Famous people who died at 39

Celebrities and other famous people who died when they were 39 years old.

The list below is ordered by the person's date of death.

Amelia Earhart

American aviation pioneer Deceased
Died on Jul 2, 1937, at the age of 39.
Unknown. Disappeared during flight.

Malcolm X

Activist Deceased
Died on Feb 21, 1965, at the age of 39.
Assassinated.

Che Guevara

Historical figure Deceased
Died on Oct 9, 1967, at the age of 39.
Executed by shooting.

Martin Luther King

Activist Deceased
Died on Apr 4, 1968, at the age of 39.
Assassinated.

David Huffman

Actor Deceased
Died on Feb 27, 1985, at the age of 39.
Fatally stabbed by a suspected burglar.

The British Bulldog

Wrestler Deceased
Died on May 18, 2002, at the age of 39.
Heart attack due to an enlarged heart.

Anna Nicole Smith

Model Deceased
Died on Feb 8, 2007, at the age of 39.
Accidental overdose of sleeping medication.

Colin McRae

Scottish rally driver Deceased
Died on Sep 15, 2007, at the age of 39.
Helicopter crash.

Ashley Massaro

Wrestler Deceased
Died on May 16, 2019, at the age of 39.
TMZ reported that she hanged herself.

Shad Gaspard

Wrestler Deceased
Died on May 17, 2020, at the age of 39.
Drowned while saving his son's life.

Sarah Harding

English singer Deceased
Died on Sep 5, 2021, at the age of 39.
Breast cancer.

Michelle Trachtenberg

Actress Deceased
Died on Feb 26, 2025, at the age of 39.

Statistics about the 39-year-olds above

Statistics about the 12 celebrity deaths above:

58% were male. 42% were female.
These deaths make up 2% of our database (12/663).
25% of them were murdered or assassinated.
Suicide accounted for 8% of the deaths in this age group.
25% of these celebrities died in accidents.
Out of the 12 people on this list, 8% passed away due to cancer.
8% of them died from a heart attack.
8% of the deaths above were due to drug overdoses.

Other ages

Other ages that celebrities died at.

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