AKIPRESS.COM - In 2016, we lost many. 2016 has felt like one long goodbye to some of the greatest persons in the world.

Some deaths were expected. Others caught us by complete surprise. All will be missed.

The world lost superstar musicians, stars of stage and screen, some of the greatest athletes of all time and larger-than-life political figures in 2016. 

Here's a look at some of the many famous figures who passed away this year:

David Bowie

David Bowie, 69, the other-worldly musician who broke pop and rock boundaries with his creative musicianship that spanned six decades, striking visuals and a genre-spanning persona he christened Ziggy Stardust, died on Jan. 10.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman, 69, the classically-trained British stage star and sensual screen villain in the "Harry Potter" saga, "Die Hard" and other films, died on Jan. 14.

Harper Lee

Harper Lee, 89, the elusive novelist whose child's-eye view of racial injustice in a small Southern town, "To Kill a Mockingbird," became standard reading for millions of young people and an Oscar-winning film, died on Feb. 19.

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan, 94, an actress who became one of the most high-profile and influential first ladies of the 20th century as the wife of President Ronald Reagan, died on March 6.

Prince

Prince, 57, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times with hits including "Little Red Corvette," ''Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry," died on April 21.

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, 74, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, died on June 3.

Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin, 27, charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, died on June 19.

Lou Pearlman

Lou Pearlman, 62, the band boy mogul who launched the hit groups Backstreet Boys and 'NSync but was later sentenced to prison for a $300 million Ponzi and bank fraud scheme, died on Aug. 19.

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder, 83, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in "The Producers," the mad scientist of "Young Frankenstein," and the title character in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," died on Aug. 28.

Islam Karimov

The first president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, died of a stroke at the age of 78 on Sept. 2.

Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres, 93, the former Israeli president and prime minister, whose life story mirrored that of the Jewish state and who was celebrated around the world as a Nobel prize-winning visionary who pushed his country toward peace, died on Sept. 28.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, the world's longest reigning monarch who was revered in Thailand as an anchor of stability through decades of upheaval at home and abroad, died on Oct. 13.

Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro, 90, the cigar-chomping Cuban revolutionary leader and dictator who defied U.S. efforts to topple him for five decades, died on Nov. 25.

George Michael

George Michael, 53, the pop heartthrob whose career began with the hit duo Wham! in the 1980s and went on to have a hit solo career beginning with the chart-topping album "Faith," died on Dec. 25.

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher, 60, best known for her portrayal of the tough-talking Princess Leia who defies the Evil Empire in "Star Wars," died on Dec. 27.

Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds, 84, the actress and singer who rose to fame opposite Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain," died on Dec. 28, one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.