December 16 birthdays and deaths:

Colonel Sanders

Colonel Harland Sanders was an American entrepreneur who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Born in 1890, Sanders' iconic image and secret recipe brought fried chicken to the masses. He spent decades perfecting his cooking technique and eventually franchised his business, creating a global fast-food empire.

Deathyear: 1980

Paul Castellano

Paul Castellano was a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family and became the boss after the murder of Tommy DeSimone. He was killed in 1985 outside a New York restaurant after being ambushed by John Gotti.

Deathyear: 1985

Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef was an American actor, screen legend, and genre icon. Born on June 9, 1925, he starred in over 100 films, including spaghetti westerns like "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Great Silence". Known for his distinctive features and rugged charm, he remained active until his passing in 1989.

Deathyear: 1989

Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian was the only woman to ever rule China in her own right, reigning from 690-705 as the Empress of the Zhou dynasty. Born ZhouTaibei in 624, she rose from concubine to empress through her marriage to Emperor Taizong and her own cunning and ruthlessness.

Deathyear: 705

Dan Fogelberg

Dan Fogelberg was a renowned American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for his soulful voice and poignant lyrics. His music often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality. He released several successful albums, including "Souvenirs" and "The Innocence of Age."

Deathyear: 2007

W. Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham was a renowned British author, born in 1874. He is best known for his plays, novels, and short stories, often exploring themes of love, morality, and human nature.

Deathyear: 1965

John Spencer (actor)

John Spencer was an American actor, best known for his iconic role as Lieutenant Junior Grade Everett "Spence" Everett in the TV series "The D.A." and as Earhart in the film "Catch-22" (1970).

Deathyear: 2005

Roy E. Disney

Roy E. Disney was a second-generation descendant of Walt Disney and a pioneer in the film industry.

Deathyear: 2009

Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns was a renowned French musician, composing over 300 works, including symphonies, concertos, and operas. His Symphony No. 3, featuring a libretto, premiered in 1886.

Deathyear: 1921

Yi Sun-sin

Yi Sun-sin was a renowned Korean general who played a crucial role in the Imjin War against Japan. He is credited with designing the famous turtle ships, which helped defend Korea against Japanese invasion in 1592-1598.

Deathyear: 1598

Lillian Disney

Lillian Disney was an American illustrator and philanthropist, best known as the wife of Walt Disney. Born in 1899, she was a talented artist and illustrator in her own right, and was heavily involved in various charities and philanthropic endeavors throughout her life.

Deathyear: 1997

Stuart Adamson

Stuart Adamson was a renowned singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of Big Country. Born in 1958, Adamson's distinctive voice and virtuosic guitar playing helped shape the iconic British band's sound, earning them a loyal following and critical acclaim.

Deathyear: 2001

Nicol Williamson

Nicol Williamson was a renowned Scottish actor born in 1938. With a career spanning six decades, he appeared in numerous stage and screen productions, earning critical acclaim for his nuanced performances in "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution."

Deathyear: 2011

Fumimaro Konoe

Fumimaro Konoe was a Japanese lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Japan from 1940 to 1941. Born in 1891, Konoe played a significant role in Japanese politics during the early 20th century.

Deathyear: 1945

Afonso de Albuquerque

Afonso de Albuquerque, a renowned Portuguese admiral and politician, served as the 3rd Viceroy of Portuguese India from 1510 to 1515. He led the conquest of Malacca (1511), Goa (1510), and Hormuz (1514), expanding Portugal's colonial empire.

Deathyear: 1515

Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd was a talented American actress and comedian born in 1905. With a career spanning the 1920s to the 1930s, she appeared in numerous films, often in the popular "Thelma Todd and Laurel and Hardy" comedies.

Deathyear: 1935

Moses Gunn

Moses Gunn was a distinguished American actor born in 1929. He gained recognition for his stage and screen work, including his iconic roles in "Roots" and "Marcus Welby, M.D." His notable career spanned over five decades, earning him widespread acclaim and a lasting impact on the entertainment industry.

Deathyear: 1993

Keely Smith

Keely Smith (born Dolores Mae Cook on March 9, 1928) is an American singer, actress, and former Las Vegas showgirl. She is best known for her unique gravelly voice, hit songs like "I Could Go On Singing", and her iconic 1950s-60s nightclub style.

Deathyear: 2017

Colin Chapman

Colin Chapman, a visionary entrepreneur, founded Lotus Cars in 1952. As an innovative engineer and businessman, he combined passion and precision to create high-performance vehicles, revolutionizing the automotive industry and leaving a lasting legacy.

Deathyear: 1982

Silvana Mangano

Silvana Mangano was a renowned Italian actress born in 1930. She began her career in the 1940s, going on to appear in over 60 films, including Luchino Visconti's "Bellissima" and "Boccaccio '70." Her striking beauty and captivating performance earned her critical acclaim and a lasting impact on Italian cinema.

Deathyear: 1989

Giovanni Agnelli

Giovanni Agnelli, born in 1866, was a pioneering Italian businessman who co-founded Fiat, Italy's largest automobile manufacturer. With his entrepreneurial vision and leadership, he revolutionized the automotive industry, transforming Fiat into a global icon.

Deathyear: 1945

Alphonse Daudet

Alphonse Daudet was a prominent French author, poet, and playwright born in 1840. He is best known for his poignant and humorous writings, particularly his novel "In the Land of Pain" and his short story "The Death of L'arlés".

Deathyear: 1897

Pepin of Herstal

Pepin of Herstal, a powerful Frankish statesman, was born around 635 CE. He united the Frankish kingdoms, establishing the Carolingian dynasty and paving the way for Charlemagne's reign. Pepin's leadership and military prowess solidified his legacy, shaping European history for centuries to come.

Deathyear: 714

Thomas Bilotti

Thomas Bilotti was a notorious American mobster born in 1940. He was a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family and involved in various illegal activities, including extortion, loan-sharking, and drug trafficking. His violent life came to an end in 1986 when he was gunned down in a Brooklyn street.

Deathyear: 1985

Yegor Gaidar

Yegor Gaidar was a Russian economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia (1992-1993). He played a crucial role in implementing market reforms in post-Soviet Russia, aiming to transform the country's economy.

Deathyear: 2009

Gary Stewart (singer)

Gary Stewart was a legendary American country singer-songwriter, born in 1945. With a distinctive voice and raw, honky-tonk style, he penned hits like "Single Again" and "Out of Hand", and was a key figure in the outlaw country movement, paving the way for fellow artists like Willie Nelson.

Deathyear: 2003

Charles, Count of Valois

Charles of Anjou, Count of Provence, was a French nobleman born in 1270. He succeeded his father, Charles II, and became King of Naples and King of Sicily. He played a significant role in the politics of Europe during the 14th century.

Deathyear: 1325

Frank Gotch

Frank Gotch, a renowned American wrestler, was born in 1878. He won the freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1904 Summer Olympics and was considered one of the greatest amateur wrestlers of all time.

Deathyear: 1917

Agnes Martin

Agnes Martin was a renowned American painter and educator, known for her minimalist abstract paintings depicting grids and geometric patterns. Her subtle, nuanced works explored themes of order, harmony, and the human experience.

Deathyear: 2004

Kakuei Tanaka

Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician and soldier who served as the 64th Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Born in 1918, he was a strong supporter of economic growth and modernization.

Deathyear: 1993

Wilhelm Grimm

Wilhelm Grimm, a German scholar, and linguist, is renowned for compiling the Germanic epics, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, or Grimm's Fairy Tales, along with his brother Jacob. He contributed significantly to Germanic languages and folklore, making the Grimms' work an enduring part of world literature.

Deathyear: 1859

William Gaddis

William Gaddis (1922-1998) was an American author, educator, and intellectual. His innovative novels, such as "The Cognoscenti" and "J R", blended avant-garde experimentation with literary and philosophical themes. He taught at Bennington College and was a renowned critic and scholar.

Deathyear: 1998

Robert Easton (actor)

Robert Easton was a versatile actor with over 200 film and TV credits, including "The Munsters" and "Mork & Mindy". He also wrote screenplays for TV shows and documentaries. A pioneer in the use of voice acting, he voiced numerous animated series and films.

Deathyear: 2011

Pope John VIII

John VIII (872-882) was the 115th Pope of the Catholic Church. He was accused of unjustly deposing Pope Leo V and was subsequently deposed by Pope Marinus I, who claimed John VIII's papacy was invalid. John VIII died mysteriously, possibly murdered, during his exile.

Deathyear: 882

François Quesnay

François Quesnay, a 18th-century French economist, physician, and philosopher, was a prominent figure in the French Enlightenment. He is considered the "father of French capitalism" and wrote extensively on economics, including his influential work "Tableau Économique" (1758).

Deathyear: 1774

Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1866)

Billy Hamilton, a talented American baseball player and manager, was born in 1866. An outstanding center fielder, Hamilton's impressive speed, agility, and batting skills earned him a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961, after a successful 14-year playing career.

Deathyear: 1940

Gabriel Narutowicz

Gabriel Narutowicz was a Lithuanian-Polish engineer and politician who served as Poland's first president from 1922 until his assassination in 1922. Born in 1865, Narutowicz was a strong advocate for Polish independence and a unifying figure in the newly independent nation.

Deathyear: 1922

William Petty

William Petty (1623-1687) was a renowned English economist and philosopher. He coined the term "political arithmetic" and pioneered statistical recording methods. His work, "Treatise of Ireland," revealed the Irish population's devastating effects of colonization.

Deathyear: 1687

Ayinde Barrister

Ayinde Barrister was a legendary Nigerian fuji musician born on November 12, 1948. He revolutionized the fuji genre with his energetic and soulful voice, blending traditional Yoruba music with Islamic Fuji's energetic rhythms.

Deathyear: 2010

Öljaitü

Öljaitü (1280-1306) was a Mongolian khan who ruled over the Chagatai Khanate, a prominent Mongolian khanate in Central Asia. He expanded his territories, weakened by internal strife, and reorganized his government, implementing a new system of administration, taxation, and army organization.

Deathyear: 1316

Betsie ten Boom

Betsie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian woman known for her compassion and courage during WWII. She and her sister Cor hid Jews and others from the Nazis, leading to their arrest. Betsie was killed in Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1945.

Deathyear: 1944