The year in review: Influential people who have died in 2026

Known for his Southern drawl, political flexibility and hawkish foreign policy, Lindsey Graham was an influential Republican in the U.S. Senate with an ability to befriend colleagues of different political persuasions.

Graham ran for president in 2016 as an opponent to Donald Trump but went on to become one of the new president's staunchest allies. He died from a tear in his aorta, putting him among the noteworthy and influential people who died in July.

July also saw the death of aviation pioneer Wally Funk, who, at age 82, became the oldest woman to go into space when she joined Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on his Blue Origin rocket in 2021. In the 1960s, she and other female pilots went through astronaut training in the Mercury 13 program, but they were not allowed to become astronauts.

Other noteworthy people how died in July include former Qatari ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, singer Bonnie Tyler, former CIA director R. James Woolsey, West Indian cricketer Garry Sobers and actor Sam Neill.

Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died this year (the cause of death is cited, if available):

JANUARY ___

Diane Crump , 77. In 1969, she became the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race and a year later became the first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby. Jan. 1.

Ahn Sung-ki , 74. He was one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars whose prolific 60-year career and positive, gentle public image 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 died in prison. Jan. 5.

Béla Tarr , 70. The celebrated Hungarian filmmaker directed such works as “Sátántangó” and “The Turin Horse” and was the recipient of numerous awards for his long and often darkly comic films. Jan. 6.

Glenn Hall , 94. Nicknamed “Mr. Goalie,” he was a Hockey Hall of Famer whose ironman streak of 502 starts as a goalkeeper remains an NHL record. Jan. 7.

Bob Weir , 78. The guitarist and singer was an essential member of the Grateful Dead who helped found the sound of the San Francisco counterculture of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of endless tours and marathon jams. Jan. 10.

John Forté , 50. The Grammy-nominated musician was known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, among others. Jan. 12.

Scott Adams , 68. His popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern office culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks. Jan. 13.

Claudette Colvin , 86. Her 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern Civil Rights Movement. At age 15, she was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus. Jan. 13.

Valentino Garavani , 93. He was the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns — often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red” — were fashion show staples for nearly half a century. Jan. 19.

Ota Zaremba , 68. He won a weightlifting gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics before admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs under a secret program run by the totalitarian regime in the former Czechoslovakia. Jan. 23.

William Foege , 89. As a doctor, he was a leader of one of humanity’s greatest public health victories — the global eradication of smallpox. Jan. 24.

Catherine O’Hara , 71. The gifted Canadian-born comic actor and “SCTV” alum starred as Macaulay Culkin’s harried mother in two “Home Alone” movies and won an Emmy as the dramatically ditzy, wealthy matriarch Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek.” Jan. 30.

Demond Wilson , 79. He found fame in the 1970s playing Lamont on “Sanford and Son” and went on to become a minister. Jan. 30.

FEBRUARY

X.J. Kennedy , 96. He was an award-winning poet, author, translator and educator who schooled millions of students through “The Bedford Reader” and other textbooks and engaged voluntary readers with his children’s stories and intricate, witty verse. Feb. 1.

Chuck Negron , 83. He was a founding member of the soul-rock sensations Three Dog Night who sang lead on such hits as “One” and “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song” and hollered the immortal opening line “Jeremiah was a bullfrog!” on the chart-topping “Joy to the World.” Feb. 2.

Mickey Lolich , 85. He had three complete-game victories for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series, the last Major League Baseball pitcher to post the incredible feat. Feb. 4.

James Van Der Beek , 48. The heartthrob starred in coming-of-age dramas at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in “Dawson’s Creek” and in later years mocking his own hunky persona. He had revealed in 2024 that he was being treated for colorectal cancer. Feb. 11.

Robert Duvall , 95. He was an Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies.” Feb. 15.

Frederick Wiseman , 96. He was the celebrated director of “Titicut Follies” and dozens of other documentaries whose in-depth, unadorned movies comprised a unique and revelatory history of American institutions. Feb. 16.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson , 84. A protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time presidential candidate, he led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination. Feb. 17.

Eric Dane , 53. The celebrated actor was best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness. He died from the disease less than a year after he announced his diagnosis. Feb. 19.

Bill Mazeroski , 89. The Hall of Fame second baseman won eight Gold Glove awards for his steady work in the field and the hearts of countless Pittsburgh Pirates fans for his historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Feb. 20.

Willie Colón , 75. He was a Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and a social activist. Feb. 21.

Robert Carradine , 71. He was the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family, and his biggest hit was the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds.” Feb. 23.

Sondra Lee , 97. She was a dancer and actor discovered by the legendary choreographer-director Jerome Robbins and originated the role of Tiger Lily on Broadway in “Peter Pan” and played Minnie Fay in the original production of “Hello, Dolly!” Feb. 23.

Neil Sedaka , 86. The hit-making singer-songwriter’s boyish soprano and bright melodies made him a top act in the early years of rock ‘n’ roll and led to a second run of success in the 1970s. Feb. 27.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , 86. He assembled theocratic power in Iran over the decades as its top leader and sought to turn it into a regional powerhouse, bringing it into confrontation with Israel and the United States over its nuclear program while crushing democracy protests. He was killed in U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Feb. 28.

MARCH

Kermit Gosnell , 85. He was an abortion clinic doctor sentenced to life for killing three babies who had been delivered alive. March 1.

Lou Holtz , 89. He was the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and won 249 games over 33 seasons at six schools. March 4.

Bernard LaFayette , 85. He was the advance man who did the risky groundwork for the voter registration campaign in Selma, Alabama, that culminated in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. March 5.

“Country” Joe McDonald , 84. He was a hippie rock star of the 1960s whose “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” was a four-lettered rebuke to the Vietnam War that became an anthem for protesters and a highlight of the Woodstock music festival. March 8.

Alexander Butterfield , 99. He was the White House aide who inadvertently hastened Richard Nixon’s resignation over the Watergate scandal when he revealed that the president had bugged the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and routinely recorded his conversations. March 9.

Nicholas Haysom , 73. The white South African anti-apartheid activist was tapped by prisoner-turned-president Nelson Mandela to help draft the country’s new constitution that enshrined equal rights for Black people, minorities and white people. March 17.

Michael Bambang Hartono , 86. He was Indonesia’s richest man and helped turn the Djarum cigarette company into one of the country’s largest business empires. March 19.

Chuck Norris , 86. A martial arts grandmaster and action star, his roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents. March 19.

Umberto Bossi , 84. He was the founder of Italy’s populist Northern League and one of the most influential — and polarizing — figures of Italian politics. March 19.

Robert S. Mueller III , 81. He was the FBI director who transformed the nation’s premier law enforcement agency into a terrorism-fighting force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and who later became special counsel in charge of investigating ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. March 20.

Nicholas Brendon , 54. He was an actor best known for his role as a loveable underdog sidekick on the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” His family said he died in his sleep of natural causes. March 20.

Lionel Jospin , 88. He was a former French prime minister who gave France its 35-hour work week and then withdrew from politics after leading France’s Socialist Party to an earth-shaking presidential election defeat against far-right firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen. March 22.

Darrell “Dash” Crofts , 87. The singer-songwriter teamed with childhood friend Jim Seals for such 1970s soft-rock hits as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl” and “Get Closer.” March 25.

James Tolkan , 94. The actor was known for his roles as a cigar-chomping naval commander in “Top Gun” and a gruff high school administrator in “Back to the Future.” March 26.

Mary Beth Hurt , 79. The Tony Award-nominated actor starred on Broadway in “Benefactors” with Glenn Close and reunited with Close for the movie “The World According to Garp.” March 28.

APRIL

Jim Whittaker , 97. In 1963, he became the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest. April 7.

Sid Krofft , 96. He was the Canadian-born entertainment wizard who teamed with his brother and fellow puppeteer Marty Krofft to create such cult favorites as children’s 1960s TV show “H.R. Pufnstuf.” April 10.

Lionel Rosenblatt , 82. As a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he carried out an unauthorized evacuation of hundreds of Vietnamese citizens before the 1975 fall of Saigon. April 11.

Asha Bhosle , 92. She was one of India’s most versatile Bollywood singers whose performances shaped the country’s musical memory and modern cinema. April 12.

Bob Hall , 74. A childhood polio survivor, he became known as the father of wheelchair racing after twice winning the Boston Marathon and then going on to build racing chairs for the generations of competitors that followed. April 12.

Don Schlitz , 73. He was the storied country music songwriter known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.” April 16.

Oscar Schmidt , 68. The Basketball Hall of Famer was known to his Brazilian compatriots as the “Holy Hand.” April 17.

Nathalie Baye , 77. The French actor was a fan’s favorite for her down-to-earth charm and great versatility. April 17.

George R. Ariyoshi , 100. The former Hawaii governor was the nation’s first Asian American governor. April 19.

Dave Mason , 79. The co-founder of the psychedelic British band Traffic, he was the songwriter behind classic rock hits “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe” and a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. April 19.

Alan Osmond , 76. He was the eldest member of the chart-topping family act The Osmonds. April 20.

Nedra Talley Ross , 80. She was the last surviving member of the 1960s bee-hived pop band the Ronettes, who sang the enduring hits “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” alongside her cousins. April 26.

David Allan Coe , 86. He was the country singer-songwriter who wrote the working-class anthem “Take This Job and Shove It″ and had hits with “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” and “The Ride” among others. April 29.

J. Craig Venter , 79. He mapped the first draft of the human genome and helped scientists understand how genes shape our lives. April 29.

MAY

Alex Zanardi , 59. He was the Italian auto racing champion-turned-Paralympic gold medalist whose career was marked by two life-altering accidents. May 2.

Doris Fisher , 94. She co-founded the iconic clothing chain The Gap Inc. in 1969 with her late husband Don. May 2.

John Sterling , 87. The longtime New York Yankees radio broadcaster was known for extravagant, individualized home run calls. May 4.

Ted Turner , 87. He was the brash and outspoken television pioneer who built a media empire and transformed the news business by creating CNN and introducing the 24-hour cable news cycle. May 6.

Joni Lamb , 65. With her late husband, she founded the Daystar Television Network and guided it to become one of the world’s largest Christian TV networks. May 7.

Bobby Cox , 84. He was the folksy manager of the Atlanta Braves whose teams ruled the National League during the 1990s and gave the city its first major title as well as World Series trips that fell short. May 9.

Abraham H. Foxman , 86. He was a forceful advocate for American Jews as national director of the Anti-Defamation League for nearly three decades. May 10.

Jim Colbert , 85. He was renowned for wearing his bucket hat while winning eight times on the PGA Tour and 20 times on the PGA Tour Champions. May 10.

Mark Fuhrman , 74. He was the former Los Angeles police detective who was convicted of lying during testimony at the O.J. Simpson murder trial. May 12.

Jason Collins , 47. The NBA’s first openly gay player, he went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league. He died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. May 12.

Clarence Carter , 90. He was the blues and soul musician and singer-songwriter with the raspy, emotional vocals whose hits included the sentimental “Patches” and the salacious “Strokin.’” May 13.

Claudine Longet , 84. She was a French singer and actor who was at the center of a highly publicized manslaughter trial after she was charged with the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich. May 14.

Scott Hastings , 61. He was the Scotland rugby great who played alongside his older brother Gavin for the national team and the British and Irish Lions. May 17.

Toshifumi Suzuki , 93. The Japanese businessman was credited with creating the 7-Eleven convenience-chain global retail empire. May 18.

Barney Frank , 86. The longtime Democratic congressman and leading liberal brought new visibility to gay rights and crafted the most significant reforms to the financial system in a generation. May 19.

Kyle Busch , 41. He was a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series. His family said he died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis . May 21.

Rob Base , 59. The rapper was one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two.” He died after a battle with cancer. May 22.

Raymond Berry , 93. The Hall of Fame wide receiver teamed with Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas for one of the NFL’s greatest passing combinations and helped lead the Colts to victory over the New York Giants in the storied 1958 championship game. May 25.

Sonny Rollins , 95. He was the tenor saxophonist and restless genius whose bold, distinctive tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years. May 25.

Marcia Lucas , 80. She won an Oscar as editor of the original 1977 “Star Wars” and was part of a group of women whose editing was essential to film’s New Hollywood era. May 27.

Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi , 80. He was 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 before stepping down in 2022. May 28.

Claude Lemieux , 60. He was a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose ferocious, hard-hitting style of play angered opponents and sometimes overshadowed his prodigious skills and ability to deliver in the biggest games. Authorities said he took his own life. May 28.

JUNE

Rick Adelman , 79. The Basketball Hall of Fame inductee played for seven NBA seasons before becoming one of the game’s all-time winningest coaches. June 1.

Peabo Bryson , 75. The two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer was best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle from “Aladdin.” June 2.

Alex Younger , 62. The former MI6 spy chief led the U.K.’s foreign espionage agency, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service, from 2014 to 2020, and was one of the first holders of the post — code-named C — to be publicly named. June 2.

Ned Jarrett , 93. He was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and longtime broadcaster. June 4.

Marjane Satrapi , 56. The acclaimed Iranian-French cartoonist and filmmaker was a prominent advocate for women’s rights and author of “Persepolis,” a coming-of-age tale set against the Islamic Revolution in her native Iran. June 4.

Carlos Alberto Solari , 77. He was the Argentine singer-songwriter known as “the Indio” who led Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, one of the country’s most popular and influential rock groups. June 5.

Bernadette Chirac , 93. She was the steel-willed former first lady of France who spent 12 years at the Élysée Palace from 1995 to 2007 beside President Jacques Chirac — weathering his notorious infidelities with dry humor while building her own political power base in rural France. June 5.

Bob Packwood , 93. The former U.S. senator was a moderate Oregon Republican whose reputation as a champion of abortion and women’s rights was spoiled at the end of his career by allegations of sexual harassment. June 6.

Yohei Kono , 89. He was a veteran Japanese politician who as top government spokesperson offered a historic apology to Asian women over sexual abuses by Japan’s wartime military. June 8.

David Hockney , 88. He was a treasured British artist whose paintings of shimmering pools and colorful iPad drawings became icons of contemporary art. June 11.

Ronnie Schell , 94. He played the best friend to the title character on the 1960s sitcom “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” and his gradual ascendancy in show business earned him the title of “America’s Slowest Rising Comedian.” June 12.

Gene Shalit , 100. A movie critic and arts reporter for the “Today” show over four decades, he was known for his puffy hair, oversized handlebar mustache and affection for groan-inducing puns. June 12.

Oliver Tree , 32. The eccentric American musician was known for viral stunts, alt-pop tracks like “Alien Boy” and “Life Goes On,” and his unconventional style. He died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro . June 14.

Abdullah Ibrahim , 91. He was the globally celebrated South African jazz icon who performed at Nelson Mandela’s 1994 presidential inauguration. June 15.

Daveigh Chase , 35. The former child actor was known for her youthful voice in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and her villainous performance in the horror film “The Ring.” A medical examiner’s office said her death was caused by AIDS. June 16.

Tom Dreesen , 86. Along with partner Tim Reid, he formed one of America’s first interracial stand-up comedy duos and later spent years as Frank Sinatra’s opening act. June 17.

Francisco Guterres , 71. Widely known by his nom de guerre “Lu Olo,” the former president of East Timor was a leading figure in the country’s independence movement. June 21.

Abdul Ahad Momand , 67. The cosmonaut was Afghanistan’s first citizen in space. June 21.

Alan Greenspan , 100. The jazz-playing U.S. Federal Reserve chair was celebrated for engineering a decade of prosperity but later shared the blame for a devastating financial crisis. June 22.

Clive Davis , 94. The record company lawyer became one of the music industry’s most powerful figures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys. June 22.

Ann Blyth , 98. The versatile Hollywood star received an Oscar nomination at 17 as Joan Crawford’s wayward daughter in “Mildred Pierce,” sang opposite Mario Lanza and Howard Keel in such MGM musicals as “The Great Caruso” and ended her film career before age 30. June 24.

David Clayton-Thomas , 84. He was the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears whose husky, high-strung tenor on “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die” and other hits helped make the so-called “brass rock” band among the most popular acts of the late 1960s. June 24.

Martha Lillard , 78. She was the last U.S. polio patient using an iron lung. June 26.

Victor Willis , 74. He co-founded the Village People, co-wrote the disco group’s classic hits “Y.M.C.A.,” ″Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” and delighted crowds while dressed as the band’s helmeted and mustachioed police officer. June 30.

JULY

Stephen Francis , 64. He was the influential Jamaican track and field coach whose athletes won Olympic and world titles and helped turn the small Caribbean island into a sprinting powerhouse. July 4.

George E. Johnson Sr. , 99. He was a pioneer in Black hair care whose multimillion dollar business was the first Black-owned company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange. July 6.

Bonnie Tyler , 75. She was the gravelly voiced, Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star whose 1983 chart-topping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” enchanted succeeding generations with its bombastic charms during solar and lunar eclipses. July 8.

Wally Funk , 87. The aviation pioneer was the oldest woman to launch into space. July 8.

Ann Widdecombe , 78. The former politician and reality TV contestant shocked the British political establishment, where she was long known for blunt-spoken socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. She was killed in what British authorities called a “targeted attack.” July 8.

Lindsey Graham , 71. The garrulous son of South Carolina pool hall owners rose to become a fixture on the global stage and one of the most prominent advocates of American military might in the U.S. Senate. A preliminary report from a medical examiner’s office said he died from a tear in his aorta stemming from the hardening of his arteries. July 11.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani , 74. As ruler of Qatar, he transformed the tiny Persian Gulf nation into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment, and then shattered tradition by voluntarily turning over power to his son. July 12.

Sam Neill , 78. He was the smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose prolific career moved from art films to blockbusters as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” and played Holly Hunter’s cruel husband in “The Piano.” July 13.

Guy Scott , 82. He was the Zambian politician who briefly served as acting president to become Africa’s first white head of state in more than two decades. July 15.

Brenda Fricker , 81. She who won an Academy Award for her role as Bridget Fagan Brown in the 1989 film “My Left Foot” and was known for her role as the “pigeon lady” in the 1992 film “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” July 16.

Garry Sobers , 89. The graceful West Indian cricketer’s world-record test innings of 365 not out as a 21-year-old set him on the path to becoming arguably the sport’s greatest allrounder. July 17.

R. James Woolsey , 84. The national security expert led the CIA for two turbulent years after his appointment by President Bill Clinton. July 21.

Charles Gaines , 84. The author’s book and documentary “Pumping Iron” helped bring professional bodybuilding into the mainstream and introduce Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world. July 21.

Kaylee Hottle , 18. The deaf actor was best known for her starring role in two “Godzilla” films. She died in a car crash in Maryland. July 21.

Kozo Okamoto , 78. The Japanese militant took part in a deadly attack on Tel Aviv’s airport more than five decades ago. July 23.

Gunther von Hagens , 81. The German anatomist generated both fascination and revulsion around the globe with his “Body Worlds” exhibits of preserved human corpses. July 24.

Bill Oddie , 85. He was a British comic actor who had a second career as as a bird expert and wildlife presenter. July 25.

Gilberto Cárdenas , 79. He was a highly respected sociologist who many considered a great advocate for advancing Latino and Chicano identity through academia and art. July 26.

Arlene Smith , 84. She was one of the first “girl group” stars who as a teenager and a founder of the Chantels co-wrote and sang lead on the 1950s doo-wop classic “Maybe.” July 29.