21 September

Across recorded history, 1,423 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 21 September. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Arthur Schopenhauer

1788–1860

German philosopher

Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher known for his work on the nature of human will and representation.

Walter Scott

1771–1832

Scottish novelist, poet and playwright

Walter Scott was a novelist who wrote numerous works of historical fiction and poetry.

Trần Đại Quang

1956–2018

8th President of Vietnam

Trần Đại Quang was a politician who served as the President of Vietnam.

Arthur Ashkin

1922–2020

American physicist

Arthur Ashkin was an American physicist who developed optical tweezers used to manipulate microscopic objects with laser light.

Bernardo Houssay

1887–1971

Argentine physician

Bernardo Houssay was an Argentine physician who conducted research on the role of pituitary hormones in regulating blood sugar levels.

Ivan Bagramyan

1897–1982

Marshal of the Soviet Union

Ivan Bagramyan was a military officer who served as a Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Florence Griffith Joyner

1959–1998

American track and field athlete

Florence Griffith Joyner was an American track and field athlete who competed as a sprinter.

Walter Brennan

1894–1974

American actor

Walter Brennan was an American actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions throughout his career.

Henry de Montherlant

1895–1972

French writer

Henry de Montherlant was a French writer known for his novels and plays.

Mohamed Hussein Tantawi

1935–2021

Egyptian Field marshal and former statesman

Mohamed Hussein Tantawi was an Egyptian field marshal who served as a statesman.

Antoine Meillet

1866–1936

French linguist

Antoine Meillet was a French linguist who specialized in the study of Indo-European languages.

Sigmund Jähn

1937–2019

East German cosmonaut

Sigmund Jähn was an astronaut who became the first German citizen to travel into space.

Lidia Ruslanova

1900–1973

Russian-Soviet singer

Lidia Ruslanova was a Russian-Soviet singer known for her performances of traditional folk songs.

Paul Reynaud

1878–1966

French politician and lawyer

Paul Reynaud was a French politician who served as a government minister.

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić

1874–1938

Croatian writer

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was a Croatian writer recognized for her works of children's literature.

H.D.

1886–1961

American Imagist poet

H.D. was an American Imagist poet known for her contributions to modernist literature.

Jaco Pastorius

1951–1987

American jazz bassist

Jaco Pastorius was an American jazz bassist known for his influential work as a musician and composer.

Marie Bonaparte

1882–1962

French author and psychoanalyst

Marie Bonaparte was a psychoanalyst who authored works and translated the writings of Sigmund Freud.

Benjamin Graham

1894–1976

American economist and investor

Benjamin Graham was an economist and investor who pioneered the practice of value investing.

Otto Grotewohl

1894–1964

German politician

Otto Grotewohl was a German politician who served as the first Minister-President of the German Democratic Republic.

Karl Ludwig Hencke

1793–1866

German astronomer

Karl Ludwig Hencke was an astronomer who discovered multiple asteroids.

Michael Lonsdale

1931–2020

French actor

Michael Lonsdale was a French actor who appeared in numerous film, television, and stage productions throughout his career.

Ahmed ‘Urabi

1841–1911

Egyptian army officer and revolutionary

Ahmed ‘Urabi was an Egyptian military officer who led a nationalist uprising against the Khedivate and foreign influence.

Eugen Dühring

1833–1921

German antisemitic philosopher and economist

Eugen Dühring was a German philosopher and economist who authored works on antisemitic theory.

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.