5 September

Across recorded history, 1,448 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 5 September. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← September 4 September 6 →

Mother Teresa

1910–1997

Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary

Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary who founded a religious community.

Auguste Comte

1798–1857

French philosopher, mathematician and sociologist

Auguste Comte was a French philosopher who established the discipline of sociology.

Ludwig Boltzmann

1844–1906

Austrian physicist and philosopher

Ludwig Boltzmann was a physicist who developed the statistical interpretation of thermodynamics.

Rudolf Virchow

1821–1902

German doctor, anthropologist, public health activist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician

Rudolf Virchow was a physician who pioneered the study of cellular pathology and contributed to the fields of anthropology and public health.

Nicolaas Bloembergen

1920–2017

Dutch-born American physicist

Physicist Nicolaas Bloembergen was a Nobel Prize winner who conducted research in the field of nonlinear optics.

Pyotr Stolypin

1862–1911

Russian politician

Pyotr Stolypin was a Russian politician who served as the head of government.

Crazy Horse

1849–1877

Oglala Sioux chief

Crazy Horse was an Oglala Sioux chief who served as a traditional leader of his people.

Charles Péguy

1873–1914

French poet, essayist, and editor

Charles Péguy was a French poet who authored numerous essays and literary works.

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

1741–1803

French novelist, official and army general

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos was a novelist and army general who authored the epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.

Jochen Rindt

1942–1970

German racing driver

Jochen Rindt was a racing driver who competed in Formula One.

Jiří Menzel

1938–2020

Czech film director, actor, director, scriptwriter, writer and university educator

Jiří Menzel was a Czech film director who worked as an actor, writer, and university educator.

Mohammad Shah Qajar

1808–1848

The third Shah of Iran Qajar

Mohammad Shah Qajar was the third ruler of the Qajar dynasty of Iran.

Neerja Bhanot

1963–1986

Indian flight attendant of Pan Am Flight 73

Neerja Bhanot was a flight attendant who served on Pan Am Flight 73.

Fritz Leiber

1910–1992

American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction

Fritz Leiber was an American writer known for his contributions to the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres.

Setsuko Hara

1920–2015

Japanese actress

Setsuko Hara was a Japanese actress known for her prominent roles in classic cinema.

Sérgio Mendes

1941–2024

Brazilian musician

Sérgio Mendes was a Brazilian musician who achieved international success by popularizing bossa nova and samba music.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

1890–1964

American politician

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was an American activist who served as a leader of the Communist Party USA and advocated for labor and women's rights.

Gert Fröbe

1913–1988

German actor

Gert Fröbe was an actor who appeared in numerous film and stage productions throughout his career.

Phyllis Schlafly

1924–2016

American conservative activist

Phyllis Schlafly was an American activist known for her conservative political advocacy and opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.

Ferdinand Raimund

1790–1836

Austrian dramatist, actor and writer

Ferdinand Raimund was an Austrian playwright who worked as an actor and theatre manager.

Vasily Chapayev

1887–1919

Red Army commander

Vasily Chapayev was a Red Army commander who served as a military leader during the Russian Civil War.

Henry Fairfield Osborn

1857–1935

American geologist and eugenicist

Henry Fairfield Osborn was a geologist who served as a prominent science administrator and advocate for eugenics.

Tamara Smirnova

1935–2001

Russian astronomer

Tamara Smirnova was a Russian astronomer who discovered numerous asteroids and comets during her career.

Aspazija

1865–1943

Latvian poet and playwright

Aspazija was a Latvian poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of 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.