28 March

Across recorded history, 1,572 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 28 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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Virginia Woolf

1882–1941

English modernist writer

Virginia Woolf was an English novelist and modernist writer who significantly influenced twentieth-century literature.

Marc Chagall

1887–1985

Belarusian-French artist

Marc Chagall was a painter who produced works in a wide variety of artistic media throughout his career.

Eugène Ionesco

1909–1994

Romanian-French playwright

Eugène Ionesco was a Romanian-French playwright known for his contributions to the Theatre of the Absurd.

Sergei Rachmaninoff

1873–1943

Russian composer, pianist and conductor

Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer who achieved international recognition for his work as a virtuoso pianist and conductor.

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

1835–1881

Russian composer

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer known for his contributions to the development of a distinct national musical style.

Peter Ustinov

1921–2004

British actor, writer and director

Peter Ustinov was a British actor, writer, and director who also served as a humanitarian.

Adolf Loos

1870–1933

Austrian and Czech architect and art collector

Adolf Loos was an architect who influenced modern design through his theoretical writings on architecture and art.

Maurice Jarre

1924–2009

French composer and conductor

Maurice Jarre was a French composer and conductor known for his extensive work in film scoring.

Jim Thorpe

1888–1953

American track and field athlete and baseball player

Jim Thorpe was an athlete who competed in track and field and played professional baseball.

William Giauque

1895–1982

American chemist

William Giauque was a chemist who conducted research in the field of chemical thermodynamics.

Ryuichi Sakamoto

1952–2023

Japanese composer

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese composer known for his extensive work in film scoring and electronic music.

Edmond Debeaumarché

1906–1959

French Resistance member

Edmond Debeaumarché was a French Resistance member who participated in the liberation of France.

Stephen Leacock

1869–1944

Canadian writer and economist

Stephen Leacock was a Canadian writer and economist known for his contributions to literature and economic theory.

Miguel Hernández

1910–1942

Spanish poet

Miguel Hernández was a Spanish poet who wrote works of literature and drama.

Didier Ratsiraka

1936–2021

President of Madagascar

Didier Ratsiraka was a politician who served as the President of Madagascar.

Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood

1897–1965

Member of the House of Windsor

Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the House of Windsor who served as a nurse.

Janet Jagan

1920–2009

president of Guyana, prime minister of Guyana, nurse

Janet Jagan was a politician who served as the president and prime minister of Guyana.

Patrick Troughton

1920–1987

English actor

Patrick Troughton was an English actor who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

Friedrich Zander

1887–1933

Russian and Soviet engineer, rocket designer

Friedrich Zander was an engineer who worked as a rocket designer.

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany

1853–1884

Member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark

1789–1864

Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark was an aristocrat who served as the Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.

W. C. Handy

1873–1958

American blues composer and musician

W. C. Handy was an American composer and musician who is widely recognized for his contributions to the development of the blues.

Stephan Endlicher

1804–1849

Austrian botanist, linguist and numismatist

Stephan Endlicher was an Austrian botanist who also worked as a linguist and numismatist.

Caspar Weinberger

1917–2006

American politician

Caspar Weinberger was an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of Defense.

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.