21 November

Across recorded history, 1,499 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 21 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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Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

1888–1970

Indian physicist

Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was an Indian physicist who conducted research on the scattering of light.

Franz Joseph I of Austria

1830–1916

Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary

Franz Joseph I of Austria served as the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

Ivan Krylov

1769–1844

Russian writer

Ivan Krylov was a Russian fabulist known for writing collections of fables.

Abdus Salam

1926–1996

theoretical physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics recipient

Theoretical physicist Abdus Salam was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Emil Zátopek

1922–2000

Czech long-distance runner

Emil Zátopek was a Czech long-distance runner who competed in multiple Olympic Games.

Garret Hobart

1844–1899

vice president of the United States from 1897 to 1899

Garret Hobart was a politician who served as the vice president of the United States.

Hassan Gouled Aptidon

1916–2006

President of Djibouti

Hassan Gouled Aptidon was a politician who served as the first President of Djibouti.

Florence Harding

1860–1924

First Lady of the United States from 1921 to 1923

Florence Harding served as the First Lady of the United States.

David Cassidy

1950–2017

American actor and singer

David Cassidy was an American actor and singer who gained widespread fame for his role in the television series The Partridge Family.

Ornella Vanoni

1934–2025

Italian singer-songwriter

Ornella Vanoni was an Italian singer who recorded numerous albums throughout her career.

Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire

1802–1861

French preacher and journalist

Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire was a French preacher and journalist who served as a Catholic theologian and friar.

Konstantin Feoktistov

1926–2009

Soviet cosmonaut

Konstantin Feoktistov was a Soviet cosmonaut who served as an engineer on a space mission.

Kaysone Phomvihane

1920–1992

first General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (r. 1955-1992)

Kaysone Phomvihane served as the first General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

Fernando Fernán Gómez

1921–2007

Spanish actor, screenwriter, and director,

Fernando Fernán Gómez was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, and director who contributed extensively to theater and cinema.

Quentin Crisp

1908–1999

English writer, humorist and actor

Quentin Crisp was an English writer and actor known for his public persona and autobiographical works.

Karel Jaromír Erben

1811–1870

Czech archivist, poet, ethnographer, librettist, publicist, lawyer, translator and writer

Karel Jaromír Erben was a Czech folklorist who collected and published traditional fairy tales and ballads.

Hermann Sudermann

1857–1928

German dramatist and novelist

Hermann Sudermann was a German dramatist and novelist known for his contributions to literature.

Robert Benchley

1889–1945

American writer and actor

Robert Benchley was an American writer and actor known for his work as a theatre critic, journalist, and screenwriter.

Joseph Caillaux

1863–1944

French politician

Joseph Caillaux was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of France.

Muteesa II of Buganda

1924–1969

Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda from 1939 to 1969 and the first President of Uganda in 1962

Muteesa II of Buganda served as the Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda and the first President of Uganda.

Yoshida Shōin

1830–1859

Japanese politician

Yoshida Shōin was a Japanese politician and philosopher who influenced the intellectual development of the Meiji Restoration.

Max Baer

1909–1959

American boxer

Max Baer was an American boxer who competed professionally in the heavyweight division.

Friedrich Albert Lange

1828–1875

German philosopher and sociologist

Friedrich Albert Lange was a German philosopher and sociologist who contributed to the development of neo-Kantianism.

Gunnar Gunnarsson

1889–1975

Icelandic author

Gunnar Gunnarsson was an Icelandic novelist who authored numerous works of literature.

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.