16 February

Across recorded history, 1,668 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 16 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Octave Mirbeau

1848–1917

French writer, art critic and journalist

Octave Mirbeau was a French writer and art critic who contributed to the development of modern literature and journalism.

Alexei Navalny

1976–2024

Russian jurist and opposition leader

Alexei Navalny was a Russian politician and activist who organized opposition movements against the government.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

1922–2016

Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996

Boutros Boutros-Ghali served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Shamil

1797–1871

North Caucasian imam and warrior

Shamil was a North Caucasian imam who led resistance efforts against the Russian Empire.

Chien-Shiung Wu

1912–1997

Chinese-American physicist (1912–1997) (death at 85 years)

Chien-Shiung Wu was a physicist who conducted experimental research in nuclear physics.

Keith Haring

1958–1990

American artist and social activist

Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist known for his distinctive visual style and public murals.

Félix Faure

1841–1899

7th President of the French Republic

Félix Faure was a politician who served as the seventh President of the French Republic.

Ferdinand Buisson

1841–1932

French academic and politician

Ferdinand Buisson was a French pedagogue who served as a politician and academic.

Angela Carter

1940–1992

English novelist

Angela Carter was an English novelist known for her contributions to magical realism and feminist literature.

Francis Peyton Rous

1879–1970

American scientist

Francis Peyton Rous was a virologist who discovered the role of viruses in the transmission of certain types of cancer.

Meghnad Saha

1893–1956

Bengali Astrophysicist

Meghnad Saha was an astrophysicist who developed the ionization equation to explain the spectral classification of stars.

Jânio Quadros

1917–1992

Brazilian politician, former president of Brazil (1961)

Jânio Quadros was a Brazilian politician who served as the president of Brazil.

Lila Kedrova

1909–2000

actress

Lila Kedrova was an actress who performed in both film and stage productions.

Henry Walter Bates

1825–1892

English naturalist and explorer

Henry Walter Bates was a naturalist and explorer who conducted extensive research on insect mimicry during his travels in the Amazon basin.

Dadasaheb Phalke

1870–1944

Indian film producer, director and screenwriter

Dadasaheb Phalke was an Indian film director who is widely recognized as the father of Indian cinema.

Vera Kholodnaya

1893–1919

Ukrainian-born actress of Imperial Russian silent cinema

Vera Kholodnaya was an actress who performed in Imperial Russian silent cinema.

Jonas Basanavičius

1851–1927

Lithuanian activist

Jonas Basanavičius was a Lithuanian activist who played a central role in the movement for national independence.

Lesley Gore

1946–2015

American singer

Lesley Gore was an American singer known for her popular music recordings.

Volodymyr Scherbytsky

1918–1990

Soviet politician

Volodymyr Scherbytsky was a Soviet politician who served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

Dick Bruna

1927–2017

Dutch graphic designer

Dick Bruna was a Dutch graphic designer known for creating the Miffy character and illustrating numerous children's books.

Harry Gregg

1932–2020

Northern Irish footballer and manager

Harry Gregg was a professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team.

Gustavo Noboa

1937–2021

president of Ecuador

Gustavo Noboa was a politician who served as the president of Ecuador.

Julian Holloway

1944–2025

British actor

Julian Holloway was a British actor who worked in film, television, and voice dubbing.

Justinas Marcinkevičius

1930–2011

Lithuanian poet

Justinas Marcinkevičius was a Lithuanian poet who authored numerous literary works.

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.