A roll call of some who died in 2008

From the summit of Everest to the intricate workings of the human heart. From outer galaxies to the dungeons of Stalin's gulag.

Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to stand atop the world's highest mountain. Dr. Michael DeBakey developed treatments for heart disease that prolonged the lives of millions.

Arthur C. Clarke carried readers and moviegoers light years into space and centuries into the future. Alexander Solzhenitsyn bravely revealed the horrors of the Soviet prison system.

They are some of the remarkable people who died in 2008.

Mildred Loving of Caroline County, Va., changed history in 1967 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld her right, as a black woman, to marry a white man.

Here are some of the notable people who died in 2008. Cause of death is listed for younger people where available.

JANUARY:

Philip Agee, 72. Renegade CIA agent whose naming of operatives led to law against exposing spies. Jan. 7.

Sir Edmund Hillary, 88. Conquered Mount Everest; one of 20th century's greatest adventurers. Jan. 11.

Bobby Fischer, 64. Reclusive chess genius who dethroned Soviet champion in 1972. Jan. 17.

Suzanne Pleshette, 70. Beautiful, husky-voiced actress; sardonic wife on "The Bob Newhart Show." Jan. 19.

Heath Ledger, 28. Actor nominated for Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain"; the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Jan. 22. Drug overdose.

Suharto, 86. Indonesian president, a Cold War U.S. ally whose brutal regime killed hundreds of thousands. Jan. 27.

FEBRUARY:

Earl L. Butz, 98. U.S. agriculture secretary; forced out in 1976 over racist joke. Feb. 2.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, around 91. Beatles' guru; introduced transcendental meditation to West. Feb. 5.

Roy Scheider, 75. Two-time Oscar nominee ("The French Connection," "All That Jazz"); police chief in "Jaws." Feb. 10.

Rep. Tom Lantos, 80, D-Calif. Feb. 11.

William F. Buckley Jr., 82. Erudite conservative author, editor. Feb. 27.

MARCH:

Former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, 90. March 12.

Paul Scofield, 86. British actor; won Oscar for "A Man for All Seasons." March 19.

Arthur C. Clarke, 90. Visionary science fiction writer ("2001: A Space Odyssey"). March 19.

Richard Widmark, 93. Hollywood leading man. March 24.

APRIL:

Charlton Heston, 84. Oscar winner ("Ben-Hur"); later headed National Rifle Association. April 5.

Albert Hofmann, 102. Discoverer of LSD. April 29.

MAY:

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52. "D.C. Madam" convicted of running elite prostitution ring. May 1. Suicide.

Mildred Loving, 68. Black woman whose challenge to Virginia's interracial marriage ban led to landmark ruling. May 2.

Eddy Arnold, 89. Country singer ("Make the World Go Away"). May 8.

Dick Martin, 86. Co-host of "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" in 1960s. May 24.

Sydney Pollack, 73. Oscar-winning director, actor ("Tootsie," "Out of Africa"). May 26.

Harvey Korman, 81. Emmy winner for "The Carol Burnett Show"; conniving politician in "Blazing Saddles." May 29.

JUNE:

Yves Saint Laurent, 71. One of most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. June 1.

Bo Diddley, 79. Founding father of rock 'n' roll. June 2.

Jim McKay, 86. "Wide World of Sports" host. June 7.

Tim Russert, 58. Host of "Meet the Press." June 13.

Cyd Charisse, 86. Dancer turned actress; starred in musicals with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly. June 17.

George Carlin, 71. The dean of counterculture comedians who taught us "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV." June 22.

JULY:

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, 86, R-N.C. July 4.

Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, 99. Heart surgeon who pioneered now-common procedures such as bypass surgery. July 11.

Tony Snow, 53. White House press secretary. Colon cancer.

Estelle Getty, 84. Actress ("The Golden Girls"). July 22.

Randy Pausch, 47. His "last lecture" about facing death became Internet sensation, best-selling book. July 25.

AUGUST:

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 89. Nobel-winning Russian author who chronicled Stalin's slave labor camps. Aug. 3.

Bernie Mac, 50. One of "Original Kings of Comedy." Aug. 9. Pneumonia.

Isaac Hayes, 65. Soul crooner who laid groundwork for disco; won Oscar, Grammy for "Theme From Shaft." Aug. 10.

SEPTEMBER:

Paul Newman, 83. Oscar-winning actor/philanthropist. Sept. 26.

OCTOBER:

Levi Stubbs, 72. Four Tops frontman ("Baby I Need Your Loving"). Oct. 17.

Mr. Blackwell, 86. Designer whose worst-dressed list skewered fashion felonies. Oct. 19.

Studs Terkel, 96. Broadcaster, Pulitzer-winning author; celebrated the common people. Oct. 31.

NOVEMBER:

Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86. Barack Obama's grandmother, who helped raise him. Nov. 2.

Steve Fossett, 63. Millionaire adventurer who vanished during 2007 flight. Death confirmed Nov. 3.

Michael Crichton, 66. Author whose books became blockbuster films ("Jurassic Park"). Nov. 4.

Edna Parker, 115. World's oldest person. Nov. 26.

DECEMBER:

Odetta, 77. Folk singer with powerful voice who inspired civil rights marchers. Dec. 2.

Patriarch Alexy II. 79. Russian Orthodox Church head; oversaw post-Soviet era's religious revival. Dec. 5.

Bettie Page, 85. Beauty who daringly bared it all in the straitlaced '50s. Dec. 11.

Van Johnson, 92. 1940s Hollywood star ("30 Seconds Over Tokyo"). Dec. 12.

Sammy Baugh, 94. Hall of Fame Washington Redskins quarterback. Dec. 17.

W. Mark Felt, 95. FBI official who revealed himself as "Deep Throat" 30 years after Watergate. Dec. 18.

Harold Pinter, 78. Actor, director, screenwriter and playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. Dec. 24.

Eartha Kitt, 81. Actress and singer who won acclaim for her sultry voice and for her comedic role as Catwoman in the 1960s "Batman" TV series. Dec. 25.

Ann Savage, 87. Actress who earned a cult following in such 1940s pulp-fiction movies as "Detour." Dec. 25.

Delaney Bramlett, 69. Musician who created the Southern blues-rock band Delaney & Bonnie & Friends and penned such classic rock songs as "Let It Rain." Dec. 27.

Robert Graham, 70. Sculptor whose massive bronze works mark civic monuments across American including the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington. Dec. 27.