Culture

People We Wish Were Still Alive 

Ranker Community
Originally by Ranker Community
Updated December 6, 2019 3.4M votes 162k voters 1.4M views 753 items

List Rules Vote up the famous people who died before they lived up to their complete potential.

RIP to our world's greatest achievers, those who changed the way we live and the ways we thought. This list of people we wish were still alive includes some of the greatest humanitarians, artists, politicians, and celebrities we wished could have stayed with us longer. These notable dead people passed ahead of their time; regardless of the reason or timing, these are famous people who died while they still had very much to contribute to the world.

There are myriad great people who died too soon on this list. Among them, composers like Mozart, rock musicians like Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, politicians like JFK, and even celebrity personalities like the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. All these famous dead people left too soon, and left a void most people can never fill. This list of dead celebrities features many beloved icons who are still very missed. You'll see great people who have died, like Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana. Prince is a famous dead entertainer who many would likely kill to have back in this world. Robin Williams is another famous dead person who many still celebrate and miss. This list of dead people is really a space to celebrate those we wish had never passed.

Who are some famous dead celebrities who should still be alive? These famous deceased people were gone way too soon. Who are the celebrities that died before their time? There are many reasons you might want to vote up your favorite notable deceased person, so make sure to do so on this list of famous people you wish were still alive. If your favorite dead celebrity isn't listed, feel free to add them to the discussion.

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26
Bob Ross is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
TheShaqAttaq added Bob Ross Dec. at 53 (1942-1995) from Daytona Beach, Florida, United States of America
Robert Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television ...more
27
Michelangelo is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Gatvol added Dec. at 89 (1475-1564) from Caprese Michelangelo, Italy
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who exerted an unparalleled ...more
28
Ludwig van Beethoven is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 57 (1770-1827) from Bonn, Germany
Ludwig van Beethoven ( (listen); German: [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːthoːfn̩] (listen); baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the ...more
29
Edgar Allan Poe is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
MadameLil added Dec. at 40 (1809-1849) from Boston, Massachusetts
Edgar Allan Poe (; born Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his ...more
30
Marilyn Monroe is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 36 (1926-1962) from Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress, model, and singer. Famous for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she ...more
31
Carrie Fisher is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Age 62 from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California, United States of America
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress, writer, and comedian. Fisher is best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, a role for ...more
32
John Candy is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 44 (1950-1994) from Newmarket, Canada
John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian, known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of ...more
33
Mark Twain is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 75 (1835-1910) from Florida, Missouri, United States of America
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was lauded as the ...more
34
Socrates is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Socrates (; Ancient Greek: Σωκρᾰ́της, romanized: Sōkrátēs, [sɔːkrátɛːs]; c. 470 – 399 BC) was a classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western ...more
35
Louis Armstrong is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
German African Brotherhood added Dec. at 70 (1901-1971) from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo, Satch, and Pops, was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalist and occasional actor who was one of the most influential ...more
36
George Washington is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 67 (1732-1799) from Virginia, United States of America
George Washington was the first President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the ...more
37
Gene Wilder is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Jim_In_Texas added Age 85 from USA, Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, singer-songwriter and author. Wilder began his ...more
38
Michael Jackson is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 51 (1958-2009) from USA, Indiana, Gary
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant ...more
39
Benjamin Franklin is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 84 (1706-1790) from Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, ...more
40
Audrey Hepburn is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Age Died at 64 (1929-1993) from Brussels, Ixelles, Belgium
Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, Hepburn was active during Hollywood's ...more
41
Mother Teresa is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 87 (1910-1997) from Skopje, Yugoslavia
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Albanian: [aˈɲɛzə ˈɡɔndʒɛ bɔjaˈdʒiu]; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), commonly known as Mother Teresa and honoured in the Roman ...more
42
Neil Armstrong is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 82 (1930-2012) from Ohio, United States of America
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, ...more
43
Galileo Galilei is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
AnnieLarson added Dec. at 78 (1564-1642) from Pisa, Italy
Galileo Galilei ( GAL-il-AY-oh, also US: -⁠EE-oh, Italian: [ɡaliˈlɛːo ɡaliˈlɛi]; 15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath ...more
44
Paul Walker is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
JakeFraser added Dec. at 40 (1973-2013) from USA, Glendale, California
Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor, social activist and philanthropist. He was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in The Fast and the ...more
45
Patrick Swayze is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
TJSlipperman added Dec. at 57 (1952-2009) from Texas, USA, Houston
Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009), was an American actor, dancer, singer, and songwriter. Gaining fame with appearances in films during the 1980s, he became popular ...more
46
James Dean is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Coolza added Dec. at 24 (1931-1955) from Marion, Indiana, United States of America
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor from Indiana. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed ...more
47
Marie Curie is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Gatvol added Dec. at 67 (1867-1934) from Warsaw, Second Polish Republic
Marie Skłodowska Curie ( KEWR-ee, French: [kyʁi], Polish: [kʲiˈri]; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who ...more
48
George Harrison is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 58 (1943-2001) from Liverpool, England
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer-songwriter, and music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the ...more
49
Kurt Cobain is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 27 (1967-1994) from Aberdeen, Washington, United States of America
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the rock band Nirvana. He is remembered as ...more
50
Vincent van Gogh is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list People We Wish Were Still Alive
Dec. at 37 (1853-1890) from Zundert, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Vincent Willem van Gogh (Dutch: [ˈvɪnsɛnt ˈʋɪləm vɑŋ ˈɣɔx] (listen); 30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890) was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in ...more