Celebrity Deaths That Stunned The World
Celebrities come and celebrities go. Whether their popularity fades or they move on to other endeavors, their time in the limelight is limited. But when a star's time is suddenly cut short by an untimely passing, it can send shock waves around the world. CTVNews.ca's Latoya Williams looks at 30 celebrities whose lives were tragically cut short and whose deaths shocked the world.
CTVNews.ca / AP Photo
James Dean
Age: 24
Died: September 30, 1955
Cause of Death: Head injuries sustained in a car crash
Warner Bros.
Buddy Holly
Age: 22
Died: February 3, 1959
Cause of Death: Plane crash
AP Photo
Marilyn Monroe
Age: 36
Died: August 5, 1962
Cause of Death: Acute barbiturate poisoning, resulting from a 'probable suicide'
AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman
John F. Kennedy
Age: 46
Died: November 22, 1963
Cause of Death: Killed by gunshot wound to the head, assassinated
AP Photo
Jimi Hendrix
Age: 27
Died: September 18, 1970
Cause of Death: Aspiration of vomit, but has been questioned by many
AP Photo / Michael Ochs Archive
Janis Joplin
Age: 27
Died: October 4, 1970
Cause of Death: Heroin overdose
AP Photo
Elvis Presley
Age: 42
Died: August 16, 1977
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose
AP Photo
John Lennon
Age: 40
Died: December 8, 1980
Cause of Death: Shot to death by an obsessed fan
AP Photo
Grace Kelly
Age: 52
Died: September 14, 1982
Cause of Death: Car crash
AP Photo
Marvin Gaye
Age: 44
Died: April 1, 1984
Cause of Death: Shot and killed by father
AP Photo/Nancy Kaye
River Phoenix
Age: 23
Died: October 31, 1993
Cause of Death: Lethal combination of drugs
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Kurt Cobain
Age: 27
Died: April 5, 1994
Cause of Death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
AP Photo/Robert Sorbo
Selena
Age: 23
Died: March 31, 1995
Cause of Death: Blood loss due to being shot by president of her fan club
AP Photo
Tupac Shakur
Age: 25
Died: September 13, 1996
Cause of Death: Respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest as a result of multiple gunshot wounds suffered day earlier
AP Photo
Notorious B.I.G
Age: 24
Died: March 9, 1997
Cause of Death: Gunshots suffered in drive-by shooting
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
Princess Diana
Age: 36
Died: August 31, 1997
Cause of Death: Car crash while being pursued by aggressive paparazzi
Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Aaliyah
Age: 22
Died: August 25, 2001
Cause of Death: Plane crash resulting from aircraft being overloaded
AP Photo/Jim Cooper
Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes
Age: 30
Died: April 25, 2002
Cause of Death: Car crash
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Steve Irwin
Age: 44
Died: September 4, 2006
Cause of Death: Pierced in the chest by a stingray
AP Photo/Krista Niles
Anna Nicole Smith
Age: 39
Died: February 8, 2007
Cause of Death: Combined drug intoxication
AP Photo / Coke Whitworth
Heath Ledger
Age: 28
Died: January 22, 2008
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose
AP Photo/Dima Gavrysh
Natasha Richardson
Age: 45
Died: March 18, 2009
Cause of Death: Epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head
AP Photo/Tina Fineberg
David Carradine
Age: 72
Died: June 3, 2009
Cause of Death: Autoerotic asphyxiation, Accidental asphyxiation
AP Photo/Phil McCarten
Michael Jackson
Age: 50
Died: June 25, 2009
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose
AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant
Brittany Murphy
Age: 32
Died: December 20, 2009
Cause of Death: Pneumonia, with contributing factors of iron deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication
AP Photo/Matt Dunham
Corey Haim
Age: 38
Died: March 10, 2010
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
L. Pief Weyman/AETN
Amy Winehouse
Age: 27
Died: July 23, 2011
Cause of Death: Accidental alcohol poisoning
AP Photo/Matt Dunham
Heavy D
Age: 44
Died: November 8, 2011
Cause of Death: Pulmonary embolism
AP Photo / David Goldman
Don Cornelius
Age: 75
Died: February 1, 2012
Cause of Death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
Whitney Houston
Age: 48
Died: Feb. 11, 2012
Cause of Death: Unknown
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
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