Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov was a Russian physicist, statesman and liberal politician. Nemtsov was one of the most important figures in the introduction of capitalism into the Russian post-Soviet economy.

Just before midnight on 27 February 2015, Nemtsov was shot several times in the back as he was crossing the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in Moscow, close to the Kremlin walls and the Red Square. He died at the scene.

Nemtsov was murdered less than two days before he was due to take part in a peace rally against Russian involvement in the war in Ukraine and the financial crisis in Russia. The BBC reported: "In his last tweet, Mr Nemtsov sent out an appeal for Russia's divided opposition to unite at an anti-war march he was planning for Sunday". The BBC also quoted him as saying, "If you support stopping Russia's war with Ukraine, if you support stopping Putin's aggression, come to the Spring March in Maryino on 1 March." The night after Nemtsov's murder, his papers, writings and computer hard drives were confiscated in a police search of his apartment on Malaya Ordynka street.

Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian. Starting as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance. After rising to fame as Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–82), he went on to establish a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills.

Williams committed suicide on August 11, 2014 at his home in unincorporated Paradise Cay, California at the age of 63. In the initial report released on August 12, the Marin County Sheriff's Office deputy coroner stated Williams had hanged himself with a belt and died from asphyxiation. It was revealed following his death that Williams had been suffering from severe depression, and had been sleeping in a different room from his wife due to restlessness and anxiety caused by his Parkinson's.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was known for films such as Scent of a Woman, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski and Capote, for which he won an Academy Award. He was also successful in theater, winning three Tony Award nominations for True West, Long Day's Journey into Night and Death of a Salesman.

On February 2, 2014, he was found dead in the bathroom of his apartment in Bethune Street, West Village, Manhattan by a friend – playwright and screenwriter David Bar Katz. Hoffman was 46 years old. Detectives searching the apartment found heroin and prescription medications at the scene, and revealed that he was discovered with a syringe in his arm. A funeral was held at St. Ignatius Loyola church in Manhattan on February 7, 2014, and was attended by many of his former co-stars. The death was officially ruled an accident caused by "acute mixed drug intoxication, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine". It was not determined whether Hoffman had taken all of the substances on the same day, or whether any of the substances had remained in his system from earlier use.

Hoffman's unexpected death was widely lamented by fans and the film industry, and was described by several commentators as a considerable loss to the profession. On February 5, 2014, the LAByrinth Theatre Company honored his memory by holding a candlelight vigil, and Broadway dimmed its lights for one minute. In another tribute, actress Cate Blanchett dedicated her BAFTA trophy to Hoffman when she received the award for Blue Jasmine on February 16. Read more about his life on the following link.