22 February

Across recorded history, 1,677 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 22 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Andy Warhol

1928–1987

American artist, film director, and producer

Andy Warhol was an American artist who became a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art.

Stefan Zweig

1881–1942

Austrian writer

Stefan Zweig was an Austrian writer known for his extensive body of prose, biographies, and essays.

Ferdinand de Saussure

1857–1913

Swiss linguist and philosopher

Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist who established the foundations of modern structural linguistics.

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

1796–1875

French landscape and portrait painter and printmaker in etching

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was a French painter known for his landscape and portrait works as well as his printmaking.

Sophie Scholl

1921–1943

German resistance fighter during the Nazi regime, member of the White Rose

Sophie Scholl was a German resistance fighter and a member of the White Rose group.

Antonio Machado

1875–1939

Spanish poet and essayist

Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet who wrote influential essays and literary works.

Richard E. Taylor

1929–2018

Canadian physicist

Richard E. Taylor was a Canadian physicist who conducted research on deep inelastic scattering.

Francisco I. Madero

1873–1913

Mexican revolutionary leader and president

Francisco I. Madero was a Mexican revolutionary leader who served as president of Mexico.

Abul Kalam Azad

1888–1958

Indian politician and writer

Abul Kalam Azad was an Indian politician and writer who served as a prominent figure in the movement for Indian independence.

Oskar Kokoschka

1886–1980

Austrian dramatic, painter and writer

Oskar Kokoschka was an Austrian painter and writer known for his contributions to expressionist art and literature.

Jonas Malheiro Savimbi

1934–2002

Angolan political and military leader

Jonas Malheiro Savimbi was an Angolan political and military leader who served as the founder and head of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola.

Katina Paxinou

1900–1973

Greek actress

Katina Paxinou was a Greek actress who performed on both the stage and in film.

Hugo Wolf

1860–1903

Austrian composer

Hugo Wolf was an Austrian composer known for his significant contributions to the development of the German art song.

Kasturba Gandhi

1869–1944

wife of Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader of British era

Kasturba Gandhi was an activist and freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement alongside her husband, Mahatma Gandhi.

Adam Ferguson

1723–1816

Scottish philosopher and historian;

Adam Ferguson was a Scottish philosopher and historian who contributed to the development of sociology.

Elizabeth Bowen

1899–1973

Anglo-Irish novelist and diarist

Elizabeth Bowen was a novelist who wrote short stories and diaries.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

1919–2021

American artist, writer and activist

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was a poet who founded the City Lights bookstore and publishing house.

Alexander Ilyich Yegorov

1883–1939

Marshal of the Soviet Union

Alexander Ilyich Yegorov was a Marshal of the Soviet Union who served as a military commander.

Michael Polanyi

1891–1976

Hungarian-British polymath

Michael Polanyi was a polymath who made contributions to the fields of philosophy, chemistry, and economics.

Chuck Jones

1912–2002

American animator and filmmaker

Chuck Jones was an American animator who created numerous iconic characters for animated films.

Marie Colvin

1956–2012

American war correspondent

Marie Colvin was a journalist who worked as a war correspondent.

Mabel Normand

1892–1930

American actress

Mabel Normand was an American actress who worked as a prominent comedian, writer, and director during the silent film era.

Hans Scholl

1918–1943

German pacifist, executed by Nazi Germany

Hans Scholl was a resistance fighter who opposed the Nazi regime.

Smithson Tennant

1761–1815

British chemist

Smithson Tennant was a British chemist who discovered the elements iridium and osmium.

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.