1773

The Boston Tea Party takes place. AI analysis

The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal event in American history where American colonists protested British taxation by dumping tea into Boston Harbor. It escalated tensions leading to the American Revolution and marked a stand for colonial rights against British rule. --AI Explanation

1811

The first known earthquake in the Mississippi River Valley occurs. AI analysis

The 1811 earthquake in the Mississippi River Valley caused widespread devastation and is believed to have led to the creation of several new lakes. It signaled seismic activity in the region, which continues to be a focus of geological study. --AI Explanation

1835

The Texas Rangers, a group of law enforcement officers, is formally established. AI analysis

The establishment of the Texas Rangers provided the newly formed Republic of Texas with a powerful law enforcement agency. They became legendary in the U.S. for their role in protecting the frontier and enforcing law and order. --AI Explanation

1917

The United States enters World War I, formally declaring war on Austria-Hungary. AI analysis

The U.S. declaration of war on Austria-Hungary marked its official entry into World War I. This decision would have significant global ramifications, helping tip the balance in favor of the Allies and leading to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers. --AI Explanation

1941

The Japanese attack the Philippines, leading to U.S. entry into World War II. AI analysis

The attack on the Philippines by Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor marked a significant escalation in the Pacific theater of World War II. It led to the U.S. directly engaging Japan in battle, solidifying its role in the conflict. --AI Explanation

1950

The first appearance of the Korean War’s U.N. peacekeeping force in Seoul. AI analysis

The arrival of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Seoul was part of the effort to defend South Korea from North Korean aggression. It was an early success in the larger conflict of the Korean War, highlighting the international dimension of the war. --AI Explanation

1965

The Vietnam War escalates with U.S. forces launching Operation Rolling Thunder. AI analysis

Operation Rolling Thunder was a sustained bombing campaign designed to weaken North Vietnam’s capacity to wage war. It was a significant escalation in the Vietnam War, with heavy casualties and growing anti-war sentiment both in the U.S. and abroad. --AI Explanation

1971

Bangladesh is officially declared a sovereign nation following its war of independence. AI analysis

The declaration of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation was the culmination of a brutal independence struggle against Pakistan. It marked a major political shift in South Asia and established a new nation after a hard-fought victory. --AI Explanation

1989

The Berlin Wall begins to fall, marking the end of the Cold War. AI analysis

The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the symbolic end of the Cold War and the division of East and West Germany. It was a turning point in European and world history, leading to the reunification of Germany and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. --AI Explanation

1991

The Soviet Union officially dissolves, marking the end of the Cold War. AI analysis

The dissolution of the Soviet Union ended the Cold War, signaling the collapse of the communist superpower and the emergence of 15 independent republics. It reshaped the political landscape of the world and paved the way for U.S. global dominance in the post-Cold War era. --AI Explanation

1993

The Oslo Accords are signed, establishing the Palestinian Authority. AI analysis

The Oslo Accords were a significant step in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The accords led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority and set a framework for negotiations on key issues, though peace has remained elusive. --AI Explanation

1999

The first Russian military operation in Chechnya ends. AI analysis

The end of the first Russian military operation in Chechnya marked a temporary halt in the conflict between Russian forces and Chechen separatists. However, tensions remained high, leading to further military actions in the region. --AI Explanation

2003

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces. AI analysis

The capture of Saddam Hussein was a major moment in the Iraq War, signaling the fall of the brutal regime that had ruled Iraq for decades. His capture was a significant symbolic victory for the U.S. and its allies in the region. --AI Explanation

2007

The Treaty of Lisbon is signed, improving the efficiency and democratic workings of the European Union. AI analysis

The Treaty of Lisbon introduced significant reforms to the European Union, aiming to streamline decision-making processes and enhance the EU's ability to address global challenges. It marked an important step in European integration. --AI Explanation

2013

The European Union and Cuba sign an agreement on closer economic ties. AI analysis

The agreement between the European Union and Cuba was a step toward normalizing relations and improving economic exchanges. It reflected changing geopolitical dynamics and the EU's efforts to engage with Cuba post-Cold War. --AI Explanation

2014

The Central African Republic announces a new peace deal after years of civil war. AI analysis

The signing of the peace deal in the Central African Republic aimed to bring an end to the country’s brutal civil war. The agreement sought to bring stability and peace, although challenges in the region persisted in subsequent years. --AI Explanation

2015

The Paris Agreement on climate change is adopted by 195 nations. AI analysis

The Paris Agreement was a historic international accord aimed at limiting global warming and addressing climate change. The agreement sought to unite nations in the battle against environmental degradation, with countries committing to reduce carbon emissions. --AI Explanation

2016

The United Nations passes a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity in Palestine. AI analysis

The UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank reflected international concern over the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It highlighted global divisions over the issue of Israeli settlements and their impact on peace efforts. --AI Explanation

2019

The United States and China agree to a partial trade deal, easing tensions in the trade war. AI analysis

The partial trade deal between the U.S. and China was seen as a step toward de-escalating the trade war that had caused global economic uncertainty. The agreement addressed tariffs, intellectual property rights, and market access, although full resolution of issues remained elusive. --AI Explanation

2020

The European Union and the United Kingdom agree on a post-Brexit trade deal. AI analysis

The post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK marked the finalization of the UK’s exit from the EU. It provided for continued trade relations but created new complexities around customs, regulations, and border controls. --AI Explanation

December 16 Birthdays
Events Birthdays Deaths

1485

Catherine of Aragon

Spanish princess, later queen consort of England

(d. 1536)

1534

Hans Bol

Flemish artist

(d. 1593)

1582

Robert Bertie

1st Earl of Lindsey

(d. 1642)

1584

John Selden

English jurist and scholar

(d. 1654)

1585

Livia della Rovere

Italian noble

(d. 1641)

1605

Jerome Weston

2nd Earl of Portland, English diplomat

(d. 1663)

1614

Eberhard III

Duke of Württemberg

(d. 1674)

1630

Mary Somerset

Duchess of Beaufort, British botanist

(d. 1715)

1714

George Whitefield

English Anglican priest

(d. 1770)

1716

Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini

French poet and diplomat

(d. 1798)

1717

Elizabeth Carter

English poet and scholar

(d. 1806)

1730

Diego Silang

Filipino revolutionary leader

(d. 1763)

1742

Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher

German field marshal

(d. 1819)

1770

Ludwig van Beethoven

composer

(d. 1827)

1775

Jane Austen

English novelist

(d. 1817)

1775

François-Adrien Boieldieu

French pianist and composer

(d. 1834)

1776

Johann Wilhelm Ritter

German chemist, physicist, and philosopher

(d. 1810)

1778

John Ordronaux

French-American soldier

(d. 1841)

1787

Mary Russell Mitford

English author and playwright

(d. 1855)

1804

Viktor Bunyakovsky

Russian mathematician and academic

(d. 1889)

1812

Stuart Donaldson

English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of New South Wales

(d. 1867)

1834

Léon Walras

French-Swiss economist and theorist

(d. 1910)

1836

Ernst von Bergmann

Latvian-German surgeon and academic

(d. 1907)

1849

Mary Hartwell Catherwood

American author and poet

(d. 1902)

1861

Antonio de La Gándara

French painter and illustrator

(d. 1917)

1863

George Santayana

Spanish philosopher, novelist, and poet

(d. 1952)

1865

Olavo Bilac

Brazilian journalist and poet

(d. 1918)

1866

Wassily Kandinsky

Russian-French painter and theorist

(d. 1944)

1867

Amy Carmichael

Irish missionary and humanitarian

(d. 1951)

1869

Hristo Tatarchev

Bulgarian physician and activist, co-founded the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization

(d. 1952)

1869

Bertha Lamme Feicht

American electrical engineer

(d. 1943)

1872

Anton Denikin

Russian general

(d. 1947)

1882

Jack Hobbs

English cricketer and journalist

(d. 1963)

1882

Zoltán Kodály

Hungarian composer, conductor, and musicologist

(d. 1967)

1882

Walther Meissner

German physicist and engineer

(d. 1974)

1883

Károly Kós

Hungarian-Romanian architect, ethnologist, and politician

(d. 1977)

1883

Max Linder

French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

(d. 1925)

1884

John Gunn

Australian politician, 29th Premier of South Australia

(d. 1959)

1884

Seibo Kitamura

Japanese sculptor

(d. 1987)

1888

Alphonse Juin

Algerian-French general

(d. 1967)

1889

Kim Chwa-chin

South Korean guerrilla leader

(d. 1930)

1895

Marie Hall Ets

American author and illustrator

(d. 1984)

1896

Anna Anderson

an imposter who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia

(d. 1984)

1899

Noël Coward

English actor, playwright, and composer

(d. 1973)

1900

Lucille Lortel

American actress and producer

(d. 1999)

1900

V. S. Pritchett

British writer and literary critic

(d. 1997)

1901

Margaret Mead

American anthropologist and author

(d. 1978)

1902

Rafael Alberti

Spanish poet and playwright

(d. 1999)

1903

Hardie Albright

American actor

(d. 1975)

1903

Harold Whitlock

English race walker and coach

(d. 1985)

1905

Piet Hein

Danish mathematician, author, and poet

(d. 1996)

1905

Ruben Nirvi

Finnish linguist and professor

(d. 1986)

1907

Barbara Kent

Canadian-born American film actress

(d. 2011)

1908

Remedios Varo

Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter & anarchist

(d. 1963)

1910

Freddie Brown

Peruvian-English cricketer and sportscaster

(d. 1991)

1913

George Ignatieff

Russian-Canadian scholar and diplomat, 8th Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations

(d. 1989)

1914

O. Winston Link

American photographer

(d. 2001)

1916

Ruth Johnson Colvin

American author and educator, founded ProLiteracy Worldwide

(d. 2024)

1917

Nabi Bux Khan Baloch

Pakistani author and scholar

(d. 2011)

1917

Pete T. Cenarrusa

American soldier, pilot, and politician, Secretary of State of Idaho

(d. 2013)

1917

Arthur C. Clarke

English science fiction writer

(d. 2008)

1920

Frederick Rotimi Williams

Nigerian lawyer and politician

(d. 2005)

1921

Eulalio González

Mexican singer-songwriter, director, producer, and screenwriter

(d. 2003)

1922

Cy Leslie

American record producer, founded Pickwick Records

(d. 2008)

1923

Menahem Pressler

German-American pianist

(d. 2023)

1923

Ernst Florian Winter

Austrian-American historian and political scientist

(d. 2014)

1924

Nicolas Sidjakov

Latvian-American illustrator

(d. 1993)

1926

James McCracken

American tenor and actor

(d. 1988)

1926

A. N. R. Robinson

Tobagonian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Trinidad and Tobago

(d. 2014)

1926

Jeffrey Stone

American actor and screenwriter

(d. 2012)

1927

Peter Dickinson

Rhodesian-English author and poet

(d. 2015)

1927

Randall Garrett

American author and poet

(d. 1987)

1928

Terry Carter

American actor, director, and producer

(d. 2024)

1928

Philip K. Dick

American philosopher and author

(d. 1982)

1929

Nicholas Courtney

Egyptian-English actor

(d. 2011)

1930

Bill Brittain

American author

(d. 2011)

1930

Sam Most

American flute player and saxophonist

(d. 2013)

1930

Bill Young

American sergeant and politician

(d. 2013)

1932

Grace Alele-Williams

Nigerian mathematician and academic

(d. 2022)

1932

Quentin Blake

English author and illustrato

r

1932

Lin Zhao

Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the Cultural Revolution

(d. 1968)

1936

Morris Dees

American lawyer and activist, co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Cente

r

1937

Joyce Bulifant

American actres

s

1937

Edward Ruscha

American painter and photographe

r

1938

Frank Deford

American journalist and author

(d. 2017)

1938

Liv Ullmann

Norwegian actress, director, and screenwrite

r

1939

Philip Langridge

English tenor

(d. 2010)

1939

Gordon Miller

English high jumpe

r

1941

Lesley Stahl

American journalist and actres

s

1941

Roger Neil Wheeler

English genera

l

1942

Donald Carcieri

American educator and politician, 73rd Governor of Rhode Islan

d

1943

Steven Bochco

American television writer and producer

(d. 2018)

1943

Patti Deutsch

American actress and comedian

(d. 2017)

1944

Jeff Kanew

American director and screenwrite

r

1944

Don Meyer

American basketball player and coach

(d. 2014)

1945

Tony Hicks

English singer and guitaris

t

1946

Benny Andersson

Swedish singer-songwriter, pianist, and produce

r

1946

Charles Dennis

Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1946

Trevor Pinnock

English harpsichord player and conducto

r

1946

Tom Stern

American cinematographe

r

1947

Ben Cross

English actor

(d. 2020)

1947

Vincent Matthews

American sprinte

r

1947

Martyn Poliakoff

English chemist and academi

c

1947

Trevor Żahra

Maltese novelist, poet and illustrato

r

1949

Billy Gibbons

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and produce

r

1949

Heather Hallett

English lawyer and judg

e

1950

Claudia Cohen

American journalist

(d. 2007)

1950

Roy Schuiten

Dutch cyclist and manager

(d. 2006)

1951

Aykut Barka

Turkish scientist

(d. 2002)

1951

Sally Emerson

English author and poe

t

1951

Mike Flanagan

American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster

(d. 2011)

1951

Robben Ford

American guitarist and songwrite

r

1951

Mark Heard

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

(d. 1992)

1952

Joel Garner

Barbadian cricketer and manage

r

1952

Francesco Graziani

Italian footballer and manage

r

1953

Rebecca Forstadt

American voice actress and screenwrite

r

1955

Xander Berkeley

American actor and produce

r

1955

Carol Browner

American lawyer and environmentalist, 8th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agenc

y

1955

Prince Lorenz of Belgium

Archduke of Austria-Est

e

1955

Chiharu Matsuyama

Japanese singer-songwrite

r

1956

Lizzy Mercier Descloux

French musician, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, writer and painter

(d. 2004)

1957

Antonio Vega

Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist

(d. 2009)

1958

Bart Oates

American football player and lawye

r

1958

Jeff Ruland

American basketball playe

r

1959

H. D. Kumaraswamy

Indian social worker and politician, 18th Chief Minister of Karnatak

a

1959

Alison La Placa

American actres

s

1959

Alexander Lebedev

Russian businessman and politicia

n

1959

Steve Mattsson

American author and illustrato

r

1960

Pat Van Den Hauwe

Belgian footballer and manage

r

1961

André Andersen

Russian-Danish keyboard player, songwriter, and produce

r

1961

Shane Black

American actor, director, and screenwrite

r

1961

Bill Hicks

American comedian and musician

(d. 1994)

1961

LaChanze

American actress, singer, and dance

r

1961

Sam Robards

American acto

r

1961

Jon Tenney

American actor and directo

r

1962

Maruschka Detmers

Dutch-French actres

s

1962

William Perry

American football player and wrestle

r

1963

Benjamin Bratt

American actor and produce

r

1963

Cathy Johnston-Forbes

American golfe

r

1963

James Mangold

American director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1963

Nadia Moscufo

Belgian politicia

n

1964

Heike Drechsler

German sprinter and long jumpe

r

1964

Todd Glass

American comedia

n

1964

John Kirwan

New Zealand rugby player and coac

h

1964

Georgie Parker

Australian actres

s

1964

Billy Ripken

American baseball player and sportscaste

r

1965

Melanie Sloan

American lawyer and activis

t

1965

J. B. Smoove

American comedian, writer, and acto

r

1966

Fatima Lamarti

Belgian politicia

n

1966

Paul McGinley

Irish golfe

r

1966

Clifford Robinson

American basketball player

(d. 2020)

1966

Dennis Wise

English footballer and manage

r

1967

Donovan Bailey

Canadian sprinter and sportscaste

r

1967

Indrek Kaseorg

Estonian decathlet

e

1967

Miranda Otto

Australian actres

s

1968

Wendy Doolan

Australian golfe

r

1968

Lalah Hathaway

American singer-songwriter, pianist, and produce

r

1968

Greg Kovacs

Canadian bodybuilder

(d. 2013)

1969

Simon Grayson

English footballer and manage

r

1969

Kent Hehr

Canadian politicia

n

1969

Adam Riess

American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic Nobel Prize laureat

e

1969

Michelle Smith

Irish swimme

r

1969

Dmitri Tymoczko

American composer and theoris

t

1969

Craig White

English cricketer and coac

h

1970

Valerie Chow

Canadian-Hong Kong actress and publicis

t

1970

Daniel Cosgrove

American acto

r

1971

Seyhan Kurt

French-Turkish poet and sociologis

t

1971

Paul van Dyk

German musician, producer and D

J

1971

Michael McCary

American R&B singe

r

1972

Charles Gipson

American baseball playe

r

1972

Paul Leyden

Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1972

Travis Morrison

American singer-songwrite

r

1973

Themba Mnguni

South African footballe

r

1973

Scott Storch

American songwriter and producer, founded Storch Music Compan

y

1975

Valentin Bădoi

Romanian footballer and manage

r

1975

Kaba Diawara

French-Guinean footballe

r

1975

Benjamin Kowalewicz

Canadian singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1975

Paul Maynard

English politicia

n

1976

Jen Golbeck

American computer scientist and academi

c

1977

Éric Bélanger

Canadian ice hockey playe

r

1977

Sylvain Distin

French footballe

r

1978

John Morris

Canadian curler and firefighte

r

1978

Gunter Van Handenhoven

Belgian footballer and manage

r

1979

Trevor Immelman

South African golfe

r

1979

Brodie Lee

American wrestler

(d. 2020)

1979

Daniel Narcisse

French handball playe

r

1979

Mihai Trăistariu

Romanian singer-songwrite

r

1979

Jessie Ward

American wrestler and produce

r

1980

Danish Kaneria

Pakistani crickete

r

1981

Krysten Ritter

American actress, musician, and mode

l

1981

Reanna Solomon

Nauruan weightlifter

(d. 2022)

1981

Gareth Williams

Scottish footballe

r

1982

Antrel Rolle

American football playe

r

1982

Anna Sedokova

Ukrainian singer, actress and television presente

r

1982

Stanislav Šesták

Slovak footballe

r

1983

Kelenna Azubuike

Nigerian-American basketball playe

r

1983

Frankie Ballard

American singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1983

Joey Dorsey

American basketball playe

r

1984

Theo James

English acto

r

1985

Stanislav Manolev

Bulgarian footballe

r

1985

James Nash

English race car drive

r

1985

Amanda Setton

American actres

s

1986

Alcides Escobar

Venezuelan baseball playe

r

1986

Zoltán Kovács

Hungarian footballer

(d. 2013)

1986

Pärt Uusberg

Estonian actor, composer, and conductor

.

1987

Mame Biram Diouf

Senegalese footballe

r

1987

Beau Dowler

Australian footballe

r

1987

Hallee Hirsh

American actres

s

1988

Mats Hummels

German footballe

r

1988

Anna Popplewell

English actres

s

1988

Alexey Shved

Russian basketball playe

r

1989

Mikkel Bødker

Danish ice hockey playe

r

1990

Rebecca Marino

Canadian tennis playe

r

1991

Craig Goodwin

Australian footballe

r

1991

David Johnson

American football playe

r

1992

Ulrikke Eikeri

Norwegian tennis playe

r

1992

Anamul Haque

Bangladeshi crickete

r

1992

Pietro Perdichizzi

Belgian footballe

r

1992

Tom Rogic

Australian footballe

r

1993

Jyoti Amge

Indian actres

s

1993

Stephan James

Canadian acto

r

1994

Nigel Hayes

American basketball playe

r

1994

Elliot Lee

English footballe

r

1994

Nicola Murru

Italian footballe

r

1994

José Rodríguez

Spanish footballe

r

1996

Henry Thornton

Australian crickete

r

1998

Mira Antonitsch

Austrian tennis playe

r

December 16 Deaths
Events Birthdays Deaths

604

Houzhu

emperor of the Chen dynasty

(b. 553)

705

Wu Zetian

Empress of the Zhou dynasty

(b. 624)

714

Pepin of Herstal

Frankish statesman

(b. 635)

867

Eberhard of Friuli

Frankish duke

(b. 815)

874

Ado

archbishop of Vienn

e

882

John VIII

pope of the Catholic Churc

h

902

Wei Yifan

chancellor of the Tang dynast

y

999

Adelaide of Italy

Holy Roman Empress

(b. 931)

1153

Ranulf de Gernon

4th Earl of Chester, Norman noblema

n

1263

Haakon IV

king of Norway

(b. 1204)

1316

Öljaitü

Mongolian ruler

(b. 1280)

1325

Charles

French nobleman

(b. 1270)

1378

Secondotto

marquess of Montferrat

(b. 1360)

1379

John FitzAlan

1st Baron Arundel, English general and politician, Lord Marshall of England

(b. 1348)

1470

John II

duke of Lorraine

(b. 1424)

1474

Ali Qushji

Uzbek astronomer, mathematician, and physicist

(b. 1403)

1515

Afonso de Albuquerque

Portuguese admiral and politician, 3rd Viceroy of Portuguese India

(b. 1453)

1558

Thomas Cheney

English diplomat and Lord Warden of the Cinque Port

s

1583

Ivan Fyodorov

Russian printe

r

1594

Allison Balfour

Scottish witc

h

1598

Yi Sun-sin

Korean general

(b. 1545)

1669

Nathaniel Fiennes

English soldier and politician

(b. 1608)

1687

William Petty

English economist and philosopher

(b. 1623)

1751

Leopold II

Prince of Anhalt-Dessau

(b. 1700)

1774

François Quesnay

French economist, physician, and philosopher

(b. 1694)

1783

Johann Adolph Hasse

German composer and educator

(b. 1699)

1783

Sir William James

1st Baronet, Welsh-English commander and politician

(b. 1720)

1805

Saverio Cassar

Gozitan priest and rebel leader

(b. 1746)

1809

Antoine François

comte de Fourcroy, French chemist and entomologist

(b. 1755)

1859

Wilhelm Grimm

German anthropologist and author

(b. 1786)

1892

Henry Yesler

American businessman and politician, 7th Mayor of Seattle

(b. 1810)

1897

Alphonse Daudet

French author, poet, and playwright

(b. 1840)

1898

Pavel Tretyakov

Russian businessman and art collector

(b. 1832)

1908

American Horse

American tribal leader and educator

(b. 1840)

1917

Frank Gotch

American wrestler

(b. 1878)

1921

Camille Saint-Saëns

French pianist, composer, and conductor

(b. 1835)

1922

Gabriel Narutowicz

Lithuanian–Polish engineer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Poland

(b. 1865)

1928

Elinor Wylie

American poet and author

(b. 1885)

1935

Thelma Todd

American actress and comedian

(b. 1905)

1936

Frank Eugene

American-German photographer and educator

(b. 1865)

1940

Eugène Dubois

Dutch paleoanthropologist

(b. 1858)

1940

Billy Hamilton

American baseball player and manager

(b. 1866)

1943

George Bambridge

English diplomat

(b. 1892)

1944

Betsie ten Boom

Dutch Holocaust victim

(b. 1885)

1945

Giovanni Agnelli

Italian businessman, founded Fiat

(b. 1866)

1945

Fumimaro Konoe

Japanese lawyer and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Japan

(b. 1891)

1949

Sidney Olcott

Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

(b. 1873)

1952

Robert Henry Best

American journalist

(b. 1896)

1956

Nina Hamnett

Welsh painter and author

(b. 1890)

1961

Hans Rebane

Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs

(b. 1882)

1965

W. Somerset Maugham

British playwright, novelist, and short story writer

(b. 1874)

1968

Futabayama Sadaji

Japanese sumo wrestler, the 35th Yokozuna

(b. 1912)

1968

Muhammad Suheimat

Jordanian general and politician

(b. 1916)

1969

Alphonse Castex

French rugby union player

(b. 1899)

1969

Soe Hok Gie

Indonesian activist and academic

(b. 1942)

1970

Oscar Lewis

American anthropologist of Latin America

(b. 1914)

1974

Kostas Varnalis

Greek poet and playwright

(b. 1884)

1976

Réal Caouette

Canadian journalist and politician

(b. 1917)

1977

Risto Jarva

Finnish director, producer, and screenwriter

(b. 1934)

1980

Colonel Sanders

American businessman, founded KFC

(b. 1890)

1980

Hellmuth Walter

German-American engineer

(b. 1900)

1982

Colin Chapman

English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars

(b. 1928)

1983

Debs Garms

American baseball player

(b. 1907)

1984

Karl Deichgräber

German philologist and academic

(b. 1903)

1985

Thomas Bilotti

American mobster

(b. 1940)

1985

Paul Castellano

American mobster

(b. 1915)

1989

Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

Argentinian race car driver

(b. 1913)

1989

Silvana Mangano

Italian actress

(b. 1930)

1989

Aileen Pringle

American actress

(b. 1895)

1989

Lee Van Cleef

American actor

(b. 1925)

1991

Eszter Tamási

Hungarian actress and journalist

(b. 1938)

1993

Moses Gunn

American actor

(b. 1929)

1993

Kakuei Tanaka

Japanese soldier and politician, 64th Prime Minister of Japan

(b. 1918)

1996

Quentin Bell

English historian and author

(b. 1910)

1997

Lillian Disney

American illustrator and philanthropist

(b. 1899)

1998

William Gaddis

American author and academic

(b. 1922)

2001

Stuart Adamson

English-Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist

(b. 1958)

2001

Stefan Heym

German-American soldier and author

(b. 1913)

2003

Robert Stanfield

Canadian economist, lawyer, and politician, 17th Premier of Nova Scotia

(b. 1914)

2003

Gary Stewart

American singer-songwriter

(b. 1945)

2004

Ted Abernathy

American baseball player

(b. 1933)

2004

Deyda Hydara

Gambian journalist, co-founded The Point

(b. 1946)

2004

Agnes Martin

American painter and educator

(b. 1912)

2005

Kenneth Bulmer

English author

(b. 1921)

2005

Ed Hansen

American director and screenwriter

(b. 1937)

2005

John Spencer

American actor

(b. 1946)

2006

Don Jardine

Canadian wrestler and trainer

(b. 1940)

2006

Taliep Petersen

South African singer-songwriter and director

(b. 1950)

2006

Pnina Salzman

Israeli pianist and educator

(b. 1922)

2006

Stanford J. Shaw

American historian and academic

(b. 1930)

2007

Dan Fogelberg

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

(b. 1951)

2009

Roy E. Disney

American businessman

(b. 1930)

2009

Yegor Gaidar

Russian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Russia

(b. 1956)

2009

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang

South African physician and politician, 22nd South African Minister of Health

(b. 1940)

2010

Melvin E. Biddle

American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient

(b. 1923)

2010

Ayinde Barrister

Nigerian fuji musician

(b. 1948)

2011

Robert Easton

American actor and screenwriter

(b. 1930)

2011

Nicol Williamson

Scottish actor

(b. 1938)

2012

Elwood V. Jensen

American biologist and academic

(b. 1920)

2012

Jake Adam York

American poet and academic

(b. 1972)

2013

James Flint

English commander

(b. 1913)

2013

Ray Price

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

(b. 1926)

2013

Marta Russell

American journalist, author, and activist

(b. 1951)

2014

Martin Brasier

English paleontologist, biologist, and academic

(b. 1947)

2014

Tim Cochran

American mathematician and academic

(b. 1955)

2015

Peter Dickinson

Rhodesian-English author and poet

(b. 1927)

2015

Lizmark

Mexican wrestler

(b. 1950)

2015

George Earl Ortman

American painter and sculptor

(b. 1926)

2017

Keely Smith

American singer and actress

(b. 1928)