25 August

Across recorded history, 1,454 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 25 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← August 24 August 26 →

Friedrich Nietzsche

1844–1900

German philosopher

Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher who explored concepts including the death of God and the will to power.

Neil Armstrong

1930–2012

American astronaut and lunar explorer

Neil Armstrong was an astronaut who became the first person to walk on the moon.

Michael Faraday

1791–1867

British scientist

Michael Faraday was a physicist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.

John McCain

1936–2018

American politician

John McCain was an American politician who served as a United States Senator.

Antoine Henri Becquerel

1852–1908

French physicist

Physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered the phenomenon of radioactivity.

Truman Capote

1924–1984

American writer

Truman Capote was an American writer known for his novels and screenplays.

Eyvind Johnson

1900–1976

Swedish writer

Eyvind Johnson was a Swedish writer who authored numerous novels.

Aleksandr Kuprin

1870–1938

Russian writer

Aleksandr Kuprin was a Russian writer known for his novels and short stories.

Grigory Zinoviev

1883–1936

Ukrainian revolutionary

Grigory Zinoviev was a Ukrainian revolutionary who served as a prominent politician.

Lev Kamenev

1883–1936

Russian revolutionary and Soviet politician

Lev Kamenev was a Soviet politician who served as a prominent revolutionary leader during the formation of the Soviet Union.

Rainer Weiss

1932–2025

American physicist

Rainer Weiss is an American physicist who contributed to the development of laser interferometry for the detection of gravitational waves.

Alfred Kinsey

1894–1956

American sexologist

Alfred Kinsey was a sexologist who conducted extensive research on human sexual behavior.

Paul Muni

1895–1967

Austrian-born American stage and film actor

Paul Muni was an Austrian-born American actor who performed in stage, film, and television productions.

Samantha Smith

1972–1985

American peace activist and child actress

Samantha Smith was a peace activist and child actor who gained international attention for her correspondence with the leader of the Soviet Union.

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald

1803–1882

Estonian writer, author of the national epic Kalevipoeg

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald was a writer who authored the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg.

Carl Barks

1901–2000

American cartoonist

Carl Barks was an American cartoonist who created numerous characters and stories for the Disney comic book universe.

Raymond Barre

1924–2007

85th Prime Minister of France

Raymond Barre was a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France.

Henri Fantin-Latour

1836–1904

French painter and printmaker

Henri Fantin-Latour was a French painter known for his portraits and floral still lifes.

Gilmar

1930–2013

Brazilian footballer

Gilmar was a Brazilian association football player who played as a goalkeeper.

Umberto Saba

1883–1957

Italian poet and novelist

Umberto Saba was an Italian poet and novelist known for his literary contributions to twentieth-century literature.

Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf

1852–1925

Field Marshal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf was a military officer who served as a Field Marshal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Musa Cälil

1906–1944

Soviet poet

Musa Cälil was a Soviet poet who worked as a war correspondent.

Silva Kaputikyan

1919–2006

Armenian poet, writer and political activist

Silva Kaputikyan was an Armenian poet who engaged in political activism.

S. M. Bruce

1883–1967

Australian politician, eighth Prime Minister of Australia

S. M. Bruce was an Australian politician who served as the eighth Prime Minister of Australia.

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.