10 December

Across recorded history, 1,638 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 10 December. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Alfred Nobel

1833–1896

Swedish chemist and inventor

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist and inventor who established the international awards known as the Nobel Prizes.

Luigi Pirandello

1867–1936

Italian dramatist, novelist, short story writer and poet

Luigi Pirandello was an Italian playwright who wrote numerous novels, short stories, and poems.

Leopold I of Belgium

1790–1865

German prince who became the first King of the Belgians

Leopold I of Belgium was a German prince who served as the first King of the Belgians.

Franjo Tuđman

1922–1999

Croatian politician, soldier, president and historian

Franjo Tuđman was a politician who served as the first president of Croatia.

Karl Barth

1886–1968

Swiss Protestant theologian

Karl Barth was a Swiss theologian known for his influential contributions to Protestant theology.

Joseph Heller

1923–1999

American writer

Joseph Heller was an American writer best known for his novels.

Yury Luzhkov

1936–2019

Russian politician

Yury Luzhkov was a Russian politician who served as the mayor of Moscow.

John Fenn

1917–2010

American analytical chemist

John Fenn was an analytical chemist who developed methods for the mass spectrometric analysis of biological macromolecules.

Tommy Lister Jr.

1958–2020

American actor and wrestler

Tommy Lister Jr. was an American actor and professional wrestler.

Richard Pryor

1940–2005

American comedian and actor

Richard Pryor was an American comedian and actor known for his influential stand-up performances and film roles.

Joseph Dalton Hooker

1817–1911

British botanist, lichenologist, and surgeon

Joseph Dalton Hooker was a British botanist who conducted extensive scientific exploration and plant collection.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

1868–1928

Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect known for his contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement and Art Nouveau style.

Jascha Heifetz

1901–1987

Russian-American violinist

Jascha Heifetz was a violinist recognized for his technical mastery and influential performance style.

Karl Drais

1785–1851

German inventor of early form of bicycle and typewriter

Karl Drais was an inventor who created an early form of the bicycle and the typewriter.

Thomas Merton

1915–1968

priest and author

Thomas Merton was a Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on spirituality and social issues.

Sophie Kinsella

1969–2025

British writer

Sophie Kinsella was a British writer known for her work as a novelist.

Iajuddin Ahmed

1931–2012

former president of Bangladesh

Iajuddin Ahmed was a politician who served as the president of Bangladesh.

Nikola Pašić

1845–1926

Serbian politician

Nikola Pašić was a politician who served as the head of government in Serbia.

Ed Wood

1924–1978

American screenwriter, director, producer, actor, author, and film editor

Ed Wood was an American filmmaker known for writing, directing, and producing a variety of independent motion pictures.

Esma Redžepova

1943–2016

Macedonian-Romani singer, songwriter and humanitarian

Esma Redžepova was a Macedonian-Romani singer and humanitarian who performed internationally throughout her career.

Kim Kyu-sik

1881–1950

Korean politician and academic

Kim Kyu-sik was a Korean politician and academic who served as a diplomat.

Sakamoto Ryōma

1836–1867

Japanese samurai and politician

Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese samurai who worked as a politician to facilitate the transition of power during the Meiji Restoration.

Eduard Rüppell

1794–1884

German naturalist and explorer

Eduard Rüppell was a naturalist who conducted extensive scientific explorations and collected numerous biological specimens throughout North Africa.

Na Hye-sok

1896–1948

writer and painter from Korea

Na Hye-sok was a Korean painter and writer who produced works across various artistic and literary disciplines.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.