5 December

Across recorded history, 1,587 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 5 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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Nelson Mandela

1918–2013

President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist

Nelson Mandela was a South African president and anti-apartheid activist.

Alexandre Dumas

1802–1870

French writer and dramatist

Alexandre Dumas was a French writer who authored numerous novels and plays.

Claude Monet

1840–1926

French painter

Claude Monet was a French painter who was a founder of the impressionist movement.

Władysław Reymont

1867–1925

Polish novelist

Władysław Reymont was a Polish novelist known for his literary contributions to prose.

Aurobindo Ghosh

1872–1950

Indian Bengali philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet and nationalist

Aurobindo Ghosh was an Indian philosopher and nationalist who developed the practice of integral yoga.

Oscar Niemeyer

1907–2012

Brazilian architect

Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect known for his contributions to the development of modern architecture.

Frank Gehry

1929–2025

Canadian and American architect

Frank Gehry was an architect known for his work in Canada and the United States.

Pedro II of Brazil

1825–1891

2nd and final Emperor of Brazil (r. 1831–89)

Pedro II of Brazil served as the second and final emperor of Brazil.

Johnny Hallyday

1943–2017

French musician, singer and actor

Johnny Hallyday was a French musician, singer, and actor who became a prominent figure in the music industry.

Kirstie Alley

1951–2022

American actress

Kirstie Alley was an American actress known for her work in television.

Karlheinz Stockhausen

1928–2007

German composer

Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer known for his pioneering work in electronic music and serial composition.

Amrita Sher-Gil

1913–1941

Hungarian-Indian painter

Amrita Sher-Gil was a painter who created works blending Hungarian and Indian artistic influences.

Bob Dole

1923–2021

American politician

Bob Dole was an American politician who served as a long-time United States Senator.

Aleksandr Vasilevsky

1895–1977

Marshal of the Soviet Union

Aleksandr Vasilevsky was a military officer who served as a Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Dave Brubeck

1920–2012

American jazz pianist and composer

Dave Brubeck was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work in the field of jazz music.

Joseph Erlanger

1874–1965

American doctor

Joseph Erlanger was a physiologist who conducted research on the differentiated functions of single nerve fibers.

Valentin Serov

1865–1911

Russian painter

Valentin Serov was a Russian painter known for his portraiture and contributions to the development of impressionism in Russian art.

Patriarch Alexius II

1929–2008

15th Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus', the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church

Patriarch Alexius II served as the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Nikolai Pirogov

1810–1881

Russian medical scientist

Nikolai Pirogov was a Russian medical scientist who pioneered the use of ether anesthesia and developed techniques in field surgery.

Princess Alice of Battenberg

1885–1969

Member of the House of Battenberg

Princess Alice of Battenberg was an aristocrat who served as a nurse and charity worker.

Jayaram Jayalalithaa

1948–2016

Indian Actress, Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

Jayaram Jayalalithaa was an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Viktor Shklovsky

1893–1984

Soviet Jewish writer

Viktor Shklovsky was a Soviet writer and literary theorist who pioneered the concept of defamiliarization in literary criticism.

Ne Win

1911–2002

Military leader and head of state of Burma from 1962 to 1988

Ne Win was a military leader who served as the head of state of Burma.

Violetta Villas

1938–2011

Polish cabaret star, singer, actress, composer, songwriter

Violetta Villas was a Polish singer who performed as a cabaret star, actress, and composer.

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.