2 November

Across recorded history, 1,580 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 2 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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George Bernard Shaw

1856–1950

Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist

George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and critic who wrote numerous influential works for the stage.

Pier Paolo Pasolini

1922–1975

Italian writer, filmmaker, poet, and intellectual

Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian writer and filmmaker known for his contributions to literature and cinema.

Peter Debye

1884–1966

Dutch-American physicist and physical chemist

Peter Debye was a physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of molecular structure and dipole moments.

Ngô Đình Diệm

1897–1963

South Vietnamese politician; President of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963

Ngô Đình Diệm was a South Vietnamese politician who served as the President of South Vietnam.

Jenny Lind

1820–1887

Swedish opera singer

Jenny Lind was a Swedish opera singer who performed throughout Europe and the United States.

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

1918–2004

Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1966 to 2003

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan served as the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi.

Theo van Gogh

1952–2004

Dutch film director

Theo van Gogh was a Dutch film director known for his work in cinema and television.

James Thurber

1894–1961

American cartoonist, author, journalist, playwright

James Thurber was an American author and cartoonist known for his contributions to The New Yorker magazine.

Ela Bhatt

1933–2022

founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA)

Ela Bhatt was a trade unionist who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India.

Eva Cassidy

1963–1996

American singer

Eva Cassidy was an American singer who performed jazz and blues music.

Elazar Shach

1898–2001

Lithuanian-Jewish Haredi leader

Elazar Shach was a Haredi rabbi who served as a rosh yeshiva.

Otoya Yamaguchi

1943–1960

Japanese ultranationalist who assassinated Inejiro Asanuma

Otoya Yamaguchi was a Japanese ultranationalist who assassinated Inejiro Asanuma.

Thomas Midgley

1889–1944

American chemist and engineer

Thomas Midgley was an American chemist and engineer who developed leaded gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons.

Dimitri Mitropoulos

1896–1960

Greek and American conductor

Dimitri Mitropoulos was a conductor who worked in both Greece and the United States.

Gabriel Urgebadze

1929–1995

Georgian saint

Gabriel Urgebadze was a Georgian Eastern Orthodox monk recognized as a saint.

Albert von Kölliker

1817–1905

Swiss anatomist, physiologist

Albert von Kölliker was a Swiss anatomist who contributed significantly to the development of histology and the study of microscopic structures.

Edmond James de Rothschild

1845–1934

French art collecting member of the Rothschild banking family

Edmond James de Rothschild was a French art collector and member of the Rothschild banking family.

Duan Qirui

1865–1936

Chinese warlord and politician

Duan Qirui was a Chinese politician and warlord who served as a prominent leader during the early Republican era.

Hal Roach

1892–1992

American filmmaker

Hal Roach was an American filmmaker who produced and directed numerous comedy films and television series.

Bogaletch Gebre

1960–2019

Ethiopian scientist and activist

Bogaletch Gebre was an Ethiopian scientist and activist who worked to improve the lives of women.

Amir Pnueli

1941–2009

Israeli computer scientist (1941–2009) researching temporal logic, model checking, and concurrent systems

Amir Pnueli was a computer scientist who conducted research on temporal logic, model checking, and concurrent systems.

Viggo Jensen

1874–1930

Danish sportsman

Viggo Jensen was a Danish sportsman who competed in weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, and athletics.

Oleg Popov

1930–2016

Soviet and Russian clown and circus artist

Oleg Popov was a circus performer who gained international recognition for his work as a clown.

Gigi Proietti

1940–2020

Italian actor

Gigi Proietti was an Italian actor who worked extensively across stage, film, and television 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.