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Grace Kelly
(Actress/Princess of Monaco)
12 November 1929 – 14 September 1982 (Aged 52)
Kelly was a renowned American actress who went on to become Princess Grace of Monaco.
Kelly was one of the world’s biggest film stars during her short career, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1954 film, The Country Girl.
Among her most famous films is Dial M for Murder, High Noon, Rear Window, High Society, and To Catch a Thief.
At the age of 26, Kelly retired from acting when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Kelly rejected multiple overtures to return to Hollywood, instead of undertaking numerous charitable endeavors, as well as carrying out her duties as Princess of Monaco.
At the age of 52, Kelly suffered a stroke while driving in the south of France, causing her car to plunge over 40-feet down a cliff face.
She spent the following day in a coma, before ultimately passing away.
Kelly’s daughter, Princess Stephanie, was also in the crash and suffered minor injuries. Princess Grace was buried in the Grimaldi family vault in Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco.
Henry Fonda
(Actor)
16 May 1905 – 12 August 1982 (Aged 77)
Fonda was one of the biggest actors in Hollywood over the course of a career that spanned almost half a century.
Among his best-known films are The Grapes of Wrath, Once Upon A Time in the West, 12 Angry Men, and On Golden Pond, which turned out to be his final role, and also landed Fonda his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
Fonda was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to illness, meaning the Academy Award was accepted by his daughter, Jane, who had co-starred in the film also.
Henry died five months later at his home in Los Angeles, aged 77.
During World War II, Fonda had served in the Navy and earned a Bronze Star Medal.
He was married five times, with his children, Jane and Peter, grand-daughter, Bridget, and grandson Troy Garity, going on to follow in his footsteps in the film world.
John Belushi
(Actor/Comedian)
24 January 1949 – 5 March 1982 (Aged 33)
Belushi was an American actor and comedian, who was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live.
His most famous role came in The Blues Brothers, alongside his friend, Dan Ackroyd.
Belushi had married his high school sweetheart, Judith Jacklin, in 1976, but he struggled with drug addiction and the fame his success had brought him.
In March 1982, Belushi was found dead in his hotel room following an overdose of cocaine and heroin, known as a “speedball”.
He continues to be remembered as one of the best-loved comedic stars on television.
Ingrid Bergman
(Actress)
29 August 1915 – 29 August 1982 (Aged 67)
Bergman was a Swedish actress who became one of the most famous and best-loved film stars in Hollywood during her career.
Among Bergman’s biggest roles were Casablanca, Notorious, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Murder on the Orient Express, Spellbound, and Anastasia.
In an accomplished career, Bergman won three Academy Awards, two for Best Actress in Gaslight and Anastasia, and Best Supporting Actress in Murder on the Orient Express.
She also won 2 Emmy’s, 4 Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and a Tony Award.
In 1950, Bergman started an affair with director Roberto Rossellini, while they were both married.
The two later married and had two children, before divorcing in 1957, but the affair affected Bergman’s career and reputation for a time.
Her award-winning role in the 1956 film Anastasia saw her regain popularity and an upturn in her career again. She went on to also make many films in Europe.
Bergman was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of 67, in London, England.
Her daughters Isabella Rossellini and Pia Lindstrom followed in her footsteps to star in film and television.
Leonid Brezhnev
(Soviet Statesman)
19 December 1906 – 10 November 1982 (Aged 75)
Brezhnev was a Soviet politician who led the Soviet Union as General Secretary from 1964 until his death in 1982.
During World War II, Brezhnev served in the military, eventually rising to the rank of Major General.
After becoming Soviet leader, Brezhnev wanted to ease Cold War tensions, however, military engagement in Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, and strong support for North Vietnam ensured tensions remained high.
In his later years, Brezhnev’s health declined, yet he refused to relinquish power even after suffering a stroke.
He died after a heart attack at the age of 75 and was buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow’s Red Square.
Numerous polls in the 2000s and 2010s have seen Brezhnev voted as the most popular Soviet leader of the 20th century.
Lee Strasberg
(Educator)
17 November 1901 – 17 February 1982 (Aged 80)
Strasberg was born in Austrian Poland, modern-day Ukraine, before moving to the United States where he became an actor and director.
In 1931, he co-founded the Group Theatre in New York City and went on to become director of the famed Actors Studio in 1951.
Over a hugely influential career, Strasberg is credited as being the father of method acting.
Strasberg also played the acclaimed role of Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II. He died of a heart attack at the age of 80.