26 January

Across recorded history, 1,672 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 26 January. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Kobe Bryant

1978–2020

American basketball player

Kobe Bryant was an American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Edward Jenner

1749–1823

English physician, scientist and pioneer of vaccination

Edward Jenner was a physician who pioneered the development of the smallpox vaccine.

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller

1908–1979

Vice President of the United States from 1974 to 1977

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was a politician who served as the Vice President of the United States.

Théodore Géricault

1791–1824

French painter

Théodore Géricault was a French painter known for his contributions to the Romantic movement.

Vuk Karadžić

1787–1864

Serbian philologist and linguist

Vuk Karadžić was a Serbian philologist and linguist who reformed the Serbian language and standardized its literary form.

Nicolaus Otto

1832–1891

German inventor

Nicolaus Otto was an inventor who developed the first internal combustion engine to efficiently burn fuel directly in a piston chamber.

Nikolai Vavilov

1887–1943

Russian (Soviet) agronomist, botanist and geneticist

Nikolai Vavilov was a botanist who identified the centers of origin for cultivated plants through extensive global expeditions.

Cloris Leachman

1926–2021

American actress and comedian

Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedian who appeared in numerous film, television, and stage productions throughout her career.

Edward G. Robinson

1893–1973

Romanian-American actor

Edward G. Robinson was an actor known for his roles in film, television, and stage productions, as well as his work as an art collector.

Arthur Cayley

1821–1895

English mathematician

Arthur Cayley was a mathematician who contributed significantly to the development of pure mathematics and the theory of algebraic invariants.

Michel Legrand

1932–2019

French film score composer

Michel Legrand was a French film score composer who worked extensively across various musical disciplines throughout his career.

José Ferrer

1912–1992

American actor and director

José Ferrer was an American actor and director who worked extensively in film and theatre.

Lyubov Orlova

1902–1975

Soviet actress and singer

Lyubov Orlova was a Soviet actress and singer who performed in numerous musical films.

Julia Margaret Cameron

1815–1879

British photographer

Julia Margaret Cameron was a British photographer known for her portraiture.

Felix Hausdorff

1868–1942

German mathematician (*1868 – †1942)

Felix Hausdorff was a German mathematician who contributed to the development of topology.

Lucky Luciane

1897–1962

Italian American mobster

Lucky Luciane (1897–1962), Italian American mobster (1897–1962).

Charles George Gordon

1833–1885

British army officer and administrator

Charles George Gordon was a British military officer and colonial administrator who served in various international campaigns.

Lewis Mumford

1895–1990

American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology and literary critic

Lewis Mumford was a historian who wrote extensively on the development of cities and the impact of technology on human civilization.

George Habash

1926–2008

founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

George Habash was a physician who founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Abe Vigoda

1921–2016

American actor

Abe Vigoda was an American actor known for his roles in film and television.

Don Budge

1915–2000

American tennis player

Don Budge was an American tennis player who achieved the first calendar-year Grand Slam in the history of the sport.

Ernst Heinrich Weber

1795–1878

German psychologist

Ernst Heinrich Weber was a psychologist who conducted foundational research on sensory perception and the human response to physical stimuli.

Khorloogiin Choibalsan

1895–1952

Mongolian general and political leader from the 1930s to 1952

Khorloogiin Choibalsan was a Mongolian political leader and general who governed the country for two decades.

Akaki Tsereteli

1840–1915

Georgian writer

Akaki Tsereteli was a Georgian writer known for his contributions to national literature.

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.