On this day · Sagittarius

December 16 birthdays

254 notable historical figures were born on December 16, and 191 died on this day. Everyone born on December 16 is a Sagittarius.

16% of December 16 birthdays work in Literature, more than any other field. More come from United States (53) than any other country.

Born on December 16

• Jane Austen (1775 to 1817. English novelist (1775–1817))
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 to 1827. German composer (1770–1827))
• Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536. Queen of England from 1509 to 1533)
• Philip K. Dick (1928 to 1982. American science fiction author (1928–1982))
• Arthur C. Clarke (1917 to 2008. British science fiction writer (1917–2008))
• Noël Coward (1899 to 1973. English playwright, composer, actor (1899–1973))
• Mira Murati (born 1988. Albanian-American business executive)
• Leopold I of Belgium (1790 to 1865. King of the Belgians from 1831 to 1865)
• James Mangold (born 1963. American filmmaker (born 1963))
• Margaret Mead (1901 to 1978. American cultural anthropologist (1901–1978))
• Sid Eudy (1960 to 2024. American actor and professional wrestler (1960–2024))
• Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888 to 1934. King of Yugoslavia from 1921 to 1934)
• George Santayana (1863 to 1952. Spanish American philosopher (1863–1952))
• Deborah Pratt (born 1951. American actress, writer and producer)
• Remedios Varo (1908 to 1963. Spanish Catalan artist (1908–1963))
• Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (1761 to 1818. Russian general (1761–1818))
• Peter R. Orszag (born 1968. American economist (born 1968))
• Amy Carmichael (1867 to 1951. Christian missionary to India (1867–1951))
• Adam Riess (born 1969. American astrophysicist (born 1969))
• Rodion Shchedrin (1932 to 2025. Soviet and Russian composer and pianist (1932–2025))
• Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este (born 1955. Archduke of Austria-Este)
• Alphonse Juin (1888 to 1967. French Army officer (1888–1967))
• Léon Walras (1834 to 1910. French mathematical economist (1834–1910))
• Vladimir Tatlin (1885 to 1953. Russian artist (1885–1953))
• Deco*27 (born 1986. Japanese musician (born 1986))
• Viorica Dăncilă (born 1963. Romanian politician)
• Martyn Poliakoff (born 1947. British chemist (born 1947))
• Tamir Yadai (born 1969. Israeli Major General)
• Piet Hein (scientist) (1905 to 1996. Danish polymath (1905–1996))
• A. N. R. Robinson (1926 to 2014. President of Trinidad and Tobago from 1997 to 2003)
• Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg (1615 to 1690. German-born army officer (1615–1690))
• Adam Guettel (born 1964. American composer-lyricist (born 1964))
• Abdolkarim Soroush (born 1945. Iranian philosopher)
• Zara Larsson (born 1997. Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1997))
• Andrée Blouin (1921 to 1986. Central African Republic political activist and human rights advocate)
• Edward Emerson Barnard (1857 to 1923. American astronomer (1857–1923))
• V. S. Pritchett (1900 to 1997. British writer and critic (1900–1997))
• Manuel Fernández Silvestre (1871 to 1921. Spanish general (1871–1921))
• Chloe Gong (born 1998. New Zealand novelist)
• Ralph Adams Cram (1863 to 1942. American architect (1863–1942))
• Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg (1614 to 1674. Duke of Württemberg from 1628 to 1674)
• Grace Alele-Williams (1932 to 2022. Nigerian mathematician and academic (1932–2022))
• Johann Wilhelm Ritter (1776 to 1810. German chemist, physicist, and philosopher (1776–1810))
• Daya Ram Sahni (1879 to 1939. Indian archaeologist (1879–1939))
• Adèle Van Reeth (born 1982. French philosopher and radio producer)
• Bernard Crick (1929 to 2008. British political theorist (1929–2008))
• José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco (1819 to 1880. Brazilian politician and diplomat (1819–1880))
• Randall Garrett (1927 to 1987. American writer (1927–1987))
• Adone Zoli (1887 to 1960. Italian politician (1887–1960))
• Kálmán Tisza (1830 to 1902. Hungarian politician (1830–1902))
• Rodolfo Llinás (born 1934. Colombian neuroscientist (born 1934))
• Suzette Doctolero (born 1968. Filipina screenwriter (born 1968))
• Mats Hummels (born 1988. German footballer (born 1988))
• Tavares Strachan (born 1979. Bahamian conceptual artist (born 1979))
• Henry de Nassau, Lord Overkirk (1640 to 1708. Dutch States Army officer)
• Georg Magnus Sprengtporten (1740 to 1819. Swedish-Finnish politician (1740–1819))
• Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1805 to 1861. French zoologist (1805–1861))
• Thomas Jesup (1788 to 1860. United States general (1788-1860))
• Ieremia Tabai (born 1949. President of Kiribati from 1979 to 1982 and 1983 to 1991)
• Anna Maria Niemeyer (1929 to 2012. Brazilian architect (1929–2012))

Died on December 16

• Wu Zetian (624 to 705. Empress of China from 690 to 705)
• W. Somerset Maugham (1874 to 1965. English playwright and author (1874–1965))
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 to 1921. French composer (1835–1921))
• Ja'far al-Sadiq (702 to 765. Muslim scholar and Shia imam (c.702–765))
• Nuno Loureiro (1977 to 2025. Portuguese plasma physicist (1977–2025))
• Afonso de Albuquerque (1452 to 1515. Portuguese general and conquistador (1453–1515))
• Silvana Mangano (1930 to 1989. Italian actress (1930–1989))
• Pope John VIII (820 to 882. Head of the Catholic Church from 872 to 882)
• Jose Maria Sison (1939 to 2022. Filipino Maoist leader (1939–2022))
• Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1937 to 2023. Emir of Kuwait from 2020 to 2023)
• Charles, Count of Valois (1270 to 1325. French prince and nobleman (1270–1325))
• John II Casimir (1609 to 1672. Ruler of Poland–Lithuania from 1648 to 1668)
• Robert W. Chambers (1865 to 1933. American artist and author (1865–1933))
• Pepin of Heristal (645 to 714. Duke and Prince of the Franks (635–714))
• Yegor Gaidar (1956 to 2009. Soviet-Russian economist and politician (1956–2009))
• Antonio Negri (1933 to 2023. Italian political philosopher (1933–2023))
• Norman Podhoretz (1930 to 2025. American writer (1930–2025))
• William Gaddis (1922 to 1998. American novelist (1922–1998))
• Adelaide of Italy (931 to 999. Holy Roman Empress, Catholic saint (931–999))
• Go-Momozono (1758 to 1779. Emperor of Japan from 1771 to 1779)
• Gabriel Narutowicz (1865 to 1922. President of Poland in 1922)
• Öljaitü (1280 to 1316. Ilkhan from 1304 to 1316)
• Haakon IV (1204 to 1263. King of Norway from 1217 to 1263)
• Sālote Tupou III (1900 to 1965. Queen of Tonga from 1918 to 1965)
• William Petty (1623 to 1687. English economist and philosopher (1623–1687))
• François Quesnay (1694 to 1774. French physician, Physiocratic economist, and orientalist (1694–1774))
• Mariano Rampolla (1843 to 1913. Italian cardinal (1843–1913))
• Charles Louis of Baden (1755 to 1801. Hereditary Prince of Baden)
• Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (governor) (1718 to 1744. Austrian royal (1718–1744))
• Eleanor of Alburquerque (1374 to 1435. Queen of Aragon from 1412 to 1416)

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