With the recent death of famous astronaut John Glenn on Dec. 8, it is hard not to think of all the notable people that have passed away in 2016. With a total of 42 notable death this year, 2016 holds the record for the decade.

According to the BBC, they published twice as many obituaries in the first quarter of 2016 compared to 2015, and five times as many compared to 2012. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey of the Eagles, Harper Lee, George Martin, Frank Sinatra Jr., Steve Young, Earl Hamner Jr., and quite a few more all passed within the first three months of this year.

Some would say that the reasoning for this spike in mortality rate is connected to the baby boomer generation, which makes up 23% of the US population according to the census bureau. With a larger number of people within that age group, it makes sense for there to be a higher rate of them becoming famous, and in turn, a higher rate of mortality.

The rest of 2016 saw a 30% increase in pre-prepared obituaries according to BBC. As for the latter half of 2016, the number of notable deaths fell into line with past years. However, that didn’t make the deaths of Guy Clark, Muhammad Ali, Kimbo Slice, Elie Wiesel, Arnold Palmer, or Florence Henderson any easier for their admirers.

As 2016 comes to an end it is hard not to remember it as an astonishingly strange year. However, it should also be remembered as a year that reintroduced some important figures in our culture to younger generations, and a year of continued legacies. Many of these notable figures have inspired people since they were children and continued to do so all of their life. Most importantly they will continue to inspire and influence the coming generations, including our generation who will go on to become notable people in their own respect. At least that’s the kind of hopeful thinking that should encourage us to learn from 2016, and embrace 2017.