Celebrity deaths wiki

Death is inevitable for every human being. People who have lost someone they love can attest to the fact that death is a painful ordeal. Celebrity deaths do not only affect their family and friends. Fans also feel the loss when their favourite star dies. Whether one died yesterday or a long time ago, the pain does not completely go away. Instead, people must allow themselves to grieve and to accept the reality of death.

Most celebrity deaths catch the world by surprise. Some struggle with chronic health conditions or addictions behind the limelight. Others die suddenly from short illness or accidents. Regardless of the cause of death, it is always saddening to lose a celebrity.

Which famous people died in 2018? According to celebrity deaths 2018 wiki, Jerry Van Dyke and George H. W. Bush were some of the top celebrity deaths 2018. In 2019, the world has lost more famous people. According to celebrity deaths 2019 wiki, the world has lost the following celebrities this year.

Who passed away 2019? Celebrity deaths in 2019

Since the beginning of the year, there have been many celebrity deaths 2019. Most celebrity news deaths catch the public by surprise. Below is a death list 2019 for celebrities.

January 2019

The following famous people died in January 2019.

Bob Einstein

Date of birth: 20 November 1942

Date of death: 2 January

Stewart Robert Einstein was a Los Angeles-born American producer, Hollywood actor and comedy writer. He died at the age of 76 in Indian Wells, California a short while after being given a cancer diagnosis.

Darius Perkins

Born: 28 October 1964

Died: 2 January

Darius Anton Perkins was a famous Australian actor who originally played the character of teenager Scott Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours. Cancer was the cause of his death.

Gene Okerlund

Birthdate: 19 December 1942

Death: 2 January

Eugene Arthur Okerlund was a celebrity television host, professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. The Brookings, South Dakota-born celebrity was best known for his work in the World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation. He died at the age of 76 in Sarasota, Florida. His death followed a fall that took a toll on his health.

William Sheppard

Birthdate: 24 August 1932

Demise: 6 January

William Sheppard's passing was one of the top celebrity deaths 2019 UK. The London-born actor and voice actor who starred in at least 100 films and television shows died in Los Angeles, California. He is best remembered for portraying the character of Rura Penth commandant in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Jo Andres

Birthday: 21 May 1954

Demise: 6 January

Mary Jo Andres was a famous American filmmaker, artist and choreographer. She took her last breath at the age of 64 after suffering from encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis and ovarian cancer.

Dianne Oxberry

Born: 13 August 1967

Died: 10 January

Diane Clare Oxberry was a British meteorologist and broadcaster. She was famous for her articulate presentation of the weather forecasts at BBC North West for over two decades. She succumbed to ovarian cancer. She was 51 years old.

Kevin Fret

Born: 11 June 1994

Departure: 10 January

Fret was a famous Puerto Rican singer who died at only 24 years of age. He was the pioneer openly gay Latin trap artist who attracted much attention from the public. An unidentified gunman shot at him eight times as the star was riding on his motorcycle at around 5:20 am. The bullets hit his hip and head. The young star was dead by the time he was rushed to the Río Piedras Medical Center.

Bonnie Guitar

Birthdate: 25 March 1923

Death: 13 January

Bonnie Buckingham was an American singer, producer, musician and business lady from Seattle, Washington. Dark Moon was one of her popular songs. The country music star died in her sleep from congestive heart failure at the age of 95 in Soap Lake, Washington.

Windsor Davies

Born: 28 August 1930

Departure: 17 January

Windsor was a Welsh actor from Canning Town, Essex, England. He is best known for playing Sergeant Major Williams in the sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum. He took his last breath at the age of 88 years, only four months after the demise of his spouse, Eluned.

Kaye Ballard

Born: 20 November 1925

Died: 21 January

Kaye was an American television and musical theatre actress, singer and comedian who was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She died from kidney cancer at the age of 93 at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Maxine Brown

Born: 27 April 1931

Departure: 21 January

Ella Maxine Brown was a famous country music star. Kidney and heart disease caused her demise at the age of 87 years.

Michel Legrand

Born: 24 February 1932

Died: 26 January

Michel Jean Legrand was a jazz pianist, musical composer, conductor and arranger who was born in Paris, France. The French celebrity died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France from septicemia after being hospitalised for a fortnight due to pulmonary infection.

James Ingram

Birth: 16 February 1952

Death: 29 January

Ingram was an award-winning instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He won the Grammy Award twice. Baby, Come to Me, and I Don't Have the Heart were two of his most famous songs. He died at the age of 66 years after a brave fight with brain cancer.

Dick Miller

Born: 25 December 1928

Death: 30 January

Dick Miller was a New York-born actor who featured in numerous films. He died at the age of 90 in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles from natural causes.

Candice Earley

Date of birth: 18 August 1950

Demise: 31 January

Candice Jean Earley was a Texas-born actress. She took her final breath at the age of 68 years after a long battle with multiple system atrophy.

February 2019

The following celebrities died in February 2019;

Clive Swift

Born: 9 February 1936

Died: 1 February

Clive Walter Swift was a songwriter and actor from London, England. He was popularly known for portraying the character of Richard Bucket in the series, Keeping Up Appearances. He died in his home after a short illness.

Kristoff St. John

Date of birth: 15 July 1966

Date of death: 3 February

Kristoff St. John was an American actor who was known for portraying the role of Neil Winterson in The Young and the Restless. He died at his home in Los Angeles at only 52 years from hypertrophic heart failure.

John Dingell

Born: 8 July 1926

Died: 7 February

John Dingell was an outspoken American politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1955 till 2015. He was the longest-serving congressperson in the country's history. John was diagnosed with metastasized prostate cancer in 2018. He opted not to go for treatment. Instead, he was placed under hospice care, and he died at his home in Dearborn, Michigan.

Frank Robinson

Birth: 31 August 1935

Death: 7 February

Frank Robinson was a renowned American outfielder and manager who played for five teams in the Major League Baseball between 1956 and 1976. He died at the age of 83 years after suffering from bone cancer.

Albert Finney

Born: 9 May 1936

Departure: 7 February

Albert Finney was a successful English actor who maintained a career in theatre, television and film. He became famous after starring in The Entertainer. He died at the age of 82 from a chest infection.

Carmen Argenziano

Date of birth: 27 October 1943

Date of death: 10 February

Carmen Antimo Argenziano died at the age of 75 years. He was an American actor who starred in numerous movies and television shows such as Stargate SG-1 and The Godfather Part II.

Jan-Michael Vincent

Born: 15 July 1944

Died: 10 February

Jan-Michael Vincent was an actor who was best known for playing the role of Pilot Stringfellow Hawke in Airwolf. The American actor breathed his last at the age of 74 in Asheville following a cardiac arrest.

Karl Lagerfeld

Date of birth: 10 September 1933

Date of death: 19 February

Karl Otto Lagerfeld was a Germany-born fashion designer, photographer, creative director, caricaturist and artist who was based in Paris, France. He was the creative director of Chanel, the French fashion house. His demise occurred at the American Hospital of Paris after a hard battle with pancreatic cancer.

Vinny Vella

Born: 11 January 1947

Died: 20 February

Vincent Frank Vella was a talk show host, actor and comedian. This American actor featured in over 50 movies, often taking the role of a gangster. He took his last breath at his Elizabeth Street, New York City home at the age of 72 years. The cause of his demise was liver cancer.

Beverley Owen

Born: 13 May 1937

Departure: 21 February

Beverley Owen was a talented American actress who is best remembered for portraying the character of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 81 years.

Peter Tork

Birth: 13 February 1942

Demise: 21 February

Peter Halsten Thorkelson was an American composer, actor and musician. He was best known as the keyboard and bass player of The Monkees. In early 2009, he announced that he had been diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma. He got treated, but cancer came back in 2018.

Clark James Gable

Born: 20 September 1988

Demise: 22 February

Clark James Gable was an American model, actor and television presenter who hosted the famous show, Cheaters. The 30-year-old died at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas after being found unresponsive. He died from an accidental drug overdose of sedative alprazolam and opioids oxycodone and fentanyl.

Brody Stevens

Born: 22 May 1970

Died: 22 February

Brody was an American actor and stand-up comedian who featured in Comedy Central. He died from suicide by hanging at the age of 48 years. He was found dead in his home. The star had been suffering from bipolar disorder and depression.

Morgan Woodward

Born: 16 September 1925

Died: 22 February

Woodward is best remembered for his recurrent appearance in the soap opera, Dallas. He died at his Hollywood Hills home. He was 93 years old.

Katherine Helmond

Birth: 5 July 1929

Death: 23 February 23

Katherine Marie Helmond was a television and theatre actress and director who is best known for portraying the character of Jessica Tate on the series, Soap. She died from Alzheimer's-related complications at 89 years.

Mark Hollis

Born: 4 January 1955

Demise: 25 February

Mark David Hollis was a British musician and songwriter who was the co-founder of the band, Talk Talk. He died after a short illness.

Lisa Sheridan

Born: 5 December 1974

Demise: 25 February

Lisa Sheridan was an actress who died of brain injury after a fall and chronic alcoholism. She was 44 at the time of her death.

Nathaniel Taylor

Birthday: 31 March 1938

Demise: 27 February

Nathaniel Taylor was a film and television actor who featured in the sitcoms, Sanford, Grady and Sanford and Son. He suffered a heart attack on 23 February and was rushed to the hospital. He died from the resulting complications at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

André Previn

Born: 6 April 1929

Demise: 28 February

André George Previn was a German-American composer, arranger, pianist and conductor. He died at the age of 89 years at his Manhattan home.

Celebrity deaths in March 2019

These are some of the celebrity deaths that occurred in March 2019;

Keith Flint

Date of birth: 17 September 1969

Departure: 4 March

Keith Charles Flint was an English dancer, vocalist and motorcycle racer. He was one of the founders of Prodigy. He started as a dancer before becoming a vocalist. Although there were claims that he committed suicide, the authorities stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he committed the act.

Luke Perry

Birth: 11 October 1966

Death: 4 March

Coy Luther "Luke" Perry III was an actor who became famous after starring as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. On 27 February this year, he suffered from an ischemic stroke and was put on life support. The life support machines were disconnected from his body on 4 March. He was 52 years old.

Marshall Brodien

Born: 10 July 1934

Demise: 8 March

Marshall Brodien was a professional magician who starred in Bozo's Circus and The Bozo Show. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and died at the age of 84 years of the illness.

Jed Allan

Birth: 1 March 1935

Death: 9 March

Jed Allan Brown was a television host and actor who featured on Santa Barbara and Days of Our Lives. He died at 84 years.

Hal Blaine

Born: 5 February 1929

Demise: 11 March

Hal Blaine was a famous session musician and drummer. He died in Palm Desert, California at 90 years from natural causes.

Dick Dale

Birthdate: 4 May 1937

Demise: 16 March

Dick Dale was a rock guitarist and pioneer of surf music. He died at the age of 81 years from heart and kidney failure. His wife was by his side when he took his last breath.

Richard Erdman

Birthday: 1 June 1925

Date of death: 16 March

John Richard Erdman was an American director and actor. He featured in numerous television shows, theatre productions and films. He died at the age of 93 years from age-related dementia that was worsened by a fall.

Scott Walker

Birthday: 9 January 1943

Demise: 22 March

Scott Walker was a British record producer, composer, singer and songwriter. He was famous for his baritone voice. His first three albums were among the top 10 albums in the United Kingdom. He died at the age of 76 years from cancer.

Nancy Gates

Born: 1 February 1926

Departure: 24 March

Nancy Gates was an American actress who died at the age of 93 years at her home in the Holmby Hills, Los Angeles.

Agnes Varda

Birthday: 30 May 1928

Demise: 29 March

Varda was a French photographer, artist and film director who is famed for the development of the French New Wave film campaign. She died of breast cancer at the age of 90 years in Paris, France.

Tania Mallet

Birthday: 19 May 1941

Demise: 30 March

Mallet was a British model and actress. She was famous for playing the character Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger. She died at the age of 77 years.

Nipsey Hussle

Birthday: 15 August 1985

Demise: 31 March

Ermias Joseph Asghedom alias Nipsey Hussle was an American entrepreneur, rapper and community activist. He died at the parking lot of his store, Marathon Clothing after a gunman shot him at least ten times. He was only 33 years old when he died.

Famous celebrity deaths April 2019

The celebrities who died in April 2019 are:

Kim English

Birthday: 6 September 1970

Departure: 2 April

Kim English was an American singer who died at the age of 48 years from kidney failure.

Roberta Haynes

Born: 19 August 1927

Departure: 4 April

Roberta Arline Haynes was a famous American actress. She died at the age of 91 years.

Jim Glaser

Birthday: 16 December 1937

Death: 6 April

James William Glaser was a country music singer who died from a heart attack at the age of 81 years.

Seymour Cassel

Birthday: 22 January 1935

Demise: 7 April

Seymour Joseph Cassel was an actor who featured in different films. He died at 84 years from Alzheimer's disease.

Earl Thomas Conley

Birthday: 17 October 1941

Demise: 10 April

Earl Thomas Conley was a country music singer and songwriter. He released ten studio albums in his career. He died from cerebral atrophy at the age of 77 years.

Georgia Engel

Birthdate: 28 July 1948

Demise: 12 April

Georgia Bright Engel was an actress who starred in the sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She won 5 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her acting skills. She died at the age of 70 years.

Fay McKenzie

Born: 19 February 1918

Died: 16 April

Eunice Fay McKenzie was an American singer and actress. She died at the age of 91 from natural causes while sleeping.

Chet Coppock

Birthday: 30 April 1948

Demise: 17 April

Chet W. Coppock was a radio and television broadcaster as well as a sports talk personality. He died from the injuries he sustained in a car crash.

Ken Kercheval

Birthday: 15 July 1935

Demise: 21 April

Kercheval, an American actor, died at the age of 83 years from pneumonia.

Dave Samuels

Born: 9 October 1948

Death: 22 April

David Alan Samuels was a marimba and vibraphone player who was associated with the jazz group, Spyro Gyra. He suffered from an undisclosed illness that led to his death at the age of 70 years.

John Havlicek

Date of birth: 8 April 1940

Departure: 25 April

Havlicek was a professional basketball player who won eight NBA championships. He died from Parkinson’s disease in Jupiter, Florida at the age of 79 years.

Larry "Flash" Jenkins

Birthday: 10 May 1955

Demise: 25 April 25

Jenkins was a film director, actor, screenwriter and producer who died from a heart attack at the age of 63 years.

John Singleton

Birthday: 6 January 1968

Death: 28 April

Singleton was a producer, screenwriter and film director. He suffered a stroke that led to a coma. He was removed from life support at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. He was 61 years old at the time.

Boon Gould

Birthday: 4 March 1955

Demise: 30 April

Gould was a British musician and co-founder of Level 42. He was found dead at his Dorset home. He died at the age of 64 years.

Peter Mayhew

Birthday: 19 May 1944

Demise: 30 April

Mayhew was a British-American actor who played the character of Chewbacca in Star Wars. He died in Texas at the age of 74 years from a heart attack.

Celebrity deaths May 2019

The following celebrities died in May 2019;

Barbara Perry

Born: 22 June 1921

Departure: 5 May

Perry, an actress, dancer and singer, died at 97 years from natural causes.

Jim Fowler

Born: 9 April 1930

Demise: 8 May

Fowler was an American host and zoologist who died from heart disease.

Freddie Starr

Birthday: 9 January 1943

Demise: 9 May

Starr was an impressionist, actor and singer who died of natural causes.

Peggy Lipton

Born: 30 August 1946

Departure: 11 May

Lipton was an American model, singer and actress who died of colon cancer.

Doris Day

Date of birth: 3 April 1922

Demise: 13 May

Day was a singer and actress who died of pneumonia.

Tim Conway

Birthday: 15 December 1933

Death: 14 May

Conway, an American writer, comedian, actor and director, died of normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Ashley Massaro

Birthday: 26 May 1979

Demise: 16 May

Massaro was a professional wrestler, model and television host who committed suicide by hanging at her New York home .

Bart Starr

Born: 9 January 1934

Died: 26 May

Starr was a football quarterback who died from stroke-related complications.

Carmine Caridi

Born: 23 January 1934

Demise: 28 May

Caridi was an actor who died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre after being in a comatose state.

Leon Redbone

Birthday: 26 August 1949

Died: 30 May 30

Redbone was a guitarist, songwriter and singer who died from dementia-related complications.

June 2019

These are the famous people who died in June 2019;

Paul Darrow

Birthday: 2 May 1941

Demise: 3 June

Darrow, an English actor, died from an aortic aneurysm that made him to undergo a double-leg amputation earlier on.

Dr. John

Birthday: 20 November 1941

Death: 6 June

Dr. John was a singer and songwriter who died of a heart attack.

Bushwick Bill

Born: 8 December 1966

Departure: 9 June

The Jamaican-American rapper died of pancreatic cancer.

Gloria Vanderbilt

Birthday: 20 February 1924

Death: 17 June

Gloria was an American heiress, fashion designer, socialite, author, artist and actress. She died of stomach cancer.

Susan Bernard

Born: 11 February 1948

Demise: 21 June

Bernard was an actress and businesswoman who died from a heart attack.

Judith Krantz

Date of birth: 9 January 1928

Demise: 22 June

Krantz was a romance novelist who died from natural causes at her Bel-Air home.

Billy Drago

Born: 30 November 1945

Departure: 24 June

Drago was an actor who died due to stroke-related complications.

Max Wright

Birthday: 2 August 1943

Death: 26 June

Wright, an American actor, died after a long battle with lymphoma.

Recent celebrity deaths July 2019

The famous people who died in July 2019 are;

Lee Iacocca

Born: 15 October 1924

Died: 2 July

Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca was an automobile executive who developed the Pinto and Ford Mustang cars in the 1960s. The American icon died at his Bel Air home due to Parkinson's disease-related complications.

Arte Johnson

Born: 20 January 1929

Departure: 3 July

Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson was a comic actor. The American star died at the age of 90 years after suffering from prostate and bladder cancer for a long while.

Cameron Boyce

Born: 28 May 1999

Death: 6 July

Boyce was an actor who was best known for featuring in Mirrors, Jessie, Descendants, and many other films and shows. The American star died at the age of 20 years from epilepsy-related complications.

Ross Perot

Date of birth: 27 June 27, 1930

Demise: 9 July

Henry Ross Perot was an American billionaire, politician, philanthropist and business mogul. He died of leukemia.

Rip Torn

Born: 16 February 1931

Departure: 9 July

Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. died at the age of 88 years at his Lakeville, Connecticut home.

Pernell Whitaker

Date of birth: 2 January 1964

Date of death: 14 July

Pernell Whitaker, Sr. died at 55 years after being hit by a vehicle as he was crossing a street. He was an American boxing trainer and professional boxer.

David Hedison

Born: 20 May 1927

Died: 18 July

Albert David Hedison Jr. was a stage, television and film actor. The American star died in his Los Angeles home at the age of 92 years.

Rutger Hauer

Born: 23 January 1944

Died: 19 July

Hauer was a Dutch writer, actor and environmentalist. He died at his Beetsterzwaag home at the age of 75 years.

Art Neville

Born: 17 December 1937

Departure: 22 July

Arthur Lanon Neville was a songwriter, singer and keyboardist. The American star died at 81 years after a long period of declining health.

Gabe Khouth

Date of birth: 22 November 1972

Death: 23 July

Gabe Khouth Once Upon a Time was a Canadian actor who worked for Ocean Studios. He suffered a cardiac arrest while riding his motorcycle, resulting in a motorcycle accident.

Russi Taylor

Born: 4 May 1944

Died: 26 July

Taylor was a famous voice actress for characters such as Martin Prince from The Simpsons and Minnie Mouse. She died at 75 years after battling colon cancer.

READ ALSO: 11 talented Nigerian celebrities who died in 2018 (photos)

Andrew Golden

Born: 25 May 1986

Died: 27 July

Drew Grant, who was born Andrew Golden, became famous after he committed a school shooting when he was only 11 years old. He died at the age of 33 years from a car crash in Independence County, Arkansas.

Grant Thompson

Death: 29 July

Thompson was a YouTube star known for his channel, The King of Random. He was on a paragliding adventure when he got an accident and died in Washington County, Utah.

Ras G

Date of birth: 11 December 1978

Date of death: 29 July

Gregory Shorter Jr. who was commonly known as Ras G, was an American DJ and record producer who was also the co-founder of Poo-Bah Records. He died at the age of 39 years. Earlier on, he had documented his battle with heart failure and pneumonia in an Instagram post.

Nick Buoniconti

Born: 15 December 1940

Departure: 30 July

Buoniconti was a middle linebacker in the National Football League and American Football League. He died at the age of 78 years.

Harold Prince

Date of birth: 30 January 1928

Date of death: 31 July

According to celebrity deaths wiki, Hal Prince or Harold Smith Prince was an American director and theatrical producer. He died at 91 years in Reykjavík, Iceland after a brief illness.

August 2019

The famous people who have died in August 2019 are;

Harley Race

Born: 11 April 1943

Died: 1 August

According to Legacy celebrity deaths, this professional wrestler, trainer and promoter died from lung cancer at 76 years.

Ian Gibbons

Born: 18 July 1952

Departure: 1 August

Gibbons died at the age of 67 years from bladder cancer. He was a famous English keyboardist who often played with The Kinks.

Joe Longthorne

Date of birth: 31 May 1955

Date of death: 3 August

Joseph Patrick Longthorne was a British impressionist and singer who released three platinum albums. He died at the age of 64 years after battling with throat cancer.

Which actor has died the most in movies? Playing dead in films does not mean that one is dead in reality. John Hurt, Bela Lugosi and Sean Bean are among the celebrities who have played dead in many movies. This list of recent celebrity deaths 2019 is for stars the world lost, and whose legacies live on. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

READ ALSO: The life and death of Sushma Swaraj

Source: Legit Nigeria

THE Wikipedia Foundation have revealed their most edited pages of 2016 and the list of dead celebrities has topped the list by a long way.

This year we've sadly lost a lot of famous faces from Zsa Zsa Gabor to David Bowie and Terry Wogan and because of this the Wikipedia page has had to be revisited.

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In December alone, there have been 51 deaths of famous people which is why the page has seen over 18,229 revisions as people desperately try to stay as up to date as possible.

The most recent big named celebrity to have died was the legendary Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor who starred in films including Moulin Rouge.

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She also appeared in The Girl in the Kremlin and Queen of Outer Space after being named Miss Hungary in 1936.

Second most edited page was Donald Trump's with around 8933 revisions, although that's more than double the amount the dead famous people's page received.

Below is the list of the top 20 pages that have been most edited:

Deaths in 2016, 18230

Donald Trump, 8933

List of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign endorsements, 6527

United States presidential election, 6162

Republican Party presidential primaries, 5715

2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, 5540

Bailando 2015, 5342

List of Donald Trump presidential campaign endorsements, 5328

2016 in sports, 5277

2016 in South Korean music, 5074

Beverly Gray, 4957

Statewide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 4743

Panama Papers, 4659

2016 in Philippine television, 4600

2016 Pacific typhoon season, 4244

2016 Atlantic hurricane season, 3874

Democratic Party presidential primaries, 3736

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 3593

The Life of Pablo, 3574

Vincent van Gogh, 3551

Topics

Last year, the data visualization website The Puddingmapped out Miles Davis’ legacy by sorting through every Wikipedia page that mentioned the jazz legend. It was just one of dozens of visualizations that have been built on Wikipedia data over the past decade.

This week, The Pudding released a new visualization that examines Wikipedia pageview increases after prominent celebrity deaths, and what those pageview spikes might mean or say about the prominence of celebrities in popular culture. (We make all of our pageview data public, so if you’re curious about other topics, you can search for them using the Pageviews tool.)

We reached out to The Pudding’s Russell Goldenberg to learn more about his latest visualization and how he used Wikipedia’s API to get the data.

How do you come up with new ideas for data visualizations?

Ideas for new stories and visualizations come in a variety of flavors. We have a loose process that we constantly iterate on. Our team holds weekly meetings dubbed “Story Time” where we pitch anything from fully-baked to half-baked ideas. It includes a roundtable discussion of questions and reactions to gauge the group’s interest and see if there is something worth pursuing. We’ve had the most success by starting with a simple question then attempting to answer that through data analysis and visualization. Occasionally we will start with a data set and see if we can find a story, but we’ve found that doesn’t yield interesting results as often that align with our rubric.

How have you used Wikipedia datasets for your visualizations?

Wikipedia is awesome because it so versatile. For example, our story on the legacy of Miles Davis used Wikipedia as a primary source by looking at all Wikipedia articles that mentioned him. It is also terrific for secondary info: things like short bios of people, or in the case of our story about the craft beer capital of the US, the populations of the 1,000 biggest cities to help with data processing and filtering. We also have another story in the works right now since we got a bunch of ideas after playing around with the pageviews tool.

It’s incredibly fascinating that Wikipedia could be used as a proxy for cultural relevance of events or people. I’m curious what you learned as you put together your most recent feature about celebrity deaths.

It is really neat to see a quantitative measure that shows our natural instinct as humans in the age of the internet. That is, when something big happens, tragedy or otherwise, we Google people. Whether it is to learn to details about what transpired, or maybe learn more about the person in general, we are constantly hungry for those details. I was most surprised about the magnitude of traffic after a death and how quickly it dissipates, something I thought would have a longer tail. It was a challenge even putting that surge in traffic in perspective since it was off the charts in most cases.

What data sets do you wish were available?

It would be great to see where traffic comes from, both externally and internally. How people bounce between articles and the paths they take could lead to lots of interesting stories. (Editor’s note: We release clickstream data on a monthly basis.)

Anything else you’d like to add?

Shout out to the node.js wrapper wikijs to help query the Wikipedia API. If anyone ever has interesting ideas for stories they’d liked to tell or ideas for us to tackle with or without Wikipedia data, we would love to hear them. Reach out to [email protected]

Melody Kramer, Senior Audience Development Manager, Communications
Wikimedia Foundation

Read more Communications, Data visualization, Interview, Pageviews