30 August

Across recorded history, 1,394 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 30 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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Mikhail Gorbachev

1931–2022

leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991

Mikhail Gorbachev was a politician who served as the leader of the Soviet Union.

Charles Baudelaire

1821–1867

French poet and critic

Charles Baudelaire was a French poet and critic known for his influential contributions to modern literature and art criticism.

Naguib Mahfouz

1911–2006

Egyptian writer

Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who authored numerous novels and short stories.

Joseph John Thomson

1856–1940

British physicist

Physicist Joseph John Thomson discovered the electron through his research on cathode rays.

Seamus Heaney

1939–2013

Irish poet, playwright, translator, lecturer

Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet who worked as a playwright, translator, and lecturer.

Charles Bronson

1921–2003

American actor

Charles Bronson was an American actor known for his roles in numerous film and television productions.

Wilhelm Wien

1864–1928

German physicist

Wilhelm Wien was a physicist who formulated the law describing the thermal radiation of a black body.

Henri Barbusse

1873–1935

French author

Henri Barbusse was a French novelist known for his literary works reflecting his experiences during the First World War.

Ilia Chavchavadze

1837–1907

Georgian public figure and writer; a saint of Georgian Orthodox Church

Ilia Chavchavadze was a Georgian writer and public figure who is recognized as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Wes Craven

1939–2015

American filmmaker

Wes Craven was an American filmmaker known for his work in the horror genre.

Mohammad-Ali Rajai

1933–1981

Iranian Prime Minister and President of Iran

Mohammad-Ali Rajai was an Iranian politician who served as the Prime Minister and President of Iran.

Oliver Sacks

1933–2015

British neurologist and writer

Oliver Sacks was a neurologist and writer who authored numerous books documenting his clinical experiences with patients.

Glenn Ford

1916–2006

Canadian-American actor

Glenn Ford was an actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions throughout his career.

Věra Čáslavská

1942–2016

Czechoslovak sports official, artistic gymnast and coach

Věra Čáslavská was an artistic gymnast who served as a Czechoslovak sports official and coach.

Jean Seberg

1938–1979

American actress

Jean Seberg was an American actress who appeared in numerous international films.

Francisco Varallo

1910–2010

Argentine footballer

Francisco Varallo was an Argentine footballer who played as a forward for the national team.

Charles Coburn

1877–1961

American film, theater actor

Charles Coburn was an American actor who performed in both film and theater productions throughout his career.

Alain Corneau

1943–2010

French film director

Alain Corneau was a French film director known for his work in cinema.

Mohamed Al-Fayed

1929–2023

Egyptian businessman and billionaire

Mohamed Al-Fayed was an Egyptian businessman who owned various high-profile commercial enterprises.

Lindsay Anderson

1923–1994

British feature-film, theatre and documentary director and film critic

Lindsay Anderson was a British director and film critic known for his work in feature films, theatre, and documentaries.

Fred Lawrence Whipple

1906–2004

American astronomer

Fred Lawrence Whipple was an astronomer who proposed the dirty snowball model of comet nuclei.

Marjorie Boulton

1924–2017

British writer

Marjorie Boulton was a British writer and Esperantist who authored numerous literary works and scholarly texts in both English and Esperanto.

Joseph Kobzon

1937–2018

Soviet and Russian singer

Joseph Kobzon was a Soviet and Russian singer who also served as a public figure, politician, and music educator.

Donald Davidson

1917–2003

American philosopher

Donald Davidson was an American philosopher who developed influential theories regarding the nature of human action, language, and the mind.

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.