Maria Hertogh

Age: 72

Summary: Dutch woman who made worldwide headlines in 1950 when she became the central figure in a legal conflict between her biological Dutch parents and the Muslim woman who adopted her during World War II, in which the highly publicized custody battle sparked religious tensions between Muslims and Christians that later ignited a series of deadly ethnic riots in Singapore after the judge handed the girl back to her Dutch Catholic parents.

Cause of Death: Leukemia

Born: March 24, 1937

Died: July 8, 2009

Location: Hujibergen, Netherlands