Drewsky1211

Uri Geller is 76.

44 David Bowie – Space Oddity +4 38 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 34 Donna Summer – I Feel Love 31 Blondie – Heart of Glass 29 ABBA – Knowing Me , Knowing You 29 Gary Numan – Cars 28 ABBA – The Name of the Game 22 Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive 22 Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie 20 Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody 16 The Sweet – Blockbuster -3 16 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water 14 T.Rex – Get It On 14 10cc – I'm Not in Love 13 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 9 Nilsson - Without You -3 9 Alice Cooper – School's Out 4 ABBA – Waterloo

Jimmy Hill died on this day 7 years ago, aged 87. (just look at that magnificent Habsburg jaw) Hill was a footballer who played for Brentford FC beginning in 1949, and then Fulham in 1952. In 1961, he became the manager of Coventry City FC, and would remain so until 1967. Hill would then become a TV personality, co-hosting the 1970 World Cup on ITV. In 1973, he joined Match of the Day as its main presenter before hosting duties were switched to Des Lynam in 1988. Hill would remain on the show until 1999, notably being at the Hillsborough crush in 1989. Hill would then host Jimmy Hill's Sunday Supplement on Sky Sports until 2007. And now for something completely different... Did you know that Hill was the true and honest creator of Sonichu, the first openly-homosexual children's cartoon character? He planned to launch the series sometime in late 2008. Someone accused Hill of stealing his idea, but his art (seen on the right) was of poor-quality, and deemed fake. In all seriousness, the Something Awful roleplay account Oedipus Rex Chris-chan fell for introduced Hill to a more international audience (particularly those trolling Chris at the time). The real Hill was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease around the same time the "Jimmy Hill Saga" occurred, which was revealed five years later- surprised he was never on the list due to this.

Composer Walter Murphy is 70. Best known for his 1976 song "A Fifth of Beethoven"... ...and composing the music to several of Seth MacFarlane's shows.

37 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 34 Donna Summer – I Feel Love 34 Blondie – Heart of Glass 31 David Bowie – Space Oddity 27 10cc – I'm Not in Love 26 ABBA – Knowing Me , Knowing You 26 Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody +4 25 Gary Numan – Cars 23 The Sweet – Blockbuster 22 Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive 22 Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie 20 ABBA – The Name of the Game 20 Nilsson – Without You 18 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water 16 T.Rex – Get It On 13 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 12 Alice Cooper – School's Out  8 Don McLean – Vincent 6 Suzi Quatro – Can the Can -6 4 ABBA – Waterloo

Ronnie Biggs died on this day 9 years ago, aged 84. A lot of people here already know the below information- but for those new: Biggs was a burglar who was dishonorably discharged from the RAF. In 1963, desperate for cash to buy a house for his family, Biggs and a group of fourteen others (including Bruce Reynolds, whom he had met in prison) robbed a Royal Mail train, taking 2.6 million pounds- he received 147,000 of them. Biggs would be caught and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment- he escaped fifteen months in. From there, Biggs managed to flee to Brussels, asking his wife to meet him in Paris with their children. In 1966, they then went to Australia, and moved to Brazil in 1969 when Interpol was closing in on them. Brazil did not have an extradition treaty with the UK at the time. Biggs was found in 1974, but was not extradited even after an extradition treaty was made in 1997. Due to his worldwide travels, he earned the nickname "The Ambassador". In 2001, Biggs decided to return to the UK to die. He was immediately arrested upon landing, and did not receive any extra time on his sentence for escape and evading authorities. His health continued to deteriorate while imprisoned, which included contracting a severe staph infection and a rumored heart attack. In 2009, following a series of strokes, Biggs was released on compassionate grounds. Sometime during 2010, Biggs became aware of this site, having made appearances on every list since 2000, except for 2001- often appearing within the top five spots each year. His publisher (@CriticalDivide) provided updates on him, and Biggs would make Facebook posts after having purchased (currently unavailable) DeathList merchandise. Biggs also mentioned DeathList at his autobiography launch in 2011. Biggs is so far the only DeathList alumnus to have publicly reacted to being on the list- the "Ambassador" nickname was also apt for this reason. Following his death, one final statement was released: "You always did warn me that you would win in the end, so congratulations and thanks for your patience over these many years. I was honoured to be your ambassador and will miss you probably more than you will miss me. And if you ask, yes it was a life worth living, even with the regrets. I hope you all get as much out of life as I have. See you on the other side."

Brad Pitt is 59.

29 David Bowie – Space Oddity 28 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 27 Donna Summer – I Feel Love 25 Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody +4 24 10cc – I'm Not in Love 23 Blondie – Heart of Glass 22 Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie 22 ABBA – Knowing Me, Knowing You 22 Gary Numan – Cars 20 ABBA – The Name of the Game 20 Nilsson – Without You 20 Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive 20 The Sweet – Blockbuster 20 T.Rex – Get It On 19 Don McLean – Vincent 19 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water 19 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 17 Alice Cooper – School's Out 17 Suzi Quatro – Can the Can 14 Bay City Rollers – Bye Bye Baby 13 ABBA – Waterloo 10 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 9 ABBA – Fernando 8 Blondie – Sunday Girl -6 7 Slade – Coz I Luv You

Leopold II of Belgium died on this day 113 years ago, aged 74. Leopold's reign began following the death of his father Leopold I in 1865. Domestically, Leopold was known for commissioning many buildings throughout Belgium, earning him the nickname of "The Builder King". Today, however, Leopold has been viewed as one of the most vile human beings to have lived. In 1879, Leopold commissioned Henry Morton Stanley to explore the basin of the Congo River. Stanley made treaties that effectively gave the native people's land to Leopold, and in 1885, once Europe recognized his claims, the king established the Congo Free State. Leopold used his new colony to increase his personal wealth with the export of rubber, and he would do anything to obtain the material. During this time period, all of the natives were effectively enslaved, with colonial officials beating the local populations into submission- men, women, children, they all harvested rubber. Officials would also take hostages to ensure that rubber quotas were being met. And if they weren't... the officials would cut off a hand (and maybe also a foot)- children as young as five were murdered this way. Estimates suggest that between one and a half to 13 million Congolese died; disease was also a factor. People were indeed made aware of Leopold's actions, and he was criticized in contemporary media. Protesters would also boo at his funeral. This, however, did not stop statues from being erected decades after his death, and it only took the George Floyd protests in 2020 to take many of them down.

Pope Francis is 86.

61 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 57 Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking 50 Gary Numan – Cars 49 Blondie – Heart of Glass 21 Bee Gees – Tragedy +4 19 The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star 13 Blondie – Sunday Girl -4 8 The Police – Message in a Bottle  5 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick -2  4 Bee Gees – Night Fever

Harland Sanders died on this day 42 years ago, aged 90. Sanders became a Kentucky Colonel in 1935- he did indeed serve in the army, but never achieved that rank. During the Great Depression, Sanders opened a gas station, where he would serve travelers food such as steaks, ham, biscuits, and fried chicken. He soon built a restaurant nearby called the Sanders Cafe, which was destroyed in a fire in 1939. The cafe would be rebuilt with a new motel next to it. In 1952, Sanders franchised his secret recipe, which managed to find a niche in the fast food industry (then dominated by burger joints). Within a decade, Kentucky Fried Chicken was the largest fast food business in the United States. Sanders was unable to manage its over 600 restaurants, and so he sold the company- he was in his early 70s, and did not have an heir to the recipe. Sanders would remain the face of the company after selling it- and remains so long after his death... which includes some weird things. (Yes, KFC actually made these. This post is a reminder that Colonel Sanders was a real person and not just a corporate mascot.)

Quentin Blake is 90. Best known for illustrating many of Roald Dahl's books.

60 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 51 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 50 Blondie – Heart of glass 49 Gary Numan - Cars 22 Police – Message in a bottle 21 Bee Gees – Tragedy +4 20 ABBA – Take a chance on me -3 19 Blondie – Sunday Girl -2 14 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 13 Bee Gees - Night Fever 8 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick -1

Harold Camping died on this day 9 years ago, aged 92. Camping was an evangelist who began broadcasting his sermons on radio beginning in 1958. Camping also made a book in 1970 that attempted to pinpoint dates on certain biblical events. For example, he put the creation of the world at 11013 BC, and Noah's flood at 4990 BC. However, Camping would become infamous for his attempts at predicting the date of the rapture. His first prediction was September 6, 1994, and then moved the goalposts to a few weeks later. His second prediction, made in 2005, gained a lot more traction- May 21, 2011. This was in part due to one of his followers purchasing advertising space on a billboard, and eventually, these numbered to be over 5,000 worldwide. While many church leaders rejected Camping's claim (citing Matthew 24:36), his believers went as far as quitting their jobs and selling their homes. The day passed as usual, but Camping maintained his belief that the world would be ending five months from then- and October came to pass as well. Camping retired five days before the supposed apocalypse, most likely due to a stroke he suffered in June. In 2012 (the year of another popular doomsday theory), Camping admitted he was wrong, with many publications labeling him a false prophet, and some former believers considered him to be nothing more than a cult leader. By the time of his death, Family Radio (his radio station) had to sell several of its stations due to a major loss of revenue due to the amount they spent advertising Camping's prediction. Incidentally, they stopped re-broadcasting Camping's sermons in 2018.

Don Johnson is 73.

58 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 50 Blondie – Heart of glass 47 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 45 Gary Numan - Cars 34 Bee Gees - Night Fever 26 ABBA – Take a chance on me 24 Police – Message in a bottle 23 Bee Gees – Tragedy +4 18 Blondie – Sunday Girl -6 16 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 15 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 7 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive

George Washington died on this day 223 years ago, aged 67. You may have heard some misconceptions about Washington. 1) The "I cannot tell a lie" cherry tree incident- that was a story made up by Mason Weems in his biography of Washington to inspire the youths of the nation's moral compasses. 2) His teeth were made of wood- Washington began losing his teeth to tooth decay when he was 24 years old, and by the time he became president in 1789, he had one real tooth left. His dentures were actually made of ivory, brass, gold, and... teeth that he bought from his slaves. Anyway, here's how he died: Washington went out for a ride in the snow, and the next day, complained of a sore throat. His chest became congested that night, and the next morning, had difficulty breathing. From there, Washington's doctors arrived, and began bloodletting, which was of no benefit- five pints of blood were drained from his body (about half of all blood in an adult). Washington died around 10:30 that evening- it was the last day of the week within the last month of the year of the last year of the 1700s. Modern scholars believe that he simply had viral epiglottitis, and that the bloodletting exacerbated his condition (Washington would've lived with modern-day medicine). Following his death, shockingly enough, King George III- his main adversary in the American Revolution- ordered Royal Navy battleships to lower their flags to half-mast, and one London newspaper wrote "the whole range of history does not present to our view a character upon which we can dwell with such entire and unmixed admiration". Washington declared his slaves to be freed in his will, although this did not occur until New Year's Day in 1801.

Dilma Rousseff is 75.

58 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 50 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 45 Blondie – Heart of glass 41 Gary Numan - Cars 35 Bee Gees - Night Fever 33 Bee Gees – Tragedy +2 28 Police – Message in a bottle 26 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 22 ABBA – Take a chance on me 22 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive +2 13 Blondie – Sunday Girl -3 13 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 11 Tubeway Army – Are “Friends” Electric 0 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday -3

Lew Grade died on this day 24 years ago, aged 91. Grade was born as Lev Winogradsky in what is now Ukraine. His family fled when he was 5 years old, and settled in London, changing their names. Grade was originally a professional dancer, being declared the Charleston Champion of the World at a contest at the Royal Albert Hall in 1926. He then became a talent agent, and in 1954, founded ITC Entertainment. Among the shows over his career that he funded included The Adventures of Robin Hood, Crossroads, and Thunderbirds (the latter after acquiring AP Films). In the 1970s, Grade would finance Jim Henson, helping bring The Muppet Show to TV- Grade would also be the executive producer of the first two Muppet films, and also helped produce The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Grade would also produce several Razzie-nominated films in the early '80s, such as Raise the Titanic, Saturn 3, and The Legend of the Lone Ranger. Because of these financial and critical failures, Grade was dismissed from his company. Norman Lear got him to lead the London division of Embassy Pictures until it was bought and absorbed by the De Laurentiis Film Group in 1986. Grade died less than two weeks before his 92nd birthday (Christmas), and made two appearances on the DeathList in 1989 and 1998.

Steve Buscemi is 65.

54 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 45 Blondie – Heart of glass 41 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 37 Bee Gees - Night Fever 37 Gary Numan - Cars 31 Bee Gees – Tragedy +2 30 ABBA – Take a chance on me 30 Police – Message in a bottle 26 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 23 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 22 Tubeway Army – Are “Friends” Electric 20 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive +2 12 Blondie – Sunday Girl -2 11 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 10 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday -4

John le Carre died on this day 2 years ago, aged 89. Le Carre was born David Cornwell, and during the Cold War, he served in MI5 and MI6, spying on suspected communists. While employed in 1962, Cornwell began to novels based on his experience, taking his pseudonym due to the fact that he was forbidden to publish in his own name. One of his first works, A Murder of Quality, introduced his most well-known character, George Smiley. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was published in 1974 and is considered one of le Carre's best novels, featuring Smiley tasked to find a Soviet mole in MI6. This was a work of social commentary, partly based on the defection of Kim Philby- alluded to as Gerald, said mole. It was adapted as a miniseries in 1979 starring Alec Guinness as Smiley, and as a movie in 2011 with Gary Oldman playing the role. Le Carre continued writing spy novels (continuing to include occasional topical satire) up until his death.

Bob Barker is 99.