16 March

Across recorded history, 1,678 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 16 March. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← March 15 March 17 →

Selma Lagerlöf

1858–1940

Swedish writer

Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish writer who authored numerous novels and children's books.

Charles Albert Gobat

1843–1914

Swiss politician and lawyer

Charles Albert Gobat was a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a prominent figure in international peace movements.

Austen Chamberlain

1863–1937

British politician

Austen Chamberlain was a British politician who served as foreign minister.

John James Rickard Macleod

1876–1935

Nobel prize-winning Scottish physician and physiologist; co-discoverer of insulin

John James Rickard Macleod was a physiologist who served as a co-discoverer of insulin.

Constantin Brâncuși

1876–1957

Romanian sculptor, photographer and painter

Constantin Brâncuși was a sculptor who pioneered modern abstract forms.

Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella

1870–1930

Spanish politician; dictator, aristocrat, and military officer who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930

Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella, was a Spanish politician and military officer who served as the Prime Minister of Spain.

Derek Barton

1918–1998

English organic chemist

Derek Barton was an English organic chemist who conducted research in the field of chemistry.

Jean Monnet

1888–1979

French political economist regarded by as a chief architect of European unity

Jean Monnet was a French political economist recognized as a chief architect of European unity.

Aaron Nimzovich

1886–1935

Latvian-born Danish chess player and theoretician

Aaron Nimzovich was a chess theoretician and player who contributed significantly to the development of modern chess strategy.

Rachel Corrie

1979–2003

American anti-war and human rights activist

Rachel Corrie was an American activist who advocated for human rights and worked to promote peace.

Aubrey Beardsley

1872–1898

British illustrator and author

Aubrey Beardsley was a British illustrator and author known for his distinctive black-and-white ink drawings.

Yakov Sverdlov

1885–1919

Soviet politician

Yakov Sverdlov was a Soviet politician who served as a prominent revolutionary leader.

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

1786–1861

German princess

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was a German aristocrat.

Wilhelm Tempel

1821–1889

German astronomer

Wilhelm Tempel was an astronomer who discovered numerous comets and asteroids.

Dick Dale

1937–2019

American surf rock guitarist

Dick Dale was an American surf rock guitarist known for pioneering the genre's signature sound.

William Beveridge

1879–1963

British economist and social reformer

William Beveridge was an economist and social reformer who authored a report that served as the foundation for the modern British welfare state.

Félix Savart

1791–1841

French physicist

Félix Savart was a French physicist who conducted research on electromagnetism and acoustics.

Egon Friedell

1878–1938

Austrian philosopher, historian, journalist, actor, cabaret performer (Kabarettist) and theatre critic

Egon Friedell was an Austrian cultural historian and writer who worked as a journalist, actor, and theatre critic.

Thomas E. Dewey

1902–1971

American politician

Thomas E. Dewey was an American politician who served as the Governor of New York and was a two-time Republican presidential nominee.

Stuart Whitman

1928–2020

American actor

Stuart Whitman was an American actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions.

Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia

1783–1801

Grand Duchess of Russia

Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia was a member of the Russian imperial family.

Maurice Halbwachs

1877–1945

French sociologist (1877-1945), died in Buchenwald concentration camp

Maurice Halbwachs was a French sociologist who died in the Buchenwald concentration camp.

August von Wassermann

1866–1925

German bacteriologist

August von Wassermann was a German bacteriologist who developed a diagnostic test for syphilis.

Marguerite Durand

1864–1936

French actress and journalist, editor

Marguerite Durand was a journalist and activist who founded the feminist newspaper La Fronde.

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.