10 famous personalities who passed away in 2016

 
We all know the eternal truth that who is born has to die one day, yet somehow we are never prepared for such losses. As the year 2016 comes to an end, let us take a look at 10 of the personalities that fate chose to take away from us.

They might not be physically present; however, they shall remain etched in our memories forever.
Listed below are 10 celebrities whose absence would make 2017 lot less interesting for us:

1George Michael


The latest to join the list, the British singer known for his famous Christmas song 'Last Christmas' among others, passed away peacefully in London on Christmas, December 25.

2John Glenn

Astronaut and US Senator John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth three times on Friendship 7 mission in Mercury spacecraft. He was honoured with the Distinguished Flying Cross on six occasions, and holds the Air Medal with 18 Clusters for his service during World War II and Korea. He won his senate seat in 1974 and was re-elected in 1980 with the largest margin in Ohio history. He passed away on December 8, aged 95.

3Jayalalithaa
Jayaram Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Amma to millions, she was admitted to hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. After about 75 days of hospitalisation, she passed away on December 5. The Indian actress and politician had served five terms as the CM of the state from 1991 to 2016.

4Leonard Cohen

Poet and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is best known for his composition 'Hallelujah', which was released in the 1984s Various Positions. In 2008, the Canadian singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in the year 2010, he received a Grammy for lifetime achievement. He died on November 7, at the age of 82.

5Muhammad Ali

The Olympic and World Champion boxer was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. It was only in 1975 that he changed his name and converted to Sunni Islam after joining the Nation of Islam. The heavyweight champion won 56 times in his 21 year old career. Later on, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease which impaired his motor skills and speech, but he continued with his humanitarian deeds. Ali died on June 3, from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease.

6Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson or Prince was an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer who had numerous hit numbers under his belt. He was one of the best selling artist of all time and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Known for his eclectic work and flamboyant stage presence and wide vocal range he died due to overdose from fentanyl, a powerful opioid, at his home in Minnesota, on April 21, at the age of 57.

7Nancy Reagan

The former first lady of US, during Ronald Regan's term, Nancy was known for her "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign, apart from other works that she did. Nancy died from congestive heart failure on March 6, at the age of 94.

8Harper Lee


Harper Lee is best known for writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1960). The novel garnered a lot of critical acclaim. Her second novel 'Go Set a Watchman' was published in 2015, although it was written before her best seller 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. The novel, considered as a classic of American literature, has been translated into more than 40 languages. A film with the same title was also made, which earned eight Academy Awards nomination and won three awards. She died on February 19, at the age of 89.


9Alan Rickman 

Alan Sydney Patrick Rickman or Alan Rickman as he was generally called was an English actor known for playing Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies among other notable works. He lost his battle to cancer on January 14. He was 69.(Image courtesy: Crazytwenty)

10Mufti Mohammed Sayeed

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed served as the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister twice, from 2002 to 2005 and from 2015 to 2016. He was the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (JKPDP) that he founded in 1999. He passed away due to multiple organ failure in New Delhi on the morning of January 7, after nearly a week-long hospitalisation. He was 79.