1956 deaths

German poet, playwright, and theatre director (1898–1956)

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and politician who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on the debates of the Constituent Assembly of India and the first draft of Sir Benegal Narsing Rau. Ambedkar served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He later renounced Hinduism and converted to Buddhism, inspiring the Dalit Buddhist movement.

American painter (1912–1956)

French scientist (1897–1956)

English radiochemist (1877–1956)

British author known for creating Winnie-the-Pooh (1882–1956)

Belarusian writer (1882–1956)

Italian Military General Officer and Marshal of the Royal Italian Army from 1916-1943 during both World Wars and Prime Minister of Italy from 1943-1944 (1871-1956)

Hungarian-American actor (1882–1956)

American journalist and writer (1880–1956)

vice president of the United States from 1949 to 1953

7th President of Finland (1870-1956)

American sexologist (1894–1956)

founder of association football institutions (1873–1956)

Soviet Ukrainian screenwriter, film producer and director (1894–1956)

Estonian politician (1874–1956)

French mathematician and politician (1871-1956)

German artist (1867–1956)

Polish politician and leader of Poland (1947–1956)

President of Finland (1889–1956)

Spanish writer (1872-1956)

German chancellor (1879-1956)

German Foreign Minister, Ambassador and Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia, general and Nazi war criminal (1873-1956)

German novelist, poet (1886–1956)

German field marshal and war criminal (1876–1956)

Japanese film director and screenwriter (1898-1956)

Swiss writer (1878–1956)

American academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician (1875–1956)

French historian (1878-1956)

American jazz pianist (1909–1956)

Russian geophysicist and polar explorer of Baltic German origin (1891-1956)

American aviation pioneer

Russian artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer (1891—1955)

American golfer and athlete

Polish and French chess player (1887–1956)

Soviet writer and politician (1901-1956)

USA IBM executive and art collector (1874-1956)

President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953 (1890–1956)

Bengali Astrophysicist (1893–1956)

Polish logician, mathematician, philosopher, rector of the University of Warsaw (1878–1956)

Italian writer (1881-1956)

French painter, poet and printmaker (1883-1956)

former President of Nicaragua (1896–1956)

German-American painter (1871–1956)

American astronomer

Italian association football player (1902-1956)

Austrian politician; President (1928–1938)

Russian and Soviet geologist and writer (1863–1956)

Austrian architect and product designer (1870-1956)

Prime Minister of Spain (1892-1956)

English writer

Soviet Ukrainian composer (1875–1956)

Turkish writer (1889–1956)

English writer (1872-1956)

British film director (1893–1956)

American big band leader and musician

American comedian (1894–1956)

British architect and linguist (1922-1956)

Romanian Royal; Queen Consort of Greece (1922 - 1924)

American actor (1882–1956)