24 August

Across recorded history, 1,404 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 24 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Simone Weil

1909–1943

French philosopher, writer, and social activist

Simone Weil was a French philosopher who worked as a social activist and writer.

Getúlio Vargas

1882–1954

President of Brazil (1930–1945; 1951–1954)

Getúlio Vargas was a Brazilian politician who served as the president of Brazil.

Nicolas Carnot

1796–1832

French physicist, the "father of thermodynamics"

Nicolas Carnot was a physicist recognized as the father of thermodynamics for his foundational work on the efficiency of heat engines.

Rudolf Clausius

1822–1888

German mathematical physicist and professor

Rudolf Clausius was a physicist who formulated the second law of thermodynamics.

Richard Attenborough

1923–2014

British actor

Richard Attenborough was a British actor and filmmaker who directed and produced numerous motion pictures.

Walter Scheel

1919–2016

President of West Germany

Walter Scheel was a politician who served as the President of West Germany.

Roger Y. Tsien

1952–2016

American biochemist

Roger Y. Tsien was a biochemist who conducted research on fluorescent proteins.

Charlie Watts

1941–2021

British drummer

Charlie Watts was a British drummer who served as a long-term member of the rock band The Rolling Stones.

Kenji Mizoguchi

1898–1956

Japanese film director and screenwriter

Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to cinema.

Sergei Dovlatov

1941–1990

Soviet writer

Sergei Dovlatov was a Soviet writer who authored numerous works documenting life in the Soviet Union.

Lao She

1899–1966

Chinese writer, novelist and playwright

Lao She was a Chinese novelist and playwright known for his contributions to modern literature.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

1926–2004

Swiss-American psychiatrist and pioneer in near-death studies

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a psychiatrist who pioneered the study of near-death experiences.

Nikolay Gumilev

1886–1921

Russian poet

Nikolay Gumilev was a Russian poet who worked as an explorer and literary critic.

Prince Henri, Count of Chambord

1820–1883

French Royal

Prince Henri, Count of Chambord was a French royal who served as a claimant to the throne of France.

Julie Harris

1925–2013

American actress

Julie Harris was an American actor who performed in numerous stage, film, and television productions.

Michel Butor

1926–2016

French writer

Michel Butor was a French writer known for his contributions to the nouveau roman literary movement.

Satoshi Kon

1963–2010

Japanese anime director and manga artist

Satoshi Kon was a Japanese anime director and manga artist known for his influential contributions to the medium of animation.

Adam Johann von Krusenstern

1770–1846

Baltic German admiral and explorer in Russian service, who led the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe

Adam Johann von Krusenstern was an admiral who led the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe.

Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski

1895–1966

Polish military leader

Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski was a Polish military officer who served as a commander of the Home Army during the Second World War.

Hanna Reitsch

1912–1979

German aviator

Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator who served as a test pilot.

Pascal Lissouba

1931–2020

First President of the Republic of the Congo

Pascal Lissouba was a politician who served as the first President of the Republic of the Congo.

John William Polidori

1795–1821

English writer and physician

John William Polidori was an English writer and physician who authored the vampire story The Vampyre.

Arun Jaitley

1952–2019

Indian politician and attorney

Arun Jaitley was an Indian politician and attorney who served as the country's finance minister.

Arturo Alessandri

1868–1950

Chilean politician and President

Arturo Alessandri was a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile.

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.