Birthdays are meant for celebrating with friends and enjoying another year around the sun. They’re a fun way to mark the passage of time, and signal excitement for life ahead. Some birthdays, particularly earlier in life, open up new possibilities, like being able to drive or vote. But sadly, many people have passed away on their birthday.
Some refer to this phenomenon as the birthday effect, a statistical occurrence where the likelihood of death increases around one’s birthday. Possible reasons for this include stress, substance abuse, or terminally ill individuals holding on until their birthday. In fact, researchers studied more than two million people and found that those aged 60 and older were 14% more likely to die on their birthday. Regardless of the cause, there are some very famous people who have died on their birthday.
20Merle Haggard
June 20, 2025 – 2016, Age 79
Merle Haggard was an outlaw country star with 38 number-one hitsin the U.S. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he turned his life around and became a country music legend. Best known for songs such as“The Bottle Let Me Down”(1966) and“Swinging Doors”(1966), Merle sang about the working class and recorded several anti-Vietnam songs. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2010. Merle passed away from double pneumonia at his ranch in Shasta County, CA.
19Ingrid Bergman
June 19, 2025 –1982, Age 67
Ingrid Bergman was one of the most influential actressesof all time. The Swedish actressstarred in notable films such asCasablanca,Murder on the Orient Express, andJoan of Arc. She was a frequent collaborator of Alfred Hitchcock, appearing in three of his films. Bergman won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Tony. She passed away from cancer at midnight on her 67th birthday in London.
18William Shakespeare
July 09, 2025 –1616, Age 53
William Shakespeare is often regarded as the greatest English writer of all time. During his lifetime,he wrote 37 plays, includingRomeo and Juliet,Hamlet, andJulius Caesar. His works have been translated into every major living language. The exact cause of Shakespeare’s death remains a mystery; however, some suspect it was due to excessive drinking. The Bard passed away in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was born.
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17Raphael
July 13, 2025–1520, Age 37
Raphael was an artistconsidered one of the three greatest painters of the High Renaissance, alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He is best known for his paintings of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. The circumstances of his death in Rome remain mysterious, though some accounts claim he developed a fever from excessive lovemaking, which was mistakenly treated with bloodletting—an ancient practice of withdrawing blood to treat disease.
16George Kelly Barnes (Machine Gun Kelly)
August 22, 2025 - 1954, Age 50
George Kelly Barnes, also known as Machine Gun Kelly, wasa prominent gangster during the Prohibition era. Among his many crimes were bootlegging, armed robbery, and kidnapping an oil tycoon. He got his nickname because his weapon of choice was a Thompson submachine gun. He spent his last 21 years in prison, eventually dying in USP Leavenworth of a heart attack.
15Mel Street
June 19, 2025 – 1978, Age 45
Mel Street wasa well-known country music singer, best known for the song “Lovin’ on Back Streets.”During his career, he had 13 hit singles on the Billboard Country Charts and released 8 albums. He suffered from depression and alcoholism and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
14Betty Friedan
June 16, 2025 – 2006, Age 85
Betty Friedan wasa writer and activist, best known for her novelThe Feminine Mystique, which helped spark the women’s rights movement in the 1960s. She dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights and equality. Tracy Ullman portrayed Friedan in thecast of the FX mini-seriesMrs. America. She died of congestive heart failure at her home in Washington DC at the age of 85.
13Mike Douglas
June 01, 2025 - 2006, Age 86
Mike Douglas wasa singer, entertainer, and talk show host, best known for hostingThe Mike Douglas Showfor 20 years. The show had a popular format in which guests would co-host with Douglas for an entire week. Famous guests on the show included Truman Capote, Richard Nixon, Barbra Streisand, and the Rolling Stones. Douglas passed away after suffering from dehydration while golfing in Florida.
12Maury Chaykin
August 10, 2025 – 2010, Age 61
Maury Chaykin was a Canadian character actor,best known for roles inMy Cousin Vinny,Twins,WarGames, andEntourage. He often played larger-than-life personalities and had over 150 credits to his name. Chaykin died in Toronto from complications of a heart valve infection.
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11Yasujiro Ozu
July 03, 2025 – 1963, age 60
Yasujiro Ozu wasone of the most acclaimed Japanese filmmakersof all time. His films explored family, marriage, and relationships throughout time. His filmTokyo Storywas voted the third-best film of all time by the 2022 Sight & Sound poll. Unfortunately, he died of throat cancer on his 60th birthday.
