In 2020, we have had to said goodbye too many notable celebrities, who achieved success across various industries, such as sports, acting, entertainment, politics, the Supreme Court, to name a couple of areas.
Please note that all the deaths of the celebrities featured in this article are listed in chronological order (January 2020 to December 2020). Unlike my previous article, “12 Notable Public Figures Who Have Died From The Coronavirus and COVID-19 Complications” (published on May 21, 2020), none of the celebrities listed below died as a result of complications from the coronavirus (rest in peace Dawn Wells and Nick Cordero). The causes of deaths vary from old age to complications from cancer to accidental deaths to natural causes.
Now, with all of that being said, let’s take a look back and see the following _ Celebrities Who We Lost in the Year of 2020:
2020 started off on the wrong note when on January 1st, the death of former NBA Commissioner David Stern was announced. He was 77-years-old. A few weeks prior to his death, Stern suffered brain hemorrhage and underwent emergency surgery.
Stern, who served as the commissioner of the NBA from 1984 to 2014, is credited with overseeing the league’s growth into one of the world’s most popular sports during the 1990s and 2000s. The late NBA Commissioner’s marketing vision helped turned the NBA into a global brand with the league’s best players as its ambassadors. His visions helped develop and broaden the NBA’s audience on the international scale, which lead to an influx of players from around the world playing in the NBA today.
Out of all of the celebrity deaths of 2020 (regardless if they are or are not included in this article), one of the most shocking and heartbreaking ones is that of Kobe Bryant. On January 26, 2020, the NBA Legend, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others (including the pilot), were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.
The 5-Time NBA Champion’s unexpected death sent massive shockwaves as the entire world mourned his death. The newly inducted NBA Hall of Famer (he is part of the stacked Class of 2020) is survived by his wife Vanessa and their other three daughters Natalia (17-years-old), Bianka (three-years-old), and Capri (turned one on June 20). Since their tragic deaths, both Kobe and Gianna Bryant have been honored in various ways.
The 33-year-old Glee star passed away on July 8, 2020, after drowning at Lake Piru, , while swimming with her four-year-old son Josey, who was found alone on their rented boat. Her body was not recovered until five days later, which was the same date that her Glee co-star Cory Monteith, died of a drug overdose in 2013.
The actress and wife of John Travolta died on July 12, 2020 after a two-year battle with great cancer. Preston’s death was a shock to many as nobody knew about her battle with cancer until her death was announced.
Another one of the saddest celebrity deaths was that of Chadwick Boseman, who passed away on August 28, 2020 due to colon cancer. The beloved actor was only 43 years old.
Another one of the celebrities whose death caused the entire country to go in mourning was that of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on September 18, 2020. Also known by popular culture as the “Notorious R.B.G.”, she died due to complications of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87.
Ginsburg’s passing on Rosh Hashanah was extremely emotional for people around the country not only because of the legacy that the pioneering Supreme Court Justice left behind, but also due to the fact that how close her death was to the election (a month and half prior to Election Day). Her dying wish was that her replacement not to be chosen “until a new president is installed”. Unfortunately, President Trump refused to grant Ginsburg’s request as he controversially nominated Amy Comey Barrett to replace Ginsburg. The 35 days between the nomination and the 2020 presidential election marked the shortest period of time between a nomination and confirmation to the Supreme Court and an election in the nation’s history.
The actor, who portrayed the original James Bond and won an Oscar for his role in the film The Untouchables, passed away in his sleep at the age of 90 on October 31, 2020. A death certificate, which was not released until a month after his passing, revealed the cause of death as pneumonia and heart failure.
On November 8, 2020, the beloved Jeopardy host passed away due to complication from pancreatic cancer. He was 80-years-old.
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you read Trebek’s memoir The Answer Is, which was released four months prior to his death. In his memoir, Trebek recounts his life and relationships, as well as his work in television. After Trebek’s death, The Answer Is has received a surge in sales and has remained on the New York Times Best Sellers List for Hardcover Nonfiction for 13 consecutive weeks so far.
Another one of the celebrities whose death cause the entire world to mourn is that of legendary Argentine Striker Diego Maradona. The Argentine, who had a history of drug problems (both during and after his playing career) and health problems (post-career), passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack in his home. Maradona was considered one of football’s greatest players of all time and captained Argentina to their 1986 FIFA World Cup Victory.
When his death was announced, tributes from around the world poured in and Alberto Fernández, the current President of Argentina, declared three days of national mourning.
The former Zappo CEO’s passed away on November 27, 2020 at the age of 46 after sustaining injuries in a house fire while visiting Connecticut. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled that Hsieh’s death was an accident, and the cause of death was complication from smoke inhalation.
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