24 February

Across recorded history, 1,608 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 24 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← February 23 February 25 →

Tennessee Williams

1911–1983

American playwright

Tennessee Williams was an American playwright known for his influential contributions to twentieth-century drama.

Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky

1792–1856

Russian mathematician

Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky was a mathematician who developed non-Euclidean geometry.

Henry Cavendish

1731–1810

English natural philosopher, and scientist

Henry Cavendish was a scientist who conducted research in the fields of chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Katherine Johnson

1918–2020

African-American mathematician

Katherine Johnson was a mathematician who performed orbital mechanics calculations for NASA spaceflight missions.

Sridevi

1963–2018

Indian actress

Sridevi was an Indian actress who appeared in numerous films throughout her career.

Robert Fulton

1756–1815

American engineer and inventor

Robert Fulton was an engineer who developed the first commercially successful steamboat.

Claude Shannon

1916–2001

American mathematician and information theorist

Mathematician Claude Shannon founded information theory by establishing the fundamental principles of digital communication.

Sandro Pertini

1896–1990

Italian journalist, resistance leader and politician, President of Italy from 1978 to 1985

Sandro Pertini was an Italian politician who served as the President of Italy and participated in the resistance movement.

Alberto Sordi

1920–2003

Italian actor

Alberto Sordi was an Italian actor who worked extensively in film, television, and stage productions throughout his career.

Gerd von Rundstedt

1875–1953

German Field Marshal during World War II

Gerd von Rundstedt was a German field marshal who served as a senior military commander during World War II.

Nikolai Bulganin

1885–1975

Soviet politician

Nikolai Bulganin was a Soviet politician who served as the Premier of the Soviet Union.

Don Knotts

1924–2006

American actor and stand-up comedian

Don Knotts was an American actor known for his work in film and television.

Bobby Moore

1941–1993

English association football player

Bobby Moore was an English association football player who captained the national team to victory in the World Cup.

Anton Drexler

1884–1942

German politician

Anton Drexler was a German politician who founded the German Workers' Party.

Alexander Archipenko

1887–1964

American sculptor and artist of Ukrainian origin

Alexander Archipenko was a sculptor and artist of Ukrainian origin who worked in the United States.

Roberta Flack

1937–2025

American singer

Roberta Flack was an American singer known for her work as a recording artist, pianist, and composer.

Harold Ramis

1944–2014

American actor, comedian, and filmmaker

Harold Ramis was a filmmaker who worked as an actor, writer, and director on numerous comedy films.

Étienne-Louis Malus

1775–1812

French officer, engineer, physicist, and mathematician

Physicist Étienne-Louis Malus discovered the polarization of light by reflection.

Sally Kellerman

1937–2022

American actress

Sally Kellerman was an American actress known for her performances in film, television, and stage productions.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts

1809–1876

President of Liberia

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was a politician who served as the President of Liberia.

Dinah Shore

1916–1994

American singer and actress

Dinah Shore was an American singer and actress who achieved prominence in the entertainment industry.

Bud Luckey

1934–2018

American animator

Bud Luckey was an American animator who contributed to the production of numerous feature films.

Edward W. Morley

1838–1923

American physical chemist

Edward W. Morley was an American physical chemist who conducted experiments on the properties of light and the composition of the atmosphere.

Hu Shih

1891–1962

Chinese scholar, writer and philosopher

Hu Shih was a Chinese scholar who promoted the use of vernacular language in literature and advocated for liberal reform.

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.