2026 in Review: A Look at the Influential Lives We Lost
The year 2026 brought an extraordinary wave of losses across nearly every field — journalism, sports, entertainment, politics, science, and civil rights. Among the most consequential was Ted Turner, the brash Atlanta media mogul who died in May at age 87. Turner didn’t just build a cable empire that stretched from CNN to TNT, the Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies; he fundamentally changed how the world consumes news by launching the 24-hour cable news cycle. Off screen, he was a fierce philanthropist, a conservationist, and the longtime owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team.
May also saw the death of Jason Collins, 47, the first openly gay player in NBA history. After a 13-year career with six different franchises, Collins came out in 2013 near the end of his playing days and went on to become a prominent advocate for inclusion. Just before his death from an aggressive brain cancer, he was awarded the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. Too ill to attend, his twin brother and former NBA player Jarron Collins accepted on his behalf.
The same month claimed French singer and actress Claudine Longet, 84, who was at the center of a sensational manslaughter trial; hockey star Claude Lemieux, 60, a four-time Stanley Cup champion who died by suicide; longtime Democratic congressman Barney Frank, 86, whose work on financial reform and gay rights reshaped American policy; and Doris Fisher, 94, co-founder of the clothing giant The Gap Inc. Their deaths underscore how 2026 cut across generations and industries.
Below is an extensive roll call of influential figures who died this year, listed by month. Where available, causes of death are included.
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JANUARY
Diane Crump, 77, who in 1969 became the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race and a year later the first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby. Jan. 1.
Ahn Sung-ki, 74, one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars, whose 60-year career earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor.” Jan. 5.
Aldrich Ames, 84, the CIA turncoat who betrayed Western intelligence assets to the Soviet Union and Russia in one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in U.S. history; he died in prison. Jan. 5.
Béla Tarr, 70, the celebrated Hungarian filmmaker behind “Sátántangó” and “The Turin Horse,” known for his darkly comic and hauntingly long films. Jan. 6.
Glenn Hall, 94, the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender whose ironman streak of 502 consecutive starts remains an NHL record. Jan. 7.
Bob Weir, 78, the guitarist and singer essential to the Grateful Dead, who helped shape the San Francisco counterculture sound of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of touring. Jan. 10.
John Forté, 50, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and Refugee Camp All-Stars. Jan. 12.
Scott Adams, 68, whose “Dilbert” comic strip perfectly captured the absurdity of white-collar office life before his syndication was abruptly ended in 2023 after racist remarks. Jan. 13.
Claudette Colvin, 86, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ similar stand, helped spark the modern Civil Rights Movement. Jan. 13.
Valentino Garavani, 93, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns, often in his trademark “Valentino red,” defined fashion for nearly half a century. Jan. 19.
Ota Zaremba, 68, a weightlifting gold medalist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics who later admitted to doping under a secret program run by the former Czechoslovak regime. Jan. 23.
William Foege, 89, a doctor who led one of humanity’s greatest public health victories — the global eradication of smallpox. Jan. 24.
Catherine O’Hara, 71, the Canadian-born comic actor and “SCTV” alum, known as the harried mother in two “Home Alone” movies and the Emmy-winning matriarch Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek.” Jan. 30.
Demond Wilson, 79, who played Lamont on the iconic 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son” and later became a minister. Jan. 30.
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FEBRUARY
X.J. Kennedy, 96, the award-winning poet, author and educator whose textbooks like “The Bedford Reader” taught millions of students, and whose witty verse and children’s stories delighted readers. Feb. 1.
Chuck Negron, 83, a founding member of Three Dog Night who sang lead on hits like “One” and “Joy to the World,” uttering the immortal “Jeremiah was a bullfrog!” Feb. 2.
Mickey Lolich, 85, the Detroit Tigers pitcher who won three complete games in the 1968 World Series, a feat no Major League pitcher has matched since. Feb. 4.
James Van Der Beek, 48, the heartthrob who shot to fame playing the titular role in “Dawson’s Creek” and later embraced self-parody. He revealed in 2024 he was being treated for colorectal cancer. Feb. 11.
Robert Duvall, 95, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility, known for his roles as the consigliere in the first two “Godfather” movies and the washed-up country singer in “Tender Mercies.” Feb. 15.
Frederick Wiseman, 96, the celebrated documentary director of “Titicut Follies” and dozens of other unadorned films that formed a unique history of American institutions. Feb. 16.
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, 84, a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., two-time presidential candidate, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King’s assassination. Feb. 17.
Eric Dane, 53, the actor best known for “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” who became an advocate for ALS awareness after his diagnosis; he died from the disease less than a year later. Feb. 19.
Bill Mazeroski, 89, the Hall of Fame second baseman who won eight Gold Gloves and hit a historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Feb. 20.
Willie Colón, 75, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and a social activist. Feb. 21.
Robert Carradine, 71, the youngest of the prolific Hollywood family, best known for the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds.” Feb. 23.
Sondra Lee, 97, a dancer and actor discovered by Jerome Robbins who originated Tiger Lily in Broadway’s “Peter Pan” and played Minnie Fay in the original “Hello, Dolly!” Feb. 23.
Neil Sedaka, 86, the hit-making singer-songwriter whose boyish soprano and bright melodies made him a top act in early rock ’n’ roll and again in the 1970s. Feb. 27.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, Iran’s supreme leader who consolidated theocratic power over decades, clashed with the U.S. and Israel over nuclear ambitions, and crushed democracy protests; he was killed in U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Feb. 28.
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MARCH
Kermit Gosnell, 85, the abortion clinic doctor sentenced to life for killing three babies who were delivered alive. March 1.
Lou Holtz, 89, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and won 249 games over 33 seasons. March 4.
Bernard LaFayette, 85, the civil rights activist who did the risky groundwork for the Selma voter registration campaign that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. March 5.
“Country” Joe McDonald, 84, the hippie rock star whose “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” became an anti-Vietnam War anthem at Woodstock. March 8.
Alexander Butterfield, 99, the White House aide who inadvertently hastened Richard Nixon’s resignation by revealing the secret taping system in the Oval Office. March 9.
Nicholas Haysom, 73, the white South African anti-apartheid activist tapped by Nelson Mandela to help draft the country’s post-apartheid constitution. March 17.
Michael Bambang Hartono, 86, Indonesia’s richest man, who turned the Djarum cigarette company into a vast business empire. March 19.
Chuck Norris, 86, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and countless movies made him an iconic tough guy and internet legend. March 19.
Umberto Bossi, 84, founder of Italy’s populist Northern League and one of the most polarizing figures in Italian politics. March 19.
Robert S. Mueller III, 81, the FBI director who transformed the bureau into a counterterrorism force after 9/11, and later served as special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. March 20.
Nicholas Brendon, 54, the actor best known as the lovable sidekick Xander on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”; his family said he died in his sleep of natural causes. March 20.
Lionel Jospin, 88, former French prime minister who introduced the 35-hour work week and later withdrew from politics after a shocking presidential defeat. March 22.
Darrell “Dash” Crofts, 87, the singer-songwriter who with Jim Seals created 1970s soft-rock hits like “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl.” March 25.
James Tolkan, 94, the actor known for playing a cigar-chomping naval commander in “Top Gun” and a gruff school administrator in “Back to the Future.” March 26.
Mary Beth Hurt, 79, the Tony-nominated actor who starred on Broadway in “Benefactors” with Glenn Close and in the film “The World According to Garp.” March 28.
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APRIL
Jim Whittaker, 97, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in 1963. April 7.
Sid Krofft, 96, the Canadian-born puppeteer who with brother Marty created cult children’s TV shows like “H.R. Pufnstuf.” April 10.
Lionel Rosenblatt, 82, the U.S. Foreign Service officer who carried out an unauthorized evacuation of hundreds of Vietnamese citizens before the fall of Saigon in 1975. April 11.
Asha Bhosle, 92, one of India’s most versatile Bollywood singers whose voice shaped the country’s musical memory. April 12.
Bob Hall, 74, a childhood polio survivor known as the father of wheelchair racing after twice winning the Boston Marathon and building racing chairs for future generations. April 12.
Don Schlitz, 73, the storied country music songwriter behind “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand,” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.” April 16.
Oscar Schmidt, 68, the Brazilian basketball Hall of Famer known as the “Holy Hand.” April 17.
Nathalie Baye, 77, the beloved French actor admired for her down-to-earth charm and versatility. April 17.
George R. Ariyoshi, 100, the former Hawaii governor who was the nation’s first Asian American governor. April 19.
Dave Mason, 79, co-founder of the psychedelic British band Traffic, songwriter of classic rock hits “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe,” and a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. April 19.
Alan Osmond, 76, the eldest member of the chart-topping family act The Osmonds. April 20.
Nedra Talley Ross, 80, the last surviving member of the Ronettes, who sang “Be My Baby” and other enduring hits. April 26.
David Allan Coe, 86, the country singer-songwriter who wrote the working-class anthem “Take This Job and Shove It” and other hits. April 29.
J. Craig Venter, 79, the scientist who mapped the first draft of the human genome, transforming our understanding of genetics. April 29.
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MAY
Alex Zanardi, 59, the Italian racing champion who lost both legs in a crash and became a Paralympic gold medalist, a story of extraordinary resilience. May 2.
Doris Fisher, 94, co-founder of The Gap Inc., which she started in 1969 with her late husband Don. May 2.
John Sterling, 87, the longtime New York Yankees radio broadcaster known for his flamboyant home run calls. May 4.
Ted Turner, 87, the television pioneer who built a media empire and created CNN, introducing the 24-hour news cycle that forever changed journalism. May 6.
Joni Lamb, 65, who with her late husband founded the Daystar Television Network, one of the world’s largest Christian TV networks. May 7.
Bobby Cox, 84, the folksy manager who led the Atlanta Braves to dominance in the 1990s, winning a World Series and multiple pennants. May 9.
Abraham H. Foxman, 86, the forceful national director of the Anti-Defamation League for nearly three decades, a leading voice for American Jews. May 10.
Jim Colbert, 85, the PGA Tour winner known for his signature bucket hat and 20 wins on the Champions Tour. May 10.
Mark Fuhrman, 74, the former LAPD detective convicted of lying during testimony at the O.J. Simpson murder trial. May 12.
Jason Collins, 47, the NBA’s first openly gay player, who became a pioneer for inclusion and an LGBTQ+ ambassador; he died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive brain cancer. May 12.
Clarence Carter, 90, the blues and soul singer with a raspy voice who scored hits with “Patches” and “Strokin’.” May 13.
Claudine Longet, 84, the French singer and actress at the center of a highly publicized manslaughter trial after her boyfriend, Olympic skier Vladimir Sabich, was fatally shot. May 14.
Scott Hastings, 61, the Scotland rugby great who played alongside his brother Gavin for the national team and the British and Irish Lions. May 17.
Barney Frank, 86, the long-serving Democratic congressman and leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights and authored landmark financial reforms. May 19.
Kyle Busch, 41, the two-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR’s all-time leader in wins across its three national series; his family said he died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis. May 21.
Rob Base, 59, the rapper who as half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock delivered the 1988 classic “It Takes Two”; he died after a battle with cancer. May 22.
Raymond Berry, 93, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who formed one of the NFL’s greatest passing combinations with Johnny Unitas, leading the Colts to victory in the storied 1958 championship game. May 25.
Sonny Rollins, 95, the legendary tenor saxophonist whose bold, distinctive tone and constant experimentation kept him at the cutting edge of jazz for more than half a century. May 25.
Marcia Lucas, 80, the Oscar-winning editor of the original 1977 “Star Wars,” part of the group of women editors essential to the New Hollywood era. May 27.
Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, 80, the internationally recognized president of Yemen who led a fractured government mostly from exile for eight years as the country descended into civil war and famine; he stepped down in 2022. May 28.
Claude Lemieux, 60, the four-time Stanley Cup champion known for his ferocious, hard-hitting style; authorities said he took his own life. May 28.