Famous faces who left us in 2025

The first non-European Pope in more than 1,000 years, Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, one of the world's most famous designers - here are some of the well-known faces no longer with us.

Khaleda Zia

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with another former premier defined the country’s politics for a generation, died at the age of 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said in a statement on December 30. Zia was the first woman elected prime minister of Bangladesh.

Dharmendra

Dharmendra, one of Indian cinema’s most popular stars whose versatile performances made him a defining screen presence of 1970s and 1980s Bollywood films, died on November 24. He was 89.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, died April 21 at the age of 88. Francis was renowned for his outspoken advocacy for the poor and his insistence on a more welcoming Catholic Church. 

Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney, America’s most powerful modern vice president and chief architect of the “war on terror,” who helped lead the country into the ill-fated Iraq war on faulty assumptions, died on November 4, according to a statement from his family. He was 84.

Diane Keaton

Actress Diane Keaton, known for her unique brand of comedic timing and inimitable style, died at the age of 79 on October 11. 

Jane Goodall

Conservationist Jane Goodall, whose work revolutionized the study of primates and helped broaden the world’s understanding of animal behavior and emotions, died at the age of 91, her institute said on October 1.

Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed September 10 after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University. He was 31. 

Giorgio Armani

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani died at the age of 91, the Armani Group announced on September 4. The designer is credited with curating a quintessentially Italian aesthetic in his clothes, as well as taking Hollywood’s red carpets to new heights. 

Hulk Hogan

Professional wrestler Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, died July 24 at the age of 71, according to World Wrestling Entertainment. Bollea is widely recognized as the biggest wrestling star of all time and helped WWE become the behemoth that it is today.

Ozzy Osbourne

Legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath frontman who later became a reality TV star, died at the age of 76, his family confirmed on July 22.

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer, a movie star who throughout his career proved he was up for any task, from playing a cocky naval pilot to wearing the Batman suit, died on April 1, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, who released a statement to the New York Times and the Associated Press. He was 65. The cause of death was pneumonia, Mercedes Kilmer told the media outlets.

James Watson

Along with his British research partner, Francis Crick, the US biologist James Watson made one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20th Century - the structure and function of DNA in the human body. Demonstrating that DNA has a three-dimensional, double-helix shape allowed Watson and Crick to unlock the secrets of how cells worked, and how characteristics were passed down through generations. The discovery won them a Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962, although Watson's controversial opinions on race and intelligence saw him later shunned by the scientific community.