Deaths in December 2016

The following is a list of notable deaths in December 2016.

Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence:
 * Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent country of citizenship (if applicable), reason for notability, cause of death (if known), and reference.

1

 * Sulabha Brahme, 84, Indian economist.
 * Don Calfa, 76, American actor (The Return of the Living Dead, Weekend at Bernie's, Me, Myself and I).
 * Elisabeth Carron, 94, American operatic soprano.
 * Jacques Cohen, 86, Egyptian-born Israeli actor (HaMis'ada HaGdola), complications from pneumonia.
 * Peter Corrigan, 75, Australian architect.
 * Patricia Crampton, 90, English translator.
 * Gérard Desrosiers, 97, Canadian physician.
 * Jo-Anna Downey, 50, Canadian comedian, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
 * Inkulab, 72, Indian poet and political activist.
 * Bor-ming Jahn, 76, Taiwanese geochemist.
 * Helen Ketola, 85, American baseball player (AAGPBL).
 * Barry Lloyd, 63, Welsh cricketer (Glamorgan).
 * Joe McKnight, 28, American football player (New York Jets), shot.
 * Ljubo Sirc, 96, Slovene economist.
 * Ousmane Sow, 81, Senegalese sculptor.
 * Zekarias Yohannes, 91, Eritrean Catholic hierarch, Bishop of Asmara (1984–2001).

2

 * Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III, 94, Ghanaian royal, King of Denkyira (since 1955).
 * Coral Atkins, 80, English actress (A Family at War, Emmerdale), cancer.
 * Lyle Bouck, 92, American military officer and war veteran (Battle of the Bulge), pneumonia.
 * H. Keith H. Brodie, 77, American psychiatrist and educator, President of Duke University (1985–1993).
 * Joan Chalmers, 88, Canadian philanthropist.
 * Billy Chapin, 72, American child actor (The Night of the Hunter).
 * Cherushii, 33, American electronic musician and radio host (KALX), injuries from fire.
 * Paul de Wispelaere, 88, Belgian writer.
 * Dejo Fayemi, 83, Nigerian footballer (national team).
 * Barry Frank, 86, American pop singer (Sammy Kaye Orchestra).
 * Mark Gray, 64, American country singer and songwriter (Take Me Down, The Closer You Get).
 * Halvar Jonson, 75, Canadian politician, Alberta MLA (1982–2004).
 * Sammy Lee, 96, American diver, Olympic champion (1948, 1952), pneumonia.
 * Ko. Si. Mani, 87, Indian politician.
 * Gisela May, 92, German actress and singer (Berliner Ensemble).
 * James Reiss, 75, American poet and novelist.
 * Teri Rofkar, 60, American Tlingit weaver.
 * Rocco Salini, 85, Italian politician, President of Abruzzo (1990–1992).
 * Jean Stead, 90, British journalist (The Guardian).
 * Bosco Tjan, 50, American professor and psychologist, stabbed.
 * Tove Kari Viken, 74, Norwegian politician, MP (1989–1997).

3

 * Harry Balk, 91, American record producer and record company executive.
 * Willie Casey, 84, Irish Gaelic football player (Mayo).
 * Dave Cropper, 70, British Olympic athlete.
 * Susan Cummings, 86, German-born American actress, cardiogenic shock.
 * Newman Darby, 88, American sailboard inventor.
 * Gigliola Frazzoni, 93, Italian opera singer.
 * Nikola Gigov, 79, Bulgarian author.
 * Herbert Hardesty, 91, American jazz musician.
 * Sir David Hay, 88, New Zealand cardiologist, anti-smoking campaigner.
 * Arthur Latham, 86, British politician, MP for Paddington North (1969–1974) and Paddington (1974–1979), Leader of London Borough of Havering (1990–1996).
 * Bengt Lindqvist, 80, Swedish politician, MP (1982–1995).
 * Bhai Mahavir, 94, Indian politician, Governor of Madhya Pradesh (1998-2003).
 * Nancy Mairs, 73, American writer.
 * Brockway McMillan, 101, American government official and scientist, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (1963–1965).
 * Antonio Membrado, 81, Spanish classical guitarist.
 * Kuforiji Olubi, 80, Nigerian businesswoman and politician.
 * Rémy Pflimlin, 62, French businessman, CEO of France Télévisions, cancer.
 * Leonard B. Sand, 88, American judge.
 * Bekal Utsahi, 92, Indian poet and politician, MP (1986–1992), brain haemorrhage.

4

 * Hiroshi Arakawa, 86, Japanese baseball player (Mainichi Orions), batting coach (Yomiuri Giants) and manager (Yakult Swallows), cardiac arrest.
 * Byron Birdsall, 78, American watercolor painter, heart failure.
 * Lady Moyra Browne, 98, British nursing administrator.
 * Tadeusz Chmielewski, 89, Polish film director, screenwriter and producer.
 * Leonard T. Connors, 87, American politician, member of the New Jersey Senate (1982–2008).
 * Kamarou Fassassi, 68, Beninese politician, Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics (2001–2006).
 * Julia Gomelskaya, 52, Ukrainian composer, traffic collision.
 * Gotlib, 82, French comics artist (Gai-Luron, Les Dingodossiers, La Rubrique-à-Brac).
 * Ferreira Gullar, 86, Brazilian writer, essayist and art critic, pneumonia.
 * Radim Hladík, 69, Czech musician (Blue Effect), pulmonary fibrosis.
 * Peter Latham, 91, British air vice marshal.
 * Stu Locklin, 88, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians).
 * Jean-Loup Passek, 80, French film critic.
 * Patricia Robins, 95, British novelist.
 * Jack Rudin, 92, American real estate developer.
 * John Swaab, 88, Dutch Olympic equestrian
 * Margaret Whitton, 67, American actress (Major League, The Secret of My Success, Steaming), cancer.
 * Tiina Wilén-Jäppinen, 53, Finnish politician, shot.

5

 * Charles H. Belzile, 83, Canadian army general. Commander of the Canadian Army (1992–1996).
 * Big Syke, 48, American rapper.
 * Mogens Camre, 80, Danish politician, MP (1968–1987) and MEP (1999–2009).
 * Geydar Dzhemal, 69, Russian Islamic revolutionist and activist.
 * Julia Elena Fortún, 87, Bolivian anthropologist.
 * Petros Fyssoun, 83, Greek actor.
 * Jayalalithaa, 68, Indian politician and actress, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1991–1996, 2001, 2002–2006, 2011–2014, since 2015), heart attack.
 * Mona Maraachli, 58, Lebanese singer, heart attack.
 * Marcel Renaud, 90, French canoeist, Olympic silver medalist (1956).
 * Larry Roberts, 53, American football player (San Francisco 49ers).
 * Rashaan Salaam, 42, American football player (Chicago Bears), Heisman Trophy winner (1994), suicide by gunshot.
 * Rodney Smith, 68, American photographer.
 * Robert Sumner, 94, American Baptist pastor and author.
 * Sfiso Ncwane, 37, South African singer, kidney failure.

6

 * Bruno Bayen, 66, French novelist, playwright and theatre director.
 * Adolf Burger, 99, Slovak-born Czech typographer, memoirist and Holocaust survivor.
 * Brittany CoxXx, 38, American trans woman and performer.
 * Dave Edwards, 76, American football player (Dallas Cowboys), heart illness.
 * Lalit Mohan Gandhi, 65, Indian politician, fell from train.
 * Jan Frøystein Halvorsen, 88, Norwegian Supreme Court Justice.
 * Dave MacLaren, 82, Scottish football player and manager (Plymouth).
 * Jacky Morael, 57, Belgian politician.
 * Charles B. Reed, 75, American educator, Chancellor of State University System of Florida (1985–1998) and California State University (1998–2012).
 * Chonosuke Takagi, 68, Japanese judoka, world champion (1973), heart attack.
 * Peter Vaughan, 93, British actor (Game of Thrones, Brazil, The Remains of the Day), epilepsy.
 * Jim Vickers, 93, Indian Olympic hurdler (1948).
 * Luke Wendon, 90, British Olympic fencer.

7

 * Warren Allmand, 84, Canadian politician, member of the House of Commons of Canada (1965–1997) and Cabinet minister (1972–1979).
 * Brian Bulless, 83, English footballer (Hull City).
 * Ian Cartwright, 52, English footballer (Wolverhampton), renal and spinal cancer.
 * Viktor Danilov, 89, Russian-born Belarusian Greek-Catholic priest and Soviet dissident.
 * Paul Elvstrøm, 88, Danish yachtsman, Olympic champion (1948, 1952, 1956, 1960).
 * Mohamed Tahar Fergani, 88, Algerian singer.
 * Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, 95, German politician.
 * Hui Yin-fat, 80, Hong Kong social worker and politician, MLC (1985–1995), MEC (1991–1992) and member of the PLC (1996–1998).
 * Junaid Jamshed, 52, Pakistani musician, television personality and preacher, plane crash.
 * Alex Johnstone, 55, Scottish politician, MSP for North East Scotland (since 1999), cancer.
 * Mike Kelly, 74, American politician, member of the Alaska House of Representatives (2005–2011), plane crash.
 * Phillip Knightley, 87, Australian journalist.
 * Greg Lake, 69, English singer and musician (King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer), cancer.
 * Martin Puhvel, 82, Estonian-born Canadian philologist.
 * Cho Ramaswamy, 82, Indian actor (Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai) and lawyer, heart attack.
 * Mick Roche, 73, Irish hurler (Tipperary).
 * Helen Roseveare, 91, British Christian missionary.
 * Romilly Squire of Rubislaw, 63, Scottish heraldic artist.
 * Elliott Schwartz, 80, American composer.
 * İsmet Sezgin, 88, Turkish politician, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence (1997–1999), multiple organ failure.
 * Allan Stewart, 74, Scottish politician, MP for East Renfrewshire (1979–1983), Eastwood (1983–1997).
 * Benny Woit, 88, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings).

8

 * Joop Braakhekke, 75, Dutch restaurateur and television presenter, pancreatic cancer.
 * Putsy Caballero, 89, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies).
 * Valdon Dowiyogo, 48, Nauruan politician, MP (since 2003).
 * John Glenn, 95, American astronaut (Mercury-Atlas 6) and politician, U.S. Senator from Ohio (1974–1999).
 * Gareth Griffiths, 85, Welsh rugby union player (Cardiff, national team).
 * Peter Jackson, 90, British animal conservationist and journalist.
 * Lélis Lara, 90, Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Itabira–Fabriciano (1996–2003).
 * Joseph Mascolo, 87, American actor (Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, Jaws 2), complications from Alzheimer's disease.
 * Thomas C. Oden, 85, American theologian.
 * Dame Sheila Quinn, 96, British nurse, President of the Royal College of Nursing (1982–1986).
 * Fred Secombe, 97, Welsh priest and writer.
 * Sir Alan Urwick, 86, British diplomat and public servant, Ambassador to Egypt (1985–1987), High Commissioner to Canada (1987–1989), Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons (1989–1995).
 * Peter van Straaten, 81, Dutch comics artist and political cartoonist (Vader & Zoon).
 * Palani Vaughan, 72, American Hawaiian music singer.

9

 * Romualdas Aleliūnas, 57, Lithuanian ceramics designer.
 * Élcio Álvares, 84, Brazilian politician, Senator (1991–1994, 1995–1999), Minister of Defence (1999–2000), and Governor of Espírito Santo (1975–1979).
 * Edwin Benson, 85, American teacher, last speaker of the Mandan language.
 * Georgia Blain, 51, Australian writer, brain cancer.
 * Lawrence Demmy, 85, British ice dancer, world champion 1952–1955.
 * A. Ross Eckler Jr., 89, American logologist, statistician, and author.
 * Alejandro González Jr., 23, Mexican bantamweight boxer, shot.
 * Sergei Lemeshko, 44, Russian footballer (Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky).
 * Mario Milano, 81, Italian-born Australian professional wrestler (NWA, WCW, AJPW).
 * Nola Ochs, 105, American centenarian, world's oldest college graduate.
 * Luke Owens, 83, American football player (St. Louis Cardinals).
 * Jens Risom, 100, Danish-born American furniture designer.
 * Franco Rosso, 75, Italian-born British film director (Babylon).
 * Robert Scholes, 87, American literary critic and theorist.
 * Rob Sherman, 63, American political activist, plane crash.
 * William N. Small, 89, American admiral.
 * P. Viswambharan, 91, Indian politician.
 * Ronald Webster, 90, Anguillan politician, Chief Minister (1976–1977, 1980–1984).
 * Günther Wilke, 91, German chemist.

10

 * George Junus Aditjondro, 70, Indonesian academic and political dissident.
 * Stefania Biegun, 81, Polish Olympic cross-country skier.
 * Peter Brabrook, 79, English footballer (Chelsea, West Ham United).
 * Felix Browder, 89, American mathematician.
 * John Cordner, 87, Australian cricket and football player.
 * T. Neil Davis, 84, American geophysicist and writer.
 * Bill Dineen, 84, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings) and coach.
 * Wolfgang Eisenmenger, 86, German physicist.
 * Damião Experiença, 81, Brazilian outsider musician.
 * Étienne Fabre, 20, French racing cyclist, fall.
 * Jean-Claude Frécon, 72, French politician, Senator from Loire (since 2001).
 * James Gair, 88, American linguist.
 * A. A. Gill, 62, British writer and restaurant critic (The Sunday Times), lung cancer.
 * Gene Hamm, 93, American golf player and course designer.
 * Ken Hechler, 102, American politician, U. S. Representative from West Virginia's 4th congressional district (1959–1977), Secretary of State of West Virginia (1985–2001), stroke.
 * Hans-Eric Hellberg, 89, Swedish author (Kram) and journalist.
 * Eric Hilton, 83, American hotelier and philanthropist.
 * László Huzsvár, 85, Serbian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Zrenjanin (1988–2007).
 * Paul Shinichi Itonaga, 88, Japanese Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Kagoshima (1969–2005).
 * Herm Johnson, 63, American race car driver, liver and renal failure.
 * Rick Klassen, 57, Canadian football player (BC Lions), cancer.
 * George Klein, 91, Hungarian-Swedish biologist.
 * V. C. Kulandaiswamy, 87, Indian academic.
 * Miles Lord, 97, American federal judge, U. S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (1966–1985), Attorney General of Minnesota (1955–1960).
 * Ian McCaskill, 78, British meteorologist and weatherman.
 * Tommy McCulloch, 82, Scottish footballer (Clyde).
 * Sergey Mikaelyan, 93, Russian film director (Love by Request).
 * John Montague, 87, Irish poet.
 * John Newhouse, 87, American journalist and author.
 * Luciano Nobili, 83, Italian footballer (Palermo, Reggiana, Pescara).
 * Allan Prell, 79, American radio host (WBAL).
 * William J. Richardson, 96, American philosopher.
 * Alberto Seixas Santos, 80, Portuguese film director (Brandos Costumes).
 * Balbir Singh Sidhu, 84, Kenyan Olympic hockey player.
 * Robert Stiller, 88, Polish author and translator.
 * William Usery Jr., 92, American politician, Secretary of Labor (1976–1977), heart failure.

11

 * Sadiq Jalal al-Azm, 82, Syrian philosopher and academician.
 * Sark Arslanian, 92, American football coach (Weber State Wildcats, Colorado State Rams).
 * João Castelo, 79, Brazilian politician, Governor of Maranhão (1979–1982), complications from surgery.
 * Harry Jones, 71, American football player (Philadelphia Eagles), heart attack.
 * Bob Krasnow, 82, American record label executive (Elektra Records), co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 * Charlie McNeil, 53, Scottish footballer (Stirling).
 * John Moffat, 97, British navy pilot.
 * Marie Muhammad, 77, Indonesian politician, Finance Minister (1993–1998), brain cancer.
 * Michael Nicholson, 79, British journalist and war correspondent.
 * Sid O'Linn, 89, South African cricketer and footballer (Charlton Athletic).
 * Kevin O'Morrison, 100, American playwright and actor (Charlie Wild, Private Detective, Sleepless in Seattle).
 * Ramesh Prabhoo, 78, Indian politician, Mayor of Mumbai (1987–1988).
 * Marion Pritchard, 96, Dutch-born American social worker and Righteous Among the Nations, cerebral arteriosclerosis.
 * Esma Redžepova, 73, Macedonian Romani singer.
 * Alan Sherlock, 78, Australian politician.
 * Thressa Stadtman, 96, American biochemist.
 * Roberto Vizcaíno, 59, Spanish tennis player and coach.

12

 * Barrelhouse Chuck, 58, American blues musician, prostate cancer.
 * E. R. Braithwaite, 104, Guyanese novelist (To Sir, With Love) and diplomat, heart failure.
 * Myron H. Bright, 97, American judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1968–2016).
 * Lucila Campos, 78, Peruvian singer.
 * Gerard Clifford, 75, Irish Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh (1991–2013).
 * Donald L. Corbin, 78, American judge, Arkansas Supreme Court (2005–2014), lung cancer.
 * Jean-Claude Deret, 95, French screenwriter (Thierry la Fronde).
 * Anne Deveson, 86, Australian writer and broadcaster, Alzheimer's disease.
 * Jimbo Elrod, 62, American football player (Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers), traffic collision.
 * Jean Fisher, 74, British art critic and writer.
 * Mark Fisher, 57, British musician (Matt Bianco).
 * Robert Gomer, 92, Austrian-born American chemical physicist, complications from Parkinson's disease.
 * Shirley Hazzard, 85, Australian-born American writer (The Bay of Noon, The Great Fire).
 * Gustav Jahoda, 96, Austrian-born British psychologist.
 * Ratan Kumar, 75, Pakistani actor (Boot Polish, Jagriti, Do Bigha Zamin).
 * Lord Gyllene, 28, New Zealand-bred racehorse, winner of the 1997 Grand National.
 * Jim Lowe, 93, American singer-songwriter ("Green Door").
 * Jim Prior, Baron Prior, 89, British politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1981–1984) and Employment (1979–1981).
 * Konrad Reuland, 29, American football player (Baltimore Ravens), brain aneurysm.
 * Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, 84, Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, head of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei (since 1994).
 * Claus Ryskjær, 71, Danish humorist and actor.
 * Bob Schnelker, 88, American football player (New York Giants) and coach.
 * Leo Sharp, 92, American drug dealer.
 * Charles Mwando Simba, 80, Congolese politician.
 * Walter Swinburn, 55, British jockey, fall from window.
 * Bob Thomas, 62, Australian politician, member of the Western Australian Legislative Council (1989–2001), mesothelioma.
 * Esther Wilkins, 100, American dentist.

13

 * Ralph Brown, 90, American football player and coach.
 * Lawrence Colburn, 67, American Vietnam War veteran, intervened to end the My Lai Massacre, cancer.
 * Roy Harrover, 88, American architect, emphysema.
 * Bob James, 83, American Olympic sailor.
 * Hebe Charlotte Kohlbrugge, 102, Dutch theologian.
 * Ahuva Ozeri, 68, Israeli singer, laryngeal cancer.
 * Betsy Pecanins, 62, American-born Mexican singer, songwriter and record producer, stroke.
 * Ralph Raico, 80, American historian.
 * Thomas Schelling, 95, American economist and professor, Nobel Prize laureate (2005), complications from a hip fracture.
 * Poul Søgaard, 93, Danish politician, MP (1960–1990) and Defence Minister (1977–1982).
 * David Strangway, 82, Canadian geophysicist.
 * Zubaida Tharwat, 76, Egyptian actress (There Is a Man In Our House).
 * Alan Thicke, 69, Canadian actor (Growing Pains, Not Quite Human), talk show host (The Alan Thicke Show), and songwriter, ruptured aorta.
 * Fernando Vignoli, 56, Brazilian painter and sculptor, sepsis.
 * Andrzej Wasilewicz, 65, Polish stage and film actor (Nie ma mocnych), and director, Alzheimer's disease.
 * Yevgeny Yufit, 55, Russian filmmaker.

14

 * Chuck Allen, 77, American football player (San Diego Chargers).
 * Paulo Evaristo Arns, 95, Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Cardinal (since 1973) and Archbishop of São Paulo (1970–1998), complications from pneumonia.
 * Fosco Becattini, 91, Italian footballer (Genoa).
 * Shirley Dysart, 88, Canadian politician, MLA (1974–1995).
 * Stephen Fienberg, 74, Canadian statistician.
 * Bernard Fox, 89, Welsh actor (Titanic, Bewitched, The Mummy), heart failure.
 * Harold Gilliam, 98, American environmental journalist.
 * Garrett K. Gomez, 44, American jockey, drug overdose.
 * Hurricane Run, 14, Irish racehorse, euthanized.
 * Karel Husa, 95, Czech-born American composer.
 * Halfdan T. Mahler, 93, Danish physician, Director-General of the World Health Organization (1973–1988).
 * Michael Manning, 75, American Roman Catholic priest, complications of brain cancer.
 * Tom Ong, 78, Filipino Olympic sport shooter (1972, 1976).
 * Sadatoshi Ozato, 86, Japanese politician, member of the House of Representatives (1979–2005) and Minister of Labour (1990–91).
 * Päivi Paunu, 70, Finnish singer, cancer.
 * Jean-Paul Pier, 83, Luxembourgian mathematician
 * Ahmed Rateb, 67, Egyptian actor (The Yacoubian Building), stroke.
 * Sir Dudley Smith, 90, British politician, MP for Brentford and Chiswick (1959–1966) and Warwick and Leamington (1968–1997).
 * Reginald Stackhouse, 91, Canadian politician and academic.
 * Harvey Stevens, 86, Australian footballer (Collingwood).
 * Jeremy Summers, 85, British film and television director (The Protectors, The Saint).
 * Gennady Tsygurov, 74, Russian ice hockey player (Traktor Chelyabinsk) and coach, cancer.
 * Bunny Walters, 63, New Zealand singer ("Brandy").

15

 * Albert Bennett, 72, English footballer (Rotherham United, Newcastle United, Norwich City).
 * Howard Bingham, 77, American photographer and biographer (Muhammad Ali).
 * Leanna Brown, 81, American politician.
 * Beki İkala Erikli, 48, Turkish self-help author, shot.
 * Shep Houghton, 102, American actor (The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Perry Mason).
 * Shūji Iuchi, 66, Japanese anime director (Crush Gear Turbo, Mashin Hero Wataru).
 * Fran Jeffries, 79, American actress and dancer (The Pink Panther).
 * Osiride Pevarello, 96, Italian actor (Caligula, Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion).
 * Craig Sager, 65, American sportscaster (NBA on TNT), leukemia.
 * Harley Saito, 48, Japanese professional wrestler, esophageal cancer.
 * Dave Shepherd, 87, English jazz clarinetist.
 * Bohdan Smoleń, 69, Polish comedian, singer and actor, lung infection.
 * Ajit Varman, 69, Indian composer.
 * Ron Ziel, 77, American railway historian.
 * Mohamed Zouari, 49, Tunisian flight engineer, shot.

16

 * David Berry, 73, American playwright (The Whales of August), heart attack.
 * Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, 86, Nepalese royal, King of Mustang (1965–2008), complications from pneumonia.
 * Joyce Dalton, 83, Australian cricketer.
 * Walter Hachborn, 95, Canadian businessman, co-founder of Home Hardware.
 * Cecil Howard, 85, American pornographic film director.
 * Bill Malenfant, 87, Canadian politician, MLA for Memramcook (1974–1982), Mayor of Dieppe, New Brunswick (1971–1977, 1983–1998).
 * Faina Melnik, 71, Ukrainian-born Russian discus thrower, Olympic champion (1972).
 * Saintly, 24, Australian racehorse, national champion (1997).
 * Fred Swearingen, 95, American football official.
 * Jim Williams, 90, American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Florida (1975–1979).
 * Ive Mažuran, 89, Croatian historian.

17

 * Houshmand Almasi, 88, Iranian Olympic fencer (1964).
 * Eric Defoort, 73, Belgian politician, President of the European Free Alliance (since 2010).
 * Edmond Farhat, 83, Lebanese Maronite Catholic hierarch, Apostolic Nuncio (1989–2009).
 * Benjamin A. Gilman, 94, American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 20th, 22nd and 26th congressional districts (1973–2003), complications from hip surgery.
 * Bill Hanna, 86, American politician, Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana (1978–1982).
 * Louis Harris, 95, American opinion polling entrepreneur, journalist, and author.
 * Henry Heimlich, 96, American physician, inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, complications from a heart attack.
 * Gordon Hunt, 87, American voice director (The Jetsons, Uncharted) and voice actor (Dilbert), Parkinson's disease.
 * Leanid Marakou, 58, Belarusian journalist, writer and historian, brain cancer.
 * Anne Ranasinghe, 91, German-born Sri Lankan poet.
 * Ismoil Talbakov, 61, Tajik politician.

18

 * Eddie Bailham, 75, Irish footballer (Shamrock Rovers, Wimbledon).
 * Ken Baird, 65, Canadian ice hockey player (Edmonton Oilers).
 * Rolf Trygve Busch, 96, Norwegian diplomat, Ambassador to West Germany (1977–1982), to the United Kingdom (1982–1989).
 * Enrique Cirules, 78, Cuban writer.
 * Frank Crotty, 78, New Zealand rower.
 * Brendan J. Dugan, 69, American academic administrator, President of St. Francis College (since 2008).
 * Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99, Hungarian-born American actress (Moulin Rouge, Touch of Evil, Lili) and socialite, heart attack.
 * Guinio Ganev, 88, Bulgarian politician.
 * Bobby Guanzon, 68, Filipino journalist and politician, cardiac arrest.
 * William H. Hudnut III, 84, American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana's 11th congressional district (1973–1975), Mayor of Indianapolis (1976–1992).
 * Sata Isobe, 72, Japanese volleyball player, Olympic champion (1964).
 * Vibeke Knudsen, 68, Norwegian diplomat, ambassador to Colombia (2009–2016).
 * Jack V. Lunzer, 92, Belgian-born British industrial diamond merchant and museum curator (Valmadonna Trust Library).
 * China Machado, 86, Chinese fashion model, cardiac arrest.
 * Léo Marjane, 104, French singer.
 * Sonny Moran, 90, American college basketball coach (West Virginia).
 * Herbert Nootbaar, 108, American businessman and philanthropist.
 * Rachel Owen, 48, British academic and print-maker, cancer.
 * Gustavo Quintero, 76, Colombian singer-songwriter.
 * Gordie Tapp, 94, Canadian country singer and entertainer (Hee Haw).
 * Margit Tóth, 55, Hungarian Olympic artistic gymnast (1976).
 * Heinz Ulzheimer, 90, German athlete, Olympic bronze medalist (1952).
 * Thomas Warburton, 98, Finnish writer and translator.

19

 * Elizabeth Bell, 88, American composer.
 * Ger Blok, 77, Dutch football manager (Honduras and Myanmar national teams).
 * Lionel Blue, 86, British rabbi, journalist and broadcaster, complications from Parkinson's disease.
 * Anne Borg, 80, Norwegian ballet dancer.
 * Phil Gagliano, 74, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox).
 * Hugh Iltis, 91, Czechoslovakian-born American botanist, complications of a vascular disease.
 * Andrei Karlov, 62, Russian diplomat, Ambassador to Turkey (since 2013), shot.
 * Annette Karmiloff-Smith, 78, British neuroscientist.
 * Dick Latessa, 87, American actor (Hairspray, Promises, Promises, Stigmata), heart failure.
 * Ville Lyytikäinen, 49, Finnish football coach (Atlantis FC).
 * Anupam Mishra, 68, Indian author, journalist and environmentalist.
 * Sir John Oakeley, 8th Baronet, 84, British Olympic yachtsman (1972).
 * Jim Pettapiece, 79, Canadian curler, world champion (1970, 1971), cancer.
 * Anique Poitras, 55, Canadian writer.
 * Kishori Sinha, 91, Indian politician.
 * Fidel Uriarte, 71, Spanish footballer (Athletic Bilbao, national team).
 * Christopher Young, 71, British rugby league player (Hull Kingston Rovers, Great Britain), complications from cancer and chest infection.

20

 * Lawrence Borst, 89, American politician, member of the Indiana House of Representatives (1967) and Senate (1969–2005).
 * Robert Eddins, 28, American football player (Buffalo Bills), shot.
 * Raymond Heacock, 88, American engineer.
 * Toby Hemenway, 64, American author and educator, pancreatic cancer.
 * El Hortelano, 62, Spanish painter.
 * Patrick Jenkin, Baron Jenkin of Roding, 90, British politician, Secretary of State for Social Services (1979–1981), Industry (1981–1983), and Environment (1983–1985).
 * Andrew Karpati Kennedy, 85, Hungarian-born British author and literary critic.
 * Andrew Killgore, 97, American diplomat, Ambassador to Qatar (1977–1980).
 * Michèle Morgan, 96, French film actress (Port of Shadows, Passage to Marseille, La Symphonie pastorale).
 * Archie Norman, 104, British paediatrician.
 * Dame Frances Patterson, 62, British judge.
 * Paul Peter Porges, 89, American cartoonist (Mad).
 * Jagannatha Varma, 77, Indian actor (Devasuram, Dolls).

21

 * Mandell Berman, 99, American businessman and philanthropist.
 * Corno, 64, Canadian artist, throat cancer.
 * Deddie Davies, 78, British actress (The Railway Children, Stella) and musician (The Zimmers).
 * Welington de Melo, 70, Brazilian mathematician.
 * Sidney Drell, 90, American physicist.
 * Rob Gray, 54, Canadian production designer (Falling Skies, Fido, Shadowhunters), cancer.
 * Abdul Gafur Hali, 87, Bangladeshi singer, composer and lyricist.
 * John Gwilliam, 93, Welsh rugby union player (national team).
 * Robert Leo Hulseman, 84, American entrepreneur, inventor of the red solo cup.
 * Bob Jeffery, 81, British Anglican priest, Dean of Worcester (1987–1996).
 * Jaan Klõšeiko, 77, Estonian printmaker and photographer.
 * Remigijus Morkevičius, 34, Lithuanian mixed martial artist and kickboxer, shot.
 * Madame Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, 75, Vietnamese air hostess, First Lady of South Vietnam.
 * Sir Nigel Nicholls, 78, British civil servant, Clerk of the Privy Council (1992–1998).
 * Weston Noble, 94, American music educator and conductor, complications from a fall.
 * Şehmus Özer, 36, Turkish footballer (Amed, Mardinspor), traffic collision.
 * Vyacheslav Shalevich, 82, Russian actor (Seventeen Moments of Spring, The Master and Margarita).
 * Betty Loo Taylor, 87, American jazz pianist.

22

 * William Abitbol, 67, French politician.
 * Carlos Averhoff, 69, Cuban jazz saxophonist.
 * John Buckingham, 76, British jockey.
 * Mocho Cota, 62, Mexican professional wrestler (CMLL).
 * Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, 80, Russian-Georgian activist and politician.
 * Solomon Levy, 80, Gibraltarian politician, Mayor of Gibraltar (2008–2009).
 * Andre Martel, 70, American politician, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives (1998–2002, since 2012).
 * Bill Price, 72, British record producer (Tom Jones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash).
 * Sidney Percy Roberson, 79, British bodybuilder and director (The Sweeney).
 * Philip Saville, 86, British television director and screenwriter.
 * Kenneth Snelson, 89, American sculptor (Needle Tower, Six Number Two), prostate cancer.
 * Franca Sozzani, 66, Italian journalist, Editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia (since 1988).
 * Sir Dwight Venner, 70, Vincentian banker.
 * Lella Vignelli, 82, Italian designer, dementia.
 * Lillian Walker, 93, American politician.
 * Miruts Yifter, 72, Ethiopian long-distance runner, Olympic champion (1980), complications from collapsed lung.

23

 * John Aitchison, 90, Scottish statistician.
 * Anis Amri, 24, Tunisian terrorism suspect, shot.
 * Joyce Appleby, 87, American historian.
 * Claude Arnold, 92, Canadian football player (Edmonton Eskimos).
 * Doug Coombs, 92, New Zealand geologist (University of Otago) and cricketer (Otago).
 * Jean Gagnon, 75, Canadian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Gaspé (2002–2016).
 * Robert Hinde, 93, British zoologist, Master of St John's College, Cambridge (1989–1994).
 * Meto Jovanovski, 88, Macedonian writer.
 * Willa Kim, 99, American costume designer (The Will Rogers Follies).
 * Jim Lehew, 79, American baseball player (Baltimore Orioles), congestive heart failure.
 * James F. Merow, 84, American judge.
 * Poul Pedersen, 84, Danish footballer, Olympic silver medalist (1960).
 * Tim Pitsiulak, 49, Canadian artist, complications from pneumonia.
 * Chetan Ramarao, 76, Indian actor.
 * Andrés Rivera, 88, Argentine writer.
 * Heinrich Schiff, 65, Austrian cellist.
 * Piers Sellers, 61, British astronaut and meteorologist, pancreatic cancer.
 * Luba Skořepová, 93, Czech actress.
 * Vladimir Stupishin, 84, Russian diplomat, first Ambassador of Russia to Armenia (1992–1994).
 * George Thompson, 88, Scottish politician, MP for Galloway (1974–1979).
 * Vesna Vulović, 66, Serbian flight attendant, world record holder for longest fall.

24

 * Edith Ackermann, 70, Swiss-born American psychologist.
 * Richard Adams, 96, British author (Watership Down, The Plague Dogs, Shardik), complications from a blood disorder.
 * Pape Badiane, 36, French basketball player (Chorale Roanne, Poitiers Basket 86, national team), traffic collision.
 * John Barfield, 52, American baseball player (Texas Rangers), shot.
 * Dinanath Bhargava, 89, Indian artist, cardiac ailment.
 * Aloke Bhattacharjee, 63, Indian cricketer and umpire.
 * Ron Broom, 91, New Zealand cricketer (Wellington).
 * Philip Cannon, 87, British composer.
 * Davis Earle, 79, Canadian physicist.
 * Joseph Fitzmyer, 96, American Roman Catholic priest and professor (The Catholic University of America).
 * Jeffrey Hayden, 90, American television director and producer (Peyton Place, The Donna Reed Show).
 * Felix Krivin, 88, Ukrainian-Israeli writer and poet.
 * Ted Meines, 95, Dutch military officer and veteran affairs activist.
 * Rick Parfitt, 68, British singer, songwriter and guitarist (Status Quo), infection.
 * Gil Parrondo, 95, Spanish art director and production designer (Patton, Nicholas and Alexandra, Travels with My Aunt), Oscar winner (1971, 1972).
 * Edwin Reinecke, 92, American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 27th congressional district (1965–1969) and Lieutenant Governor of California (1969–1974).
 * Vasant Sarwate, 89, Indian cartoonist and author.
 * Liz Smith, 95, English actress (The Royle Family, I Didn't Know You Cared, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
 * Bronson Thayer, 77, American banker and civil leader, prostate cancer.
 * C. Howard Wilkins, Jr., 78, American businessman and diplomat, Ambassador to the Netherlands (1989–1992).
 * George Williams, 81, British racewalker.
 * Zhao Er-mi, 86, Chinese zoologist.
 * Ben Xi, 22, Chinese singer.

25

 * Aghakhan Abdullayev, 66, Azerbaijani folk singer.
 * Sibylle Boden-Gerstner, 96, German costume designer and fashion writer.
 * Lady Marion Fraser, 84, Scottish music educator.
 * Sandra Giles, 84, American actress (Daddy-O).
 * John Gregson, 92, British George Cross recipient.
 * Karl Golser, 73, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Bolzano-Bressanone (2008–2011).
 * Jim Malacko, 86, Canadian ice hockey player (Lethbridge Maple Leafs).
 * George Michael, 53, British singer (Wham!) and songwriter ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Careless Whisper", "Faith"), Grammy winner (1987, 1989), cardiomyopathy.
 * Alphonse Mouzon, 68, American jazz drummer (Weather Report, The Eleventh House) and record label owner, neuroendocrine carcinoma.
 * John Nike, 81, English businessman.
 * Miriam Pirazzini, 98, Italian opera singer.
 * Núria Pompeia, 85, Spanish cartoonist and feminist activist.
 * Vera Rubin, 88, American astronomer, innovator of dark matter theory, dementia.
 * Johnny Rutherford, 91, American baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers).
 * Léon-Raymond Soulier, 92, French Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Pamiers (1971–1987) and Limoges (1988–2000).
 * Eliseo Subiela, 71, Argentine film director (Man Facing Southeast, The Adventures of God).
 * Rafael Vardi, 94, Israeli general.
 * Notable Russian people killed in the Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 crash:
 * Elizaveta Glinka, 54, humanitarian worker and charity activist.
 * Anton Gubankov, 51, scholar and journalist, Director of the Department of Culture (since 2013).
 * Valery Khalilov, 64, military band conductor.

26

 * Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, 30s, Kuwaiti ISIL commander.
 * Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, Greek diplomat, Ambassador to Brazil, homicide.
 * Ashot Anastasian, 52, Armenian chess grandmaster.
 * John J. Benoit, 64, American politician, member of the California State Senate (2008–2009), pancreatic cancer.
 * Joachim Calmeyer, 85, Norwegian actor (Kitchen Stories).
 * Jaume Camprodon i Rovira, 90, Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Girona (1973–2001).
 * Duck Edwing, 82, American cartoonist (Mad).
 * Frances Gabe, 101, American artist and inventor.
 * Petr Hájek, 76, Czech mathematician.
 * Ricky Harris, 54, American comedian and actor (Heat, Dope, Everybody Hates Chris), heart attack.
 * George S. Irving, 94, American actor (Underdog, Me and My Girl, The Year Without a Santa Claus), heart failure.
 * József Katona, 75, Hungarian Olympic swimmer (1960, 1964).
 * Bujar Lako, 69, Albanian actor (Amsterdam Express).
 * Antonio Martínez, 90, Filipino Olympic basketball player (1952).
 * Seth J. McKee, 100, American military officer.
 * Peter Nowell, 88, American cancer researcher.
 * Luciano Panetti, 87, Italian football player and manager.
 * Elvio Porta, 71, Italian screenwriter and film director (What if Gargiulo Finds Out?).
 * Martin Reagan, 92, English football player and manager (women's national team).
 * Buddha Sayami, 72, Nepalese politician and poet.
 * Barbara Tarbuck, 74, American actress (General Hospital, Short Circuit, American Horror Story), Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
 * Mary Wondrausch, 93, British artist and potter.
 * Ashot Yeghiazaryan, 73, Armenian diplomat and politician, Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991).

27

 * Chrissy Adams, 49, American attorney, Chief Solicitor for South Carolina Circuit Court Tenth Judicial Circuit (since 2005), cancer.
 * Gloria Begué Cantón, 85, Spanish professor, senator and magistrate.
 * Mariza Corrêa, 71, Brazilian anthropologist.
 * Anthony Cronin, 88, Irish poet and novelist.
 * Bruce DeHaven, 68, American football coach (Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers), prostate cancer.
 * Jules Dervaes, 69, American urban homesteading leader, pulmonary embolism.
 * Maurice Failevic, 83, French film director.
 * Carrie Fisher, 60, American actress (Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally...), novelist and screenwriter (Postcards from the Edge), cardiac arrest.
 * Claude Gensac, 89, French actress (Scènes de ménages).
 * Heno Magee, 77, Irish playwright.
 * Annanias Mathe, 40, Mozambican criminal.
 * George A. Russell, 95, American educator, President of University of Missouri System (1991–1996).
 * Hans Tietmeyer, 85, German economist, President of Deutsche Bundesbank (1993–1999).
 * Ellen Watters, 28, Canadian racing cyclist, injuries sustained in a traffic collision.
 * Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, 83, Sri Lankan politician, Prime Minister (2000–2001, 2005–2010).
 * Chuck Wright, 97, American politician, Mayor of Topeka, Kansas (1965–1969).

28

 * Gregorio Conrado Álvarez, 91, Uruguayan politician, President (1981–1985).
 * Pierre Barouh, 82, French actor (A Man and a Woman), writer and musician, heart attack.
 * Lars Bilet, 89, Norwegian Olympic wrestler.
 * Gilles Borrie, 91, Dutch politician and historian, Mayor of Sleen (1960–1968), Tiel (1968–1973), Rheden (1973–1979), and Eindhoven (1979–1987).
 * Michel Déon, 97, French novelist and literary columnist, pulmonary embolism.
 * Donya Fannizadeh, 49, Iranian puppeteer (Kolah Ghermezi), cancer.
 * Minnevali Galiyev, 86, Russian Olympic skier.
 * Lev Gor'kov, 87, Russian-born American physicist.
 * Balozi Harvey, 76, American community activist.
 * Annelise Hovmand, 92, Danish director and screenwriter (Be Dear to Me).
 * Knut Kiesewetter, 75, German jazz musician, singer-songwriter and producer.
 * Kyi Aye, 87, Burmese writer.
 * Pan Pan, 31, Chinese-born giant panda.
 * Sunder Lal Patwa, 92, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (1980, 1990–1992), heart attack.
 * Bruce D. Porter, 64, American Mormon elder, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy (since 2003).
 * Paul Powell, 83, American Baptist minister and educator, complications from a stroke.
 * Debbie Reynolds, 84, American actress, dancer (Singin' in the Rain, The Unsinkable Molly Brown) and singer ("Tammy"), stroke.
 * Edgar Robles, 39, Paraguayan footballer (Libertad).
 * Marilyn Sachs, 89, American author.
 * Jean-Christophe Victor, 69, French political scientist, heart attack.
 * Bernard Zaslav, 90, American viola soloist.

29

 * Raymond Burki, 67, Swiss cartoonist, cancer.
 * Derick Burleson, 53, American academic and writer.
 * Chris Cannizzaro, 78, American baseball player (New York Mets, San Diego Padres), emphysema.
 * Laurie Carlos, 67, American performance artist, playwright and theater director, colon cancer.
 * Keion Carpenter, 39, American football player (Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons), injuries sustained in a fall.
 * Matt Carragher, 40, English footballer (Wigan, Port Vale), cancer.
 * Arthur H. Cash, 94, American academic and biographer.
 * Kamal Mani Dixit, 87, Nepalese writer.
 * Uzama Douglas, 18, Nigerian footballer (Gombe United), shot.
 * LaVell Edwards, 86, American football coach (BYU Cougars), complications from a broken hip.
 * Pooran Farrokhzad, 83, Iranian writer, poet, playwright, and encyclopedist, cardiac arrest.
 * Néstor Gonçalves, 80, Uruguayan footballer (Peñarol).
 * Santi Ibáñez, 58, Spanish actor (El Cor de la Ciutat, Plats Bruts), lung cancer.
 * F. Ross Johnson, 85, Canadian businessman (RJR Nabisco), pneumonia.
 * John Kelly, 84, British boxer.
 * Aleksander Koj, 81, Polish biochemist.
 * Ferdinand Kübler, 97, Swiss racing cyclist, Tour de France winner (1950).
 * Judith Mason, 78, South African painter.
 * Jinpachi Nezu, 69, Japanese actor (Farewell to the Land), pneumonia.
 * Maurice M. Paul, 84, American judge.
 * Norman Rimmington, 93, English footballer (Hartlepool, Barnsley), kidney failure.
 * William Salice, 83, Italian businessman and inventor (Kinder Surprise), stroke.
 * Lucien Schaeffer, 88, French footballer (Valenciennes, RC Strasbourg).
 * Gustav Schmidt, 90, German Olympic canoeist.
 * Peter Tamm, 88, German publishing manager (Axel Springer Verlag).
 * Olga Ulianova, 53, Russian-Chilean historian, cancer.
 * Philip Wolfe, 89, American mathematician.
 * Wacław Zalewski, 99, Polish construction engineer.

30

 * Ad-Diba, 89, Egyptian football player (Al Ittihad Alexandria Club).
 * Cara Rafaela, 23, American racehorse, euthanized. (death announced on this date)
 * Rich Conaty, 62, American disc jockey, lymphoma.
 * Thomas Ludger Dupré, 83, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts (1995–2004).
 * Selig S. Harrison, 89, American journalist, blood disorder.
 * Gabriel Jiménez Remus, 76, Mexican diplomat and politician, Ambassador to Cuba (2007–2013) and Spain (2001–2007), member of the Senate of the Republic (1994–2000) and Congress of Jalisco (1988–1991).
 * George Kosana, 81, American actor (Night of the Living Dead).
 * Con Linton, 78, New Zealand Olympic sailor.
 * Jan Lutomski, 79, Polish Olympic swimmer (1960).
 * Justo Mullor García, 84, Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, Apostolic Nuncio (1979–2000), President of Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (2000–2007).
 * Judith Ortiz Cofer, 64, Puerto Rican-American writer, liver cancer.
 * Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, 84, Indian politician.
 * Gopal Rath, 71, Indian poet.
 * Glen L. Rudd, 98, American general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Huston Smith, 97, American religious scholar and author (The World's Religions).
 * Matt Snorton, 74, American football player (Denver Broncos).
 * Sutter Brown, 13, American Welsh Corgi belonging to Governor of California Jerry Brown.
 * Allan Williams, 86, English businessman and promoter (The Beatles).
 * Rose Wolfe, 100, Canadian social worker and philanthropist, chancellor of the University of Toronto.
 * Tyrus Wong, 106, Chinese-born American artist and film production illustrator (Bambi, Around the World in 80 Days).

31

 * James S. Ackerman, 97, American architectural historian.
 * Imtiaz Ahmed, 88, Pakistani Test cricketer, chest infection.
 * José Ángel Sánchez Asiaín, 87, Spanish economist.
 * Raj Brar, 44, Indian singer and actor.
 * William Christopher, 84, American actor (M*A*S*H, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Smurfs), small-cell carcinoma.
 * Henning Christophersen, 77, Danish politician, Foreign Minister (1978–1979), Finance Minister (1982–1984), Vice-President of the European Commission (1985–1995).
 * Sir Dennis Faulkner, 90, British officer in the Royal Navy.
 * Peter Fernando, 77, Indian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Tuticorin (1999–2003) and Archbishop of Madurai (2003–2014).
 * Edward Gamble, 81, Canadian Olympic archer.
 * He Qun, 60, Chinese film director (Country Teachers), heart attack.
 * Keiichi Ishizaka, 71, Japanese businessman (Universal Music Japan).
 * Manjurul Islam Liton, 48, Bangladeshi politician, MP (since 2009), shot.
 * Henk Koning, 83, Dutch politician, MP (1967–1977, 1981–1982, 1986, 1989–1991).
 * David Meltzer, 79, American poet and musician, stroke.
 * Shirley Neil Pettis, 92, American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 37th congressional district (1975–1979).
 * Prince Dimitri Romanov, 90, Russian prince, banker, philanthropist, and author, claimant to the headship of the Imperial House of Russia.
 * Orvis Sigler, 94, American college basketball coach (Army, Centenary).
 * Eva Šuranová, 70, Hungarian-born Czechoslovak athlete, Olympic bronze medalist (1972).
 * Robert Taussat, 96, French historian and author.