Died On December 30th

Jose Rizal was a Filipino polymath and nationalist. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal turned towards writing and inspired the Philippine Revolution through his writings. The revolution eventually led to Philippine independence and Rizal became a national hero. His life has inspired several biographical films and TV series.

Actress Dawn Wells is best remembered for her role as Mary Ann Summers in the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island. She studied theater arts and design at the University of Washington and made her TV debut soon after. Venturing into films as well, she went on to build a successful acting career. Besides acting, she was involved in many charitable endeavors.

Barbara Walters is an American retired television personality and broadcast journalist. Renowned for her popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as the host of several popular TV shows. A pioneer for women in broadcasting, Walters became the first woman to co-host shows like Today and ABC Evening News. In 1996, she was named in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars list.

Robert Boyle was an Anglo-Irish chemist, natural philosopher, inventor, and physicist. Regarded as the first modern chemist, Boyle is often counted among the founders of modern chemistry. One of the pioneers of the scientific method, Robert Boyle is also remembered for his books, including The Sceptical Chymist, which is viewed as a keystone book in chemistry.

Padma Bhushan- and Padma Vibhushan-winning Indian scientist Vikram Sarabhai was born into the famous Sarabhai family of industrialists who were associated with the Indian Independence Movement. He made major contributions to India’s nuclear power and space research initiatives, developed textile research in India, and helped set up IIM-Ahmedabad.

Arguably the most controversial and mythologized Russian of the 20th century, Grigori Rasputin was a self-styled monk and mystic infamous for the spell he cast over the wife and child of the last Romanov emperor. The scandal and political intrigue he left in his wake led to his eventual assassination during WWI, and rang the death-knell for imperial Russia.

Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq as its president from 1979 to 2003. Described as one of the last of the great dictators of the 20th century, his regime caused the deaths of at least 250,000 Iraqis. Saddam was deposed in 2003 when a U.S led coalition invaded Iraq. Accused of crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death in 2006.

David Bale was an English entrepreneur and animal rights activist. He worked closely with The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, which aims at protecting endangered mountain gorillas, and served as one of its board members. Apart from his work as an activist for animal rights and environmental causes, David Bale is also known as the father of actor Christian Bale.

Luise Rainer, the first actor to win consecutive Academy Awards, had decided to make a career as an actor after watching a circus performance at age 6. A prominent stage actor in Germany, she secured an MGM movie deal and move to the U.S. during the Nazi regime.

Isamu Noguchi was an American landscape architect and artist best remembered for designing the iconic Noguchi table. His sculptures are credited with bridging East and West and some of his works are considered landmarks of 20th-century art. In 1982, he won the Edward MacDowell Medal. In 1987, he received the National Medal of Arts for his contribution to the arts. 

Rita Levi-Montalcini was an Italian neurologist whose discovery of nerve growth factor earned her the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Throughout her life, Levi-Montalcini's work in neurobiology earned her several other honors and awards, including the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement and the European Academy of Sciences' Leonardo da Vinci Award.

Alfred North Whitehead was a British mathematician and philosopher, best known for his collaboration with his student Bertrand Russell on Principal of Mathematics, a three-volume work on the foundations of mathematics. Also known for his pioneering works on process philosophy and metaphysics, he is credited with developing a comprehensive metaphysical system that differs from most Western philosophies.

Grandson of the founder of the Nahdatul Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid shunned the orthodox education at his university in Cairo and immersed himself in American movies, football, and Marxism. The former Indonesian president was a Magsaysay Award winner and is remembered for promoting peace, education, and social development.

Jakob Fugger was a German merchant, banker, and mining entrepreneur. Born into the famous Fugger merchant family, Jakob Fugger helped expand the family business and stretched it across Europe. Thanks to his banking transactions with the House of Austria, Fugger also had a strong influence on European politics. He is counted among the wealthiest individuals of all time.    

Renowned Victorian-era feminist and social reformer Josephine Butler was a champion for women’s suffrage and also fought against human trafficking. It is believed, she devoted herself to charity after the death of her 6-year-old daughter. She also forced Cambridge to encourage women’s education, which culminated in the Newnham women’s college.

Rowland S. Howard began his career playing the guitar and writing songs as a teenager. A significant name in the rock, punk, and post-punk scene, he later gained fame with the band The Birthday Party. He was working on the album Pop Crimes when he lost his battle with liver cancer.

Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat. He served as the governor-general of Canada from February 1952 to September 1959. He was the first governor-general of Canada who was born in Canada. As the governor-general, he was committed to uniting Canada’s diverse cultures and desired to establish an entirely Canadian honors system. He was also involved in philanthropy.  

British naturalist and biologist John Needham was also a Roman Catholic priest who became the first Catholic clergyman to be named a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. He supported the theories of spontaneous generation and vitalism. He also served the Imperial Academy in Brussels as its director.

Belgian physician and chemist Jan Baptista van Helmont often considered the founder of pneumatic chemistry, is also said to have used the word “gas” for the first time in the scientific world. He is also said to have been the first to identify gas sylvestre, which later came to be known as carbon dioxide.

Mark Fiennes was an English illustrator and photographer best remembered for his architectural studies. Among his works were some of Britain's most celebrated estates as well as the world's most popular museums. Mark Fiennes is also known as the father of actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes.

Amelia Bloomer was an American temperance and women's rights advocate and newspaper editor. She is best remembered for her association with The Lily and became the first American woman to own and edit a newspaper for women. The famous bloomer costume, which is known as the reform dress, is named after Amelia Bloomer.

Beate Sirota Gordon was an Austrian-born American women's rights advocate and performing arts presenter. She was part of the team that wrote the Constitution of Japan under American military leader Douglas MacArthur after the Second World War. Beate Sirota Gordon won numerous awards, including the American Dance Guild Award, for her achievement as an arts presenter.

Adam Kok III was a South African political leader who served as the leader of the Griqua people. He played a major role in founding Griqualand East, which is now known as New Griqualand. Kok III. He is also credited with establishing an efficient method of government in order to benefit the Griqua people.

El Lissitzky remains to be one of the greatest figures of the Russian avant-garde movement. Apart from excelling as a painter, an architect, and a photographer, he also pioneered 20th-century nonrepresentational art. He was also part of the De Stijl and had taught at the Bauhaus, too.

Carl Woese was an American biophysicist and microbiologist. He is credited with originating the RNA world hypothesis as well as pioneering a technique that revolutionized microbiology. In 1992, he was awarded microbiology's highest honor, Leeuwenhoek Medal. In 1995, he was honored with the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology. Carl Woese received the National Medal of Science in 2000.