Famous People From Nebraska

Updated June 13, 2018 31.4K views 996 items

List of famous people from Nebraska, including photos when available. The people below are listed by their popularity, so the most recognizable names are at the top of the list. Some of the people below are celebrities born in Nebraska, while others are simply notable locals. If you're from Nebraska you might already know that these prominent figures are also from your hometown, but some of the names below may really surprise you. This list includes people who were born and raised in Nebraska, as well as those who were born there but moved away at a young age.

List people include Cliff Mapes, Ace Hudkins and many more.

If you want to answer the questions, "Which famous people are from Nebraska?" or "Which celebrities were born in Nebraska?" then this list is a great resource for you.

Gabrielle Union
Age: 52
Gabrielle Union, an American actress, author, and activist, has achieved remarkable success in both film and television. Born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, Union moved to California as a child, where she discovered her love for performing arts. She studied sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and during this period, Union interned at a modeling agency and subsequently embarked on a modeling career. This exposure led her to pursue opportunities in acting, marking the beginning of her illustrious career in Hollywood. Union made her acting debut in the 1990s, appearing in hit television shows like Saved by the Bell and 7th Heaven. Her breakthrough came in 2000 when she starred in the film Bring It On, which catapulted her to mainstream fame. Over the years, Union's versatility as an actress has seen her take on diverse roles across various genres, from romantic comedies like Deliver Us From Eva to intense dramas like Cadillac Records. She has also portrayed strong characters in action films like Bad Boys II and Breaking In. In addition to her acting career, Union is a powerful voice for social justice. She has used her platform to advocate for survivors of sexual assault, having shared her own experiences to raise awareness. Union has also been vocal about issues of racial equality and women's rights. In 2017, she added author to her list of accomplishments with the release of her memoir, We're Going to Need More Wine, a candid exploration of her life experiences.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Also ranks #1 on Famous People Named Gabrielle
- Also ranks #1 on 15 Celebrities Who Are Way Older Than You Realized
The 40+ Best Gabrielle Union MoviesSee all
- 1Bad Boys II
  90 Votes
- 2Bring It On
  93 Votes
- 3Daddy's Little Girls
  85 Votes
Hilary Swank
Age: 50
Hilary Swank, a versatile and accomplished actress, hails from Lincoln, Nebraska, where she was born on July 30, 1974. With her humble beginnings rooted in a mobile home park, Swank's journey to stardom is nothing short of remarkable. Her early life was marked by financial instability and familial struggles, but these hardships only fueled her determination to rise above her circumstances. Her passion for acting began at a young age when she participated in school plays and community theater, which eventually led her family to relocate to Los Angeles in pursuit of her dream. Swank's career breakthrough came when she landed the role of Brandon Teena, a transgender man, in the critically acclaimed film Boys Don't Cry (1999). Her portrayal was both groundbreaking and heart-wrenching, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress. This triumph was not a one-off; five years later, she won her second Oscar for her performance as a determined boxer in the movie Million Dollar Baby (2004), directed by Clint Eastwood. These achievements catapulted her into the ranks of Hollywood's elite, making her one of the few actresses to have won two Academy Awards before turning 30. Despite her success on the big screen, Swank has not been confined to one medium. She has also made a significant impact on the small screen, most notably with her role as Carly Reynolds in the popular TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. Off-screen, Swank is known for her philanthropic efforts. She is actively involved in various charities, including The Hilaroo Foundation, which she founded to bring together underprivileged youth and abandoned animals for mutual healing and support.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Dig Deeper Hilary Swank Might Not Be On-Screen But She Is Still A Part Of Hollywood
- Also ranks #3 on Big Stars You Forgot Were On '90s Sitcoms
The Best Hilary Swank MoviesSee all
- 1Million Dollar Baby
  93 Votes
- 2Boys Don't Cry
  75 Votes
- 3P.S. I Love You
  62 Votes
Marg Helgenberger
Age: 66
Marg Helgenberger, a familiar face in the world of Hollywood, etched her name in the annals of showbiz with her stellar performances and relentless dedication to the craft. Born on November 16, 1958, in Fremont, Nebraska, she was destined to captivate audiences worldwide. Her journey began with a degree in Speech and Drama from Northwestern University, which paved the way for her illustrious career in the entertainment industry. Helgenberger launched into stardom as an actor on the long-running daytime drama Ryan's Hope, earning her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. However, it was her role as Catherine Willows, a crime scene investigator on the hit television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, that solidified her status as a household name. Her portrayal of a strong, independent woman earned her an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe nominations. In addition to her television work, Helgenberger also showcased her talents on the big screen in films such as Species, Erin Brockovich, and Mr. Brooks. While her acting career took center stage, Helgenberger also made an impact off-screen. She lent her voice to several animated projects, including Justice League and The Legend of Tarzan. A passionate advocate for breast cancer research, Helgenberger uses her platform to raise awareness and funding for the cause, inspired by her mother's battle with the disease.
- Birthplace: Fremont, Nebraska, USA
Steve Borden
Age: 65
Steve Borden (born March 20, 1959), better known by the ring name Sting, is an American retired professional wrestler, actor, author and former bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract. He is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, having cultivated a legacy over a career spanning more than three decades. Sting is widely known for his time spent as the public face of two major American professional wrestling promotions: the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which displaced the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) as the leading professional wrestling organization in the United States from 1995 to 1998, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).Sting's 14-year association with WCW and its predecessor, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), began in 1987. He quickly rose to main event status, and has been described as the WCW counterpart to the WWF's Hulk Hogan.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Nick Nolte
Age: 83
Nick Nolte, born on February 8, 1941, in Omaha, Nebraska, is a distinguished American actor, producer, and former model who has graced both the silver screen and television with his compelling performances. Renowned for his rugged looks and gravelly voice, Nolte's career has been a testament to his boundless talent, versatility, and dedication to his craft. His journey began in the early 1960s as a model before he ventured into theater and eventually made his way to Hollywood. Nolte's filmography is as diverse as it is impressive. He garnered critical acclaim for his role in The Prince of Tides (1991), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This was followed by other notable performances in films like Affliction (1997), for which he won the Best Actor award at the 1998 New York Film Critics Circle Awards and received another Academy Award nomination. Furthermore, his portrayal of an aging baseball player in The Natural (1984) and his role in 48 Hrs. (1982) are often cited among his most memorable performances. In addition to his film work, Nolte has also made significant contributions to television. His performance in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) solidified his status as a versatile actor and earned him an Emmy nomination. Moreover, his role in the drama series Graves (2016-2017) showcased his ability to adeptly handle comedic roles. Throughout his career, Nolte has demonstrated a knack for bringing depth and authenticity to his characters, making him one of the most respected figures in the entertainment industry.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Also ranks #2 on Guest Stars In 'The Mandalorian,' Ranked By How Surprised You Were To See Them
- Also ranks #3 on The Most Questionable Choices For People's 'Sexiest Man Alive'
The Best Nick Nolte Movies, RankedSee all
- 148 Hrs.
  136 Votes
- 2Mulholland Falls
  73 Votes
- 3The Prince of Tides
  124 Votes
Henry Fonda
Dec. at 77 (1905-1982)
Henry Fonda, a titan of American cinema, was born on May 16, 1905, in Grand Island, Nebraska. His journey from the heartland to Hollywood is an embodiment of the American dream. He grew up in a close-knit family with his parents and two siblings. Despite his humble beginnings, he was always drawn to the world of performing arts. This passion led him to leave home at the age of 20 to join a small theatre company in Omaha, marking the beginning of his illustrious career. Fonda's breakthrough came when he moved to New York in 1928 and started performing on Broadway. His performance in the 1934 play, The Farmer Takes a Wife, caught the attention of Hollywood producers. The same year, he made his silver screen debut with the film adaptation of the play. His portrayal of honest, strong-willed, everyman characters resonated with audiences, leading to roles in classics like The Grapes of Wrath and 12 Angry Men. Despite his success in Hollywood, Fonda never severed his ties with the theater. He won a Tony Award for his performance in Mister Roberts in 1948. His role in On Golden Pond in 1981 won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, proving his versatility as a performer. Throughout his career, Fonda remained true to his craft, delivering performances that were grounded, unpretentious, and deeply human. He passed away on August 12, 1982, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire actors and filmmakers worldwide.
- Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska, USA
- Also ranks #2 on Great Actors Who Ended Their Movie Careers On A High Note
- Dig Deeper 35 Famous Movie Stars of the 1930s
Henry Fonda Movies List, RankedSee all
- 1The Grapes of Wrath
  161 Votes
- 212 Angry Men
  193 Votes
- 3Once Upon a Time in the West
  173 Votes
Janine Turner
Age: 62
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 6, 1962, Janine Turner is a multifaceted personality whose talents span across various fields such as acting, directing, and writing. This American artist rose to prominence with her role as Maggie O'Connell in the television series, Northern Exposure, which earned her three Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination. Turner started her career in the entertainment industry as a successful model before venturing into acting. With her striking beauty and exceptional talent, she quickly made a mark in Hollywood with leading roles in films like Cliffhanger alongside Sylvester Stallone, and Dr. T & the Women directed by Robert Altman. Her other notable performances include films like Monkey Shines and Steel Magnolias, and TV shows such as Friday Night Lights and Strong Medicine. Beyond her acting career, Janine Turner has also made her presence felt as a director and writer. She directed and co-wrote the award-winning film Trip in a Summer Dress. A woman of letters, Turner authored A Little Bit Vulnerable which offers an insightful look at her life and experiences. Moreover, she is a dedicated advocate for constitutional education via her foundation, Constituting America, which she co-founded in 2010.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Fred Astaire
Dec. at 88 (1899-1987)
Fred Astaire, born as Frederick Austerlitz in 1899, emerged from Omaha, Nebraska to become one of the most influential dancers, singers, and actors of the 20th century. With an illustrious career spanning over seven decades, he has graced both the Broadway stage and silver screen with his innovative dance routines and charismatic acting. Astaire started dancing at a young age with his sister, Adele, and together, they made their vaudeville debut when Fred was only five. After moving to New York, they enjoyed a successful Broadway career in the 1920s, headlining shows like For Goodness Sake and Funny Face. By the 1930s, Astaire ventured into Hollywood where he formed a legendary partnership with Ginger Rogers. Together, they starred in ten RKO musical films, including Top Hat and Swing Time, that revolutionized the genre. Astaire's distinctive dance style, blending ballet and tap, elevated the importance of dance in films and set a new standard for Hollywood musicals. Beyond his partnership with Rogers, Astaire was renowned for his collaborations with a host of other partners and choreographers, as well as his solo work. He worked with icons such as Gene Kelly in Ziegfeld Follies, and Rita Hayworth in You Were Never Lovelier. Astaire also showcased his singing talent through songs like "The Way You Look Tonight", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Moreover, he made significant contributions to the television industry with his Emmy-winning specials. After retiring from dancing, Astaire continued to act in films until the late 1980s. His enduring influence on dance and his unique ability to bring joy and elegance to his performances undeniably cements Fred Astaire's legacy as a true entertainment icon.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Dig Deeper Real On-Set Injuries That Made The Final Cut
- Also ranks #3 on Inspiring Behind-The-Scenes Stories About Actors Helping Other Actors
The Best Fred Astaire MoviesSee all
- 1Top Hat
  135 Votes
- 2Swing Time
  120 Votes
- 3Holiday Inn
  102 Votes
Alexander Payne
Age: 63
Constantine Alexander Payne (; born February 10, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, known for the films Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013), and Downsizing (2017). His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne is a two-time winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and a three-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Robert Taylor
Dec. at 57 (1911-1969)
Dependable, clean-cut star who was signed by MGM while still in school, and spent most of his subsequent career with the company. Boyishly handsome, with a "perfect profile," Taylor highlighted many a light romance and was immensely popular for years after starring in "Magnificent Obsession" (1935). He eventually grew out of his pretty-boy good looks, became a solid, gritty performer, and made up for any lack of talent with a much-noted professionalism in a succession of epics ("Ivanhoe" 1951 "Knights of the Round Table" 1953) and Westerns ("The Hangman" 1959, "Cattle King" 1963) that punctuated his mature screen work. Married to Barbara Stanwyck from 1939 to 1951.
- Birthplace: Filley, Nebraska, USA
- Also ranks #18 on Who Is The Most Famous Taylor In The World?
- Dig Deeper Celebrities Whose Children Committed Suicide
The Best Movies With Robert TaylorSee all
- 1Waterloo Bridge
  104 Votes
- 2Westward the Women
  73 Votes
- 3Ivanhoe
  76 Votes
Walter Scott, Jr.
Age: 94
Walter Scott Jr. (born May 21, 1931) is an American civil engineer, philanthropist, and former CEO of Peter Kiewit Sons' Incorporated.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Wade Boggs
Age: 66
Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but he also played for the New York Yankees, with whom he won the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, with whom he reached 3,000 hits. His hitting in the 1980s and 1990s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles. He is 33rd on the list of career leaders for batting average among Major League Baseball players with a minimum of 1,000 plate appearances, and has the highest ranking of those still alive. Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. With 12 straight All-Star appearances, Boggs is third only to Brooks Robinson and George Brett in number of consecutive appearances as a third baseman. In 1997, he ranked number 95 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Boggs, a 1976 graduate of Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, currently resides in the Tampa Palms neighborhood of Tampa.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Dick Cavett
Age: 88
Dick Cavett was often referred to as "the thinking man's talk show host," for the intelligent and sophisticated interview style he displayed on the Emmy Award-winning series "The Dick Cavett Show" (ABC, 1968-1972). Cavett's witty conversations with a wide array of guests captured viewers' attention and made his show a formidable competitor against late night Goliath "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (NBC, 1962-1992). Throughout its run, "The Dick Cavett Show" delivered some of the most memorable moments ever seen on the small screen - from Katherine Hepburn's mid-interview walkout, to multiple appearances from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, to a heated debate about the Vietnam War. While interviewing every household name from the worlds of entertainment, politics, and media, Cavett remained a distinguished and fascinated host, admirable traits that helped turn the former stand-up comedian and writer into a television legend.
- Birthplace: Gibbon, Nebraska, USA
Lucas Cruikshank
Age: 31
Lucas Alan Cruikshank (born August 29, 1993) is an American actor and YouTube personality who created the character Fred Figglehorn and the associated Fred series for his channel on the video-sharing website YouTube in late 2005. These videos are centered on Fred Figglehorn, a fictional six-year-old who has a dysfunctional home life and "anger management issues".
- Birthplace: Columbus, Nebraska, USA
Michael Bishop
Age: 79
Michael Lawson Bishop (born November 12, 1945) is an American writer. Over four decades and in more than thirty books, he has created what has been called a "body of work that stands among the most admired and influential in modern science fiction and fantasy literature."
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Scott Porter
Age: 45
With his boy-next-door good looks and amiable earnestness, Scott Porter is best known for his regular roles on TV dramas. Porter was a football player in high school but eventually fell into acting and singing. After time on the Off-Broadway stage and making a brief soap opera turn, he won his breakthrough role, joining the cast of the lauded sports drama "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 2006-2011). While appearing regularly on the show, Porter also kicked off his movie career, with featured parts in the big-budget action film "Speed Racer" (2008) and the horror remake "Prom Night" (2008), among others. Once his role on "Friday Night Lights" was scaled back, he pursued more TV work, eventually signing on as a regular for the Alabama-set dramedy series "Hart of Dixie" (CW, 2011-15). In addition to proving himself as a versatile actor, Porter has also occasionally put his vocal talent to work, singing in productions such as "Bandslam" (2009).
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Elliott Smith
Dec. at 34 (1969-2003)
Born on August 6, 1969, in Omaha, Nebraska, Elliott Smith was an American singer-songwriter known for his melancholic melodies and whisper-thin vocal style. His deeply introspective lyrics, often addressing personal pain and struggle with addiction, resonated with a broad audience. Smith's music career began in earnest when he formed the band Heatmiser with his friend Neil Gust while attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. This alternative rock band released three albums but didn't achieve remarkable commercial success. However, it was during this time that Smith started to develop his unique sound. Smith's solo career started alongside his involvement in Heatmiser. His debut album, Roman Candle, was released in 1994, showcasing his signature acoustic sound. As a solo artist, Smith gained recognition for his evocative songwriting and emotional performances, gradually becoming a pivotal figure in indie folk music. His most significant mainstream breakthrough came with the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. Smith contributed several songs to the film's soundtrack, including "Miss Misery," which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Elliott Smith had a profound impact on indie music, despite his tragically short life. He passed away on October 21, 2003, under mysterious circumstances at the age of 34. Smith released five studio albums during his lifetime, each one solidifying his reputation as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. His posthumous releases, including From a Basement on the Hill and New Moon, continue to demonstrate his poignant musical legacy. Despite facing numerous personal challenges, Smith's contribution to music remains undiminished. His emotive lyricism and haunting melodies continue to inspire countless artists around the world, solidifying his place in the annals of modern music history.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Conor Oberst
Age: 44
Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, The Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk, and Better Oblivion Community Center. Oberst was named the Best Songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Ivan Sutherland
Age: 86
Ivan Edward Sutherland (born May 16, 1938) is an American computer scientist and Internet pioneer, widely regarded as the "father of computer graphics". His early work in computer graphics as well as his teaching with David C. Evans in that subject at the University of Utah in the 1970s was pioneering in the field. Sutherland, Evans, and their students from that era invented several foundations of modern computer graphics. He received the Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery in 1988 for the invention of Sketchpad, an early predecessor to the sort of graphical user interface that has become ubiquitous in personal computers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, as well as the National Academy of Sciences among many other major awards. In 2012 he was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology for "pioneering achievements in the development of computer graphics and interactive interfaces".
- Birthplace: Hastings, Nebraska
Andrew Rannells
Age: 46
A handsome, immensely gifted actor-singer, Andrew Rannells broke into showbiz with a string of roles in animated projects like "Street Sharks" (syndicated, 1994-95), "Pokémon" (syndicated, 1998-99; Kids WB!, 1999-2006; Cartoon Network, 2006- ) and "Sonic X" (Fox, 2003-04), where he also earned credits directing the entire voiceover cast. He achieved stardom, however, on Broadway when he dazzled in "Hairspray" and "Jersey Boys" before originating the role of Elder Kevin Price in the irreverent smash "The Book of Mormon." Rannells made the leap to screen acting with small roles in the films "Sex and the City 2" (2010) and "Bachelorette" (2012), but made a bigger impression recurring as Elijah, the hot-tempered, gay ex-boyfriend of Hannah (Lena Dunham) on "Girls" (HBO, 2012- ). Openly gay himself, Rannells landed the part of a lifetime as one-half of a happy gay couple who hire a surrogate and find themselves meshing and clashing with her family on Ryan Murphy's controversial sitcom "The New Normal" (NBC, 2012-13). Enormously talented and likable, Andrew Rannells proved equally adept on stage and on screen.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Tierney Sutton
Age: 61
Tierney Sutton (born June 28, 1963) is an American jazz singer who has received 8 Grammy Award nominations.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
George Andreasen
Dec. at 55 (1934-1989)
George F. Andreasen (February 16, 1934 – August 11, 1989), born in Fremont, Nebraska, was an American orthodontist and inventor. Andreasen, most noted for his invention and patent of the Nitinol Wire, also known as Memory Wire or shape memory alloy, began his experimentation with the nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys as early as 1969. His idea for Nitonal came from an article he read in the United States Naval laboratory publication supplement in the Journal of American Orthodontics. Over the course of the next seven years, Andreasen experimented with his formula until he reached his goal and was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,324 on July 26, 1979. To this day, this is the highest earning patent fostered by the University of Iowa College of Orthodontics. Andreasen joined the University of Iowa Orthodontics department in 1963 and was chairman of the orthodontics department from 1965 to 1975. He held degrees in mechanical engineering and in dentistry from Oxford University and the University of Nebraska. He was a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Andreasen died on August 11, 1989 of multiple myeloma at the age of 55. In recognition of Dr. Andreasen's significant contributions to the field of orthodontics and thanks to generous contributions by alumni and other supporters, the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Iowa has established a Dr. George Andreasen Memorial fund to support orthodontic resident research projects.
- Birthplace: Fremont, Nebraska
Donald Othmer
Dec. at 91 (1904-1995)
Donald Frederick Othmer (May 11, 1904 – November 1, 1995) was an American professor of chemical engineering, an inventor, multi-millionaire and philanthropist, whose most famous work is the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Charles Starkweather
Dec. at 20 (1938-1959)
Charles Raymond "Charlie" Starkweather (November 24, 1938 – June 25, 1959) was an American spree killer, 19 years old when he killed eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between December 1957 and January 1958. He killed ten of them between January 21 and January 29, 1958, the date of his arrest. During his spree in 1958, Starkweather was accompanied by his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate. Both Starkweather and Fugate were convicted on charges for their parts in the homicides; Starkweather was sentenced to death and executed seventeen months after the events. Fugate served seventeen years in prison, gaining release in 1976. The Starkweather-Fugate spree has inspired several films, including The Sadist (1963), Badlands (1973), Kalifornia (1993), Natural Born Killers (1994) and The Frighteners (1996). Starkweather's electrocution by electric chair in 1959 was the last execution in Nebraska until 1994.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Emily Kinney
Age: 39
Emily Rebecca Kinney is an American actress and recording artist. She is best known for her role as Beth Greene in the AMC television series The Walking Dead and for playing Emily on The Big C.
- Birthplace: Wayne, Nebraska, USA
Anthony Dexter
Dec. at 88 (1913-2001)
Anthony Dexter was an American actor who appeared in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "He Laughed Last," and "Valentino."
- Birthplace: Talmadge, Nebraska, USA
Craig Anton
Age: 64
Craig Ward Anton (born August 28, 1962) is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. Anton is most notable for being one of the original cast of comedians on sketch comedy television series MADtv and for his role as Lloyd Diffy on the television series Phil of the Future.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Nicholas Sparks
Age: 59
One of the most successful contemporary novelists of our time, Nicholas Sparks is revered by his fans for the love stories he's penned and the movies on which they are based -- and derided by his critics for what they see as formulaic and manipulative writing. Sparks' first novel, The Notebook (1996), was wildly successful, and his audience has continued to embrace each of his books since. From the publication of The Notebook to the present, Sparks seems incapable of producing a work of fiction that doesn't immediately bolt to the top of the New York Times best-seller list, and the films based on his novels tend to be global successes.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Dig Deeper The Best Nicholas Sparks Books
- Also ranks #30 on Authors Like James Patterson
Authors Like Nicholas SparksSee all
- 1Richard Paul Evans
  38 Votes
- 2Jodi Picoult
  15 Votes
- 3Mitch Albom
  14 Votes
Brook Berringer
Dec. at 22 (1973-1996)
Brook Warren Berringer (July 9, 1973 – April 18, 1996) was an American quarterback for the University of Nebraska football team in the mid-1990s. Berringer came to Nebraska from Goodland, Kansas, and played a backup role to Tommie Frazier. He was best known for replacing the injured Frazier during the 1994 season and leading the Cornhuskers to seven consecutive wins and to the Orange Bowl national championship game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. Berringer died in a plane crash just two days before the 1996 NFL Draft.
- Birthplace: Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Owen Shannon
Dec. at 38 (1879-1918)
Owen Dennis Ignatius Shannon was a professional baseball catcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Hallee Hirsh
Age: 37
Hallee Hirsh has built an extensive resume as an actress in a relatively short amount of time since making her debut in the 1993 television series "Loving." After small guest appearances on the soap operas "All My Children" and "As the World Turns" in the mid-'90s, Hirsh made her film debut in 1997's "Norville and Trudy." She continued to land supporting roles in features during the late 1990s, with appearances in "Lolita," "One True Thing," and the romantic comedy, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, "You've Got Mail." Her career began to blossom in the early 2000s when she earned a recurring role on the series "ER," playing the daughter of Anthony Edwards's character, Dr. Greene. The recognition she earned playing Rachel Greene led to more starring roles in films, including a part alongside Kristen Stewart in the indie film "Speak," based on the best-selling novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. After a brief stint on the crime series "JAG," which ended in 2005, Hirsh won a starring role on the adventure series "Flight 29 Down," a show centered on a group of resilient teens stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific; she reprised her role as Daley in the 2007 made-for-TV "Flight 29 Down: The Hotel Tango." In 2009 she was critically acclaimed for her lead role in the offbeat romantic comedy "16 to Life," directed and written by Becky Smith.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Brandon Teena
Dec. at 21 (1972-1993)
Brandon Teena (born Teena Renae Brandon; December 12, 1972 – December 31, 1993) was an American trans man who was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska. His life and death were the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1999 film Boys Don't Cry, which was partially based on the 1998 documentary film The Brandon Teena Story. Both films also illustrated that legal and medical discrimination contributed to Teena's violent death.Teena's murder, along with that of Matthew Shepard, led to increased lobbying for hate crime laws in the United States.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Leon Douglass
Dec. at 71 (1869-1940)
Leon Forrest Douglass (March 12, 1869 – September 7, 1940) was an American inventor and co-founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company who registered approximately fifty patents, mostly for film and sound recording techniques.
- Birthplace: Nebraska
Luigi Waites
Dec. at 82 (1927-2010)
Luigi Waites (July 10, 1927 – April 6, 2010) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist from Omaha, Nebraska. He performed weekly gigs in the Omaha area both solo and with ensembles such as Luigi, Inc. He served the Omaha music community for over 60 years. He toured Europe twice and performed with jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. Luigi, Inc has shared the stage with Jean-Luc Ponty, James Brown and Dizzy Gillespie.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Jorge Garcia
Age: 51
Jorge Garcia, whose heritage was Chilean, was born on April 28, 1979 (though the birthdates vary source to source) in Omaha, NE to parents Dora and Humberto. His family moved to San Juan Capistrano, CA, when Garcia was three. He competed on the wrestling team at San Clemente High School before graduating and earning a communications degree from UCLA. Although he joined the Beverly Hills Playhouse after graduation, taking his first steps toward acting and/or stand-up comedy as a career path - Garcia was originally interested in working on the other side of the camera.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Paula Zahn
Age: 68
Paula Ann Zahn (; born February 24, 1956) is an American journalist and newscaster who has been an anchor at ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and CNN. She currently produces and hosts the true crime documentary series On the Case with Paula Zahn on the Investigation Discovery channel.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Al Mahon
Dec. at 68 (1909-1977)
Alfred Gwinn Mahon (September 23, 1909 – December 26, 1977) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1930.
- Birthplace: Albion, Nebraska
Ken Darby
Dec. at 82 (1909-1992)
Three-time Oscar winner for his lush musical adaptations of Broadway musicals to film: "The King and I" (1956) and "Camelot" (1967), both in collaboration with Alfred Newman; and "Porgy and Bess" (1959), with Andre Previn. A leading musical scorer, conductor and songwriter in films from the late 1940s through the 60s, Darby wrote songs for "River of No Return," "Garden of Evil" (both 1954), "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts" (1955) and "Villa" (1958). He served as musical associate on the 1962 remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair" and, teamed with Alfred Newman, was Oscar-nominated for scoring Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" (1958) and "Flower Drum Song" (1961) as well as "How the West Was Won" (1963).
- Birthplace: Hebron, Nebraska, USA
Pug Bennett
Dec. at 61 (1874-1935)
Justin Titus Bennett was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He went to Blackburn College.
- Birthplace: Ponca, Nebraska
Danny Woodhead
Age: 40
Daniel Jacob Henry Woodhead (born January 25, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Chadron State and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. Woodhead set several NCAA college football rushing records, including the single season rushing and all-time rushing records. In 2006 and 2007, he won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the best player in NCAA Division II, making him the third player to win the trophy twice in its history (the other players are Johnny Bailey and Dusty Bonner). On October 6, 2007, Woodhead became the NCAA all-time, all-division leading rusher. Woodhead held this record until it was broken by Mount Union running back Nate Kmic on December 13, 2008. With the Patriots, Woodhead made his lone Super Bowl appearance in 2011. He finished the game with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 18 yards, but the Patriots fell to the New York Giants 21-17.
- Birthplace: North Platte, Nebraska
Kurt Andersen
Age: 70
Kurt Andersen (born August 22, 1954) is an American writer and host of the Peabody-winning public radio program Studio 360, a production of Public Radio International.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Forrest S. Petersen
Dec. at 68 (1922-1990)
Forrest Silas Petersen (May 16, 1922 – December 8, 1990), (VADM, USN), was a United States Navy aviator and test pilot. He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.
- Birthplace: Holdrege, Nebraska
Martha Greenhouse
Dec. at 91 (1921-2013)
Martha Miriam Greenhouse was an American stage, film and television actress, who also served as an actors' union leader. The Omaha, Nebraska-born actress appeared both on-and off-Broadway. Her film credits included The Stepford Wives, Bananas, Daniel, and Tomorrow Night. She appeared on such television and soap opera series as Route 66, Car 54, Where Are You?, Law & Order, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Phil Silvers Show,Ryan's Hope, and Law & Order.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Juliet Stuart Poyntz
Dec. at 50 (1886-1937)
Juliet Stuart Poyntz (originally 'Points') (25 November 1886 – 1937) was an American communist and intelligence agent for the Soviet Union. As a student and university teacher, she espoused many radical causes and went on to become a co-founder of the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA). Poyntz travelled secretly to Moscow in 1936, just as some of her comrades were being executed in Joseph Stalin's Great Purge, and she resigned from the party. This is widely assumed to have led to her unexplained disappearance in New York City in June 1937, as the likely victim of an assassination squad, either because she had been mixing with Trotskyists, or because she was planning to write an exposé of the Soviet system.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Kyle Larson
Age: 44
Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion and Rookie of the Year, the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year as well as the 2014 Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Before and throughout his stock car racing career, Larson has been highly successful in dirt track racing, with wins in prestigious events including the Kings Royal, Knoxville Nationals and Chili Bowl Nationals. He is also an overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race.
- Birthplace: Elk Grove, California
John Perry
Age: 82
John Richard Perry (born 1943) is Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Stanford University and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of California, Riverside. He has made significant contributions to philosophy in the fields of philosophy of language, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind. He is known primarily for his work on situation semantics (together with Jon Barwise), reflexivity, indexicality, personal identity, and self-knowledge.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Richie Ashburn
Dec. at 70 (1927-1997)
Donald Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927 – September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. (Some sources give his full middle name as "Richie".) He was born in Tilden, Nebraska. From his youth on a farm, he grew up to become a professional outfielder and veteran broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies and one of the most beloved sports figures in Philadelphia history. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
- Birthplace: Tilden, USA, Nebraska
Adele Astaire
Dec. at 84 (1896-1981)
Adele Astaire (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981), was an American dancer, stage actress and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville performer at the age of nine, Astaire built a successful performance career with her younger brother, Fred Astaire. The brother and sister act initially worked their way through vaudeville circuits, finally achieving a breakthrough with their first Broadway roles in 1917. Astaire became known for her talents as a skilled dancer and comedienne, starring in hit Broadway musicals such as Lady, Be Good! (1924), Funny Face (1927) and The Band Wagon (1931). The siblings took several of their more popular shows to Britain's West End during the 1920s, where they were soon international celebrities, meeting members of the British royal family and prominent figures from contemporary arts and literature circles. In 1932, after a 27-year partnership with her brother, Astaire retired from the stage to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, the second son of the 9th Duke of Devonshire. The couple moved to the Cavendish estate of Lismore Castle in Ireland. Despite offers of both stage and film roles from producers eager to see her return to acting, Astaire declined to come out of retirement. Following Cavendish's death in 1944, Astaire remarried and moved back to the United States. She divided her time between properties in the United States; Round Hill, Jamaica; and her old home of Lismore Castle, where she spent her summers up until the end of her life. In 1972, Astaire was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Brian Yorkey
Brian Yorkey is an American playwright and lyricist. His works often explore dark and controversial subject matter such as mental illness, grief, the underbelly of suburbia, and ethics in both psychiatry and public education.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Ted Hartley
Age: 88
Theodore Ringwalt Hartley (born November 6, 1924) is a US Navy fighter pilot, investment banker, actor, film producer, and is currently CEO of RKO Pictures. He was married to heiress, actress and philanthropist Dina Merrill until her death in 2017.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
Lawrence Klein
Dec. at 93 (1920-2013)
Lawrence Robert Klein (September 14, 1920 – October 20, 2013) was an American economist. For his work in creating computer models to forecast economic trends in the field of econometrics in the Department of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1980 specifically "for the creation of econometric models and their application to the analysis of economic fluctuations and economic policies." Due to his efforts, such models have become widespread among economists. Harvard University professor Martin Feldstein told the Wall Street Journal that Klein "was the first to create the statistical models that embodied Keynesian economics," tools still used by the Federal Reserve Bank and other central banks.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Peter George Peterson
Age: 98
Peter George Peterson (June 5, 1926 – March 20, 2018) was an American investment banker who served as United States Secretary of Commerce from February 29, 1972, to February 1, 1973, under the Richard Nixon administration. Before serving as Secretary of Commerce, Peterson was chairman and CEO of Bell & Howell from 1963 to 1971. From 1973 to 1984 he was chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers. In 1985 he co-founded the private equity firm The Blackstone Group, and served as chairman. Peterson was chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations until retiring in 2007, after being named chairman emeritus. In 2008, Peterson was ranked 149th on the "Forbes 400 Richest Americans" with a net worth of $2.8 billion. He was also known as founder and principal funder of The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting fiscal sustainability.
- Birthplace: Kearney, Nebraska, USA
Erin Belieu
Age: 58
Erin Belieu (born September 25, 1965) is an American poet.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Gene L. Coon
Dec. at 49 (1924-1973)
Eugene Lee Coon (January 7, 1924 – July 8, 1973) was an American screenwriter, television producer and novelist. He is best remembered for his work on the original Star Trek series, especially as its showrunner where he was responsible for both its idealistic tone and various key elements of the franchise.
- Birthplace: Beatrice, Nebraska
Ted Sorensen
Dec. at 82 (1928-2010)
Theodore Chaikin Sorensen (May 8, 1928 – October 31, 2010) was an American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser. He was a speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy, as well as one of his closest advisers. President Kennedy once called him his "intellectual blood bank".
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Jerusha Hess
Age: 44
Jerusha Hess is a screenwriter and a film producer.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Susan Buffett
Dec. at 72 (1932-2004)
For her daughter, see Susan Alice Buffett Susan Thompson Buffett (June 15, 1932 – July 29, 2004) was the first wife of investor Warren Buffett, and an activist for the causes of civil rights, abortion rights and birth control. She was a director of Berkshire Hathaway, owning 2.2 percent (worth US$3 billion in 2004) of the company at the time of her death, and was the 153rd richest person in the world. She was president of the Buffett Foundation, which has contributed millions of dollars to educational groups, medical research, family planning groups and other charities.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Terry Kiser
Age: 85
A seasoned journeyman comic and light dramatic character player whose credits span daytime and primetime TV, Broadway and features, Terry Kiser earned a boost when he was cast as the dead-but-still-partying boss in "Weekend at Bernie's" (1989). Prior to that, Kiser worked on such daytime dramas as "The Doctors" (NBC, 1962-83) and "The Secret Storm" (CBS, 1953-74) while he studied at the Actors Studio. He had a supporting role in Neil Simon's 1974 Broadway comedy "God's Favorite" and began a lucrative career as a commercial pitchman, earning three Clio Awards. Kiser's feature debut came with the role of a preacher in Paul Newman's "Rachel, Rachel" (1968), starring Joanne Woodward. Migrating to L.A., he appeared in dozens of TV episodes and in the short-lived series "Rollergirls" (NBC, 1978), as manager for a women's roller derby team. In 1984, he landed a recurring role as Al Craven on the NBC sitcom "Night Court" (1984-92) as well as another recurring role, as Victor Hitler, on the NBC police drama "Hill Street Blues" (1980-87), for which he earned an Emmy nomination. Kiser was also in the syndicated sketch comedy "Off the Wall" (1986) and Carol Burnett's much anticipated return to variety "Carol & Company" (NBC, 1990-91). On the big screen, Kiser offered a humorous turn as the swinging father of an overachieving son in "Rich Kids" (1979) and played numerous small roles in features like "All Night Long" (1981), "Making Love" and "Six Pack" (both 1982). Kiser was Bernie Lomax in "Weekend at Bernie's" and the sequel, "Weekend at Bernie's II" (1993), in which Bernie was possessed by a zombie curse and danced his way through the Caribbean.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
John H. Shary
Dec. at 73 (1872-1945)
John H. Shary (March 2, 1872 – 1945) was an American farmer and entrepreneur.
- Birthplace: Wilber, Nebraska
Ken Case
Dec. at 81 (1925-2007)
Kenneth Craig Case, known as Ken Case, was a news anchorman, meteorologist, and sports broadcaster associated with KNOE-TV, the CBS affiliate in Monroe, Louisiana, from 1967 until his retirement in 1987. In addition to the news and weather reports, Case produced the weekly program The Southern Angler, a favorite of fishing enthusiasts. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Case served honorably in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He started his career in radio broadcasting. For a time, he and Johnny Carson were a radio team in Omaha. The two were the same age. Case died at Glenwood Regional Medical Center from injuries sustained in a vehicular accident in West Monroe. Case pulled his Lexus sports utility vehicle out of Regency Place onto North Seventh Street and into the path of a northbound GMC pickup truck driven by 20-year-old Nicholas Ross. Ross was towing a stump grinder and attempted to swerve out of Case's path, but he struck the driver's side of the Lexus. Mrs. Case, the former Frances Clinton, sustained moderate injuries. Ross was not injured. Services were held on May 15 at the Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Mike Hill
Age: 73
Michael J. Hill, ACE (born 1952) is an American film editor. He and his editing partner Dan Hanley have had a longstanding, notable collaboration with director Ron Howard, having cut all of Howard's films since Night Shift (1982). They won an Academy Award for the film Apollo 13 (1995), and the BAFTA Award for the film Rush (2013). Hill is a member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE).
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
John R. Dunning
Dec. at 67 (1907-1975)
John Ray Dunning (September 24, 1907 – August 25, 1975) was an American physicist who played key roles in the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bombs. He specialized in neutron physics, and did pioneering work in gaseous diffusion for isotope separation. He was Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University from 1950 to 1969.
- Birthplace: Shelby, Nebraska
S. Donald Stookey
Age: 109
Stanley Donald Stookey (May 23, 1915 – November 4, 2014) was an American inventor. He had 60 patents in his name related to glass and ceramics, some patents solely his and others shared as joint patents with other inventors. His discoveries and inventions have contributed to the development of ceramics, eyeglasses, sunglasses, cookware, defense systems, and electronics.He was a research director at Corning Glass Works for 47 years doing R & D in glass and ceramic development. His inventions include Fotoform, CorningWare, Cercor, Pyroceram and Photochromic Ophthalmic glass eyewear.
- Birthplace: Hay Springs, Nebraska
Harley Rutledge
Dec. at 80 (1926-2006)
Harley D. Rutledge (January 10, 1926 – June 5, 2006) was a U.S. physics professor, and ufologist.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Richard Stoltzman
Age: 82
Richard Leslie Stoltzman (born July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part of the faculty list at the New England Conservatory and Boston University. Stoltzman is perhaps the best-known clarinetist who primarily plays classical music. He has played with over 100 orchestras, as well as with many chamber groups and in many solo recitals. Stoltzman has received numerous awards and has produced an extensive discography. His virtuosity and musicianship have made him a highly sought-after concert artist. In addition to classical repertoire, Stoltzman also plays jazz. Some of his recordings, such as his album New York Counterpoint, feature both jazz and modern music. In 1983, Stoltzman commissioned composer/arranger Clare Fischer to write a symphonic work using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn themes. The result was The Duke, Swee'pea and Me, an eleven-minute orchestral work which Stoltzman performed worldwide.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska, Omaha
John I. Jenkins
Age: 71
John Ignatius Jenkins, C.S.C. (born December 17, 1953) is the current president of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He previously served as its vice-president and associate provost. He replaced Fr. Edward Malloy. He was initially chosen as president-elect by the Notre Dame board of trustees on April 30, 2004, On January 30, 2015, Jenkins was reelected to a third five-year term as president.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Clyde Brion Davis
Dec. at 68 (1894-1962)
Clyde Brion Davis (May 22, 1894–July 19, 1962) was an American author and freelance journalist active from the mid-1920s until his death. He is best known for his novels The Anointed and The Great American Novel, though he wrote more than 15 books.
- Birthplace: Unadilla, Nebraska
John A. Eddy
Dec. at 78 (1931-2009)
John Allen "Jack" Eddy (March 25, 1931 – June 10, 2009) was an American astronomer who published professionally under the name John A. Eddy but much of the content referencing him can be found under his nickname Jack which he preferred to use. In 1976 Dr. Eddy published a landmark paper in Science titled "The Maunder Minimum" where, using the Nineteenth Century works of Edward W. Maunder and Gustav Spörer, he identified a 70-year period from 1645 to 1715 as a time when solar activity all but stopped. In making the case for the anomaly, he gathered and interpreted data from a wide variety of sources, including first-hand accounts from extant historical observations of the Sun going back to the telescopic observations of Galileo and other contemporary scientists of the 17th and early 18th centuries; from historical reports of the aurora borealis observed in past centuries in Europe and the New World; from visual observations of sunspots seen with the unaided eye at sunrise and sunset in dynastic records from the Orient; from existing descriptions of the eclipsed Sun; and from measurements of carbon-14 in dated tree-rings. In the last of these, which can be used as a proxy indicator of solar activity, he found evidence of other similar periods of solar quiescence in the distant past, the most recent an even longer 90-year span, from about 1460 until 1550, which he named the Spörer Minimum. Both the Maunder and Spörer minima fell during the coldest parts of the Little Ice Age, which suggested a meaningful connection between the longer term behavior of the Sun and of the Earth's mean surface temperature. In advancing the theory that the Sun is a variable star Eddy observed: "It has long been thought that the Sun is a constant star of regular and repeatable behavior. Measurements of the radiative output, or solar constant, seem to justify the first assumption, and the record of periodicity in sunspot numbers is taken as evidence of the second. Both records, however, sample only the most recent history of the Sun."
- Birthplace: Pawnee City, Nebraska
Lynn Stalmaster
Dec. at 93 (1927-2021)
Lynn Arlen Stalmaster (born November 17, 1927) is an American casting director.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Curtis Tomasevicz
Age: 44
Curtis "Curt" Tomasevicz (born September 17, 1980) is an American former college football player for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, and bobsledder who has competed since 2004. He won six medals at the FIBT World Championships with two golds (Four-man: 2009, 2012), a silver (Mixed team: 2007) and three bronzes (Two-man: 2009, Mixed team: 2008, 2009). Tomasevicz finished sixth in the four-man event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He was an alternate during the (2006–07) season on World Cup tour for driver Steven Holcomb and won a gold in Cesana, Italy during the 2007–08 season. It was announced on 15 January 2010 that he made the US team in both the two-man and four-man events at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he won a gold medal.
- Birthplace: Shelby, Nebraska, USA
Leslie Lynch King, Sr.
Dec. at 56 (1884-1941)
Leslie Lynch King Sr. (July 25, 1884 – February 18, 1941) was the biological father of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Because of his alcoholism and abusive behavior, his wife, Dorothy Gardner, left him sixteen days after Ford's birth. King is believed to have seen him only once, while Ford was in high school.
- Birthplace: Chadron, Nebraska
John Archer
Dec. at 93 (1915-2009)
John Archer--father of actress Anne Archer--is best known as the radio announcer for the weekly crime series "The Shadow," sinisterly intoning before every episode, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows." He was already a radio veteran by the time he worked on "The Shadow" in the mid-1940s, switching regularly between that medium and movies, but fans of Poverty Row B movies will also remember him from his starring roles in the cheapie Monogram pictures "King of the Zombies" and "Bowery at Midnight," the latter co-starring Bela Lugosi and Tom Neal. When not acting in B movies, he landed smaller supporting roles in major studio productions like the war drama "Guadalcanal Diary" and the gangster picture "White Heat." In 1950, he starred in one of the first real Hollywood science fiction movies, "Destination Moon," co-scripted by novelist Robert A. Heinlein." The movie, which at the time featured groundbreaking special effects in an effort to show what a moon landing would actually be like, won an Academy Award for visual effects and remains a historic milestone for the genre. Archer died in 1999 of lung cancer.
- Birthplace: Osceola, Nebraska, USA
J. P. Guilford
Dec. at 90 (1897-1987)
Joy Paul Guilford (March 7, 1897 – November 26, 1987) was an American psychologist best remembered for his psychometric study of human intelligence, including the distinction between convergent and divergent production. Developing the views of L. L. Thurstone, Guilford rejected Charles Spearman's view that intelligence could be characterized in a single numerical parameter. He proposed that three dimensions were necessary for accurate description: operations, content, and products. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Guilford as the 27th most cited psychologist of the 20th century.
- Birthplace: Marquette, Nebraska
Mignon G. Eberhart
Dec. at 97 (1899-1996)
Mignon Good Eberhart (July 6, 1899, Lincoln, Nebraska – October 8, 1996, Greenwich, Connecticut) was an American author of mystery novels. She had one of the longest careers (from the 1920s to the 1980s) among major American mystery writers.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
John M. Gerrard
Age: 71
John Melvin Gerrard (born November 2, 1953) is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
- Birthplace: Schuyler, Nebraska
Harold LeVander
Dec. at 81 (1910-1992)
Karl Harold Phillip LeVander (October 10, 1910 – March 30, 1992) was an American attorney and politician. A Republican, he served as the 32nd governor of Minnesota from January 2, 1967 to January 4, 1971, after defeating incumbent governor Karl Rolvaag in the 1966 election.
- Birthplace: Nebraska, USA
Brian McCulley
Brian McCulley is a film producer, director, casting director, actor, screenwriter, editor and cinematographer.
- Birthplace: North Platte, Nebraska
Tim Walz
Age: 60
Timothy James Walz (/wɔːlz/ WAWLZ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, and retired educator who has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he is its presumptive nominee for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, representing Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Walz was elected governor of Minnesota on November 6, 2018, defeating the Republican nominee, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.[4] He was reelected in the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election, defeating Republican nominee Scott Jensen. On August 6, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Walz as her running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
- Birthplace: West Point, Nebraska, USA
Jim Corey
Dec. at 72 (1883-1956)
James Warren Corey (October 19, 1883 – January 10, 1956) was an American actor. He appeared in 315 films between 1914 and 1948. He was born in Nebraska and died in Los Angeles, California. His grave is located at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
- Birthplace: USA, Nebraska
Hartley Burr Alexander
Dec. at 65 (1873-1939)
Hartley Burr Alexander, PhD (1873–1939), was an American philosopher, writer, educator, scholar, poet, and iconographer.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
John Roddick
Age: 48
John Roddick (born July 4, 1976) is an American former professional tennis player and the current director of tennis and head men's tennis coach at the University of Central Florida.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Joel Stebbins
Dec. at 87 (1878-1966)
Joel Stebbins (July 30, 1878 – March 16, 1966) was an American astronomer who pioneered photoelectric photometry in astronomy. He was director of the University of Illinois Observatory from 1903 to 1922 where he performed innovative work with the selenium cell. In 1922 he became director of the Washburn Observatory at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he remained until 1948. After 1948, Stebbins continued his research at Lick Observatory until his final retirement in 1958. Stebbins brought photoelectric photometry from its infancy in the early 1900s to a mature technique by the 1950s, when it succeeded photography as the primary method of photometry. He used the new technique to investigate eclipsing binaries, the reddening of starlight by interstellar dust, colors of galaxies, and variable stars.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Anne Ramsey
Dec. at 59 (1929-1988)
The queen of playing mean characters on screen, Anne Ramsey hailed from a blueblood family and enjoyed a distinguished theatrical career, founding the Theatre of the Living Arts with her husband Logan Ramsey. Beginning her film career later in life, her distinctively gruff voice and demeanor quickly set her apart. Immediately recognizable and unforgettable, she booked small appearances in high-profile projects throughout the 1970s, including "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" (ABC, 1976), "Fun with Dick and Jane" (1977), "Goin' South" (1978) and "Any Which Way You Can" (1980). In 1984, she underwent surgery for esophageal cancer, which necessitated the removal of part of her tongue and jaw, which added to her trademark slurred speech and gravelly voice, which she used to wonderful effect as the villainous Mama Fratelli in "The Goonies" (1985), for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Saturn Award. Sweet in real life but hilariously abusive and deliciously mean-spirited onscreen, Ramsey scored again with small bits in "Deadly Friend" (1986) and "Love at Stake" (1987), and won her second Saturn Award as Danny DeVito's mother-from-hell in "Throw Momma from the Train" (1987), as well as nominations for an Oscar and Golden Globe. Sadly, her cancer returned and she died on Aug. 11, 1988, with several projects already in the can, including a cameo in Bill Murray's "Scrooged" (1988). Much loved for her one-of-a-kind character work, Anne Ramsey earned enormous critical and popular acclaim for her unexpectedly lovable characters.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Nancy Coover Andreasen
Age: 87
Nancy Coover Andreasen is an American neuroscientist and neuropsychiatrist. She currently holds the Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Joan Micklin Silver
Age: 89
Joan Micklin Silver (May 24, 1935 – December 31, 2020) was an American director. She was born Joan Micklin in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Doris (Shoshone) and Maurice David Micklin. She received her B.A. From Sarah Lawrence College. In 1956, she married Raphael D. Silver, with whom she has 3 daughters; Raphael's father was Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver. Her early low-budget film Hester Street received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for actress Carol Kane. Her 1977 film Between the Lines was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival. She is also known for the film Crossing Delancey which was released in 1988 and stars Amy Irving. She also conceived and directed the musical revue A... My Name Is Alice with Julianne Boyd.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Francis La Flesche
Dec. at 75 (1857-1932)
Francis La Flesche (Omaha, 1857–1932) was the first professional Native American ethnologist; he worked with the Smithsonian Institution. He specialized in Omaha and Osage cultures. Working closely as a translator and researcher with the anthropologist Alice C. Fletcher, La Flesche wrote several articles and a book on the Omaha, plus more numerous works on the Osage. He made valuable original recordings of their traditional songs and chants. Beginning in 1908, he collaborated with American composer Charles Wakefield Cadman to develop an opera, Da O Ma (1912), based on his stories of Omaha life, but it was never produced. A collection of La Flesche's stories was published posthumously in 1998. Of Omaha, Ponca, and French descent, La Flesche was the son of Omaha chief Joseph LaFlesche (also known as Iron Eye) and his second wife Ta-in-ne (Omaha). He grew up on the Omaha Reservation at a time of major transition for the tribe. Before the establishment of anthropology programs, La Flesche earned undergraduate and master's degrees at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. He made his professional life among European Americans.
- Birthplace: Nebraska
Evan Williams
Age: 52
Evan Clark Williams (born March 31, 1972) is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur who has founded several Internet companies. Williams was previously chairman and CEO of Twitter, one of the top ten websites on the Internet. He also founded Blogger and Medium, two of the largest and most notable blog distribution websites.
- Birthplace: Clarks, Nebraska
Mike Sullivan
Age: 85
Michael John Sullivan (born September 22, 1939) is an American lawyer and former politician who was the 29th Governor of Wyoming, serving from 1987 to 1995, and United States Ambassador to Ireland, serving from 1998 to 2001.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Ted Mapes
Dec. at 82 (1901-1984)
Ted Mapes was an actor and stunt performer.
- Birthplace: St. Edward, USA, Nebraska
S.A. Martinez
Age: 55
311 (pronounced "three-eleven") is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist and guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson (a member briefly, before being replaced by Tim Mahoney in 1990), bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills, and drummer Chad Sexton. In 1992, Doug "SA" Martinez joined to sing and provide turntables for 311's later albums. 311 has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, four EPs and four DVDs. After a series of independent releases, 311 was signed to Capricorn Records in 1992 and released the albums Music (1993) and Grassroots (1994) to moderate success. They achieved greater success with their 1995 triple platinum self-titled album, which reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the singles "Down" and "All Mixed Up", the former of which topped the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 1996. The band's next three albums—Transistor (1997), Soundsystem (1999) and From Chaos (2001)—were also successful, with the first going platinum and the last two going gold. Their 2004 compilation album Greatest Hits '93–'03 was also certified platinum. The band's most recent studio album is 2019's Voyager. As of 2011, 311 has sold over 8.5 million records in the United States.The band's name originates from the police code for indecent exposure in Omaha, Nebraska, after the original guitarist for the band was arrested for streaking.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Martha Collins
Age: 85
Martha Collins (born 1940) is a poet, translator, and editor. She has published nine books of poetry, including Night Unto Night (Milkweed, 2018),Admit One: An American Scrapbook (Pitt Poetry Series, 2016), Day Unto Day (Milkweed, 2014), White Papers (Pitt Poetry Series, 2012), and Blue Front (Graywolf, 2006), as well as two chapbooks and four books of co-translations from the Vietnamese. She has also co-edited, with Kevin Prufer and Martin Rock, a volume of poems by Catherine Breese Davis, accompanied by essays and an interview about the poet’s life and work.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Roger Wendt
Dec. at 77 (1933-2011)
Roger F. Wendt (December 31, 1933 – March 30, 2011) was a Democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District from 2003 until 2011, though he stepped down from the Iowa House in February 2010 due to serious illness. He died on March 30, 2011, from lung cancer. Wendt received his BA from Wayne State College, his MA from the University of South Dakota, and his Ed.D. from the University of South Dakota.Wendt was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 with 4,212 votes, running unopposed. In 2008 he won reelection by a margin of only 280 votes over Republican opponent Rick Bertrand.When he stepped down, Wendt served on several committees in the Iowa House - the Human Resources, State Government, Transportation, and Ways and Means committees, as well as the Education committee, of which he was chair. After he stepped down, he was moved to being vice chair of the Education committee for the remainder of the term.He stepped down on February 1, 2010, due to lung cancer. He had survived cancer in his other lung 17 years earlier and been cancer-free since. Wendt died on March 30, 2011, from lung cancer.
- Birthplace: Staplehurst, Nebraska
Robert Reed
Dec. at 59 (1932-1992)
Tall, curly-haired actor, often cast as business-suited paternal types. Reed worked on mainly forgettable TV series from the 1960s, first gaining widespread notice as a crusading lawyer in "The Defenders." He is best remembered as "a man named Brady, with three boys of his own" on that corny 70s ode to the suburban family, "The Brady Bunch." Reed subsequently had major supporting roles on the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" (1976) and "Roots" (1977).
- Birthplace: Highland Park, Illinois, USA
Terry L. Richardson
Age: 85
- Birthplace: Cambridge, Nebraska
John Robert Brown
Dec. at 83 (1909-1993)
John Robert Brown (December 10, 1909 – January 23, 1993) was a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1950s and 1960s, one of the "Fifth Circuit Four" pivotal in the civil rights movement.
- Birthplace: Funk, Nebraska
Kenneth L. Tallman
Dec. at 80 (1925-2006)
Kenneth L. Tallman (March 22, 1925 – March 6, 2006) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general. He was the eighth Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Linus of Hollywood
Age: 51
Kevin Dotson (born March 4, 1973), better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. The stage name comes from his early days in Los Angeles, where he would frequently wear striped shirts similar to the Peanuts character Linus van Pelt. He is currently a member of Nerf Herder and comedy duo Jarinus.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Francis P. Matthews
Dec. at 65 (1887-1952)
Francis Patrick Matthews (March 15, 1887 – October 18, 1952) served as the 8th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from 1939 to 1945, the 49th United States Secretary of the Navy from 1949 to 1951, and United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1951 to 1952.
- Birthplace: Albion, Nebraska
Alfred J. Eggers
Dec. at 84 (1922-2006)
Alfred J. Eggers, Jr. (June 24, 1922 – September 22, 2006) was NASA's Assistant Administrator for Policy and devoted efforts to determine the influence of aviation technology in world peace and lectured widely. Eggers specialized in hypersonic and spaceflight research including the development of new wind tunnel and ballistic range facilities. He went to work for the NACA at Ames Aeronautical Laboratory in 1944 after completing the V-12 Navy College Training Program.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Gayle Lynds
Gayle Lynds is an American author. She is known for being a bestselling novelist in the male-dominated genre of spy fiction or spy thrillers. Award-winning author, her books are published in some twenty countries. Born in Nebraska, Lynds was raised in Iowa, graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism, and now lives in Maine where she is a full-time novelist.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Les Witte
Dec. at 62 (1911-1973)
Leslie Witte (April 2, 1911 – December 23, 1973), nicknamed "Beanie" and "One Grand Witte", was a two-time consensus All-American basketball player for the Wyoming Cowboys in 1932 and 1934. A forward, he was the first All-American in University of Wyoming history and was also the first Wyoming player to score 1,000 career points, finishing with 1,069, which was the inspiration for his "One Grand Witte" nickname. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Witte played football and basketball at Lincoln High School from 1927–28 to 1929–30. In football, he helped his teammate (and future National Football League player) Bernie Masterson lead the 'Links' to a 23–0–2 record, while in basketball he also guided the team to a 40–10 record between 1929 and 1930. In his senior season of 1929–30 the basketball team won the state championship. Les Witte was the younger brother of Cowboys head coach Willard "Dutch" Witte who coached Les for his entire career, including the national championship-winning team his senior season when Wyoming finished with a 26–4 record. In the pre-NCAA Tournament days, the Helms Foundation voted to determine the national champions. Being the only college basketball voting poll of the era, Helms had the authority on issues such as All-America selections and national champions. The Spalding Guide, an early sports magazine that focused primarily on baseball but dabbled in other sports, once wrote about Witte in a 1932 issue, "Witte was the cleverest player to show in the conference in a long time. This boy's dribbling, pivoting and feinting, and his lefthand arch shots, could not be stopped." Despite great college success, Witte never played professionally because there were no viable professional leagues during that time. The Basketball Association of America (BAA) would not even exist until 1946, well after Witte's prime.
- Birthplace: Swanton, Nebraska
Hilyard M. Brown
Dec. at 92 (1910-2002)
Hilyard M. Brown (February 16, 1910 – October 12, 2002) was an American art director. He won an Oscar in the category Best Art Direction for the film Cleopatra.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Jim Newman
Age: 91
Jim Newman (born 1933 in Omaha, Nebraska) is a film and television producer, contemporary art curator, gallerist and musician.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Inga Swenson
Dec. at 90 (1932-2023)
Inga Swenson (December 29, 1932 – July 23, 2023) was an American actress and singer. She appeared in multiple Broadway productions and was nominated twice for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances as Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade and Irene Adler in Baker Street. She also spent seven years portraying Gretchen Kraus in the ABC comedy series Benson.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Alice Schmidt
Age: 43
Alice Schmidt Kehaya is an American middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 meters. She represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 London Olympics and has competed at the World Championships in Athletics on three occasions. Schmidt emerged as one of the top collegiate runners while at the University of North Carolina, winning back-to-back NCAA outdoor titles in 2002 and 2003. She won the United States Indoor title in 2006 and has placed in the top three nationally at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships six times. Her personal best for the 800 m is 1:58.61 minutes, set in 2011. Her personal best in the 1500m is 4:05.64, set in 2012.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Nellie Snyder Yost
Dec. at 86 (1905-1992)
Nellie Irene Snyder Yost (June 20, 1905 – January 16, 1992) was a historian and writer. She was an active member of the Nebraska State Historical Society, serving for many years as its president, and wrote 13 books (primarily biographies) and many articles on Nebraska history, including biographies of her father, her mother, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
- Birthplace: Nebraska
Grace Abbott
Dec. at 60 (1878-1939)
Grace Abbott (November 17, 1878 – June 19, 1939) was an American social worker who specifically worked in improving the rights of immigrants and advancing child welfare, especially the regulation of child labor. Her elder sister, Edith Abbott, who was a social worker, educator and researcher, had professional interests that often complemented those of Grace's. Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, the daughter of O. A. Abbott and Elizabeth M. Griffin, Grace graduated from Grand Island College in 1898. Before embarking on her career in social work, she was employed as a high school teacher in her hometown through 1906. In 1903, she started graduate studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 1907, she moved to Chicago, where she entered the career of social work. She took up residency in the Hull House, an urban center for women engaged in early proto-feminism and social reform, as well as a safe haven for the poor. In 1909, Abbott received a Ph.M. in political science from the University of Chicago. She wrote a series of weekly articles in the Chicago Evening Post, titled Within the City's Gates from 1909-1910, which brought to light the exploitation of immigrants.Abbott served on several committees and organizations for advancing the societal cause of child welfare, including the Immigrants' Protective League (1908-1917), Child Labor Division of the U.S. Children's Bureau (1921 to 1934) and was also a member of the Women's Trade Union League. In 1911, she co-founded the Joint Committee for Vocational Training with Sophonisba Breckenridge, PhD, JD, and Edith Abbott, PhD, JD. From 1917-1919, she was the director of the child labor division of the U.S. Children's Bureau. It was in this capacity that she was responsible for administering the Keating-Owen Act (1916). This law was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1918. She was responsible for portions of this law continuing by inserting clauses into the war-goods contracts between the federal government and private industries. In 1924, she worked tirelessly to pass a constitutional amendment against child labor, an amendment that never gained statewide ratification. Abbott was an author of several sociological texts, including The Immigrant and the Community (1917) and The Child and the State (1938, 2 volumes). She was also responsible for incorporating social statistics and research into legislative policy-making, as well as investigating child labor violations in shipbuilding plants and in factories across the United States. Abbott pioneered the process of incorporating sociological data relating to child labor, juvenile delinquency, dependency and statistics into the lawmaking process; she spent much of her time as a political lobbyist for social issues in Washington, D.C.. She was associated with the Social Security Administration from 1934 until her death in 1939; during that time period, Abbott helped draft the Social Security Act and chaired several government committees on child welfare and social issues.She was the first woman to be nominated for a Presidential cabinet position, but was not confirmed. Her mother was a Quaker turned Unitarian and her father, Othman A. Abbott, was the first Lt. Gov. of the state of Nebraska. Grace never married. She was a professor of public welfare at the University of Chicago from 1934 until 1939.During a 1938 health checkup, doctors discovered that she was suffering from multiple myeloma. The disease caused her death one year later. Abbott is a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The School of Social Work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is named in her honor.
- Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska
Janelle Hornickel
Dec. at 20 (1984-2005)
- Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska
Alfred Gruenther
Dec. at 84 (1899-1983)
Alfred Maximilian Gruenther (March 3, 1899 – May 30, 1983) was a senior United States Army officer, Red Cross president, and bridge player. At age fifty-three, he became the youngest four-star general in the U.S. Army's history. He succeeded General Matthew Ridgway as the Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR) in Europe serving from 1953 to 1956.
- Birthplace: Platte Center, Nebraska
Edwin Ray Guthrie
Dec. at 73 (1886-1959)
Edwin Ray Guthrie (; January 9, 1886 in Lincoln, Nebraska – April 23, 1959 in Seattle, Washington) was a behavioral psychologist. He first worked as a mathematics teacher, and philosopher, but switched to psychology when he was 33. He spent most of his career at the University of Washington, where he became full professor and then emeritus professor in psychology.Guthrie is best known for his theory that all learning was based on a stimulus–response association. This was variously described as one trial theory, non-reinforcement, and contiguity learning. The theory was: "A combination of stimuli which has accompanied a movement will on its recurrence tend to be followed by that movement".One word that his coworkers and students used to describe Guthrie and his theories was "simple", and perhaps he did prefer to use simple terms to illustrate complex ideas. However, "It is undoubtedly true that many reviews of Guthrie in the literature have mistaken incompleteness for simplicity".His simple nature carried into his teachings where he took great pride in working with and teaching students.
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Ernie Chambers
Age: 87
Ernest William Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is an American politician who represents North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. Chambers is the longest-serving state senator in the history of Nebraska. He is the only African-American to have run for governor and the US Senate in Nebraska's history.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Don Stenberg
Age: 76
Don Stenberg (born September 30, 1948) is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States, who served as Nebraska's state treasurer from 2011 to 2019. He previously served as Attorney General of Nebraska from 1991 to 2003 and also served as legal counsel to Governor Charles Thone from 1979 to 1983. He has run unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska in 1978, Attorney General in 1986 and for the United States Senate in 1996, 2000, 2006 and 2012. Stenberg is a member of the Republican Party.
- Birthplace: Tekamah, Nebraska, USA
Bill Rumler
Dec. at 75 (1891-1966)
William George "Bill" Rumler, known as James Rumler during the 1918 season, and Red Moore during the 1921 season, was a professional baseball player, whose career spanned 19 seasons, three of which were spent in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Browns. He played catcher, and outfielder. Over his major league career, Rumler compiled a combined batting average of .251 with 15 runs scored, 43 hits, seven doubles, four triples, one home run, and 32 runs batted in in 139 games played. After making his MLB debut in 1914, he spent the next season in the minor leagues. He returned to the majors in 1916, and again for a final time in 1917. After his MLB career was over, Rumler joined the minor league Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League. In 1920, during his second season with the team, Rumler was given a five-year suspension from the PCL after being accused of throwing games for gamblers. He played with several outlaw leagues after he was suspended. He returned to the PCL in 1929 as a member of the Hollywood Stars. In 1932, he was hired as a player-manager for the Lincoln Links.
- Birthplace: Milford, Nebraska
Tim Mahoney
Age: 54
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Ray Mayer
Dec. at 47 (1901-1948)
Ray Mayer was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Mayer's career in acting began with his roles in various films like "The Arizonian" (1935), the Fred Astaire musical "Follow the Fleet" (1936) and "I Married a Doctor" (1936). He also appeared in the Harry Carey comedy "The Last Outlaw" (1936). His film career continued throughout the thirties in productions like the dramatic adaptation "Make Way For Tomorrow" (1937) with Victor Moore, "Racing Lady" (1937) and "Swing It, Sailor" (1937). Film continued to be his passion as he played roles in "Top of the Town" (1937), the Kay Francis musical "Comet Over Broadway" (1938) and "King of Chinatown" (1939). Mayer was most recently credited in the comedy "Mr. Soft Touch" (1949) with Glenn Ford. Mayer passed away in November 1948 at the age of 47.
- Birthplace: Lexington, Nebraska, USA
David H. Moriarty
Dec. at 78 (1911-1989)
David H. Moriarty was an American sound engineer. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film Airport.
- Birthplace: Nebraska
Jack Natteford
Dec. at 75 (1894-1970)
Jack Natteford (November 27, 1894 – January 7, 1970) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for more than 140 films between 1921 and 1967. He was born in Wahoo, Nebraska and died in Los Angeles County, California. He was married to fellow screenwriter Luci Ward. He had two children with his first wife, Grace.
- Birthplace: Wahoo, Nebraska
William A. Mueller
Dec. at 91 (1901-1992)
William A. Mueller was an American sound engineer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Sound Recording. He died in 1992 at the age of 91.
- Birthplace: Nebraska
George Dern
Dec. at 63 (1872-1936)
George Henry Dern (September 8, 1872 – August 27, 1936) was an American politician, mining man, and businessman. He is probably best remembered for co-inventing the Holt–Dern ore roasting process, as well as for his tenure as United States Secretary of War from 1933 to his death in 1936. He also served as the sixth Governor of Utah for eight years, from 1925 to 1933. Dern was a progressive politician who fought for tax reform, public education, and social welfare. He was an exceptional public speaker, able to captivate and entertain his audience, whether they were Progressives, Democrats, or Republicans.
- Birthplace: Nebraska, USA
Randall Ray Rader
Age: 75
Randall Ray Rader (born April 21, 1949) is a former United States Circuit Judge and former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- Birthplace: Hastings, Nebraska, USA