Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 2010. This list includes people like Alexander McQueen, Corey Haim, Dennis Hopper, J. D. Salinger, Gary Coleman and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, directors, journalists and economists who died in 2010. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Russia and many more countries.
Vote for Your Favourite People Who Died In 2010
Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
1
Leslie Nielsen(Actor and Comedian Known for His Films: ‘Forbidden Planet’, ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ and ‘Airplane!’)
Birthdate: February 11, 1926
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Regina, Canada
Died: November 28
Leslie Nielsen was a Canadian actor who played more than 220 characters, appearing in over 150 television programs and 100 films in a career that spanned 60 years. In the latter part of his career, he gained recognition as a comedian and went on to become one of the most popular Canadian comedians of his generation.
2
Dennis Hopper(Actor, Filmmaker and Photographer Best Known for His Films: ‘Easy Rider’, ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘The Last Movie’)
Birthdate: May 17, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dodge City, Kansas, United States
Died: May 29
Dennis Hopper was an American actor, photographer, and filmmaker. His directorial film debut Easy Rider glorified the counterculture of the 1960s and became the cinematic symbol of counterculture, inspiring several youngsters. Also a photographer, Hopper’s photographs of the 1963 March on Washington were published. Hopper is also credited with influencing actress Amber Tamblyn whose father was one of his friends.
3
Gary Coleman(Actor and Comedian Best Known for His Role as ‘Arnold Jackson’ in the Sitcom ‘Diff'rent Strokes’)
Birthdate: February 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zion, Illinois, United States
Died: May 28
Gary Coleman, who topped VHI’s list of the 100 Greatest Kid Stars, was best known to fans as Arnold Jackson from the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for The Gary Coleman Show. A congenital kidney disease and hormonal issues led to his short 4’8” frame. He struggled with financial issues later.
4
Rue McClanahan(Actress and Comedian Best Known for Her Role as Blanche Devereaux on TV Sitcom ‘The Golden Girls’)
Birthdate: February 21, 1934
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Healdton, Oklahoma, United States
Died: June 3
Rue McClanahan was an actress and comedian. Apart from being an actress, McClanahan was also an animal welfare advocate and one of the first celebrity patrons of the popular animal rights organization, PETA. She also supported nonprofit organizations, such as Alley Cat Allies. A woman ahead of her time, Rue McClanahan was a supporter of same-sex marriage and gay rights.
5
Manute Bol(Former Professional Basketball Player and the Tallest Player in the History of the NBA)
Birthdate: October 16, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Turalei, South Sudan
Died: June 19
Known for his 7’ 7” frame, Manute Bol made headlines as one of the tallest NBA players ever. Born in Sudan, he was initially a soccer player but quit it because of his height. He later moved to the US to represent basketball teams such as the Golden State Warriors.
6
Lena Horne(Actress and Dancer Known for Her One-Woman Show 'Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music')
Birthdate: June 30, 1917
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, United States
Died: May 9
Lena Horne was an American singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist. Horne's 70-year acting career was embellished with several prestigious awards, such as Grammy Awards. Her life and career were depicted in many stage shows, where she was portrayed by actresses like Leslie Uggams, Nikki Crawford, and Ryan Jillian.
Birthdate: June 3, 1925
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: September 29
Tony Curtis was an American actor who achieved the height of his fame in the 1950s and 1960s in a career spanning six decades. Also a well-known philanthropist, Tony Curtis helped fund the rebuilding of the Great Synagogue in Hungary. In 1998, he founded a non-profit organization called Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, which works towards the restoration of synagogues.
8
Jimmy Dean(Singer and Actor Best Known for His 1960s Hit ‘Big Bad John')
Birthdate: August 10, 1928
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Plainview, Texas, United States
Died: June 13
Jimmy Dean was an American television host, country music singer, businessman, and actor. He is credited with creating and popularizing a food company named Jimmy Dean Foods. He was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, although he was still alive when he was nominated for the honor in 2010.
9
J. D. Salinger(American Author Best Known for His Novel 'The Catcher in the Rye')
Birthdate: January 1, 1919
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: January 27
J. D. Salinger is best remembered for his controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye, which was banned in many school libraries due to its sexual content. His other notable works include the anthology Nine Stories and the novella Hapworth. He spent much of his life in seclusion.
Birthdate: January 31, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 22
Jean Simmons is best remembered as Ophelia from the 1948 movie Hamlet, a role that fetched her an Oscar nomination. She won an Emmy for The Thorn Birds and a Golden Globe for Guys and Dolls. She was also known for her association with the anti-drug charity Release.
11
Peter Graves(Best Known for His Role as ‘Jim Phelps’ in the TV Series ‘Mission: Impossible’)
Birthdate: March 18, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Died: March 14
Peter Graves won a Golden Globe for playing Jim Phelps in the series Mission: Impossible and its revival. Fans also loved him as Captain Clarence Oveur in the movie Airplane! and its sequel. He won an Emmy for hosting the show Biography and also narrated the interactive video-game film Darkstar.
12
Pernell Roberts(Actor, Activist, and Singer Best Known for His Roles as ‘Adam Cartwright’ in the TV Series ‘Bonanza’)
Birthdate: May 18, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Waycross, Georgia, United States
Died: January 24
Pernell Roberts is best known as Adam Cartwright from the Western series Bonanza and Dr. John McIntyre from Trapper John, MD. He was also a prominent social activist and had participated in protests such as the Selma to Montgomery marches. He also narrated documentaries and experimented as a singer.
13
Ronnie James Dio(Former heavy metal singer, songwriter and composer)
Birthdate: July 10, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Died: May 16
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
14
Teddy Pendergrass(Singer)
Birthdate: March 26, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kingstree, South Carolina, USA
Died: January 13
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
15
James MacArthur(Best Known for His Role as ‘Danny Williams’ in the TV Series ‘Hawaii Five-O’)
Birthdate: December 8, 1937
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 28
James MacArthur is best remembered as Danno from Hawaii Five-O. He had also been part of popular Disney movies such as Swiss Family Robinson and Kidnapped. He earned a Theatre World Award for his Broadway appearance in Invitation to a March and a BAFTA nomination for The Young Stranger.
16
Barbara Billingsley(Best Known for Her Role as ‘June Cleaver’ in the TV Series ‘Leave It to Beaver’)
Birthdate: December 22, 1915
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 16
Barbara Billingsley gained recognition with TV series such as The Brothers and then soared to fame with the role of June Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver and its sequel, The New Leave It to Beaver. She also voiced Nanny in the animated series Muppet Babies.
Birthdate: June 10, 1932
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City
Died: June 27
Martin D. Ginsburg was one of the most successful tax attorneys and the husband of U.S Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Apart from serving as a lawyer, Martin also taught at several prestigious law schools, such as New York University Law School, Columbia Law School, and Harvard Law School. After representing business magnate Ross Perot in a case, the two became good friends.
18
Robert Culp(Known for His Role as 'Kelly Robinson' in TV series 'I Spy')
Birthdate: August 16, 1930
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: March 24
Robert Culp is best remembered as Kelly Robinson from the series I Spy and as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman from Trackdown. Fans also loved him as Bill Maxwell in The Greatest American Hero and as Warren Whelan in Everybody Loves Raymond. He had also appeared in films and written scripts.
19
Tom Bosley(Actor)
Birthdate: October 1, 1927
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 19
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
20
John Wooden(Basketball coach)
Birthdate: October 14, 1910
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hall, Indiana, United States
Died: June 4
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
21
Patricia Neal(A major star of the 1950s and 60s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two British Academy Film Awards)
Birthdate: January 20, 1926
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Packard, Kentucky, United States
Died: August 8
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Birthdate: March 17, 1969
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Died: February 11
Designer Alexander McQueen had won four British Designer of the Year awards and one CFDA International Designer of the Year award. He began his career designing for Givenchy and later formed his own label. The openly gay and HIV positive designer committed suicide in 2010, shortly after his mother’s death.
23
Blake Edwards(American Film Director, Producer and Screenwriter)
Birthdate: July 26, 1922
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Died: December 15
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
24
Merlin Olsen(American Football Player)
Birthdate: September 15, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Logan, Utah, USA
Died: March 11
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
25
Lynn Redgrave(Best Known for Her Films: ‘Tom Jones’ and ‘Georgy Girl’)
Birthdate: March 8, 1943
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, England
Died: May 2
Lynn Redgrave was a British-American actress whose career, which spanned over 40 years, is embellished with two Golden Globe Awards and nominations for prestigious awards, such as Academy Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmy Awards. In 2009, Redgrave was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2013, the Bleecker Street Theater was renamed Lynn Redgrave Theater in her honor.
26
Bobby Farrell(Member of the 1970s pop and disco group Boney M)
Birthdate: October 6, 1949
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Nicolas, Aruba
Died: December 30
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
27
Dixie Carter(Film Actress)
Birthdate: May 25, 1939
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: McLemoresville, Tennessee, United States
Died: April 10
Birthdate: January 29, 1918
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Jersey
Died: April 1
Actor, producer, narrator, and drama teacher, John Forsythe, began his six-decade-long career in the entertainment industry in the 1940s. Initially a small-time actor, he built a strong reputation as a character actor over the years and branched out into teaching and production as well. He also appeared as a panelist on numerous game shows.
Birthdate: December 23, 1971
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Died: March 10
Corey Haim was one half of the popular duo The Two Coreys. He became an icon during the 1980s, thanks to his success as an actor. Despite achieving success early in his life, he was troubled by financial issues and drug addiction problems throughout his career. He eventually died of pneumonia at the age of 38.
30
Fess Parker(Actor)
Birthdate: August 16, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Died: March 18
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
31
George Blanda(American Professional Football Player Who Played as a Quarterback and Kicker)
Birthdate: September 17, 1927
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Youngwood, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 27
Famous for the age-defying longevity of his American football career, George Blanda set several records before retiring at the age of 48. The quarterback and placekicker who played mainly for Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders teams, retired with 943 extra points from 26 seasons. He scored a record-setting 42 interceptions thrown in a single season in 1962.
32
Jill Clayburgh(Actress)
Birthdate: April 30, 1944
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 5
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
33
Lorenzen Wright(Basketball player)
Birthdate: November 4, 1975
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oxford, Mississippi, United States
Died: July 19
Height: 6'11" (211 cm)
Birthdate: December 31, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: La Paz, Bolivia
Died: March 20
Jaime Escalante was a Bolivian-American educator. He is best remembered for teaching calculus to students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles from 1974 to 1991. He had an illustrious career and was a much-respected figure in teaching. The film Stand and Deliver is based on his life. He received Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education in 1988.
35
Teena Marie(Singer-songwriter, Record producer)
Birthdate: March 5, 1956
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
Died: December 26
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
36
Captain Beefheart(Singer)
Birthdate: January 15, 1941
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glendale, California, U.S.
Died: December 17
37
Gloria Stuart(Actress)
Birthdate: July 4, 1910
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
Died: September 26
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
Birthdate: December 2, 1924
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 20
39
Dino De Laurentiis(Film producer)
Birthdate: August 8, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Torre Annunziata, Italy
Died: November 10
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Birthdate: February 4, 1915
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, England
Died: October 4
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
Birthdate: November 23, 1936
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Died: December 20
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
42
Harold Gould(Actor)
Birthdate: December 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Schenectady, New York, United States
Died: September 11
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
43
Malcolm McLaren(Singer, Screenwriter, Songwriter, Talent agent, Record producer, Talent manager)
Birthdate: January 22, 1946
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Stoke Newington
Died: April 8
44
George Steinbrenner(Businessperson)
Birthdate: July 4, 1930
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rocky River
Died: July 13
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
45
Don Meredith(American Football Player)
Birthdate: April 10, 1938
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, Texas, USA
Died: December 5
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
Birthdate: February 12, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Died: October 14
Simon MacCorkindale was a British actor, writer, and filmmaker. Although he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father to become an officer with the Royal Air Force, MacCorkindale had to pursue a theatre career due to poor eyesight. As it turned out, poor eyesight was a blessing in disguise as he became a prominent film and TV personality.
Birthdate: June 5, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Windsor, Canada
Died: July 5
Bob Probert was a Canadian ice hockey player who played as a forward throughout his career. Most of his achievements as a player were overshadowed by his reputation of being a fighter inside the rink as well as his off-ice antics and brushes with the law. He also supported aspiring hockey players and often bought match tickets for underprivileged children.
48
Zelda Rubinstein(Actress)
Birthdate: May 28, 1933
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: January 27
Height: 4'3" (130 cm)
49
Benoit Mandelbrot(American Mathematician and Polymath Best Known for Popularizing the Concept of Fractal Geometry)
Birthdate: November 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: October 14
Noted mathematician and polymath, Benoit B. Mandelbrot is perhaps best known for his work on fractal. He not only coined the term, but also used computer-constructed images to illustrate the mathematical definition. Also credited with the discovery of Mandelbrot set and Mandelbrot law, he established that even those things which were apparently chaotic or rough had a "degree of order".
50
Bob Feller(Baseball player)
Birthdate: November 3, 1918
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Van Meter, Iowa, United States
Died: December 15
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
