A Famous Belgian

[Godot 149]

For a while now I have been worrying about Belgians. Has a Belgian ever made it on to the deathlist? If not why not? I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life to scouring Belgium for people famous enough and, more importantly, decrepit enough to make the deathlist. Can anyone help, please? Who knows, there may even be a dedicated Belgian deathlist but I don't know of it.

 

There is a list of famous Belgians out there to kick off with. Sadly many are dead and at least one is fictional, but that's Belgium for you.

 

http://www.famousbelgians.net/

 

This isn't one of those light, flipant threads. It needs work so that means it will probably be short and possibly short lived. But I think the Belgians are worth it. Belgium gave us Rene Magritte (the artist who painted the man with his nose in his pipe), George Simenon, author and serial bed post notcher, and the Singing Nun. Without Belgium there would be no Tin Tin or Snowy, remember that.

 

List of pretty interesting things that happened in Belgium:

 

The Battle of Waterloo

German invasions (2)

The Common Agricultural Policy (launch of)

The Battle of Ypres

Jeux sans Frontiers (Belgian round)

[Lady Die 63]

Their buns are yummy.

[Godot 149]

Well, I suppose it's a start.

 

Was hoping for something a little more like this:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/2969432.stm

 

Plenty of heart-stopping revelations there.

[Godot 149]

And another thing, if you missed him the first time....he's back:

 

 

Belgium' s most famous punk rocker

[Dr Hackenslash 25]

Baron Eddy Merckx - considered to be one of the best cyclists of all time.

 

He was born on June 17 1945 and made a baron by the King in 1996.

 

The date of his birth makes me suspect his father was either British, Canadian or American, however.

 

What women in oppressed nations will do for silk-stockings when there's war on, hey!

[Godot 149]

By all acounts Eddy, unlike many of his contemporaries, was clean during his career, otherwise he could already be a contender, but at 70 I would say he was still a bit young unless anyone knows anything else about him. He'll probably outlive Lance Armstrong.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

He's young at 60 as well!

[BrunoBrimley 86]

Why is everyone waffling on this...Belgians are as likely to die as any otheres and considering someone had chosed that Ibriahiam fellow who was prehaps less known than lets say hercule Poirot I think Belgians should most definitelyu be listed on here......especially if they are of importance.....but are we going to allow only Flemings or only Walloons or will it be all inclusive?

[Godot 149]

bugger!

[BrunoBrimley 86]

bugger!

Huh? That made no sense at all Frodo.

[Canadian Paul 97]

Well, I suppose it's a start.

 

Was hoping for something a little more like this:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/2969432.stm

 

Plenty of heart-stopping revelations there.

The BBC just earned a higher spot on my Bookmarks list for that one... suffice to say I am greatly amused.

[Godot 149]

bugger!

Huh? That made no sense at all Frodo.

Well it did if you attach it to the post before you snuck one in in the time it took me to write bugger.

[BrunoBrimley 86]

That's it slap me around wy don;t you?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,197]

I reckon:

Liz Claiborne & Christian de Duve are the only decent bets in terms of age & famousness. And that's pushing it.

However, two of the more famous & older are doing brilliantly:

 

Paul Frere, Le Mans winner, journalist, author & motor racing legend, is approaching 90, but will go on for many years yet - he would get an obituary in any broadsheet.

 

Toot Thielemans is now 84, but the last time I saw him in 2004, looked the picture of health.

 

A lot of Belgians have become famous recently, as in sport, for example, so it may be some years yet.

[Godot 149]

This quarter Belgian thing - does it give you some specialist knowledge?

[Magere Hein 1,400]

May I suggest Albert II, King of the Belgians? At 70 he's still a bit young and he has no known serious health problems, but his brother Baldwin kicked the bucket rather unexpectedly at 62.

 

regards,

Hein

[Godot 149]

I reckon:

Liz Claiborne & Christian de Duve are the only decent bets in terms of age & famousness. And that's pushing it.

However, two of the more famous & older are doing brilliantly:

 

Paul Frere, Le Mans winner, journalist, author & motor racing legend, is approaching 90, but will go on for many years yet - he would get an obituary in any broadsheet.

 

Toot Thielemans is now 84, but the last time I saw him in 2004, looked the picture of health.

 

A lot of Belgians have become famous recently, as in sport, for example, so it may be some years yet.

This is worrying news indeed - the whole of Belgium to go at and there is hardly anyone famous enough and near-dead enough to consider? I refuse to believe it. I have contacted the compiler of the famous Belgians list in order to get the low down but since the site's last update was 2004 he too might be dead.

[Godot 149]

May I suggest Albert II, King of the Belgians? At 70 he's still a bit young and he has no known serious health problems, but his brother Baldwin kicked the bucket rather unexpectedly at 62.

 

regards,

Hein

I'm not sure about Royals. Sure, they pass the deathlist test but they're only famous for being royal and Belgian Royal at that which isn't quite the same as the Germans at Buck House.

 

There has to be a famous near-dead non-Royal Belgian of some standing or I'm not the Manikin Pis.

[Tempus Fugit 214]

By all acounts Eddy, unlike many of his contemporaries, was clean during his career, otherwise he could already be a contender, but  at 70 I would say he was still a bit young unless anyone knows anything else about him. He'll probably outlive Lance Armstrong.

What about this Eddy,

 

 

Eddy Wally, Belgian singer and Eurotrash regular.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Eddy Wally, Belgian singer and Eurotrash regular.

That man is pure evil.

 

May I suggest Urbanus, funniest Belgian in the world?

 

regards,

Hein

[Tempus Fugit 214]

May I suggest Urbanus, funniest Belgian in the world?

 

regards,

Hein

Now that really is damning with faint praise,

 

Belgian humour must travel as well as Belgian music.

[in eternum+ 22]

Um... he-llo!

 

Claude Lévi-Strauss naît à Bruxelles en 1908.

 

[Star Crossed 33]

Um... he-llo!

 

Claude Lévi-Strauss naît à Bruxelles en 1908.

 

I think ie+ is trying to tell us something, but my french is a bit rusty these days. Could someone translate for me?

[in eternum+ 22]

Um... he-llo!

 

Claude Lévi-Strauss naît à Bruxelles en 1908.

 

I think ie+ is trying to tell us something, but my french is a bit rusty these days. Could someone translate for me?

Young Claude was born in Brussels. Granted, his parents were French, but I bet he has dual citizenship or something. I think he grew up there, though I'm not sure (my french is a bit rusty too).

 

Aha - a link! Bio written by the lovely Sarah...

 

A Brief History of Claude

Edited January 28, 2006 by in eternum+

[Tomb raider 9]

By all acounts Eddy, unlike many of his contemporaries, was clean during his career

Well, that's not quite true. In fact, he got himself disqualified in the Tour of Italy in 1969 because of a positive drugtest. He got away with it somehow (as many of the great champions of that day) and he declared himself an enemy of druguse in sport.

 

Does that make him a swindler? No, of course not. As all his opponents were doped, he would have been cheating if he had remained clean his entire career.

 

By the way: may I congratulate the Brits among you with the Grand Depart of the Tour de France of 2007, which is appointed to London? Hopefully, it's just what cycling needs to enhance popularity in the UK. It really is the most thrilling and exciting sport in the world (yes, even better than cricket and bowls!)