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Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on this day 8 years ago, aged 93. - Boutros-Ghali was the grandson of Boutros Ghali Pasha, who was Prime Minister of Egypt from 1908 to 1910. - Boutros-Ghali majored in international law, and received a PhD in the subject. He joined the Arab Socialist Union Party, quickly rising through its ranks to where Anwar Sadat made him Egypt's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 1977. He would help broker the peace deal between Egypt and Israel, but approved a secret weapons to Rwanda in 1990- just before the Rwandan Genocide began. - Boutros-Ghali was elected as the UN Secretary General in 1991, succeeding (fellow DeathList alumnus) Javier Perez de Cuellar. During his term, Boutros-Ghali was often at odds with the US government, to the point where he was blamed for an attack on an American helicopter during the Somali Civil War in 1993. Boutros-Ghali was also seen as an ineffective peacekeeper during the Rwandan Genocide and Bosnian War. - Outside of diplomatic issues, Boutros-Ghali was also known for an interview where he had to explain that Disneyland is not a UN member: - The US would veto Boutros-Ghali's reelection bid in 1996, leading to a deadlock until Boutros-Ghali suspended his campaign. Kofi Annan would be his successor as the UN Secretary General. - Boutros-Ghali debuted on the DeathList in 2016, and was the year's second hit (and only debuter to die that year).

The Weeknd is 34.

2/15/2024 98 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 50 Daft Punk — One More Time +4 34 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 26 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 16 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight -1 12 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids -4 6 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of -1

Raquel Welch died on this day a year ago, aged 82. - Welch was born as Jo Tejada, and went by her middle name. Her father was born in Bolivia, and she was the cousin of Bolivian president Lidia Gueiler. Welch was of primarily English ancestry on her mother's side. - Welch began entering beauty contests when she was 14, and began her acting career after graduating high school. Early roles included appearances on shows like McHale's Navy and Bewitched. - Welch's first leading role was in 1965's A Swingin' Summer, followed by more prominent roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC. The latter's promotional photo is above, which has cemented itself in popular culture following its use in The Shawshank Redemption: - Among Welch's other career highlights include Bedazzled, Bandolero, 100 Rifles, and Myra Breckinridge. - As Welch aged, she turned more to guest star roles on TV and cameos in movies- examples include Naked Gun 33 1/3, The Muppet Show, and Seinfeld: Welch's final role was as Rosa in the 2017 sitcom Date My Dad.

Art Spiegelman is 76. Not only famous for being the author of Maus- he is the co-creator of Garbage Pail Kids.

Again doing Best Animated Features. Studio Ghibli presents a story of a child meeting his favorite superhero, Heron Man, in The Boy and the Hero. Ember, a woman made of sodium, befriends an aluminum man named Wade in Element: Al. The population of an Israeli city acquires the power to shapeshift in Dimona. A dog teaches a robot all about a '60s psychedelic rock group in Robot Creams. Pika Parker joins the Spider-Society in Spidér-mon: Across the Spider-Verse.

2/14/2024 94 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 48 Daft Punk — One More Time +4 42 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 40 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 22 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids -1 19 Moloko — The Time Is Now -3 16 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag  11 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of -2

Richard II of England died on this day 624 years ago, aged 33. - Upon his birth in 1367, Richard was third in line to the English throne. His elder brother Edward died in 1370, and his father Edward the Black Prince died six years after that. - Richard became king when he was 10 years old upon his grandfather Edward III's death. In order to prevent his uncle John of Gaunt from seizing power from him, the English government would hold councils to teach Richard how to rule. These ended when he was 13, largely due to taxpayer dissent. - Taxes were indeed a focal point of his reign, as it led to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Richard led negotiations with rebel leader Wat Tyler. He also dealt with Scotland invading a border town in 1388. - After Richard's wife Anne of Bohemia died in 1394, he remarried in 1396 to Isabella of Valois- Richard was 29 and Isabella was only 6 years old (insert Chris Hansen here). - Richard's cousin Henry Bolingbroke led a coup against him in 1399, successfully forcing him to abdicate. The now-Henry IV's forces would then imprison him in Pontefract Castle, where he starved to death (albeit the date and cause of death have been debated).

Freddie Highmore is 32.

2/13/2024 86 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor -6 40 Daft Punk - One More Time +4 39 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 37 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 35 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 31 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 20 Moloko — The Time Is Now 19 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 18 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 13 S Club 7 — Reach Nothing against the song, but I'm just trying to narrow the lead- it still has over twice as many points as One More Time.

Bela II of Hungary died on this day 883 years ago, aged ~31. - At a young age, Bela was ordered blinded by his uncle, King Coloman, due to his father Almos attempting to oust him (Almos was blinded as well). Coloman also ordered Bela to be castrated, but the man tasked with the job allegedly refused to do it in order to keep Hungary's line of succession stable, and therefore neutered a dog (and presented its testes to the king). - His cousin Stephen II would make him his heir, and arranged a marriage to Helena, the daughter of the Grand Prince of Serbia. Bela and Helena had six children together (all thanks to the reluctant guard). - Bela became king after Stephen's death in 1131, and needed a regency due to his blindness. His wife and brother in-law (Belos) would assist him in royal matters. - After Boleslaus III of Poland militarily supported a pretender to the Hungarian throne, Bela would launch an invasion of Poland in 1132, which lasted until 1135. He would also invade Bosnia, annexing some of its territory. - In his later years, Bela became addicted to wine, and was often manipulated to do favors for members of his court when drunk. Bela died on the Ides of February in 1141, after a ten-year reign. Bela would be succeeded by his eldest son Geza II.

Robbie Williams is 50.

2/12/2024 80 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 45 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 42 Daft Punk — One More Time +4 37 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 36 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 27 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 26 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 25 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 23 Moloko — The Time Is Now -2 19 S Club 7 — Reach -1 10 Sonique — Sky -3

Oliver (the singer) died on this day 24 years ago, aged 54. - Oliver's birth name was William Swofford, but he went by his middle name as a mononym during his professional career. He was also known as "Bill Swofford" while as a member of bands such as The Virginians and The Good Earth. - Oliver's breakout song was 1969's "Good Morning Starshine", included in the musical Hair: It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it is primarily remembered for its nonsensical chorus- and as a Johnny Depp Willy Wonka quote: - The same year, Oliver had another hit song with "Jean", the theme to the movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, reaching #2 on the chart (kept off the top by The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar"): - Oliver's stardom would soon wane, with his last charting single being a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" in 1971, peaking at #124 on the Bubbling Under chart. He would retire from making music in 1984. - Oliver was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the mid-1990s, and died after it metastasized- unfortunately his death was overshadowed by that of Tom Landry the same day. In 2010, he was posthumously inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame (he was born and raised in the state).

Judy Blume, author of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret and Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing is 86.

2/11/2024 64 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor 45 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 38 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 37 Daft Punk — One More Time +1 36 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 28 Sonique — Sky 27 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 25 Moloko — The Time Is Now 24 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 22 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 20 Zombie Nation — Kernkraft 400 +1 18 S Club 7 — Reach 13 Outkast — Ms. Jackson +2 13 Mis-Teeq — All I Want -5 0 Samantha Mumba — Gotta Tell You -1

Pope Paschal I died on this day 1200 years ago, aged 49. - Born around the year 775, Paschal was part of the ancient Massimo family (reportedly descendants of the Roman Maximus family), and his parents' names were Bonosus and Theodora. - During the reign of Pope Leo III, Leo would entrust Paschal with caring for pilgrims visiting the Vatican. Leo would also anoint him as a cardinal. - Paschal would be elected pope in 817 after the death of Pope Stephen IV, and his election took just one day- without the approval of Louis the Pious (the Holy Roman Emperor). Paschal himself apologized for the hasty election. - Paschal's reign is best known for the restoration of several basilicas in Rome, and mosaics of Paschal would be made in these buildings. He would also help construct additions to other places of worship. - Paschal would also suppress a revolt against papal authority in northern Italy, in which two of its leaders were killed. Emperor Lothair I ordered an investigation into the matter, which Paschal refused to cooperate in, and Lothair's father and co-emperor (the aforementioned Louis) soon dropped it. - Paschal died after a seven-year papacy. His successor was Pope Eugene II.

Tina Louise (of Gilligan's Island fame) is 90. Not to be confused with "Tina and Louise":

2/10/2024 56 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 45 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 37 S Club 7 — Reach 36 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 35 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 33 Daft Punk - One More Time +1 30 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 28 Sonique — Sky 25 Moloko — The Time Is Now 22 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 20 Outkast — Ms. Jackson +1 20 Samantha Mumba — Gotta Tell You 18 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 18 Mis-Teeq — All I Want 17 Zombie Nation — Kernkraft 400 +2 4 Destiny’s Child — Bootylicious -2 4 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Take Me Home -1 0 Sweet Female Attitude — Flowers -3

Alex Haley died on this day 32 years ago, aged 70. - Haley served in the Coast Guard during World War II, later remarking on how boring it was. He retired from service in 1959 to become a journalist. - In 1962, Haley wrote the first interview for Playboy magazine, interviewing jazz musician Miles Davis and discussing topics such as racism. Other interviewees of note included Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones, Muhammad Ali, and (most historically impactful) Martin Luther King Jr. - Haley was the ghostwriter of Malcolm X's autobiography, published in 1965. He had conducted dozens of interviews with him, but got frustrated when Malcolm would go on tangents about the life of Elijah Muhammad. - Haley published the book Roots: The Saga of an American Family in 1976, telling a continuous story regarding his ancestors and the hardships of enslaved Africans and African-Americans that were subjected to racism. This would be adapted into a popular miniseries the following year, in which Haley would appear at the end of each episode encouraging the viewer to research their genealogy (popularizing the subject): The book has however been criticized for plagiarism (specifically passages from Harold Courlander's The African). - At the time of his death from a heart attack, he was working on another novel focusing on a different branch of his family tree; the novel (Queen: The Story of an American Family) would be published the following year with ghostwriter David Stevens completing it.

Roberta Flack is 87.

2/9/2024 47 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 43 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 35 Daft Punk — One More Time +1 32 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 28 S Club 7 — Reach 26 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 25 Outkast — Ms. Jackson +1 24 Sonique — Sky 24 Moloko — The Time Is Now 23 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 22 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 22 Samantha Mumba — Gotta Tell You 20 Zombie Nation — Kernkraft 400 +1 20 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Take Me Home 19 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 19 Sweet Female Attitude — Flowers 18 Mis-Teeq — All I Want 17 iiO — Rapture -2 13 Destiny’s Child — Bootylicious 11 Blink-182 — All The Small Things +1 6 Gordon Haskell — How Wonderful You Are -4

Princess Margaret died on this day 22 years ago, aged 71. - Margaret's birth registration was delayed due to the fact she would've been #13 on the parish register. Her mother (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) considered naming her Ann, but her father (George VI) didn't like it- but approved of "Margaret", the original second name. - Margaret was known for her love of parties, and was known to often sing and tell jokes while attending them. She also had many romantic interests, including Michael of Romania, future Canadian PM John Turner, and American singer Eddie Fisher (father of Carrie Fisher). These dates were often reported by the British press. - Margaret would marry Antony Armstrong-Jones (the Earl of Snowdon) in 1960, and they had two children (David and Sarah). Both Margaret and Antony had affairs during their marriage (Margaret allegedly had affairs with Mick Jagger and Peter Sellers during this time), and the two eventually divorced in 1978. - Margaret was known for being a chronic smoker, and had part of her left lung removed in 1985. She suffered a stroke in 1998, and had several more over the coming years. Her last public appearance was at her aunt Alice's 100th birthday celebration in December of 2001, and she would die of yet another stroke just over a month later. She died just seven weeks before her mother did. - Margaret would appear on the DeathList only once, in 2001 (at spot #26).

Carole King is 82.

2/8/2024 41 Wheatus — Teenage Dirtbag 38 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Murder On The Dancefloor 36 Daft Punk — One More Time +1 28 The Supermen Lovers & Mani Hoffman — Starlight 27 S Club 7 — Reach 26 Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue — Kids 26 Outkast — Ms. Jackson +1 24 Sonique — Sky 24 Moloko — The Time Is Now 24 Sweet Female Attitude — Flowers 22 Samantha Mumba — Gotta Tell You 22 Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson — Movin’ Too Fast 22 Gordon Haskell — How Wonderful You Are 21 Kylie Minogue — On A Night Like This 20 Blink-182 — All The Small Things +1 20 Mis-Teeq — All I Want 20 Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Take Me Home 19 iiO — Rapture 19 Zombie Nation — Kernkraft 400 +1 17 U2 — Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of 16 Sash! — Adelante -1 15 Destiny’s Child — Bootylicious 1 Baha Men — Who Let The Dogs Out -5