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Last Farewells 2016 (2) infographic
Photomontage shows some of the famous faces who died during 2016.
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YEAR END

Last Farewells 2016

By Jordi Bou

December 31, 2016 - Last Farewells photomontage shows a selection of well known people that died in 2016, including, from the world of politics, Fidel Castro, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Shimon Peres, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Elie Wiesel and Nancy Reagan; from sport, Muhammad Ali, Johan Cruyff, Arnold Palmer and Vera Caslavska; and from the arts David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Robert Vaughn, Umberto Eco, Harper Lee, George Martin and Zaha Hadid.

1. The hugely influential musician Prince died from an accidental drug overdose at his home in Minnesota on April 21. He was 57. A prolific songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, Prince became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums such as 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times. His music spanned rock, funk and jazz and he sold over 100 million records during his career. Noted for his eccentricity, he once changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol.

2. Fidel Castro, former president of Cuba, died on November 25 at the age of 90. Castro toppled the government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, introducing a Communist revolution and defying the U.S. for decades, surviving numerous and often bizarre assassination plots. A controversial and divisive figure, he was praised by supporters as a champion of socialism but viewed by his critics as a dictator who brutally suppressed opposition and crippled Cuba's economy.

3. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali died on June 3 at the age of 74. The former world heavyweight champion, widely regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, died from a respiratory illness complicated by Parkinson's disease, from which he had suffered for 30 years.

4. Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose, died on February 19 at the age of 84. Eco's other novels included Foucault's Pendulum and Numero Zero, which was released in 2015.

5. Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, died on October 13 after 70 years as head of state. The 88-year-old king was seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups, and was widely revered by his people. He had been in poor health in his last years, making few public appearances.

6. Actor Robert Vaughn, best known as the secret agent Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from UNCLE, died on November 11 from acute leukaemia. He was 83. He was also famous as one of the Magnificent Seven, in which he played Lee, and latterly the BBC TV series Hustle, playing grifter and card sharp Albert Stroller in all but one of the 48 episodes between 2004-12.

7. U.S. actor Gene Wilder died at age 83 on August 29. Perhaps best remembered as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, he was also famed for his collaborations with writer and director Mel Brooks in such classic films as The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, and with stand-up comedian Richard Pryor in movies such as Stir Crazy.

8. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan died at her California home on March 6, at the age of 94. She was married to Ronald Reagan for 52 years, and from 1981-89 was one of the most influential first ladies in U.S. history. Initially criticised for an expensive renovation of the White House and her use of an astrologer to influence her husband's policies, she later became a much-loved figure, particularly as she nursed her husband through the long years of decline due to Alzheimer's disease.

9. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN secretary general from 1992-97, died on February 16 at the age of 93. He took office at a time of growing influence for the UN following its decisive role in the Gulf War, but faced criticism for the failure to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and alienated Washington over his opposition to the NATO bombing campaign in Bosnia. As a result, the Clinton administration vetoed his re-election for a second term.

10. Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer, songwriter, and poet who seamlessly blended spirituality and sexuality in songs like Hallelujah, Suzanne and Bird on a Wire, died on November 7 at age 82. One of the foremost songwriters of the contemporary era, his final album, You Want It Darker, was released to great acclaim just three weeks before his death.

11. Shimon Peres, one of the last founders of the modern state of Israel, died on September 28, two weeks after suffering a stroke. He was 93. Over a seven-decade career he held virtually every senior political office, including three stints as prime minister and extended terms as foreign, defence and finance minister. He won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in reaching an interim peace agreement with the Palestinians.

12. Harper Lee, best known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, died aged 89 on February 19. The tale of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of rape in the Deep South, the book remains a towering presence in American literature and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, as well as becoming a much-loved film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. In 2015, 55 years after it was published, Lee released a sequel, Go Set a Watchman.

13. Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Holocaust survivor, died aged 87 on July 2. A noted author and academic, his best known book was Night, which recalled his horrifying experiences as a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald during WWII. Settling in the United States after the war he was a humanitarian, an activist, and a professor at Boston University. Among his many accomplishments he helped establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.

14. Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs included the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died on March 31 at age 65, following a heart attack. Earlier in 2016 she became the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) Gold Medal in recognition of her work. Her designs had been commissioned around the world, with notable creations including the Maxxi Museum in Rome and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

15. Netherlands football legend Johan Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, died from lung cancer at age 68 on March 24. Cruyff, who was European footballer of the year three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax from 1971, coached Barcelona to their first European Cup triumph in 1992 and helped the Dutch reach the 1974 World Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to West Germany. During the tournament he executed an astonishing 180-degree turn, subsequently named the Cruyff Turn, a move now widely replicated in the modern game.

16. British actor Alan Rickman, whose films included Harry Potter, Die Hard, Truly Madly Deeply and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died from cancer on January 14, at the age of 69. Often cast as villains thanks to his distinctive voice, his best known roles included Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

17. Arnold Palmer, widely regarded as one of the world's greatest professional golfers, died on September 25, aged 87. Over his long career he won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including seven majors. As one of the "Big Three" in the 1960s, with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, he is widely credited with popularising and commercialising the sport around the world.

18. Record producer George Martin, known as the "fifth Beatle", died on March 8 at age 90. Martin, who signed The Beatles in 1962 and produced more than 700 records, was described by Paul McCartney as "a true gentleman and like a second father to me". Martin also worked with artists including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black.

19. Vera Caslavska, Czechoslovakian artistic gymnast, died from cancer on August 30 at age 74. She was one of only two female gymnasts, along with Soviet Larisa Latynina, to win the all-around gold medal at two consecutive Olympics, at Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico City in 1968. She won a total of 22 international titles from 1959-68, including seven Olympic gold medals, four World titles and 11 European championship titles.

20. Singer David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of his era, died from cancer at the age of 69, on January 10. Also an accomplished actor, painter and writer, he was at the vanguard of contemporary culture from the 1960s onwards and tributes from around the world flowed in to the "extraordinary artist" whose last album, Blackstar, was released on his birthday just two days before his death.

21. Debbie Reynolds, who starred opposite Gene Kelly in the 1952 musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” died on December 28 – a day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher. The 84-year-old Oscar-nominated singer-actress had fallen ill at her son's home in Beverly Hills. Carrie Fisher, renowned for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, had died aged 60 on December 27, after spending three days in a Los Angeles hospital.

22. Singer, songwriter and music producer George Michael died on Christmas Day, aged 53. The star, who launched his career with Wham! in the 1980s, had huge success as a solo performer. Michael, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in north London, sold more than 100 million albums throughout a career spanning almost four decades.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 07/12/2016; STORY: Julie Mullins; PICTURES: AP / Getty Images / Newscom / Warner Bros
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