5. James Dean Breaks His Neck In A Car Accident
Who Are They?: Star of 1955's Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and the next year's Giant, three films that alone propelled him to super-stardom. He has endured as a symbol of youthful rebellion ever since largely due to the success of his first film.
Cause of Death: On September 30th, 1955, Dean and his mechanic were driving along Route 466 when Dean, who was speeding - and had been cited for doing so earlier in the day - tried to steer his Porsche Spyder clear of a crash, but the two cars collided with one another, causing the Spyder to flip into the air and land back on its wheels. Dean took the brunt of the accident, his foot having been crushed, his neck broken and sustaining many internal injuries. Dean succumbed to his injuries in hospital, while his mechanic and the driver of the other vehicle both survived. Dean subsequently became the only actor in history to receive two posthumous Oscar nominations, for East of Eden and Giant.