16 November

Across recorded history, 1,506 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 16 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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Milton Friedman

1912–2006

American economist and statistician

Milton Friedman was an American economist known for his advocacy of free-market capitalism.

Carl von Clausewitz

1780–1831

German-Prussian general and military theorist

Carl von Clausewitz was a Prussian military theorist who wrote extensively on the nature of war and strategy.

Henry Taube

1915–2005

Canadian-born American chemist

Henry Taube was a chemist who conducted research on the mechanisms of electron transfer reactions in metal complexes.

A. S. Byatt

1936–2023

British writer

A. S. Byatt was a British writer known for her novels and literary criticism.

Daniel Nathans

1928–1999

American microbiologist

Daniel Nathans was an American microbiologist who conducted research on restriction enzymes.

Alan Watts

1915–1973

British American author and lecturer

Alan Watts was a philosopher who popularized Eastern traditions in the West through his numerous books and lectures.

Louis Riel

1844–1885

Métis leader in Canada

Louis Riel was a Métis leader who advocated for the rights of his people in Canada.

Christiaan Hendrik Persoon

1761–1836

German mycologist

Christiaan Hendrik Persoon was a mycologist who authored foundational works on the classification of fungi.

Pavel Aleksandrov

1896–1982

Russian mathematician

Pavel Aleksandrov was a mathematician who served as a university teacher.

William Goldman

1931–2018

American novelist, screenwriter and playwright

William Goldman was an American screenwriter and novelist known for his contributions to film and literature.

Alice Liddell

1852–1934

English woman, basis of the character in "Alice in Wonderland"

Alice Liddell was an English art model who served as the inspiration for the title character in Alice in Wonderland.

Carl von Linde

1842–1934

German engineer

Carl von Linde was an engineer who developed refrigeration and gas separation technologies.

Edie Sedgwick

1943–1971

American socialite, actress and model

Edie Sedgwick was an American socialite, actress, and model who became a prominent figure in the underground film scene.

Sergei Magnitsky

1972–2009

Russian tax advisor who died in police custody

Sergei Magnitsky was a tax advisor who died while in police custody.

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark

1911–1937

Greek and Danish princess

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark was a member of the Greek and Danish royal families.

Lorenzo Fernández

1900–1973

Uruguayan footballer

Lorenzo Fernández was a Uruguayan footballer who played as a midfielder.

Vincas Kudirka

1858–1899

Lithuanian writer, poet and physician

Vincas Kudirka was a Lithuanian writer and physician who contributed significantly to the development of Lithuanian national literature.

Max Abraham

1875–1922

German physicist

Max Abraham was a German physicist who contributed to the development of electromagnetic theory.

Jay Wright Forrester

1918–2016

American operations researcher

Jay Wright Forrester was an American computer scientist who pioneered the development of magnetic core memory for digital computers.

W. T. Cosgrave

1880–1965

Irish politician

W. T. Cosgrave was an Irish politician who served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.

René Louiche Desfontaines

1750–1833

French botanist

René Louiche Desfontaines was a French botanist who conducted extensive scientific research and collection of plant specimens.

Robert I, Duke of Parma

1848–1907

Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1854 to 1859

Robert I, Duke of Parma, served as the Duke of Parma and Piacenza.

Miina Härma

1864–1941

Estonian composer

Miina Härma was an Estonian composer who worked as a conductor and music educator.

Edward Woodward

1930–2009

British actor

Edward Woodward was a British actor who performed in numerous stage, film, and television productions throughout his career.

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.