Honoring the Legacies: Remembering Those Who Passed Away Today – 20th November
Dear readers, today, we come together to honor the memories of the notable individuals who departed from this world on this very day. 20th November marks the day when we reflect on the lives and legacies of those who have left an indelible imprint on history through their remarkable contributions and achievements.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 615 | Columbanus, Irish missionary and saint (b. 543) |
| 933 | Al-Tahawi, Arab imam and scholar (b. 853) |
| 1011 | Reizei, emperor of Japan (b. 950) |
| 1136 | William de Corbeil, English archbishop (b. 1070) |
| 1150 | García Ramírez of Navarre (b. 1112) |
| 1325 | Yury of Moscow, Prince of Moscow and Vladimir |
| 1361 | Philip I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1346) |
| 1555 | Georgius Agricola, German mineralogist, philologist, and scholar (b. 1490) |
| 1566 | Annibale Caro, Italian poet and author (b. 1507) |
| 1579 | Thomas Gresham, English merchant and financier (b. 1519) |
| 1639 | Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire (b. 1583) |
| 1652 | Jan Brożek, Polish mathematician, physician, and astronomer (b. 1585) |
| 1695 | Henry Purcell, English organist and composer (b. 1659) |
| 1730 | François de Troy, French painter and engraver (b. 1645) |
| 1775 | John Hill, English botanist and author (b. 1719) |
| 1782 | Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (b. 1709) |
| 1811 | Heinrich von Kleist, German poet and author (b. 1777) |
| 1844 | Ivan Krylov, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1769) |
| 1859 | Yoshida Shōin, Japanese academic and politician (b. 1830) |
| 1861 | Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, French priest and activist (b. 1802) |
| 1870 | Karel Jaromír Erben, Czech historian and poet (b. 1811) |
| 1874 | Marià Fortuny, Spanish painter (b. 1838) |
| 1881 | Ami Boué, German-Austrian geologist and ethnographer (b. 1794) |
| 1899 | Garret Hobart, American lawyer and politician, 24th Vice President of the United States (b. 1844) |
| 1907 | Paula Modersohn-Becker, German painter (b. 1876) |
| 1908 | Carl Friedrich Schmidt, German-Russian geologist and botanist (b. 1832) |
| 1909 | Peder Severin Krøyer, Norwegian-Danish painter (b. 1851) |
| 1916 | Franz Joseph I of Austria (b. 1830) |
| 1922 | Ricardo Flores Magón, Mexican journalist and activist (b. 1874) |
| 1926 | Edward Cummins, American golfer (b. 1886) |
| 1928 | Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line (b. 1858) |
| 1938 | Leopold Godowsky, Polish-American pianist and composer (b. 1870) |
| 1941 | Henrietta Vinton Davis, American actress and playwright (b. 1860) |
| 1942 | Count Leopold Berchtold, Austrian-Hungarian politician, Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary (b. 1863) |
| 1942 | J. B. M. Hertzog, South African general and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of South Africa (b. 1866) |
| 1945 | Robert Benchley, American humorist, newspaper columnist, and actor (b. 1889) |
| 1945 | Al Davis, American boxer (b. 1920) |
| 1945 | Ellen Glasgow, American author (b. 1873) |
| 1945 | Alexander Patch, American general (b. 1889) |
| 1953 | Felice Bonetto, Italian race car driver (b. 1903) |
| 1953 | Larry Shields, American clarinet player and composer (b. 1893) |
| 1957 | Francis Burton Harrison, American general and politician, 6th Governor-General of the Philippines (b. 1873) |
| 1958 | Mel Ott, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1909) |
| 1959 | Max Baer, American boxer, referee, and actor (b. 1909) |
| 1963 | Artur Lemba, Estonian composer and educator (b. 1885) |
| 1963 | Robert Stroud, American ornithologist and author (b. 1890) |
| 1967 | C. M. Eddy, Jr., American author (b. 1896) |
| 1970 | Newsy Lalonde, Canadian lacrosse and ice hockey player (b. 1887) |
| 1970 | C. V. Raman, Indian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888) |
| 1973 | Thomas Pelly, American lawyer and politician (b. 1902) |
| 1974 | John B. Gambling, American radio host (b. 1897) |
| 1974 | Frank Martin, Swiss-Dutch pianist and composer (b. 1890) |
| 1975 | Gunnar Gunnarsson, Icelandic author (b. 1889) |
| 1980 | Sara García, Mexican actress (b. 1895) |
| 1981 | Harry von Zell, American actor and comedian (b. 1906) |
| 1982 | John Hargrave, English activist and author (b. 1894) |
| 1984 | Ben Wilson, American basketball player (b. 1967) |
| 1986 | Jerry Colonna, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1904) |
| 1988 | Carl Hubbell, American baseball player and scout (b. 1903) |
| 1989 | Harvey Hart, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928) |
| 1989 | Margot Zemach, American author and illustrator (b. 1931) |
| 1990 | Dean Hart, Canadian wrestler and referee (b. 1954) |
| 1991 | Sonny Werblin, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1907) |
| 1992 | Kaysone Phomvihane, Laotian soldier and politician, 2nd President of Laos (b. 1920) |
| 1992 | Ricky Williams, American singer-songwriter and drummer (b. 1956) |
| 1993 | Bill Bixby, American actor (b. 1934) |
| 1994 | Willem Jacob Luyten, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (b. 1899) |
| 1995 | Peter Grant, English actor and manager (b. 1935) |
| 1995 | Noel Jones, Indian-English diplomat, British ambassador to Kazakhstan (b. 1940) |
| 1996 | Bernard Rose, English organist and composer (b 1916) |
| 1996 | Abdus Salam, Pakistani-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926) |
| 1999 | Quentin Crisp, English actor, author, and illustrator (b. 1908) |
| 2000 | Ernest Lluch, Spanish economist and politician (b. 1937) |
| 2002 | Hadda Brooks, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1916) |
| 2005 | Alfred Anderson, Scottish soldier (b. 1896) |
| 2005 | Hugh Sidey, American journalist and academic (b. 1927) |
| 2006 | Hassan Gouled Aptidon, Somalian-Djiboutian politician, 1st President of Djibouti (b. 1916) |
| 2006 | Pierre Amine Gemayel, Lebanese lawyer and politician (b. 1972) |
| 2007 | Fernando Fernán Gómez, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1921) |
| 2007 | Tom Johnson, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1928) |
| 2007 | Noel McGregor, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1931) |
| 2009 | Konstantin Feoktistov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1926) |
| 2010 | Norris Church Mailer, American author (b. 1949) |
| 2010 | David Nolan, American activist and politician (b. 1943) |
| 2010 | Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, American painter and author, co-founded the DuSable Museum of African American History (b. 1917) |
| 2012 | Emily Squires, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1941) |
| 2012 | Austin Peralta, American pianist (b. 1990) |
| 2013 | John Egerton, American journalist and author (b. 1935) |
| 2013 | Fred Kavli, Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist, founded The Kavli Foundation (b. 1927) |
| 2013 | Dimitri Mihalas, American astronomer and author (b. 1939) |
| 2013 | Vern Mikkelsen, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928) |
| 2013 | Bernard Parmegiani, French composer (b. 1927) |
| 2013 | Tôn Thất Đính, Vietnamese general (b. 1926) |
| 2013 | Maurice Vachon, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1929) |
| 2014 | J. C. Gilbert, American soldier, farmer, and politician (b. 1922) |
| 2014 | John H. Land, American soldier and politician (b. 1920) |
| 2014 | Robert Richardson, English general (b. 1929) |
| 2015 | Gil Cardinal, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1950) |
| 2015 | Ameen Faheem, Indian-Pakistani poet and politician (b. 1939) |
| 2015 | Bob Foster, American boxer and police officer (b. 1938) |
| 2015 | Anthony Read, English screenwriter and producer (b. 1935) |
| 2015 | Joseph Silverstein, American violinist and conductor (b. 1932) |
As we draw this tribute to a close, let us carry forward the lessons and legacies of those we have lost. Their impact on the world remains etched in the fabric of time, serving as a reminder of the enduring power of the human spirit. May their contributions continue to inspire us to strive for greatness and leave our own meaningful mark on the world.
Join us in continuing to celebrate the lives and contributions of those who have shaped our world, even in their absence. Their memory lives on through the stories we share and the legacies we continue to uphold. Until next time, may their spirits find peace in the legacy they have left behind.
