A year like no other began with the shock death of basketball star and Oscar-winner Kobe Bryant before a pandemic upended life as we knew it.
Here are some of the high-profile figures who said their final goodbyes over the last 12 months:
25. Dame Diana Rigg
Veteran actress Dame Diana, known for her roles in The Avengers, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Game Of Thrones, died at the age of 82. She had been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year and died peacefully at home, her daughter said.
26. Margaret Nolan
Bond girl Nolan was the gold-painted model in the Goldfinger title sequence, the movie in which she also played 007’s masseuse Dink. She died aged 76.
27. Eddie Van Halen
Van Halen was lauded as one of the greatest rock music guitarists ever after he died at 65 following a battle with cancer. His son Wolfgang announced the death and said “my heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss”.
28. Frank Bough
Former TV presenter Bough, one of the best-known hosts of the 1970s and 1980s, died at the age of 87. Gary Lineker was among those to pay tribute, describing Bough as “a brilliant presenter who made it all look so easy”.
29. Sir Sean Connery
Sir Sean, who died peacefully in his sleep aged 90, was seen in the eyes of many as the ultimate James Bond. Among the world leaders and celebrities to pay tribute, Pierce Brosnan, one of Sir Sean’s 007 successors, said he “cast a long shadow of cinematic splendour that will live on forever”.
30. Des O’Connor
O’Connor, an all-round entertainer whose career and popularity spanned decades, died at the age of 88, days after he suffered a fall at home. Melanie Sykes, who fronted Today With Des And Mel alongside O’Connor, paid tribute to him, saying it was an “education and a privilege to work with him”.