Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press

David Bowie has been named amongst 228 new additions to The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Updated on a yearly basis the publication compiles the lives and stories of figures considered to be the most influential people in England’s history.

Not just anybody is eligible for entry, in addition to being significant entrants must also no longer be living.

(All of the 2020 additions are figures who passed away in 2016.)

Additional entries include WHAM!‘s George Micheal and Beatles producer George Martin.

Bowie and the some 200 individuals added brings the total number of entries in the dictionary up to 63,693.

“Arguably,” the compilation notes of Bowie, “his greatest legacy was in challenging and transgressing the gendered boundaries of his youth.”

“David was a great star,” former Beatle Paul McCartney recalled of the singer shortly after his death in January 2016. “I treasure the moments we had together. His music played a very strong part in British musical history and I’m proud to think of the huge influence he has had on people all around the world… His star will shine in the sky forever.”

You can view a full list of new entries here.

To celebrate the new year, we have added over 200 British lives to our January ODNB update, including glam rocker David Bowie, vocalist George Michael, actor Alan Rickman, and architect Zaha Hadid #ODNB2020 https://t.co/sVG5FWf11l pic.twitter.com/mgPKVej4Fs

— National Biography (@odnb) January 9, 2020