The latest update of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography adds biographies of 238 people who left their mark on the UK, and who died in the year 2021.

Born in Co Durham, Colin Bell (1946–2021) was a legendary Manchester City midfielder, part of the famous Bell-Lee-Summerby trio, whose thirteen seasons and 394 appearances with the club (1966-79), along with his international appearances during the 1960s and 1970s, secured his entry into the Manchester City and English Football halls of fame. He was given the nickname Nijinsky, after a renowned thoroughbred racehorse of the time. He was the epitome of the box-to-box player, parading his talents across the pitch, one minute helping in defence, then next setting off on a lethal run or scoring a spectacular goal, followed by an understated celebration.

The photojournalist Grace Robertson (1930–2021) documented the lives of ordinary women across Britain in features for Life and Picture Post, earning her an OBE in 1999. She was born at 28 Palatine Road, Withington, and attended local schools in the city. Her work was notable for its quiet observation, and by its empathetic approach, often documenting the everyday lives of British women.

Anthony Powell (1935– 2021) was born at 29 South Drive, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, and attended William Hulme’s Grammar School. He went on to design costumes for iconic films of the late twentieth century, including two instalments of the Indiana Jones franchise, Hook, and the live-action remake of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. He earned three Oscars for the films Travels with My Aunt (1972), Death on the Nile (1978), and Tess (1979).

Human resource management scholar Michael (Mick) Marchington (1950–2021) studied workplace power dynamics and employee participation through empirical organizational analysis. Marchington’s academic career mostly centred on Manchester. After a degree in chemical engineering at UMIST in 1971, he continued there with an MSc in management science, returned as a lecturer in 1985, and was promoted to professor in 1995, retiring in 2011. In 2004 UMIST amalgamated with the Victoria University of Manchester to form the University of Manchester.

Philip Grime (1935–2021) developed the CSR theory, which identified fundamental trade-offs governing species competition, revealing how environmental stresses shape evolutionary progress. He was born at Denison House, Victoria Park, Rusholme, and at the time of his birth, his family lived at 44 Kingsway, Alkrington, moving to 29 Bentley Avenue, between Castleton and Middleton, when he was still very young.

Sir Derek Roberts (1932–2021) is remembered equally for his pioneering work in semiconductors, which contributed to the miniaturization of computers, and for his effective leadership of University College London during two separate periods of institutional transformation. He was born at 24 Polygon Avenue, Ardwick, and remained in the city during the war. He later attended Manchester Central High School and the University of Manchester.

Eric Gordon (1931–2021) was the longtime editor of the Camden New Journal and a passionate advocate for local journalism. He was born at 92 Doncaster Avenue, Withington, and his family lived for a time in Cheetham. At one point he intended to be a rabbi, but instead became a Maoist (though a disillusioned one after being kept under house arrest in China for two years).

They join more than 5000 people with Manchester connections in the dictionary including the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and the artist L.S. Lowry.

Other prominent figures in the new edition include Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), the husband and consort of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch (whose own entry will be published next year); politicians Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby (1930-2021), Austin Mitchell (1934-2021), and Sir David Amess (1952-2021); entrepreneurs Sir Clive Sinclair (1940-2021) and Sir David Barclay (1934-2021); Nobel prize-winner Antony Hewish (1924-2021); actors Sir Antony Sher (1949-2021) and Helen McCrory (1968-2021); footballers Jimmy Greaves (1940-2021) and Ian St John (1938-2021); drummer Charlie Watts (1941-2021); journalist Katharine Whitehorn (1928-2021); anti-deportation activist Anwar Ditta (1953-2021); and charity fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore (1920-2021).
A full list of new subjects is available from the dictionary.

The Oxford DNB is the national record of people who have shaped British history, worldwide, from prehistory to the year 2021. From June 2025 the dictionary includes biographies of more than 63,000 individuals, written by over 14,000 contributors, and with more than 12,000 portrait images.