Lenny Bruce, the outrageous king of the counterculture comics in the 1950s and ’60s, died at age 40 in 1966 of “acute morphine poisoning caused by an overdose.”

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John Belushi, well known for his toga-loving frat boy performance in “Animal House,” died at 33 of a drug overdose in 1982.

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Gilda Radner, beloved for her tenure on “SNL” especially for her hilariously geeky character, Roseanne Roseannadanna, died at 42 in 1989 of ovarian cancer.

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Andy Kaufman, the eccentric performance artist who gained a following as Latka in “Taxi,” died in 1984 at age 35.

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Sam Kinison was a rock star of a comic with a trademark shout. After years of battling substance abuse, he was sober and a newlywed of less than a week when he was struck and killed by a teenager driving drunk in 1992. He was 38.

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John Candy, the lovable comedic actor renowned for his performances in “Uncle Buck,” “Home Alone,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Cool Runnings” died at age 43 of a heart attack in 1994.

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Bill Hicks, one of the most influential stand-up comics, died in 1994 of pancreatic cancer. He was 32.

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Chris Farley, an SNL star, notorious for his over-the-top performances, especially his motivational speaker character Matt Foley, died in 1997 of a drug overdose. He was 33.

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Phil Hartman, star of “SNL,” “NewsRadio” and “The Simpsons” died at age 49 in 1998 of an apparent murder-suicide by his wife.

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Academy Award-nominated comedienne, Madeline Kahn, one of the most influential women in comedy to grace the silver screen, died in 1999 of ovarian cancer. She was 57.

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The prolific comedic actor, John Ritter, best known for his role of Jack Tripper on “Three’s Company” and the patriarchal figure in “8 Rules for Dating My Daughter,” died of a heart attack in 2003. He was 54.

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Mitch Hedberg, who gained a following of loyal fans for his unconventional stand-up comedy style, died in 2005 at age 37 of a drug overdose.

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Richard Jeni, an improv comic best known for his role in “The Mask” died in 2007 at age 49.

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Bernie Mac, the stand up comic legend and star of “Ocean’s Eleven” died at age 50 in 2008 of complications from pneumonia.

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Greg Giraldo, the roast comic made famous by Comedy Central died in 2010 at age 44 of a prescription overdose.

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Patrice O’Neal, who gave a memorable roast of Charlie Sheen and starred in many Comedy Central specials, died following a stroke in 2011. He was 41.

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Mike DeStefano, finalist on “Last Comic Standing” and frequent Comedy Central performer, died of a heart attack in 2011. He was reportedly in his 40s.

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Jay Leggett, who was known to many for his comedic stylings on “In Living Color” died of a heart attack in 2013. He was 50.

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John Pinette was found dead in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2014. It is believed the actor, recognizable for getting mugged in the “Seinfeld” series finale, suffered from a pulmonary embolism. He was 50.

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Robin Williams, the prolific comic turned Oscar-winning actor, died by suicide in 2014 at age 63. A gifted standup known for his improv skills, high energy and voices, he was one of the leading comedians and actors of his day.

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Garry Shandling, the charmingly subversive comedian who upended television traditions with “It’s Garry Shandling‘s Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” died of a heart attack in 2016 at age 66.

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Ralphie May, stand-up comedian and “Last Comic Standing” alum, died of cardiac arrest after a battle with pneumonia in 2017 at the age of 45.

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Kevin Barnett, a stand-up comedian and co-creator of Fox sitcom “Rel,” died in 2019 at age 32. He died from the effects of pancreatitis, E! later reported.

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