December 16th famous deaths
List of celebrities and famous people who died on December 16th
2029 - 2020
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 2029 - 2020
2020
Swiss lawyer and politician, 82nd president of the swiss confederation (d. 2020)
2019 - 2010
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 2019 - 2010
2018
Geeta Iyengar was an Indian yoga practitioner and teacher who helped popularize Iyengar Yoga worldwide.
Co-founder of Vine and HQ Trivia, known for his contributions to mobile app development.
2017
![Keely Smith]()
American singer and actress (b. 1928)
Former CEO of Canadian National Railway known for his leadership in the railroad industry.
Renowned American singer known for her jazz and popular music performances.
2015
Mexican wrestler (b. 1950)
Rhodesian-english author and poet (b. 1927)
American painter and sculptor (b. 1926)
2014
English palaeontologist, biologist, and academic (d. 2014)
American mathematician and academic (d. 2014)
2013
English commander (b. 1913)
American journalist, author, and activist (b. 1951)
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1926)
2012
American poet and academic (b. 1972)
American biologist and academic (b. 1920)
2011
![Nicol Williamson]()
Nicol Williamson was a talented actor known for his performances on stage and screen.
Milwaukee, wisconsin -- actor ("someone up there likes me")
2010
Nigerian fuji musician (b. 1948)
American soldier, medal of honor recipient (b. 1923)
American soldier, medal of honor recipient (born in 1923)
2009 - 2000
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 2009 - 2000
2009
Roy E. Disney was a businessman and film producer who played a key role in the revitalization of The Walt Disney Company in the 1980s and 1990s.
Architect of Russian economic reforms in the 1990s.
Russian economist and politician, first deputy prime minister of russia (d. 2009)
South african physician and politician, 22nd south african minister of health (b. 1940)
South african politician and physician (born in 1940).
2007
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
2006
South african singer-songwriter and director (b. 1950)
American historian and academic (b. 1930)
Canadian professional wrestler (d.2006)
Israeli pianist and educator (b. 1922)
2005
English author (born 1921)
American film director and editor (born in 1937).
![John Spencer]()
English rugby player and coach
2004
Renowned abstract painter known for her serene and minimalist artworks.
The point, a gambian journalist and publisher, was co-founded by the point (d. 2004).
American baseball player (born 1933).
2003
Canadian economist, lawyer, and politician, 17th premier of nova scotia (d. 2003)
American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
2002
Renowned Turkish poet known for his lyrical works.
2001
English-scottish singer/songwriter and guitarist (the skids, big country) (d. 2001).
Stuart Adamson was a Scottish musician best known as the lead singer of Big Country.
German-american soldier and author (d. 2001)
1999 - 1990
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1999 - 1990
1998
American author and academic (b. 1922)
1997
Lillian Disney was the wife of Walt Disney and a businesswoman who helped manage the Disney family's financial affairs.
Lillian Disney was the wife of Walt Disney and a key figure in the early days of The Walt Disney Company.
Singer lotta love, dies at 45 from a brain seizure
American singer known for her hit single 'Lotta Love'.
Actor (johnny dangerously sebastine, if), is killed at 52
1996
South African author, farmer, war hero, political adviser, and cultural anthropologist.
English historian and author (b. 1910)
English artist author/teacher, dies at age 86 (born 1910).
Resistance leader dies at 85
Bookmaker dies at 92
1995
Fritz Kuhn was a German journalist known for his contributions to investigative journalism.
Italian singer and conductor (d. 1995)
Dancer choreographer/teacher, dies at age 85.
1994
Music critic dies at the age of 60
Poet dies at the age of 81.
1993
Japanese soldier and politician, 64th prime minister of japan (d. 1993)
![Moses Gunn]()
American actor. he was an obie award-winning stage actor and co-founded the negro ensemble company during the 1960s. he made his off-broadway debut in jean genet’s the blacks in 1962. his broadway debut was in a hand is on the gate in an evening of african-american poetry. he won a tony award in 1976 for best actor (play), for the …
Algerian court judge, murdered at age 46.
American hip-hop mc (born 1973)
Dutch writer / journalist (volkskrant) dies at 68
President of fiji (1987-1993), dies at 75
1992
Dutch soccer player/trainer (sparta), dies.
Dutch writer snow white dies at age 80
1991
Renowned abstract painter from the 20th century.
Founder of Stark Industries and a prominent figure in business.
Hungarian actress and journalist (b. 1938)
Hungarian actress and tv announcer (born 1938).
Actor (2 gun troubador)
1990
American pilot and lieutenant (d. 1990).
1989 - 1980
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1989 - 1980
1989
![Silvana Mangano]()
Italian actress who rose to fame in 1949 as a star of "bitter rice" in which she played the role of a leading lady in italy. she was also the 1946 miss rome title holder, which led to a few minor roles in movies. later, her reputation was for being cool and sculpted.
![Lee Van Cleef]()
Lee van cleef, one of the greatest movie villains, started his career as an accountant. during world war ii, he served aboard minesweepers as well as subchasers in the u.s. navy. he worked as an administrator in the office and became involved in amateur theatre in his spare time. a professional audition led to a job with a touring company …
Norwegian mathematician known for her work in algebra and number theory.
![Aileen Pringle]()
Actress (age consent, convicted night parade)
Argentinian race car driver (d. 1989)
Argentine racing driver (born 1913)
1987
American politician (representative-republican-connecticut, 1951-59), dies at age 79.
1985
Shot to death at a nyc restaurant by an organized-crime chief
American organizied crime figure (born 1940)
1984
Best known for writing the classic children's novel 'Where the Red Fern Grows'.
German academic and philologist (d. 1984).
1983
American baseball player (born in 1907)
Found milae sa temple/bulsung sa zen in korea, dies at age 74.
1982
Lotus cars was founded by an english engineer and businessman (d. 1982).
At 54, england's formula 1 racer dies
1980
American businessman, founded kfc (b. 1890)
American entrepreneur who established the kentucky fried chicken fast food franchise. the story began in rural kentucky, where he opened a small gas station and restaurant in 1929. he also started to sell his fried chicken. he had already built an empire of $2 million by the time he sold the franchise in 1963.
Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
German-american businessman and engineer (d. 1980).
Kentucky fried chicken founder, who dies at 90 years old (born 1890).
American fast food entrepreneur (born 1890)
1979 - 1970
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1979 - 1970
1978
At 76, a us singer/dancer/radio hostess dies.
1977
Finnish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
Finnish producer and director (d. 1977).
1976
Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1976)
French-canadian politician (born 1917)
Greek royalty, the eldest son of king constantine who ruled 1922-1923 and 1935-1947 with a government in exile in london in ww ii.
1974
Greek playwright and poet (d. 1974).
1973
Swedish physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947.
1970
American anthropologist of latin america (b. 1914)
1969 - 1960
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1969 - 1960
1969
Indonesian activist and academic (b. 1942)
French rugby union player (b. 1899)
1968
Dutch writer known for her contributions to Dutch literature during the mid-20th century.
Jordanian general and politician (b. 1916)
The 35th yokozuna, a japanese sumo wrestler (born 1912).
Jordanian statesman and military commander (born1916).
1965
British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1874)
English writer (born in 1874)
1963
Japanese-American actress known for her roles in films like 'The Crimson Kimono'.
Founder of the Sally Hansen beauty brand.
1961
Estonian journalist and politician, 8th minister of foreign affairs (b. 1882)
At the age of 93, dies.
Composer dies at 61
1960
At 63, silent screen actress (sinners in silk) dies
1959 - 1950
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1959 - 1950
1959
Ella Hall was a pioneering female journalist known for her investigative reporting.
1957
Italian-Brazilian industrialist known for his contributions to the development of the Brazilian economy.
1956
Welsh painter and author (b. 1890)
1954
Pioneering astronomer who studied variable stars and stellar evolution.
1952
American journalist (b. 1896)
1950
Composer dies at age 70
1949 - 1940
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1949 - 1940
1949
Canadian-american screenwriter and producer of actor (d. 1949).
Canadian-american actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1873)
Execution of the communist vice-premier in bulgaria.
1948
American male prostitute and socialite (d. 1948).
1945
Italian industrialist, founder fabbrica italiana automobili torino 1899. he was an industrialist who founded fiat auto and started a dynasty.
Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat.
Japanese lawyer and politician, 23rd prime minister of japan (b. 1891)
Japanese prince/prime minister (1937-1939, 1940-41), commits harakiri.
Italian family of distinction, umberto is the son of umberto, and giovanni is the great-grandson of giovanni, who founded fiat. after studying in the u.s., he graduated from brown university with an international relations degree. he then went on to work as an executive at olivetti and administrator for juventus soccer club. incognito, he worked as a fiat group turner …
1944
Dutch holocaust victim (b. 1885)
Corrie ten boom's sister and holocaust victim (born in 1885).
1943
English diplomat (d. 1943)
1940
Dutch paleoanthropologist (b. 1858)
American baseball player and manager (b. 1866)
1939 - 1930
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1939 - 1930
1937
Australian politician and trade unionist.
1936
American-german photographer and educator (b. 1865)
1935
![Thelma Todd]()
American actress and comedian (b. 1905)
American actress. perky blonde heroine in many two-reel comedy of the early 1930s. she was among many others in "the maltese falcon," 1931, and "horse feathers," (1932).
1931
Flemish theologist/bishop in bruges dies at age 82.
1930
Contributed to the development of X-ray technology.
German-born american bank robber (born 1890).
1929 - 1920
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1929 - 1920
1928
American poet and author (b. 1885)
American poet and writer (born in 1885).
1927
Composer dies at 88
1923
Composer dies at 50
1922
Revived the Hebrew language in the modern era.
Revived the Hebrew language in the modern era.
Revived the Hebrew language and culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
1922), assassinated.
1921
French composer, pianist, and organist who was born in paris. he began composing at six years old and performed as a pianist at ten. at thirteen years old, he was admitted to the paris conservatoire and composed his first symphony. he was organist at the church of madeleine from 1858 to 1877. in 1875, saint-saens began his worldwide tours.
French composer (born 1835).
At the age of 86, he dies.
1920
Chinese muslim rebels (holy war).
1919 - 1910
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1919 - 1910
1917
American wrestler (b. 1878)
1916
Pioneer in applied psychology and industrial psychology.
Murdered by a powerful russian monk
Serbian inventor (born 1851)
1914
Croatian composer, conductor and director
1909 - 1900
Famous deaths on December 16th for the celebrities who died in the years 1909 - 1900
1908
American tribal leader and educator (b. 1840)
1904
Edmund Dewey was an American entrepreneur who founded the Dewey Decimal System for library classification.