26 March

Across recorded history, 1,668 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 26 March. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Ludwig van Beethoven

1770–1827

German composer

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who created numerous influential works of classical music.

Walt Whitman

1819–1892

American poet, essayist and journalist

Walt Whitman was an American poet known for his influential contributions to the development of free verse in literature.

David Lloyd George

1863–1945

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922

David Lloyd George was a politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Tomas Tranströmer

1931–2015

Swedish poet, psychologist and translator

Tomas Tranströmer was a Swedish poet who also worked as a psychologist and translator.

Cecil John Rhodes

1853–1902

British businessman, mining magnate and politician in South Africa

Cecil John Rhodes was a British businessman and politician who played a central role in the development of mining interests in South Africa.

James Callaghan

1912–2005

former prime minister of the United Kingdom

James Callaghan was a politician who served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Raymond Chandler

1888–1959

American novelist and screenwriter

Raymond Chandler was a novelist and screenwriter known for his contributions to the crime fiction genre.

Roland Barthes

1915–1980

French philosopher and essayist

Roland Barthes was a French philosopher and essayist who contributed significantly to the development of semiology and literary theory.

Noël Coward

1899–1973

English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer

Noël Coward was an English playwright who also worked as a composer, director, actor, and singer.

Eazy-E

1964–1995

American rapper

Eazy-E was an American rapper who founded the record label Ruthless Records.

Mikhail Ulyanov

1927–2007

Soviet and Russian actor, theatre and film director

Mikhail Ulyanov was an actor and director who worked extensively in Soviet and Russian theatre and film.

Lin Yutang

1895–1976

Chinese inventor, novelist and philosopher

Lin Yutang was a Chinese writer who worked as a novelist, philosopher, and inventor.

Édouard Herriot

1872–1957

French Radical politician

Édouard Herriot was a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France.

Constantin Fehrenbach

1852–1926

German politician

Constantin Fehrenbach was a German politician who served as the Chancellor of Germany.

Boris Shaposhnikov

1882–1945

Marshal of the Soviet Union

Boris Shaposhnikov was a Marshal of the Soviet Union who served as a senior military commander.

Diana Wynne Jones

1934–2011

English children's fantasy writer

Diana Wynne Jones was a children's fantasy writer known for her contributions to the genre.

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin

1738–1814

French physician

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin was a French physician who proposed the use of a mechanical device for the administration of capital punishment.

Spyridon Louis

1873–1940

Greek athlete

Spyridon Louis was a Greek athlete who competed as a marathon runner.

B. Traven

1882–1969

German novelist

B. Traven was a German novelist known for his literary works.

Tadamichi Kuribayashi

1891–1945

Japanese general

Tadamichi Kuribayashi was a Japanese general who commanded the defense of Iwo Jima during the Second World War.

Geraldine Ferraro

1935–2011

American politician

Geraldine Ferraro was an American politician who served as the first female vice-presidential candidate for a major political party.

Max Ophüls

1902–1957

German film director

Max Ophüls was a film director known for his work in German cinema.

Richard Serra

1938–2024

American sculptor

Richard Serra was an American sculptor known for his large-scale works created from industrial materials.

Thomas Hill Green

1836–1882

British philosopher

Thomas Hill Green was a British philosopher who contributed to the development of idealism in late nineteenth-century thought.

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.