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 2008 was no exception. The world saw the passing of one of comedy's finest, Mr. George Carlin. There was also the tragedy surrounding Heath Ledger, after he was found dead from a drug overdose. Here's our list of the most notable people to die in 2008, 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 2008? Scroll down and see for yourself....more
George Carlin
Heart failure, Cardiovascular diseaseGeorge Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian,... moreHeath Ledger
Drug overdose, Combined drug intoxicationHeath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video... morePaul Newman
Lung cancerPaul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film... moreBernie Mac
Complications from pneumonia, SarcoidosisBernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name... moreBettie Page
Myocardial infarctionBetty Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008), known professionally as Bettie Page, was... moreCharlton Heston
Complications from pneumoniaCharlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American... moreEartha Kitt
Colorectal cancerEartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith, January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American... moreMichael Crichton
Cancer, Cancer of the larynxJohn Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author,... moreYves Saint Laurent
CancerYves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (French: [iv sɛ̃ lɔʁɑ̃]; 1 August 1936 – 1 June 2008),... moreCyd Charisse
Myocardial infarctionTula Ellice Charisse (née Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008), known professionally as Cyd... moreIsaac Hayes
StrokeIsaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter,... moreArthur C. Clarke
Respiratory failureSir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction... more
James Robert Stewart (6 March 1931 – 3 January 2008) was a British racing driver from Scotland... moreHarvey Korman
Abdominal aortic aneurysmHarvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927 – May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian,... moreBo Diddley
Myocardial infarctionEllas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates, December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known as Bo Diddley,... moreArthur Shawcross
Cardiac arrestArthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 – November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River... moreKatoucha Niane
DrowningKatoucha Niane (23 October 1960 – 2 February 2008) was a Guinean model. Nicknamed "The Peul... moreMel Ferrer
Heart failureMelchior Gastón Ferrer (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor and director of... moreSuharto
Heart failure, Cardiovascular diseaseSuharto (, Indonesian pronunciation ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian... moreBrad Renfro
Drug overdose, Heroin overdoseBrad Barron Renfro (July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008) was an American actor. He made his film... moreJulie Ege
Breast cancerJulie Ege (Norwegian pronunciation: [jʉːliə ˈeːɡə]; 12 November 1943 – 29 April 2008) was a... moreChristopher Hyatt
CancerChristopher Hyatt, born Alan Ronald Miller, was an American occultist, author, and founder of... moreEstelle Getty
Dementia with Lewy bodiesEstelle Getty (née Scher; also known as Estelle Gettleman; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008) was... moreGeorgia Frontiere
Breast cancerGeorgia Frontiere (born Violet Frances Irwin; November 21, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an... moreBobby Fischer
Renal failureRobert James Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and... more
