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Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 and a massive state funeral was held in her honor in the United Kingdom.
The longest-lived monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, the singer who rose to fame with the legendary film “Grease”, the first black man to win an Oscar or the last leader of the Soviet Union.
These are some of the personalities who died in 2022.
1. Queen Elizabeth II
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Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96. Her reign lasted 70 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
During this time, the queen lived through some of the most important moments in the recent history of her country, such as the post-war period, the transition of the United Kingdom from Empire to Commonwealth of Nations, the Cold War or the entry and exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
2. Pele
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Considered by many the best soccer player in history, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, died on Thursday, December 29, due to cancer.
In his legacy, he is the only soccer player to have won three World Cups.
3. Olivia Newton-John
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Together with John Travolta, he was one of the stars of the musical film “Grease”, one of the most famous productions within that genre.
The actress was diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and became an activist for research once morest this disease.
He died on August 8 at the age of 73.
4. Pablo Milanes
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It was a cultural reference for the Latin American left and left famous love songs for generations of fans.
Founder of Nueva Trova together with Silvio Rodríguez and Noel Nicola, he was one of the most recognized Cuban singers both inside and outside the island.
He died in Madrid at the age of 79 on November 22.
5. Ray Liotta
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His first big acting role was as ex-con Ray Sinclar in the 1986 black comedy Something Wild.
But above all he is known for his role as a mobster in Goodfellas (“Good boys”), the famous gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese.
Liotta died on May 26 at the age of 67.
6. Sidney Poitier
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Poitier broke Hollywood’s racial barriers by becoming the first black man to win a best actor Oscar in 1963.
Then he became a renowned diplomat.
He passed away at the age of 94 in January.
7. Mikhail Gorbachev
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One of the most influential politicians of the 20th century, the former Soviet leader introduced reforms to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, opening the country to the world and helping bring a peaceful end to the Cold War.
However, he was unable to prevent the collapse of the communist bloc, and many Russians blame him for the crisis that followed.
He died at the age of 91 in Moscow last August.
8. Robbie Coltrane
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His role as Hagrid in the Harry Potter saga will forever be remembered by generations of all who grew up and enjoyed all eight films.
Coltrane died on October 14 at the age of 72.
9. Nichelle Nichols
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American actress best known for her role in Star Trek.
Later she was used by NASA to encourage more women and African-Americans to become astronauts.
Nichols died on August 30 at the age of 89.
10. Lalo Rodriguez
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There are probably millions of people in the world, and especially in Latin America, who have sung at the top of their lungs the verses of his famous song “Come, devour me once more.”
Rodríguez was found dead on Tuesday, December 13, in a residential complex in his hometown, Carolina, in northern Puerto Rico.
11. Freddy Rincon
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Rincón was part of the team that ended Colombia’s 28-year wait to play in the World Cup when they qualified in 1990.
He shares with Carlos Valderrama the record for most World Cup appearances for his country: he played in 10 tournament matches.
He died in April at the age of 55 following a traffic accident.
12. Vangelis
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This influential Greek composer was behind the soundtrack of great films such as Chariots of Fire (“Chariots of Fire”), for which he won an Oscar, and Blade Runner.
Born Evangelos Odysséas Papathanassíou on March 29, 1943 in Greece, he died at age 76 on May 19.
13. Coolio
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American rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., began making music in the ’80s, but cemented his place in hip-hop history when he recorded Gangsta’s Paradisethe soundtrack of the movie “Dangerous Minds”.
The 1995 song would win him a Grammy.
Coolio died at the age of 59 on September 28.
14.Issey Miyake
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Known for his innovative styles and scents, Miyake built a global fashion brand, including designing the iconic turtlenecks worn by the late Steve Jobs.
He died in Tokyo on August 5 at the age of 84 due to liver cancer.
15. Vivienne Westwood
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Vivienne Westwood, who died on December 29 at the age of 81, was the provocative doyen of British fashion who married the anti-establishment spirit of punk with the glitz of haute couture.
Westwood was an anarchic idealist who forever transformed British fashion.
16. Taylor Hawkins
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Taylor Hawkins was the drummer for one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Foo Fighters.
He died unexpectedly on March 25 at the age of 50, when the band was in Colombia for a presentation.
17. Jerry Lee Lewis
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The musician and singer was one of the pioneers of rock and roll and the voice of great world hits such as Great Balls of Fire.
He was also one of the original members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Lewis passed away on October 28 at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi, at the age of 87.
