17 April

Across recorded history, 1,518 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 17 April. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

1888–1975

2nd President and 1st Vice President of India, Indian philosopher and politician

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher who served as the first Vice President and second President of India.

Jean-Baptiste Perrin

1870–1942

French physicist

Jean-Baptiste Perrin was a French physicist who conducted research on the atomic nature of matter.

Turgut Özal

1927–1993

8th President of the Republic of Turkey

Turgut Özal was a politician who served as the eighth President of the Republic of Turkey.

Alan García

1949–2019

President of Peru (1985–1990 and 2006–2011)

Alan García was a politician who served two terms as the President of Peru.

Henrik Dam

1895–1976

Danish biochemist and physiologist

Henrik Dam was a biochemist who discovered the essential role of vitamin K in blood coagulation.

Roger Sperry

1913–1994

American neuroscientist

Roger Sperry was a neuroscientist who conducted research on the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres.

Aimé Césaire

1913–2008

Martinican writer, poet and politician

Aimé Césaire was a Martinican poet and politician who co-founded the Négritude movement.

Nathalie Baye

1948–2026

French actress

Nathalie Baye is a French actress who appeared in numerous stage and film productions throughout her career.

Linda McCartney

1941–1998

American photographer, musician and animal rights activist

Linda McCartney was a photographer who also worked as a musician and animal rights activist.

Alexander Mackenzie

1822–1892

2nd Prime Minister of Canada

Alexander Mackenzie was a politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Canada.

Piet Hein

1905–1996

20th-century Danish mathematician, inventor, designer, writer and poet

Piet Hein was a Danish designer known for creating the mathematical super-ellipse shape and writing numerous short poems called grooks.

Deanna Durbin

1921–2013

Canadian singer and actress

Deanna Durbin was a Canadian singer and actress who achieved international fame for her performances in musical films.

Doris Roberts

1925–2016

American actress

Doris Roberts was an American actress who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz

1822–1902

King consort of Spain from 1846 to 1868

Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz, served as the king consort of Spain.

Angelo Schiavio

1905–1990

Italian footballer

Angelo Schiavio was an Italian association football player who also served as a coach.

Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi

1947–2004

Palestinian political leader

Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi was a Palestinian politician and physician who served as a leader of Hamas.

Kantarō Suzuki

1868–1948

29th Prime Minister of Japan

Kantarō Suzuki was a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Mark W. Clark

1896–1984

United States Army general

Mark W. Clark was a United States Army general who served as a senior commander during the Second World War and the Korean War.

Patrick Geddes

1854–1932

British biologist, botanist and town planner

Patrick Geddes was a biologist and town planner who pioneered the application of ecological concepts to urban development and regional planning.

Eddie Cochran

1938–1960

American rock and roll pioneer

Eddie Cochran was an American rock and roll pioneer who worked as a singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Bogd Khan

1869–1924

Great Khan of Outer Mongolia

Bogd Khan was a religious leader who served as the Great Khan of Outer Mongolia.

Norman Hunter

1943–2020

English footballer

Norman Hunter was an English footballer who played as a defender.

Catherine Spaak

1945–2022

French-Belgian actress and singer

Catherine Spaak was a French-Belgian actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and television programs.

Oscar Schmidt

1958–2026

Brazilian basketball player

Oscar Schmidt was a Brazilian basketball player who competed in five Olympic Games.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.