15 August

Across recorded history, 1,520 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 15 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← August 14 August 16 →

Grazia Deledda

1871–1936

Italian novelist

Grazia Deledda was an Italian novelist who wrote extensively about life in Sardinia.

William Herschel

1738–1822

German-born British astronomer and composer

William Herschel was an astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus.

René Magritte

1898–1967

Belgian surrealist

René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist painter known for creating thought-provoking images that challenge observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality.

Gerd Müller

1945–2021

German footballer

Gerd Müller was a German association football player who competed professionally throughout his career.

Viktor Tsoi

1962–1990

Soviet rock musician

Viktor Tsoi was a Soviet rock musician who gained widespread popularity as the leader of the band Kino.

Paul Signac

1863–1935

French painter

Paul Signac was a French painter who helped develop the pointillist style of painting.

Will Rogers

1879–1935

American humorist and entertainer

Will Rogers was an American entertainer who worked as a stage and film actor, journalist, and writer.

Sławomir Mrożek

1930–2013

Polish dramatist and writer

Sławomir Mrożek was a Polish playwright and writer known for his satirical works.

Hugo Theorell

1903–1982

biochemist

Hugo Theorell was a biochemist who conducted research on the nature and mode of action of oxidation enzymes.

Sune Bergström

1916–2004

Swedish biochemist

Sune Bergström was a Swedish biochemist who conducted research on prostaglandins.

Johan Gadolin

1760–1852

Finnish chemist, physicist and mineralogist

Johan Gadolin was a chemist who discovered the chemical element yttrium.

Harry Harrison

1924–2012

American science fiction author

Harry Harrison was an American science fiction writer known for his contributions to the genre.

Paul Lukas

1894–1971

Hungarian-American actor

Paul Lukas was a Hungarian-American actor who appeared in numerous motion pictures.

Joseph Joachim

1831–1907

Hungarian violinist, composer, and teacher

Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist who worked as a composer and music educator.

Ludwig Prandtl

1875–1953

German physicist

Ludwig Prandtl was a physicist who developed the boundary layer theory in fluid dynamics.

Artur Schnabel

1882–1951

Austrian pianist

Artur Schnabel was an Austrian pianist known for his performances and recordings of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Lei Feng

1940–1962

Chinese soldier and communist icon

Lei Feng was a Chinese soldier who became a prominent cultural icon.

Olga Orozco

1920–1999

Argentine writer

Olga Orozco was an Argentine writer recognized for her contributions to poetry and prose.

Jacques Vergès

1924–2013

French lawyer, political activist and writer

Jacques Vergès was a French lawyer known for his defense of individuals involved in anti-colonial struggles and high-profile criminal cases.

John Kerr

1824–1907

Scottish physicist and pioneer in the field of electro-optics

John Kerr was a physicist who pioneered the field of electro-optics.

Manuel Prado Ugarteche

1889–1967

41st & 46th President of Peru

Manuel Prado Ugarteche was a politician who served as the President of Peru.

Giorgio Perlasca

1910–1992

Italian self-appointed Spanish diplomat in Hungary who saved 5218 Jews from the Holocaust

Giorgio Perlasca was a businessman who posed as a Spanish diplomat in Hungary to protect Jewish people from the Holocaust.

Faas Wilkes

1923–2006

Dutch footballer

Faas Wilkes was a Dutch association football player known for his professional career in the Netherlands and abroad.

Viggo Brun

1885–1978

Norwegian mathematician

Viggo Brun was a Norwegian mathematician who contributed to the field of number theory.

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.