt was a Norwegian-born German writer and the wife of the German Chancellor Willy Brandt between 1948 and 1980, including most of his political career as Governing Mayor of Berlin (1957–1966) and German chancellor (1969–1974). Rut Brandt became highly popular in Germany and a noted public figure in her role as First Lady of Berlin and the chancellor's spouse.