19 February

Across recorded history, 1,683 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 19 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← February 18 February 20 →

Umberto Eco

1932–2016

Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist

Umberto Eco was an Italian semiotician and novelist known for his contributions to literary theory and his widely read works of fiction.

Knut Hamsun

1859–1952

Norwegian novelist

Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian novelist known for his influential literary works.

Deng Xiaoping

1904–1997

Chinese politician and paramount leader from 1978 to 1989

Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician who served as the paramount leader of China.

Harper Lee

1926–2016

American novelist

Harper Lee was an American novelist best known for writing the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Ernst Mach

1838–1916

Austrian physicist

Ernst Mach was a physicist who contributed to the study of fluid dynamics and the philosophy of science.

Karl Weierstraß

1815–1897

German mathematician

Karl Weierstraß was a mathematician who contributed to the development of modern analysis.

Karl Lagerfeld

1933–2019

German fashion designer

Karl Lagerfeld was a German fashion designer known for his extensive work in the global fashion industry.

Robert Coleman Richardson

1937–2013

American physicist

Robert Coleman Richardson was an American physicist who conducted research in the field of low-temperature physics.

Multatuli

1820–1870

Dutch author

Multatuli was a Dutch writer known for his critique of colonial administration in the Dutch East Indies.

Renato Dulbecco

1914–2012

Italian-born American virologist

Renato Dulbecco was a virologist who conducted research on the genetic transformation of cells by tumor viruses.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser

1928–2000

Austrian artist

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist known for his work as a painter and architect.

Eric Dane

1972–2026

American actor

Eric Dane is an American actor known for his work in film and television.

Georg Brandes

1842–1927

Danish literature critic and scholar

Georg Brandes was a Danish literary critic who exerted a significant influence on the development of Scandinavian literature and culture.

André Frédéric Cournand

1895–1988

French physiologist

André Frédéric Cournand was a French physiologist who conducted research on cardiac catheterization and human circulatory function.

Bon Scott

1946–1980

Australian singer

Bon Scott was an Australian singer who served as the lead vocalist for the rock band AC/DC.

Charles-François Daubigny

1817–1878

French painter

Charles-François Daubigny was a French landscape painter who contributed to the development of the Barbizon school.

Stanley Kramer

1913–2001

American film director and producer

Stanley Kramer was an American film director and producer known for his work on socially conscious motion pictures.

René Char

1907–1988

French poet

René Char was a French poet who participated in the French Resistance.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

1866–1915

Indian political leader and social reformer

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was an Indian politician who served as a prominent social reformer.

Anatoly Sobchak

1937–2000

Russian politician

Anatoly Sobchak was a Russian politician who served as the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg.

Maurice Garin

1871–1957

French cyclist

Maurice Garin was a French cyclist who won the inaugural Tour de France.

Horacio Quiroga

1878–1937

Uruguayan playwright, poet, and short story writer

Horacio Quiroga was a writer known for his short stories, plays, and poetry.

Edmund Landau

1877–1938

German Jewish mathematician

Edmund Landau was a mathematician who contributed to the fields of number theory and analysis.

Georgios Papanikolaou

1883–1962

Greek pathologist

Georgios Papanikolaou was a pathologist who developed the Papanicolaou test for the early detection of cervical cancer.

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.