Did you know
David Lynch is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, with his films often characterized by a distinctive surrealist sensibility that gave rise to the adjective "Lynchian".
Notable Deaths on January 16
2025 — David Lynch
American filmmaker and actor (born 1946)
January 16 has 119 recorded notable deaths across history, from 654 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
119 source records
654 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on January 16
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1716 King Philip V of Spain promulgates the Nueva Planta decree of the Principality of Catalonia, abolishing the Catalan institutions and its legal system, being replaced by those of Castile, thus putting an end to Catalonia as separate state and becoming a province of the new French-style Kingdom of Spain. Source
- 2006 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is sworn in as Liberia's new president. She becomes Africa's first female elected head of state. Source
- 2016 Thirty-three out of 126 freed hostages are injured and 23 killed in terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on a hotel and a nearby restaurant. Source
- 2012 The Mali War begins when Tuareg militias start fighting the Malian government for independence. Source
Did you know
Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish was an American serial killer, rapist, child molester and cannibal who committed at least three child murders between July 1924 and June 1928.
Did you know
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Indian author and playwright (born 1876) remains the most popular, translated, and adapted Indian author of all time.
Did you know
One of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, Toscanini was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his eidetic memory.
Did you know
Ivan Meštrović was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb.
More major people who died on January 16
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1936
Albert Fish
American serial killer, rapist and cannibal (born 1870)
Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish was an American serial killer, rapist, child molester and cannibal who committed at least three child murders between July 1924 and June 1928.
1938
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Indian author and playwright (born 1876)
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was a Bengali novelist and short story writer of the early 20th century. He generally wrote about the lives of Bengali family and society in cities and villages.
1957
Arturo Toscanini
Italian cellist and conductor (born 1867)
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, Toscanini was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral…
1962
Ivan Meštrović
Croatian sculptor and architect, designed the Monument to the Unknown Hero (born 1883)
Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb.
1988
Andrija Artuković
Croatian politician, war criminal, and Porajmos perpetrator, first Minister of Interior of the Independent State of Croatia (born 1899)
Andrija Artuković was a Croatian lawyer, politician, and senior member of the fascist Ustaše movement, who served as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Justice in the Government of the Independent State of…
2016
Ted Marchibroda
American football player and coach (born 1931)
Theodore Joseph Marchibroda was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL).
1898
Charles Pelham Villiers
English lawyer and politician (born 1802)
Charles Pelham Villiers was a British lawyer and politician from the aristocratic Villiers family.
1547
Johannes Schöner
German astronomer and cartographer (born 1477)
Johannes Schöner was a German polymath. It is best to refer to him using the usual 16th-century Latin term "mathematicus", as the areas of study to which he devoted his life were very different from those now considered…
1752
Francis Blomefield
English historian and author (born 1705)
Rev. Francis Blomefield, FSA, Rector of Fersfield in Norfolk, was an English antiquarian who wrote a county history of Norfolk: An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk.
1750
Ivan Trubetskoy
Russian field marshal and politician (born 1667)
Prince Ivan Yurievich Trubetskoy was a Russian field marshal, promoted in 1728.
1999
Jim McClelland
Australian lawyer, jurist, and politician, 12th Minister for Industry and Science (born 1915)
James Robert McClelland was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1971 to 1978.
1856
Thaddeus William Harris
American entomologist and botanist (born 1795)
Thaddeus William Harris was an American entomologist and librarian.
2020
Christopher Tolkien
British academic and editor (born 1924)
Christopher John Reuel Tolkien was an English academic editor and writer. The son of the author and academic J. R. R.
2012
Joe Bygraves
Jamaican-English boxer (born 1931)
Joe Bygraves was a British heavyweight boxer. Bygraves turned professional in 1953, and after an impressive early career he successfully challenged Kitione Lave for the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight belt in 1956.
2021
Pedro Trebbau
German-born Venezuelan zoologist (born 1929)
Pedro Trebbau was a German-born Venezuelan zoologist. His career was characterized by the promotion and preservation of Venezuelan wildlife and nature.
1901
Hiram Rhodes Revels
American soldier, minister, and politician (born 1822)
Hiram Rhodes Revels was an American politician, minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and college administrator.
1969
Vernon Duke
Russian-American composer and songwriter (born 1903)
Vernon Duke was a Russian and American composer and songwriter, who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky.
1919
Rodrigues Alves
Brazilian lawyer and politician, fifth President of Brazil (born 1848)
Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves was a Brazilian politician and statesman who served as the fifth president of Brazil, from 1902 to 1906.
1962
Frank Hurley
Australian photographer, director, producer, and cinematographer (born 1885)
James Francis Hurley was an Australian photographer, cinematographer of documentary films, and director of drama feature films.