17 November

Across recorded history, 1,516 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 17 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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Doris Lessing

1919–2013

British novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer, and short story writer

Doris Lessing was a British novelist who authored numerous works across various literary genres throughout her career.

Auguste Rodin

1840–1917

French sculptor

Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor known for his influential contributions to modern sculpture.

Robert Owen

1771–1858

Welsh textile manufacturer and social reformer

Robert Owen was a Welsh social reformer who advocated for improved working conditions and the establishment of cooperative communities.

Louis Néel

1904–2000

French physicist

Louis Néel was a French physicist who conducted research on the magnetic properties of solids.

Robert Hofstadter

1915–1990

American physicist and Nobel laureate

Physicist Robert Hofstadter was a Nobel laureate recognized for his pioneering research on the structure of nucleons.

Audre Lorde

1934–1992

American writer and feminist activist

Audre Lorde was an American writer and feminist activist known for her poetry and essays addressing civil rights and social justice.

Herman Hollerith

1860–1929

American statistician and inventor（1860-1929）

Herman Hollerith was an inventor who developed an electromechanical punched card tabulating system for processing statistical data.

Heitor Villa-Lobos

1887–1959

Brazilian composer

Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer who integrated indigenous musical elements into his classical compositions.

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

1744–1818

Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland from 1761 to 1818

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz served as the queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland.

Lon Nol

1913–1985

Cambodian Field Marshal

Lon Nol was a Cambodian military officer who served as the leader of the Khmer Republic.

Ricarda Huch

1864–1947

German writer

Ricarda Huch was a German writer who produced a diverse body of historical works, novels, and poetry.

Alexander of Battenberg

1857–1893

Bulgarian ruler

Alexander of Battenberg was a Bulgarian ruler who served as a military officer.

Abba Eban

1915–2002

Israeli diplomat and politician

Abba Eban was a diplomat who served as the primary representative of Israel to the United Nations and the United States.

Fred Brooks

1931–2022

American computer scientist (1931–2022); author of The Mythical Man-Month and 'No Silver Bullet' (1986), which distinguished essential from accidental complexity in software engineering

Computer scientist Fred Brooks authored The Mythical Man-Month and distinguished essential from accidental complexity in software engineering.

Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

1817–1905

Duke of Nassau (1839–1866), later Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, served as the Duke of Nassau and later as the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Ernst Udet

1896–1941

German flying ace

Ernst Udet was a German flying ace who served as a military officer.

Lala Lajpat Rai

1865–1928

Indian author and politician

Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian politician and author who participated in the movement for independence from British rule.

Paul Ekman

1934–2025

American evolutionary and social psychologist

Paul Ekman is an American psychologist known for his research on the relationship between emotions and facial expressions.

Efim Geller

1925–1998

Soviet chess player

Efim Geller was a Soviet chess player who competed at the highest levels of international competition.

Adolph Joffe

1883–1927

Soviet diplomat

Adolph Joffe was a Soviet diplomat who participated in peace negotiations during the early years of the Soviet Union.

Victor Serge

1890–1947

Russian revolutionary and writer

Victor Serge was a revolutionary and writer who documented the political developments of the Soviet Union.

Gladys Cooper

1888–1971

British actress

Gladys Cooper was a British actress who worked extensively in both film and stage productions.

Erskine Hamilton Childers

1905–1974

4th President of Ireland

Erskine Hamilton Childers was a politician who served as the fourth President of Ireland.

Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders

1837–1905

Belgian prince

Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders was a member of the Belgian royal family.

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.