1616 deaths

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "the Bard". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.

Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright (1547-1616)

founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan (1543–1616)

Spanish chronicler (1539-1616)

16th century Italian architect (1548–1616)

English playwright (1584–1616)

Tatar Khan, Grand Prince of Rus

English author, editor and translator (1553–1616)

Russian military leader

Consort of Ferdinand, who after her death became Emperor Ferdinand II; (1574-1616)

Dutch mariner and explorer (c.1585–1616)

16th century German doctor and chemist

German astronomer

Chinese playwright (1550-1616)

duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1575-1616)

Abbess of Gernrode, Electress of Saxony, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg

Landgravine consort of Hesse-Darmstadt

Flemish physician and botanist (1538-1616)

painter from the Northern Netherlands (1548-1616)

French judge

Irish earl and military leader

Grand Marshal of Lithuanian (1549-1616)

Palatine of Hungary (1557-1616)

historian

Austrian archduke (1583-1616)

German astronomer and mathematician (1537-1616)

Italian cardinal

Engraver from Lorraine (1575-1616)

Italian scientist and astronomer

Catholic cardinal (1533-1616)

17th-century Catholic cardinal

Flemish painter (1542–1616)

German princess (1561-1616)

Italian Jesuit

Countess of Nassau (1556-1616)

British theatrical entrepreneur

Polish noble

Danish historian (1542-1616)

Italian painter (c.1578-1616)

Italian painter (1547-1616)

English theologian

Princely Count of Arenberg

Spanish Jesuit

French physician and founder of modern epidemiology

Flemish Protestant clergyman and scholar

Military commander and daimyo in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Jewish-Moroccan merchant, diplomat and pirate

German theologian

(1547-1616) Catholic cardinal

Italian anatomist

Japanese samurai

Italian engineer

German countess (1541-1616)

German diplomat

Italian soldier

Persian poet (1537–1616)

Queen of Patani

French civil engineer, topographical draughtsman, and architect (1559–1616)

Dutch organist and composer

Moroccan writer