This year saw the passing of politicians and pop stars, civil rights activists and sitcom actors. Here's a look back at some notable people who died in 2012, having made their mark on the world.
See also: All of The Atlantic's year-in-review coverage
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Tom McNichol, a frequent contributor to TheAtlantic.com, is a San Francisco writer whose work has also appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and on NPR's "All Things Considered."