Besides the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, 1968 saw the deaths of several other highly influential figures in science, literature, and world affairs. Some of the most significant include author John Steinbeck, activist Helen Keller, and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

 

## Helen Keller (1880-1968)

 

A world-renowned author, political activist, and lecturer, Helen Keller was a trailblazer for disability rights.1 Deaf and blind from an illness she contracted at 19 months old, her story of learning to communicate with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, became a global symbol of perseverance.2 Keller co-founded the ACLU and campaigned tirelessly for women's suffrage, labor rights, and social justice.

 

 

## Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968)

 

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on April 12, 1961, when he became the first human to journey into outer space, completing one orbit of Earth. His flight was a pivotal moment in the Space Race and made him an international hero. Gagarin's life was cut tragically short at age 34 when the MiG-15 training jet he was piloting crashed under controversial circumstances.

 

## John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

 

One of America's most celebrated authors, John Steinbeck is remembered for his powerful novels capturing the struggles of working-class people during the Great Depression. His major works include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath, as well as East of Eden and Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 for his realistic and imaginative writing.

 

## Other Notable Deaths

 

  • Upton Sinclair: An influential "muckraking" journalist and author whose 1906 novel, The Jungle, exposed the horrific conditions of the meat-packing industry and led to new federal food safety laws.

  • Marcel Duchamp: A French-American artist whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism. He was a revolutionary figure whose conceptual art, particularly "readymades" like his piece Fountain, changed the definition of art itself.

  • Lise Meitner: An Austrian-Swedish physicist who was a key member of the team that discovered nuclear fission, though she was famously overlooked for the Nobel Prize.