Famous People Who Died At 40

Actor Paul Walker is remembered for his role as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise. A talented star who made his debut as a child actor, he was known for taking up challenging roles, especially in action films. Besides acting, he had a keen interest in marine biology. He was killed in a tragic car accident in 2013.

Considered one of the major authors of the 20th century, Franz Kafka was a Bohemian short-story writer and novelist. Franz Kafka is credited for being one of the earliest German-speaking authors to explore themes like absurdity, existential anxiety, and alienation. The term Kafkaesque is now widely used in the English language to explain those situations experienced by his characters.

John Lennon was part of the hugely successful and popular music band, Beatles. It became the first British band to break out big in the US. However, they eventually broke up. Subsequently, Lennon went solo, with 1971 album, Imagine, being his most successful and acclaimed post-Beatles efforts. Sadly he was shot dead by a deranged fan in New York.

Jack London was an American novelist, social activist, and journalist. A pioneer of American magazines and commercial fiction, London was one of the first authors from the US to become an international celebrity. His life and work inspired several films, such as the 1943 movie Jack London and 1980 film Klondike Fever. He was also portrayed in several TV series.

American writer Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as the architect of modern short story, the inventor of the detective-fiction genre and a major contributor towards science fiction genre. The influential writer is recognised for his tales of mystery and macabre. His notable works include The Raven (poem), The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher (short stories).

Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American photojournalist and war photographer. Regarded as the greatest adventure and combat photographer of all time, Robert Capa is best remembered for covering five major wars, namely Second Sino-Japanese War, Spanish Civil War, World War II, First Indochina War, and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In 1947, he was honored with the prestigious Medal of Freedom.

Agustín de Iturbide was a Mexican politician and army general who played a key role during the Mexican War of Independence. During the war, Agustín built a successful military and political coalition that brought the entire Mexico City under its control on 27 September 1821, thus playing an important role in gaining independence for Mexico.

Juan Gris was a Spanish painter whose paintings are counted among the Cubism movement's most distinctive works. Gris's works and style influenced the Purist style of Charles Edouard Jeanneret and Amédée Ozenfant. Some of his paintings, such as Still Life with Checked Tablecloth and The musician's Table, have sold for millions of dollars at the auction.

Slovak author and politician Ľudovít Štúr was a major figure of the 19th-century Slovak national revival. He had started writing poems as a teenager and had also penned The Theory of the Slovak Language. He was also part of the Hungarian Assembly. He later accidentally shot himself during a hunt.

Ludwig II of Bavaria reigned as the King of Bavaria from 10 March 1864 until his death on 13 June 1886. He is best remembered for overseeing the construction of lavish palaces like Linderhof Palace, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Herrenchiemsee. This extravagance brought about his downfall as he was declared insane, which remains a subject of discussion.

Pope Alexander I was a 2nd-century bishop of Rome. Some believe he introduced the custom of the holy water and of mixing sacramental wine with water. Some also believe he may have been martyred during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. He is believed to have had a vision of baby Jesus.

Jaime Roldós Aguilera was an Ecuadorian political figure who served as the President of Ecuador from 1979 until his death in 1981. Although his presidency was short-lived, Jaime Roldós Aguilera achieved immense popularity and reverence for his support for human rights.

Born to a Sudanese shipbuilder, Muhammad Ahmad grew up to become a Sufi religious leader. His war against the Ottoman-Egyptian rule and his capture of Khartoum led him to establish a vast Islamic state. Named the first Mahdi, he was one of the rare African rulers to defeat the British.

Vazgen Sargsyan was an Armenian politician and military commander. He is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Armenia from 11 June 1999 until his murder on 27 October 1999. He also served as the Defence Minister of Armenia on two occasions between 1991 and 1999. Vazgen Sargsyan is often counted among Armenia's greatest national heroes.

Silvestre Revueltas was a Mexican composer of classical music. He was also a violinist and a conductor. Along with fellow composer Carlos Chávez, he did much to promote contemporary Mexican music. He wrote film music, chamber music, and songs as well. He had a troubled personal life and fell into alcoholism and died young. 

Sigismund Báthory was the Prince of Transylvania and the Duke of Racibórz and Opole. Sigismund was still a child when he was elected as voivode as requested by his dying father. His rule was largely controlled by the Diet of Transylvania, which played a key role in the expulsion of the Jesuits during Sigismund Báthory's reign.  

Julius Fučík was a Czech journalist, writer, and critic. An important member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Fučík led the party's anti-Nazi resistance movement for which he was captured, tortured, and executed. Fučík became a national hero, especially among students growing up in Communist Czechoslovakia. The reverence of Fučík in Communist Czechoslovakia is portrayed in the book, The Joke.    

Alcaeus, also known as Alcaeus of Mytilene, was an important lyric poet from the island of Lesbos in Greece. Alcaeus is remembered for his invention of the Alcaic stanza, a lyrical meter. Alcaeus was named among nine lyric poets included in the canonical list by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria. Alcaeus' work has influenced the works of poets like Horace.

Victor of Aveyron was a French feral child who was captured in 1800 when he was prepubescent. After running away from civilization on several occasions, Aveyron eventually made progress under the guidance of Jean Marc Gaspard Itard. Victor's life has inspired several works of art, including the 1970 French film, The Wild Child.

Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage was a Portuguese poet who also served in the Portuguese Navy. He is best remembered for his modinhas, which are short, rhyming poems often sung with a guitar. He is also remembered for his interesting lifestyle as he had numerous love affairs.

Alex Lowe was an American mountaineer who was admired and respected by his peers for doing exceptionally well in every aspect of mountaineering. He was associated with the North Face climbing team for nearly 10 years and is credited with inspiring an entire generation of climbers. In 1995, Lowe was honored by the American Alpine Club with the Underhill Award.

Augustus Pugin was an English designer, architect, artist, and critic. He is best remembered for his contribution to the Gothic Revival style of architecture. He is credited with designing the interior of the popular Palace of Westminster in London as well as the palace's iconic clock tower. Augustus Pugin also designed the Alton Castle in Staffordshire.