Death Anniversary Thread

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

Brownie McGhee, born to live (and this day 20 years ago aged 80, die) the blues.

[Handrejka 1,903]

Roger Bowen, Henry Blake from the film version of MASH died 20 years ago today. One day after his TV counterpart.

 

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Today in 1990 USAian artist Keith Haring died, aged 31, from AIDS.

 

I can't speak for other places, but in the Netherlands his work is much better known than his portrait.

 

[Phantom 2,533]

1 year ago today, Lesley Gore left the party.

 

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

Giordano Bruno had the temerity to go against the Catholic church and was burned at the stake on this day in 1600.

 

Amongst many other things, he was castigated for saying stars are just distant suns that may have orbiting planets.

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

This day 10 years ago was the end that became the beginning of all things for Jiddu Krishnamurti aged 90.

[Spade_Cooley 9,515]

And one year later, Mike Awesome thrilled his last fat chick and hung himself from a doorway:

 

[Magere Hein 1,400]

On 17 February 1856 (are you watching, SC?) German author Heinrich Heine died, aged 58.



On Berlin's Bebelplatz, where the Nazis held their infamous book burning on 10 May 1933, a line of Heinrich Heine's play Almansor (1821) is engraved on a plaque inset in the square:

"Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen." ("That was but a prelude; where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people as well.")

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Feb 18, busy little day today.

 

Martin Luther - 470 years

John Stetson of hat fame - 105 years

Dale Earnhardt of unsafe hat fame - 15 years

Eddie Mathews - 15 years

[time 8,595]

Feb 18, busy little day today.

 

Martin Luther - 470 years

John Stetson of hat fame - 105 years

Dale Earnhardt of unsafe hat fame - 15 years

Eddie Mathews - 15 years

As you've brought up baseball, 18 years since Harry Caray died.

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

But how could you have missed Carl Gustav Jakob Jacobi,for whom, 165 years ago aged 46, the equations stopped balancing.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Today in 1967 American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer died, aged 62, from throat cancer.



His work as wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory led to the development of the atom bomb. After they tested the first one at the Trinity test site (it worked), he later claimed to have been reminded of a line from the Bhagavad Gita: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Anyway, he was a bit of a romantic in his time off.

[The Mad Hatter 1,092]

Not one mention of Richard bright here.

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

65 years ago aged 81 Nobel Laureate, Andre Gide died. As a memorial gesture the Catholoic Church placed his works on their Index of Prohibited Books.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Feb 19:

 

"Charlie O" Finley - owner of the Oakland A's - 20 years

Stanley Kramer - 15 years

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Today in 1887 Dutch author Multatuli died, aged 66, from asthma.



He was a prolific writer, but much of his work is unreadable. His novel Max Havelaar (1860) is brilliant though, possibly the only 19th century book of fiction in Dutch that made an impression overseas.

The picture above hangs in Rotterdam's Van Oldenbarneveltstraat. The text is a cite from Multatuli (Idee 155) that translates to: "seen from the Moon we're all equally tall."

[time 8,595]

Its the 100th anniversary of the death of Ernst Mach, after whom the velocity of sound is named. He died the day after his 78th birthday.

[The Unknown Man 584]

Bon Scott, the original lead singer of AC/DC, died 36 years ago today when he choked on his own vomit, aged 33.

 

​

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Today in 1966 American admiral Chester W. Nimitz died, aged 80, from pneumonia after a stroke.

 

 

During WWII he commanded the US Pacific Fleet that effectively sunk the Imperial Japanese Navy.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

[Toast 16,131]

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

Solomon Asch fell into line with all the other dead people (it's a psychology joke - look it up), this day 20 years ago aged 88.

 

And whilst it's outside the rules (mine and Sir C's) a hat tip to the master of Gonzo Hunter S. Thompson.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Today in 1677 Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza died, aged 44, possibly from silicosis.

 

 

In 1656 he was kicked out of the Sephardic Jewish congregation of Amsterdam for herecy. His ideas about an abstract God still are considered heretical by many monotheistic theologies. They're much alive today in debates among non-believers and non-orthodox Christians.

 

I've read little of his work, just as I have read little philosophy, nor theology; not my hobbies.

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

25 years to the day since Margot Fonteyn did the Dying Swan for the last time aged 71.

[Handrejka 1,903]

Incas, the last Carolina Parakeet died in capticvity on this day in 1918.