For one reason or another, we as human beings seem to be fascinated by celebrity deaths. Every year we mourn the loss of famous people who pass away, and 2001 was no exception. Perhaps the most talked about death was that of popular recording artist Aaliyah, after she was killed in a plane crash. Here's our list of the most notable people to die in 2001, ordered by how well-known they were.
All walks of famous people are on this list, including actors, athletes, musicians, politicians and more.Although the rich and famous are just like the rest of us, it's alarming how many of them have their lives cut short because of drug overdoses or other accidents. Still others live out many long years only to succumb to diseases like cancer late in life.
Which celebrities died in 2001? Scroll down and see for yourself....more
Aaliyah
Aviation accident or incidentAaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress,... moreJack Lemmon
Colorectal cancer, Bladder cancerJohn Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor who was... moreGeorge Harrison
Lung cancerGeorge Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician,... moreCarroll O'Connor
Myocardial infarction, Diabetes mellitusJohn Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an American actor, producer, and... moreTimothy McVeigh
Lethal injectionTimothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist who... moreJoey Ramone
LymphomaJeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was... moreDale Earnhardt
Traffic collisionRalph Dale Earnhardt (; April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional auto... more- John Aloysius Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who played the... more
Anthony Quinn
Pneumonia, Cancer of the larynxAntonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was a... moreDouglas Adams
Myocardial infarctionDouglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, screenwriter,... moreNigel Hawthorne
Myocardial infarctionSir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was an English actor. He... moreJohn Phillips
Cardiovascular diseaseJohn Edmund Andrew Phillips (August 30, 1935 – March 18, 2001) was an American singer,... moreJaved Iqbal
SuicideJaved Iqbal Umayr (8 October 1956 – 8 October 2001), was a Pakistani serial killer who was... moreBerry Berenson
Terrorist AttackBerinthia "Berry" Berenson-Perkins (April 14, 1948 – September 11, 2001) was an American... more- Eva Busch was a singer and comedienne.... more
Henry Lee Lucas
Heart failureHenry Lee Lucas (August 23, 1936 – March 12, 2001) was an American serial killer. Lucas was... moreTerry Gordy
Myocardial infarctionTerry Ray Gordy (April 23, 1961 – July 16, 2001) was an American professional wrestler. Gordy... morePhoolan Devi
Firearm, AssassinationPhoolan Devi (10 August 1963 – 26 July 2001), popularly known as "Bandit Queen", was an Indian... more- Dare Wright (December 3, 1914 – January 25, 2001) was a Canadian–American children's author,... more
Jane Greer
CancerJane Greer (born Bettejane Greer; September 9, 1924 – August 24, 2001) was an American film... more- Asit Sen (24 September 1922 – 25 August 2001) was a Bengali Indian film director,... more
William Hanna
Esophageal cancer, Cancer of the larynxWilliam Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, director,... moreDigna Ochoa
Firearm, AssassinationDigna Ochoa (full name: Digna Ochoa y Plácido) (May 15, 1964–October 19, 2001) was a human... moreImogene Coca
Alzheimer's disease, Natural causesImogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic... moreDale Evans
Heart failureDale Evans Rogers (born Lucille Wood Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an... more
