Shocking Celeb Deaths
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Celebrity Deaths That Stunned The World
Celebrities come and celebrities go. Whether their popularity fades or they move on to other endeavors, their time in the limelight is limited. But when a star's time is suddenly cut short by an untimely passing, it can send shock waves around the world. CTVNews.ca's Latoya Williams looks at 30 celebrities whose lives were tragically cut short and whose deaths shocked the world. -
James Dean
Age: 24
Died: September 30, 1955
Cause of Death: Head injuries sustained in a car crash
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Buddy Holly
Age: 22
Died: February 3, 1959
Cause of Death: Plane crash
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Marilyn Monroe
Age: 36
Died: August 5, 1962
Cause of Death: Acute barbiturate poisoning, resulting from a 'probable suicide'
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John F. Kennedy
Age: 46
Died: November 22, 1963
Cause of Death: Killed by gunshot wound to the head, assassinated
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Jimi Hendrix
Age: 27
Died: September 18, 1970
Cause of Death: Aspiration of vomit, but has been questioned by many
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Janis Joplin
Age: 27
Died: October 4, 1970
Cause of Death: Heroin overdose
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Elvis Presley
Age: 42
Died: August 16, 1977
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose -
John Lennon
Age: 40
Died: December 8, 1980
Cause of Death: Shot to death by an obsessed fan -
Grace Kelly
Age: 52
Died: September 14, 1982
Cause of Death: Car crash
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Marvin Gaye
Age: 44
Died: April 1, 1984
Cause of Death: Shot and killed by father
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River Phoenix
Age: 23
Died: October 31, 1993
Cause of Death: Lethal combination of drugs
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Kurt Cobain
Age: 27
Died: April 5, 1994
Cause of Death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
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Selena
Age: 23
Died: March 31, 1995
Cause of Death: Blood loss due to being shot by president of her fan club
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Tupac Shakur
Age: 25
Died: September 13, 1996
Cause of Death: Respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest as a result of multiple gunshot wounds suffered days earlier
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Notorious B.I.G
Age: 24
Died: March 9, 1997
Cause of Death: Gunshots suffered in drive-by shooting
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Princess Diana
Age: 36
Died: August 31, 1997
Cause of Death: Car crash while being pursued by aggressive paparazzi
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Aaliyah
Age: 22
Died: August 25, 2001
Cause of Death: Plane crash resulting from aircraft being overloaded
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Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes
Age: 30
Died: April 25, 2002
Cause of Death: Car crash
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Steve Irwin
Age: 44
Died: September 4, 2006
Cause of Death: Pierced in the chest by a stingray
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Anna Nicole Smith
Age: 39
Died: February 8, 2007
Cause of Death: Combined drug intoxication
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Heath Ledger
Age: 28
Died: January 22, 2008
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose
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Natasha Richardson
Age: 45
Died: March 18, 2009
Cause of Death: Epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head
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David Carradine
Age: 72
Died: June 3, 2009
Cause of Death: Autoerotic asphyxiation, Accidental asphyxiation
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Michael Jackson
Age: 50
Died: June 25, 2009
Cause of Death: Accidental prescription drug overdose
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Brittany Murphy
Age: 32
Died: December 20, 2009
Cause of Death: Pneumonia, with contributing factors of iron deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication
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Corey Haim
Age: 38
Died: March 10, 2010
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
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Amy Winehouse
Age: 27
Died: July 23, 2011
Cause of Death: Accidental alcohol poisoning
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Heavy D
Age: 44
Died: November 8, 2011
Cause of Death: Pulmonary embolism
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Don Cornelius
Age: 75
Died: February 1, 2012
Cause of Death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
