Drewsky1211

Lise Meitner died on this day 55 years ago, aged 89. - Meitner was the daughter of noted chess master Philipp Meitner. She was born to a Jewish family, but she converted to Christianity (specifically Lutheranism) in 1908. - Meitner began attending the University of Vienna in 1901 (women began to be allowed there in 1897), and received her doctorate in 1906. She would later go to the Friedrich Wilhelm University, where she began to work with Max Planck. Planck would soon introduce her to Otto Hahn, and the two began a life-long collaboration. - In 1917, Meitner became the first person to isolate the mother isotope of actinium- she had discovered the element protactinium. - Meitner, along with Hahn, would find out how to split the atom- Meitner was the one to name this process "fission"; this eventually led to the development of the nuclear bomb. This discovery would earn Hahn the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944, but Meitner wasn't awarded (some claim sexism). Regardless, Meitner would be nominated 49 times between 1924 and 1967 for either the Nobel Prize in Chemistry or Physics. - Meitner had to flee Austria in 1938, and ended up refuging in Sweden. She would spend time in the US and UK, but did not return home after the war's end. - Meitner had a heart attack in 1964, and would suffer from a fall that resulted in her breaking her hip in 1967; the same year she had several mini-strokes (would've been a great pick if the list existed in 1968). Meitner would die less than two weeks before her 90th birthday. - In 1982, element 109 was synthesized for the first time. This would be named "meitnerium" after her in 1997:

John Cleese is 84.

10/26/2023 42 Pulp — Common People 39 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 39 Supergrass — Alright / Time 38 Ace Of Base — The Sign +3 37 Crash Test Dummies — Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 36 N-Trance — Set You Free 32 MC Sar & The Real McCoy — Another Night 31 The Stone Roses — Love Spreads 29 U2 — Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 27 Corona — The Rhythm Of The Night +1 27 Pulp — Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz 25 Bruce Springsteen — Streets Of Philadelphia 23 Alex Party — Don't Give Me Your Life 23 Bon Jovi — Always 22 Queen — Heaven For Everyone 21 Meat Loaf — I’d Lie For You (And That's The Truth) -1 19 Annie Lennox — No More 'I Love You's' 17 Let Loose — Crazy For You 6 Big Mountain — Baby I Love Your Way -5

Alfred the Great died on this day 1124 years ago, aged 50. - Alfred was the youngest child of King Æthelwulf of Wessex, and three of his brothers also served as king (Æthelbald from 858-860, Æthelbert from 860-865, and Æthelred from 865-871). Alfred became king when he was 22 years old. - At the beginning of Alfred's reign, Great Britain was constantly under Viking raids. Initially paying them off, Alfred began waging war with them in 876 after they broke a treaty by killing their hostages. These battles would continue for the next decade. - Alfred retook London from the Vikings in 886, and would start calling himself the "King of the Anglo-Saxons" from this point forwards. Alfred would fortify the city in an attempt to repel the Vikings. - Alfred would drive the Vikings away from what was now England in 896 following a successful military reorganization. This achievement is where his epithet originates from. - During his reign, Alfred would encourage the English population to learn how to read; he did not know how to read until he was 12, but loved reading poetry (possibly Beowulf) once literate. - Alfred is believed to have suffered from a digestive ailment throughout his life (historians believe he had Crohn's disease or chronic hemorrhoids), though his cause of death was not recorded. He would be succeeded as king by his son Edward.

Jon Heder is 46.

10/25/2023 42 Pulp — Common People 39 Crash Test Dummies — Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 38 N-Trance — Set You Free 36 Ace of Base — The Sign +2 35 Supergrass — Alright / Time 33 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 32 MC Sar & The Real McCoy — Another Night 31 The Stone Roses — Love Spreads 29 U2 — Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 26 Corona — The Rhythm Of The Night +2 25 Pulp — Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz 24 Meat Loaf — I’d Lie For You (And That's The Truth) 24 Bruce Springsteen — Streets Of Philadelphia 23 Alex Party — Don't Give Me Your Life 23 Bon Jovi — Always 20 Let Loose — Crazy For You 20 Queen — Heaven For Everyone 16 Annie Lennox — No More 'I Love You's' 15 Big Mountain — Baby I Love Your Way -3 14 Def Leppard — When Love And Hate Collide 14 Toni Braxton — Breathe Again 5 Diana King — Shy Guy -3

Vincent Price died on this day 30 years ago, aged 82. - Price moved from the US to the UK in 1934 to seek a degree in fine arts from Courtauld, and made his professional acting debut in a 1935 version of Chicago. - Among his early movie roles include Joseph Smith in Brigham Young, Vital Dutour in The Song of Bernadette, and most notably the Duke of Clarence in Tower of London, which was his first horror movie role. Outside of horror roles, he was also known to appear in movies such as The Saint and The Ten Commandments (the latter of which, he portrayed the overseer Moses kills). - In the 1960s, Price would team up with (the still living) Roger Corman for many B-movie horror films, particularly adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. - On television, Price is known for being a regular panelist on Hollywood Squares and making guest appearances on episodes of The Brady Bunch and The Muppet Show: On the topic of puppets, Price was lampooned in Spitting Image, where he would try (and fail) to lure people into ghastly traps. - Price also did voice work, with some of his most memorable roles being the narrator of Tim Burton's Vincent (whom he would work with again in Edward Scissorhands), Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective, and Zigzag the Grand Vizier in The Thief and the Cobbler; the latter film was known for its development hell- he recorded his lines for in the 1960s, and it was released mere months before he died. - Price did the spoken verse in Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and provided this now iconic laugh: - Outside of acting, Price was an avid chef, and published several cookbooks and audio tapes. - In his later years, Price was diagnosed with COPD and Parkinson's disease, but it was ultimately lung cancer that doomed him.

Marion Ross is 95. (Besides her role as Mrs. C on Happy Days, she also voiced SpongeBob's grandma:)

They say this cat Shaft is a dead mother- Shut your mouth! But I'm talkin' about Shaft's grave! We can dig it! RIP.

10/24/2023 38 Ace of Base — The Sign +3 38 N-Trance — Set You Free 37 Pulp — Common People 36 Crash Test Dummies — Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 35 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 31 Supergrass — Alright / Time 28 U2 — Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 26 The Stone Roses — Love Spreads 25 Pulp — Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz 25 MC Sar & The Real McCoy — Another Night 24 Corona — The Rhythm Of The Night +1 24 Queen — Heaven For Everyone 23 Alex Party — Don't Give Me Your Life 23 Bon Jovi — Always 22 The Mike Flowers Pops — Wonderwall 22 Bruce Springsteen — Streets Of Philadelphia 20 Toni Braxton — Breathe Again 20 Let Loose — Crazy For You 20 Def Leppard — When Love And Hate Collide 20 Meat Loaf — I’d Lie For You (And That's The Truth) 20 Big Mountain — Baby I Love Your Way 15 Diana King — Shy Guy 14 Annie Lennox — No More 'I Love You's' 13 The Original — I Luv U Baby 7 Perez 'Prez' Prado And His Orchestra — Guaglione -6

Maureen O'Hara died on this day 8 years ago, aged 95. - Born in Ireland, O'Hara began training to be an actress when she was 10. Her first screen test was deemed unsatisfactory- but Charles Laughton loved it, and made her his co-star in 1939's Jamaica Inn. The two would star in another movie that year- an adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is considered her breakout film. - From there, she would often star in films directed by John Ford, which included How Green Was My Valley, The Quiet Man, and The Long Gray Line. - O'Hara was called the "Queen of Technicolor" due to her photogenic appearance- O'Hara hated being called that, claiming it drew away from her acting talents. (This nickname has also been applied to Rhonda Fleming.) - Her most famous role was as Doris Walker in the annual Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version). - O'Hara decided to branch out in the late 1950s, choosing to guest star in musical variety shows (such as Perry Como's and Tennessee Ernie Ford's), act on Broadway in Christine (known for its troubled production), and recording her own albums: - Her initial retirement from acting began in 1971 after starring in Big Jake with John Wayne, and would return to the screen in 1991's Only the Lonely as John Candy's character's mother. Her final role was in a made-for-TV movie in 2000 called The Last Dance. - O'Hara made her only appearance on the DeathList in 2015, and was the year's 12th hit (of 14).

F. Murray Abraham is 84.

10/23/2023 37 Pulp — Common People 31 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 30 Ace of Base — The Sign +3 30 N-Trance — Set You Free 29 Crash Test Dummies — Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 27 Bruce Springsteen — Streets Of Philadelphia 26 Annie Lennox — No More 'I Love You's' 26 Supergrass — Alright / Time 25 The Original — I Luv U Baby 24 U2 — Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 24 Queen — Heaven For Everyone 23 Alex Party — Don't Give Me Your Life 23 Bon Jovi — Always 23 MC Sar & The Real McCoy — Another Night 21 Corona — The Rhythm Of The Night +1 21 Pulp — Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz 21 The Mike Flowers Pops — Wonderwall 21 The Stone Roses — Love Spreads 20 Toni Braxton — Breathe Again 20 Let Loose — Crazy For You 20 Diana King — Shy Guy 20 Def Leppard — When Love And Hate Collide 20 Meat Loaf — I’d Lie For You (And That's The Truth) 18 Big Mountain — Baby I Love Your Way 16 MN8 — I’ve Got A Little Something For You 14 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting — All For Love 14 Oasis — Roll With It 14 Perez 'Prez' Prado And His Orchestra — Guaglione -6 12 Red Dragon With Brian & Tony Gold — Compliments On Your Kiss Guaglione is a song from 1958 that got this high on the charts due to a Guinness beer ad campaign. Perez Prado isn't a '90s musician... unless you count this:

Marcus Junius Brutus (best known only by his cognomen) died on this day 2064 years ago, aged 43. - Brutus was a distant descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus, one of the founders of the Roman Republic in 509 BCE. - Brutus' father, also named Marcus, was proscribed (put on a hit list of perceived enemies of the state) by the dictator Sulla, and the junior Brutus was barred from entering politics due to that. He would later be posthumously adopted by a relative, thereby circumventing his political ban. He would start out as an overseer of Rome's mint. - Brutus became a senator in 53 BCE, having also become a quaestor (which gave him an automatic seat in the Senate). - When Julius Caesar began his civil war in 49 BCE, Brutus supported Pompey, who had executed his father, only because all of his political allies having joined his side. Caesar, having been one of his friends, was more lenient on what to do with him- take him prisoner if he surrendered, or do nothing to him if he kept fighting. Brutus would defect from the Pompeian army in 48 BCE, and Caesar would welcome him into his own. Once Caesar consolidated power, he made Brutus the governor of Cisalpine Gaul. - Brutus would join in on the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar about a month before it happened- his plan, however, was to murder patrician elites who were allies to Caesar. Due to his friendship with Caesar, he became infamous when Caesar's alleged last words were spoken once he recognized him as an assailant- "Et tu, Brutus?" - In the coming months, Brutus would go to Greece with a personal army, and took Mark Antony's brother Gaius captive. In another civil war, his army would be defeated by the forces of Antony and Octavian (later Augustus), and Brutus committed suicide. - In popular culture, William Shakespeare made him a sympathetic villain in his 1599 play Julius Caesar. Another famous depiction of him was in Dante's Inferno, where he is placed in the lowest part of Hell, being indefinitely chewed up in one of Satan's three mouths (along with his co-conspirator Cassius, and Judas Iscariot)- Dante viewed Caesar as divinely appointed.

Weird Al Yankovic is 64.

10/22/2023 23 Ace Of Base — The Sign +3 23 Corona — The Rhythm Of The Night +1 22 Supergrass — Alright / Time 21 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 21 MC Sar & The Real McCoy — Another Night 21 The Stone Roses — Love Spreads 21 Original — I Luv U Baby 20 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting — All For Love 20 Toni Braxton — Breathe Again 20 Bruce Springsteen — Streets Of Philadelphia 20 Crash Test Dummies — Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 20 Big Mountain — Baby I Love Your Way 20 All-4-One — I Swear 20 Let Loose — Crazy For You 20 Red Dragon With Brian & Tony Gold — Compliments On Your Kiss 20 Bon Jovi — Always 20 Boyzone — Love Me For A Reason 20 N-Trance — Set You Free 20 Annie Lennox — No More 'I Love You's 20 MN8 — I’ve Got A Little Something For You 20 Alex Party — Don't Give Me Your Life 20 Perez 'Prez' Prado And His Orchestra — Guaglione 20 Pulp — Common People 20 U2 — Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me 20 Diana King — Shy Guy 20 Oasis — Roll With It 20 N-Trance ft. Ricardo Da Force — Stayin' Alive 20 Pulp — Miss-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz 20 Def Leppard — When Love And Hate Collide 20 Meat Loaf — I’d Lie For You (And That's The Truth) 20 Queen — Heaven For Everyone 20 Beatles — Free As A Bird 20 Boyzone — Father And Son 20 The Mike Flowers Pops — Wonderwall 14 Mariah Carey — All I Want For Christmas Is You -6 08 Oasis — Wonderwall Regardless of my downvote, there'll be no escape from that song in about two weeks time...

10/22/2023 87 KLF ft. Tammy Wynette — Justified And Ancient 83 Haddaway — What Is Love 52 Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé — Barcelona 49 Ce Ce Peniston — Finally (Re-Issue) 10 Kris Kross — Jump +4 7 Urban Cookie Collective — The Key, The Secret -6

Cleavon Little died on this day 31 years ago, aged 53. - Little started off his acting career in local plays (notably a 1962 San Diego adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun) and made his professional debut in 1967, as a witch in MacBird! - By 1969, Little was on Broadway, where he became known for the titular role in Purlie- he won a Tony in 1970 for this role. - Little made many guest appearances on TV, which included roles in shows including (but not limited to): All in the Family, The Waltons, MacGyver, Fantasy Island, and the ALF Christmas episode. - Little, however, is best remembered in the leading role of Sheriff Bart in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles: - Little died from colon cancer, with his last role being in a episode of Tales from the Crypt that aired in June of 1992.

Christopher Lloyd is 85.

10/21/2023 87 KLF ft. Tammy Wynette — Justified And Ancient 81 Haddaway — What Is Love 48 Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé — Barcelona 38 Ce Ce Peniston — Finally (Re-Issue) 32 Urban Cookie Collective — The Key, The Secret 21 Kris Kross— Jump +4 17 Janet Jackson — That's The Way Love Goes -2 6 Arrested Development — People Everyday -4

Marty Ingels died on this day 8 years ago, aged 79. - Ingels' birth surname was Ingerman, and his uncle was New York City mayor Abraham Beane (who married his aunt Mary). - Ingels' TV career began with sitcoms, starring in 1962's I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (alongside John Astin), and making guest appearances in shows like Bewitched, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Love Boat. - Ingels is perhaps best known for his voice work, as he starred in several Hanna-Barbera cartoons. These included Beegle Beagle in The Great Grape Ape Show, Autocat in Motormouse and Autocat (on Cattanooga Cats), and most notably the title character of the first cartoon based on a video game- 1982's Pac-Man: - Ingels was also known for his marriage to Shirley Jones- the two wed in 1977, and their marriage lasted 38 years.

Doja Cat is 28 (and has therefore escaped The 27 Club).

10/20/2023 83 KLF ft. Tammy Wynette — Justified And Ancient 75 Haddaway — What Is Love 42 Ce Ce Peniston — Finally (Re-Issue) 36 Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé — Barcelona 36 Urban Cookie Collective — The Key, The Secret 31 Kris Kross - Jump +4 28 Michael Jackson — Give In To Me -1 24 Janet Jackson — That's The Way Love Goes -1 15 Arrested Development — People Everyday -4

James Randi died on this day 3 years ago, aged 92. - Randi's birth name was Randall Zwinge- his pseudonym's last name is obviously taken from his first name. When he was a child, Randi got in a bike accident from which his doctors believed paralyzed him- and surprised them when he started to walk. During his time in a body cast, Randi would read about magic tricks, starting his primary interest. - At the age of 17, Randi dropped out of high school to work as a magician at a travelling carnival. Shortly after this, while attending a church service, the church's pastor claimed that they could read the minds of his parishoners- Randi was able to recreate this, which led the pastor's wife to call the cops; Randi spent four hours in jail. This was his first instance of his soon-to-be career as a skeptic. - Despite Randi exposing how magic tricks were done, he still loved the act- in 1956, he broke Harry Houdini's record for time spent in an underwater coffin (1 hour and 44 minutes to Houdini's 1 hour and 33 minutes), broadcast on Today. He would also appear as a magician on several kids' shows, such as Wonderama. - Randi would also often appear on TV talk shows to debunk people who claimed they had psychic abilities: - In old age, Randi would often be seen with a trademark cane adorned with a skull on top (as seen in the above picture). - Randy was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2009, and was able to beat it by April of 2010. Randi made a total of three appearances on the DeathList (2012, 2014, 2016).