Born: 16 September 1891 · Died: 24 December 1980 · Age at death: 89
How old was Karl Dönitz when he died?
Karl Dönitz died aged 89. He was born on 16 September 1891 and died on 24 December 1980.
German naval commander who briefly succeeded Hitler as head of state
Did you know?He spent ten years in prison following the Nuremberg trials and remained an unrepentant supporter of the Nazi regime.
Quick facts
Date of birth16 September 1891
Date of death24 December 1980
Age at death89
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceGrünau, Germany
Occupationpolitician, autobiographer, submariner
Editor's Take:
Karl Dönitz built the submarine force that came closest to cutting Britain off from its supplies in the Second World War. His wolfpack tactics sank thousands of Allied ships before radar, codebreaking and air cover turned the tide in 1943. Hitler trusted him enough to name him successor, and his short government ended with Germany's unconditional surrender. At Nuremberg he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against peace. He spent the rest of his long life defending his record, a claim historians have treated with deep scepticism.
Key Milestones
1939: Leads Germany's U-boat campaign as the war begins
1943: Becomes commander-in-chief of the German navy
1945: Succeeds Hitler as head of state and oversees the surrender
1946: Sentenced to ten years in prison at Nuremberg
Karl Dönitz (German:; 16 September 1891 – 24 December 1980) was a German naval officer and politician who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as the head of state of Germany in the Nazi era after the latter's suicide during the Second World War in April 1945.
Karl Dönitz's birthday is September 16. He was born on September 16, 1891 in Grünau, Germany.
How old was Karl Dönitz when he died?
Karl Dönitz died on December 24, 1980, aged 89.
Who shares a birthday with Karl Dönitz?
Famous people who share Karl Dönitz's September 16 birthday include Kuan Yew Lee, Lauren Bacall, B. B. King, Frans Eemil Sillanpää and Henry V of England.
