Died On December 11th

Model Bettie Page was an iconic figure in pop culture in the 1950s. Considered a sex symbol, she was most popular for her pin-up photos. In 1955, she became one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine. After a short but immensely successful modeling career, she converted to Christianity and quit modeling.

Ogedei Khan became the second Khagan of the Mongol Empire after succeeding his father Genghis Khan. Under his reign, the empire continued its expansion and reached its farthest extent south and west. Considered to be Genghis Khan's favorite son, Ogedei Khan is credited for continuing on the path set by his legendary father.

M.S. Subbulakshmi was an Indian singer. Dubbed the Queen of Music, Subbulakshmi was the leading exponent of Carnatic music. In 1966, she became the first Indian to perform in UN General Assembly. In 1974, she became the first Indian musician to be awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. In 1998, Subbulakshmi became the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna.

Alma Mahler, remembered as the wife of composer Gustav Mahler and the daughter of landscape painter Emil Schindler, initially studied art but later acquired skills as a pianist. However, Mahler discouraged her from composing after marriage. She later had other affairs and married architect Walter Gropius and author Franz Werfel.

Once regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on botany and the environment, David Bellamy was also a successful TV presenter and was a regular on BBC programs. However, he later claimed that he was shunned by the TV fraternity for his denial of the importance of climate change.

The only daughter of German emperor Wilhelm II, Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia became II Guard Hussar Regiment’s colonel-in-chief. She later became the Duchess consort of Brunswick by her marriage to Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick. Her memoirs were collated and published as The Kaiser’s Daughter.

Ancient Byzantine emperor Justinian II was the son of Constantine IV and an efficient ruler, though he was also known for his cruel ways and means. He was also known as Rhinotmetos, or the slit-nosed, after his nose was cut off during a revolt in 695, following which he was banished from the kingdom.

Charles R. Walgreen was an American businessman best remembered for founding Walgreens, which operates America's second-largest pharmacy store chain. Charles R. Walgreen is one of the most important members of the Labor Hall of Fame.

Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, performer, comedian, actor, and satirist. He is credited with co-founding the popular fortnightly satirical magazine, Private Eye. He also served as a panelist in the famous game show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue for 22 years.

Holy Roman Empress Maria Amalia was the queen of the Germans and Bohemia. The wife of Emperor Charles VII, Maria established the first modern hospital of Munich, run by the nuns of Elisabetinerinnen. She also advised her son, Maximilian III Joseph, to make peace with Maria Theresa, her cousin.

Arthur Lydiard was a New Zealand athlete and coach. He is credited with popularizing running as a sport and making it mainstream across the sporting world. Arthur Lydiard is also credited with coaching legendary athletes like Peter Snell, who won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics under Lydiard's tutelage.

Ivan Cankar was a Slovene writer, poet, essayist, playwright, and political activist. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernism in Slovene literature. Considered the greatest Slovene language writer, Cankar had a great influence on the subsequent generations of intellectuals and writers. Numerous streets, institutions, and public buildings have been named in his honor.

Vincent du Vigneaud was a biochemist who won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is remembered for his extensive work on the cyclic peptide oxytocin. He also conducted considerable research on insulin, biotin, transmethylation, and penicillin. He studied at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Rochester and proceeded to have a brilliant academic career.  

Mainza Chona was a Zambian diplomat and politician. He is remembered for his service as the Vice-President of Zambia from October 1970 to August 1973. Mainza Chona also served as the first Prime Minister of Zambia from 25 August 1973 to 27 May 1975. He then served as the prime minister again from 20 July 1977 to 15 June 1978. 

James Flynn was an intelligence researcher from New Zealand. He is remembered for his documentation of the continued increase of IQ scores of humans, which is currently being referred to as the Flynn effect. James Flynn is also remembered for his association with the University of Otago where he served as an Emeritus Professor in the Psychology and Politics departments.

Manuel Santana was a Spanish tennis player who was ranked as amateur world No. 1 in 1965 by Ned Potter. He won the US Open in 1965 and Wimbledon the following year. He was known for favoring artificial surfaces over grass.  In 2020, he was awarded the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award in recognition of his contribution to tennis. 

Ramchandra Narayanji Dwivedi, better known as Kavi Pradeep, was a renowned poet-lyricist who had penned scores of nationalistic songs, such as the ever-popular Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo and Aao Bachcho Tumhein Dikhayen. He was a regular at poets’ meets or Kavi Sammelans and had also been named the Rashtrakavi.

Theodore of Corsica was a German adventurer best remembered for his brief service as the King of Corsica from March 1736 to November 1736. Theodore of Corsica later became the subject of G. Paisiello's comic opera, Il re Teodoro in Venezia.

Suzanne Lilar was a Flemish Belgian novelist, essayist, and playwright who wrote in French. The recipient of several literary awards, Lilar is perhaps best remembered for her essays which include topics like feminism and sexuality. From 1952 to 1992, Suzanne Lilar was one of the most important members of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature.