Dead People Server
Celebrities and Notable People Who Died in the Year 1980
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1979 * * 1981
January
Joy Adamson (writer/wildlife fundraiser) -- Dead. Murdered by an irate former employee. Died January 3, 1980. Born January 20, 1910. Raised a wild lion cub and wrote a series of Born Free books
Jimmy Durante (comic, "singer") -- Dead. Died January 29, 1980. Born February 10, 1893. The Schnozzola! IMDb
February
David Janssen (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died February 13, 1980. Born March 27, 1931. The Fugitive and many TV movies. IMDb
Bon Scott
(rocker) -- Dead. Aspirating on vomit while drunk. Died February 19, 1980. Born July 9, 1946. Leader of AC/DC - "Highway to Hell".
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March
Jay Silverheels (actor) -- Dead. Stroke. Died March 5, 1980. Born May 26, 1919. Tonto on TV's The Lone Ranger IMDb FindAGrave
April
Jean-Paul Sartre
(philosopher) -- Dead. Lung tumor. Died April 15, 1980. Born June 21, 1905. No Exit.
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Katherine K. Davis
(teacher/composer) -- Dead. Died April 20, 1980. Born June 25, 1892. Composer of "The Little Drummer Boy", she wrote hundreds of pieces for women's choruses.
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Alfred Hitchcock (mysterious director) -- Dead. Died April 29, 1980. Born August 13, 1899. Directed Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window and many other stylish flicks. IMDb
May
George Pal
(director/special effects artist) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died May 2, 1980. Born February 1, 1908. Created the Puppetoons, directed Destination Moon, and the original versions of War of the Worlds and The Time Machine.
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June
Henry Miller (author) -- Dead. Heart failure. Died June 7, 1980. Born December 26, 1891. Tropic of Cancer
Milburn Stone
(actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died June 12, 1980. Born July 5, 1904. Played the part of Doc on Gunsmoke.
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July
Peter Sellers
(actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died July 24,
1980. Born September 8, 1925. Great range, from
Dr. Strangelove, to Pink Panther and Being
There, The Goon Show; Geoffrey Rush played him in a
terrific HBO biopic, survived a heart attack while in his 30s.
IMDb
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Bobby Van (actor, dancer) -- Dead. Cancer. Died July 31, 1980. Born December 6, 1930. Kiss Me Kate. IMDb FindAGrave
August
Strother Martin (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died August 1, 1980. Born March 26, 1919. IMDb
Tex Avery (cartoon director) -- Dead. Died August 26, 1980. Born February 26, 1908. Gave Bugs his most famous line: "What's up, doc?". IMDb
September
Duncan Renaldo (actor) -- Dead. Died September 3, 1980. Born April 23, 1904. Cisco Kid. IMDb
October
William "Buckwheat" Thomas (little rascal) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died October 10, 1980. Born March 12, 1931. The Little Rascals. IMDb
November
Steve McQueen (actor) -- Dead. Heart attack after lung cancer surgery. Died November 7, 1980. Born March 24, 1930. IMDb
Victor Sen Yung (actor) -- Dead. Died November 9, 1980. Born October 18, 1915. #2 son in Charlie Chan movies. IMDb
Mae West (actress/writer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died November 22, 1980. Born August 17, 1892. She Done Him Wrong. IMDb FindAGrave
George Raft
(actor) -- Dead. Stroke. Died November 24, 1980. Born September 27, 1895.
IMDb
December
John Lennon
(musician) -- Dead. Assassination by gun. Died December 8, 1980. Born October 9, 1940. Part of the great Lennon-McCartney songwriting team, John was always the most interesting Beatle.
IMDb
Col. Harlan Sanders (chicken fryer) -- Dead. Leukemia. Died December 16, 1980. Born September 9, 1890. Founded Kentucky Fried Chicken (AKA KFC - Randy Quaid is doing his cartoon voice in commercials, which is...well...eerie...). FindAGrave
Marshall McLuhan (academic/writer) -- Dead. Died December 31, 1980. Born July 21, 1911.