Freddie Mercury

Farrokh Bulsara, more famously known as Freddie Mercury, the lead vocalist of Queen has to be the most famous icon to have suffered from HIV. A homosexual, Freddie kept the disease a secret after contracting it in 1987, until media pressure made him eventually announce it on November 23, 1991. He died soon after the announcement on November 24.

Freddie Mercury's death shed a much-needed light on the issue of AIDS and it's magnitude increased ten fold after his death. An added effort was put into knowing more about the disease and spreading knowledge among masses.