In memoriam: The storied names we lost in 2021

Rest in peace to the following people

As another year winds down, it feels natural to look back at what transpired, and examine some of the bigger headlines and events of 2021.

The world lost quite a few celebrities, athletes, influencers and political figures this past year, including Prince Philip, Cicely Tyson, Stephen Sondheim, Betty White and Norm Macdonald, just to name a few.

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We took a look through the Getty Images archive, to collect the following photos of even more famous faces who died this year. In no way is this a complete list, but you’ll likely recognize the following people.

In no particular order ...


Prince Philip

Betty White

Stephen Sondheim

Hank Aaron

Mary Wilson

Cicely Tyson

Desmond Tutu

Christopher Plummer

Norm Macdonald

Bob Dole

Michael K. Williams

DMX

Charlie Watts

Dustin Diamond

Larry King

Willie Garson

Dusty Hill

Colin Powell

Donald Rumsfeld

Ed Asner

Biz Markie (Marcel Theo Hall)

Peter Scolari

Cloris Leachman

Cloris Leachman is seen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles in 2004. The actress and comedian in her career won eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations. (WireImage via Getty Images)

Siegfried Fischbacher

Marvin Hagler

James Michael Tyler

Beverly Cleary

Walter Mondale

Eric Carle

Virgil Abloh

Willard Scott

Astronaut Michael Collins

Sen. Carl Levin

Joan Didion

Jessica McClintock

Sen. John Warner

Rush Limbaugh

Bernie Madoff

Harry Reid

John Madden

Is there a celebrity death that touched you especially this past year? Let us know in the comments.