Drewsky1211

JJ Abrams is 56.

Also on this day 19 years ago- Strom Thurmond, aged 100. Thurmond was elected to the South Carolina Senate in 1932, and then as governor in 1946. In 1948, Thurmond ran as a third-party candidate for president as a member of the States' Rights Democratic Party- AKA Dixiecrat Party- and got 39 electoral votes. After the death of unopposed senator Burnet Maybank in 1954, Thurmond was voted as a write-in candidate to succeed him, and he took office in December of that year. In 1957, during his first term, Thurmond notoriously delivered the longest filibuster that Congress has seen so far in opposition of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, clocking in at just over a day. The bill was passed by the Senate two hours later. His second term was marred by more segregationist policies- he also opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, and switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, saying that the former party "no longer represented people like him (sic)". Thurmond would serve eight terms in total before retiring in January 2003- he was the Dean since 1989, and the only centenarian in Congress. Two days before retirement, Thurmond appeared on DeathList for his only appearance, at the number 8 spot. In his obit, it is mentioned that he was nearly omitted from the list due to the "famousness in the UK" criteria- he received a Guardian obit. News of his death was likely picked up hours, if not even less time, after Denis Thatcher's (Thatcher is considered hit #5, Thurmond #6).

Gedde Watanabe is 67.

Michael Jackson died on this day 13 years ago, aged 50. His death literally broke the Internet- AOL, Twitter, Wikipedia (the latter's page had one million visits in one hour), even Google all crashed.

Carly Simon is 77. For those wondering why she was on DeathList 1999, it was because she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.

Grover Cleveland died on this day 114 years ago, aged 71. I'm pretty sure most of you know that he is so far the only American president to hold the office nonconsecutively (1885-1889 and 1893-1897)- here's an interesting story regarding his health in office. During his second term in 1893, Cleveland's doctor found a tumor in his mouth (whether it was benign or malignant has been debated). Not wanting the media to become concerned over his health, Cleveland arranged for his surgery to occur on a boat off of Long Island, and he didn't even tell Vice President Stevenson about it. Cleveland was strapped into a chair, tied around the ship's mast, and sedated. To avoid disfigurement, his surgeons operated through his mouth. They removed part of his upper jaw, and during a second operation, it was replaced with a rubber prosthetic. One of the surgeons, EJ Edwards, revealed this in September of that year- the White House denied his claims and accused Edwards of lying. It wasn't until 1917, nine years after Cleveland's death, that another surgeon (William Keen) wrote about the events to no objection.

Lionel Messi is 35.

Peter Falk died on this day 11 years ago, aged 83. Falk started as a stage actor, appearing in versions of The Crucible and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He made his Broadway debut in 1956 in Diary of a Scoundrel. Falk initially failed screen tests due to his glass eye (his right eye was removed when he was three due to childhood retinal cancer), but made his breakout role in the 1960 film Murder, Inc. as Abe Reles, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He was again nominated in 1961 for his role in Pocketful in Miracles, and appeared in films such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race. Falk also began his television career in the 1950s, which included an episode of The Twilight Zone. In 1961 and 1962, Falk was nominated for two Emmys thanks to his roles in The Law and Mr. Jones and The Dick Powell Theatre. In 1971, Falk began to star in his most well known role: the title character of Columbo, winning four Emmys for his role. The show ran all the way to 2003- there was a nine-year hiatus between seasons 7 and 8, and season 10 was largely a series of specials that began in 1990. Flash forward to 2008- Peter Falk has Alzheimer's disease. He was kept under a conservatorship until his death, and his family was not notified of his condition, death and funeral arrangements (though they probably saw the news on TV). In 2015, New York passed "Peter Falk's Law", which guarantees the children of terminally-ill people in a conservatorship get medical updates on their parents' health.

Jason Mraz is 45.

Judy Garland died on this day 53 years ago, aged 47. Garland is someone who needs no introduction- she's best known for The Wizard of Oz (and to a lesser extent, the 1954 A Star is Born), and being the mother of Liza Minnelli. Garland died of a barbiturate addiction. An interesting fact that regards Garland is that her daughter was once married to the son of Jack Haley (who co-starred as the Tin Man).

Prunella Scales is 90.

Carroll O'Connor died on this day 21 years ago, aged 76. In the 1960s, O'Connor appeared in episodes of The Wild Wild West, I Spy, and Mission: Impossible. He was considered for the role as the Skipper in Gilligan's Island and the antagonist Dr. Smith in Lost in Space. In 1968, Norman Lear asked O'Connor (after asking Mickey Rooney) to star in the pilot of a show he called Justice for All as Archie Justice. The pilot was reworked into an Americanized version of the British Till Death Us Do Part, with Archie being based off of the character Alf Garnett. Archie's last name was changed to "Bunker", and the show became known as All in the Family. Archie's character was that of a misanthropic bigot who hated everyone, who also made plenty of gaffes. The character also showed development by accepting the differences of his friends over time. Archie became the show's breakout character, and in the 1972 election, people began to use the term "Archie Bunker vote" to describe voters that were urban, working-class white people. He won four Emmys during his time on the show. After All in the Family ended in 1979, O'Connor starred in the spin-off series called Archie Bunker's Place. The series ended in 1983. From 1988 to 1995, O'Connor starred in In the Heat of the Night, a sequel series to the original novel. In 1995, his son Hugh's suicide following drug addiction led him to rally for the families of the deceased to be allowed to sue the drug dealer for liability, which was passed by the California government in 1997. O'Connor had a history of heart problems. He underwent bypass surgery in 1989, and underwent a second surgery in 1998. O'Connor was also diabetic, and a heart attack exacerbated by his condition was what caused his death.

Chris Pratt is 43.

William IV, King of the UK, died on this day 185 years ago, aged 71. William was the third child of King George III, and was the only member of the British royal family to be a veteran of the American Revolution. George Washington plotted to kidnap him during the war- this was uncovered, and William received bodyguards. William was given honorary naval titles during the Napoleonic Wars. William's father died in 1820 after a 59-year reign, making him second in line to the throne. His older brother Frederick died in 1827, making him heir apparent, and William became king in 1830 following the death of his brother, George IV- whose only children were illegitimate. William also had plenty of love children- twelve in total. In 1831, William faced a parliamentary crisis- following the Tory defeat in 1830, a reform bill that would give larger cities more power over tiny villages that elected more MPs than they did was defeated. A second reform bill was denied passage, and riots ensued. The Reform Act of 1832 was passed when William threatened to create new peers, which the opposition did not like. This act would later cause the House of Commons to overtake the power of the House of Lords. During William's reign, child labor was limited and slavery was abolished. William died in 1837 after almost exactly seven years on the throne, and the crown went to his niece Victoria.

Anne Murray is 77.

Maximilian I of Mexico died on this day 155 years ago, aged 34. Maximilian was actually a member of the Austrian royal family- he was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. In 1859, several Mexican monarchists approached Maximilian wanting him to become Emperor of Mexico- he was seen as a legitimate claim as the Habsburg dynasty (of which he was descended from) were the rulers of Spain at the time they were conquering Mexico in the 1500s. In 1861, Mexican diplomat Jose Gutierrez de Estrada sent him a formal letter- at the time, France was attempting to install a monarchy loyal to their interests. Emperor Napoleon III succeeded in this, and invited Maximilian to claim the throne, to which he accepted. Maximilian was declared emperor in April 1864 and arrived in Mexico one month later, to hostile reception from Mexicans. Maximilian and his wife, Carlota, had no children of their own, but adopted two so he could have an heir- the heir apparent's biological mother wished for his return to her, and Maximilian had her exiled. Mexico's leadership was immediately contested, as citizens still recognized Benito Juarez as president. In 1865, US President Andrew Johnson invoked the Monroe Doctrine, also recognizing Juarez's legitimacy. In response, Maximilian invited Confederate soldiers to move to Mexico and form colonies there. Maximilian also banned militias and executed their members, fueling the resistance movement. In 1866, Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico, and encouraged Maximilian to leave. Juarez's supporters recaptured Mexico City on May 15, 1867, and Maximilian was caught the day after, trying to escape through enemy lines. He was court-martialed and sentenced to death. Maximilian, along with two of his generals, were executed by firing squad on June 19, 1867. His body was embalmed- here's a creepy picture of his mummy below: It was later sailed back to Austria, and interred in the Imperial Crypt.

Paula Abdul is 60.

Vera Lynn died on this day 2 years ago, aged 103. Lynn got her start in 1937 as a backup singer for bandleader Bert Ambrose. In 1939, Lynn recorded her signature song, "We'll Meet Again". This song's popularity exploded once World War II began, as British soldiers listened to it as an anthem to their families left behind. In 1940, Lynn was ranked as the number one performer for British troops- she would often perform in front of servicemen both domestically and overseas, and became known as "The Forces' Sweetheart". Another song, "The White Cliffs of Dover", was another wartime anthem. After the war, Lynn would continue to find success- these included "You Can't Be True, Dear", and "Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart"- the latter topped the US charts in 1952. In the 1960s, Lynn was the host of a variety show on the BBC, and was frequently a performer on Morecambe and Wise's annual Christmas specials. She was knighted in the 1975 Birthday Honours. She performed "We'll Meet Again" outside of Buckingham Palace and in Trafalgar Square to mark the 50th and 60th anniversaries of VE Day. Lynn made her first appearance on the DeathList in 2006, and made twelve appearances in total- her highest rank was the number two spot in 2017 (Kirk Douglas was the only one above her).

Paul McCartney is 80. "Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah".

New picture. EDIT: Twitter saying that this picture was from 2017.

Mumtaz Mahal died on this day 391 years ago, aged 38. Mahal was born into a noble Persian family in the Mughal Empire. Her aunt, Nur Jahan, was one of the wives of the emperor Jahangir. In 1607, she was betrothed to Jahangir's son, prince Khurram, and they were married five years later, once they were adults. Khurram was enamored with her- as a polygamist, Mumtaz was his favorite wife, so much that he was rarely seen with his other spouses. She became empress consort in 1628 after Khurram overthrew his brother, and took the regnal name Shah Jahan- he made Mumtaz' father the Grand Vizier. Her husband would often consult her for advice- this included the commuting of criminals' death sentences. She was a patron of the arts (particularly in the field of poetry), and enjoyed watching elephant fights. Mahal died from complications of childbirth after her fourteenth pregnancy. Shah Jahan isolated himself for a year- he ordered the construction of a grand mausoleum for her. Work began on it in 1632, and it was completed in 1653. Shah Jahan was interred there following his death in 1666. This mausoleum is the Taj Mahal- one of the world's most-visited tourist spots.

Barry Manilow is 79.

Hypocritical Apolitical rocket scientist Wernher von Braun died on this day 45 years ago, aged 65. Gather 'round while I tell you of Wernher von Braun, a man whose allegiance was ruled by expedience. Call him a Nazi, he wouldn't have frowned- Von Braun applied to join the party in 1937. Von Braun was always fascinated by the idea of space travel, and the party was in turn fascinated by his ideas. He developed the V-2, the first long-range ballistic missile, which were constructed with the help of concentration camp slave labor. The first of these was launched into Paris in 1944- other major destinations included London and Antwerp. Distrust within the party led to Von Braun being accused of being a communist sympathizer, and he was detained but released after two weeks. In order to save himself from the Soviets, he chose to surrender to American forces in Austria. He was at the top of the military's "Black List"- a list of German scientists and engineers wanted for their secrets. Von Braun was among the first scientists to be transferred into the US Army in what is now known as Operation Paperclip. Von Braun led the nuclear program and developed the Redstone warheads, used for the first nuclear tests. In 1956, he modified the Redstone rocket into the Jupiter-C, a predecessor to NASA's Juno program that sent the first American satellites into space. Von Braun would work for NASA's Mercury and Apollo programs, and he advocated for interplanetary travel to Mars- he also advocated for orbital strike warfare. Von Braun retired in 1972. Von Braun was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1973- albeit, his cause of death was pancreatic cancer (possible metastasis). In terms of popular culture, the character of Dr. Strangelove was based off of Von Braun. You may have also noticed that I used lyrics from Tom Lehrer's 1965 song regarding Von Braun's nefarious past as the introduction.

Simeon II, the final Tsar of Bulgaria (reigned 1943-1946 in a regency) is 85. This wasn't the last time he would be the leader of his country- he was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005 (by then known as Simeon Sakskoburggotski).

John Connally died on this day 29 years ago, aged 76. Connally began his political career as an aide for then-senator Lyndon Johnson, and he rallied for Johnson's 1960 presidential campaign. After LBJ was selected as JFK's vice president, he convinced Kennedy to appoint Connally to be Secretary of the Navy, which he did. Connally left the position in December of 1961 to run for Governor of Texas, and he beat Republican Jack Cox 54-46%. On November 22, 1963, Connally, along with his wife Nellie, were passengers in President Kennedy's limousine- Kennedy had visited Dallas to ease Democratic infighting between Connally, senator Ralph Yarborough, and local politician Don Yarborough (no relation). As they were passing through Dealey Plaza, Connally recognized a noise as a rifle shot, and looked behind him- he was shot in the back, and Kennedy had been fatally shot in the head. Connally successfully underwent surgery. Connally did not believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin, though he denied this in public (this was revealed in a 1982 interview). Connally was suggested as a potential running mate for Hubert Humphrey in 1968, but Connally accused Humphrey of being too soft on Vietnam. Connally left office in 1969. In 1971, Richard Nixon appointed him as Secretary of the Treasury in a bipartisan move- Connally accepted on behalf that George H. W. Bush (who recently lost a Senate race to Lloyd Bentsen) find a position in his administration- Nixon made him the UN Ambassador. Connally changed his political affiliation to Republican in 1973. Connally announced his 1980 presidential campaign in January of 1979, and withdrew following the South Carolina primary, endorsing Ronald Reagan. He got 82,625 votes in total during the primaries (0.64% of the total vote). Following Connally's death from pulmonary fibrosis, the US Justice Department was petitioned to remove the remaining bullet fragments from his body to disprove the Warren Commission's conclusion- they declared they had no legal authority to do so, and that it was Connally's family's decision. They declined.