15 November

Across recorded history, 1,539 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 15 November. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Henryk Sienkiewicz

1846–1916

Polish writer, novelist, journalist, philanthropist and Nobel Prize laureate

Henryk Sienkiewicz was a Polish novelist and journalist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Émile Durkheim

1858–1917

French sociologist

Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist who established sociology as an academic discipline.

Empress Dowager Cixi

1835–1908

Chinese empress

Empress Dowager Cixi was a Chinese monarch who exercised control over the Qing dynasty government.

Margaret Mead

1901–1978

American anthropologist

Margaret Mead was an American anthropologist who conducted extensive ethnographic research on cultures in the South Pacific.

Charles Thomson Rees Wilson

1869–1959

Scottish physicist and meteorologist

Physicist Charles Thomson Rees Wilson developed the cloud chamber to detect ionizing radiation.

Jean Gabin

1904–1976

French actor and singer

Jean Gabin was a French actor and singer who appeared in numerous films throughout his career.

Alfred Werner

1866–1919

Swiss chemist Nobel laureate

Alfred Werner was a chemist who received the Nobel Prize for his work on the coordination theory of complex compounds.

Lionel Barrymore

1878–1954

American actor, director, screenwriter

Lionel Barrymore was an American actor who appeared in numerous stage and film productions throughout his career.

Frederick VII of Denmark

1808–1863

King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863

Frederick VII of Denmark was the monarch who served as the King of Denmark.

Maria II of Portugal

1819–1853

Queen of Portugal (r. 1826–1828; 1834–1853)

Maria II of Portugal served as the Queen of Portugal during two separate periods of the nineteenth century.

Tyrone Power

1914–1958

American actor

Tyrone Power was an American film actor who appeared in numerous motion pictures.

Wilhelm Raabe

1831–1910

German writer

Wilhelm Raabe was a German novelist who authored numerous works of fiction.

Lil Peep

1996–2017

American rapper

Lil Peep was an American rapper known for his contributions to the emo rap genre.

Daniel Rutherford

1749–1819

British physician, chemist, botanist and physicist

Chemist Daniel Rutherford is recognized for his discovery of nitrogen.

Vinoba Bhave

1895–1982

Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights

Vinoba Bhave was an Indian social reformer who advocated for nonviolence and human rights.

Rudolf Abel

1903–1971

Soviet intelligence officer

Rudolf Abel was a Soviet intelligence officer who operated as a spy.

Ray Clemence

1948–2020

English association football player

Ray Clemence was an English association football player who also served as a professional football coach.

Sixto Durán-Ballén

1921–2016

President of Ecuador

Sixto Durán-Ballén was a politician who served as the President of Ecuador.

Ivan Sechenov

1829–1905

Russian physiologist

Ivan Sechenov was a Russian physiologist who established the foundations for the objective study of reflex activity.

Glafcos Clerides

1919–2013

Cypriot lawyer and politician (1919–2013), President of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003

Glafcos Clerides was a Cypriot politician who served as the President of Cyprus.

Stokely Carmichael

1941–1998

American activist

Stokely Carmichael was an activist who served as a prominent leader in the American civil rights movement.

Harrison Dillard

1923–2019

American athlete

Harrison Dillard was an American athlete who competed as a sprinter.

Princess Elisabeth of Romania

1894–1956

Romanian Royal; Queen Consort of Greece (1922 - 1924)

Princess Elisabeth of Romania served as the Queen Consort of Greece.

George Romney

1734–1802

English painter

George Romney was a portraitist who gained prominence for his paintings of English society figures.

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.