Death Anniversary Thread

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On the second of May in 1995 English stage and film actor Michael Horden died aged 83.

On stage he mainly took Shakespearen roles with King Lear being his most well known role. 

 

Born on the 3rd of October 1911 in Hertfordshire Horden was born into a very theatrical family. His early film roles in the 1930s were largely uncredited but he steadily built his career up over subsequent decades into bigger roles. 

 

Amongst the films he took bigger roles in were Passport to Pimlico, Scrooge, You Know what sailor's are, Sink the bismarck, The Pied Piper and The secret garden. 

 

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

J. Edgar Hoover died on this day 45 years ago, aged 77.

 

 

 

[Grim Up North 3,727]

In a name coincidence James Dyson, inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, was born on this day in 1947.

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On this day May 3rd in 1989 Christine Jorgensen an American Transwoman who was the first person to become widely known in the US for having sex reassignment surgery died aged 62 in California of cancer. 

 

Born in the Bronx in May 1926 Christine had the first of her surgical procedures for sex reassignment in 1951.

 

She was key in opening up a conversation and debate in American society on a person's "psychological sex" as opposed to their biological sex. 

Reflecting upon this herself she said she gave the "sexual revolution a good swift kick in the pants"

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Jorgensen

 

Her life story even in summary form is quite interesting. 

 

 

[Joey Russ 7,229]

Bruce Cabot quit climbing the Empire State Building 45 years ago today.

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On the 3rd of May in 2002 arguably one of the most significant Labour Party Politicians of the 20th century died aged 91 in Buckinghamshire. 

Born in Chesterfield Derbyshire on the 6th October 1910, Barbara Castle served in both of Harold Wilsons government's cabinets (1964-1970) and (1974-1976) 

 

She was the MP for Blackburn from 1945 to 1979 and a EURO MEP from 1979-1989. She was only the fourth every woman to serve in a UK cabinet. 

 

She was promptly dismissed by her long standing political nemesis James Callaghan when he became Prime Minister in 1976.I think the enmity between them lasted until her death. 

 

She served in numerous roles from Secretary of state for employment, minister for overseas aid -a forerunner for the International development department that Blair introduced in 1997.First Secretary of state, Transport minister (1965-68)and Minister for Health and social services. 

 

Amongst her political accomplishments were the introduction of the breathalyser when it became clear drink driving was at a crisis level, the making of the 70mph speed limit permanent, and introducing legislation that made it compulsory for all new car's to be fitted with seat belts. She also had the task of overseeing the implementation of the beeching report were massive number of railways were controversially closed. 

 

She also introduced Mobility allowance and Invalid care allowance. 

 

Like her or loathe her influence and ability in a tough era cannot be denied. 

 

 

[The Unknown Man 587]

Walter Schirra was decommissioned 10 years ago today, aged 84.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

George Murphy stopped acting on this day 25 years ago, aged 89.

 

 

 

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On the 4th May 1984 British actress Screen Siren and blonde bombshell Diana Dors died aged 52.

 

Born in Wiltshire in October 1931 Diana Dors began her early showbiz career in sex film comedies and risqué modelling. 

 

She signed to the RANK organisation and some of her film work included "Diamond City" , "Good time girl", "The big bankroll", "My wife's lodger", "Lady Godiva rides again"  and "Passport to shame" 

 

Her career in Hollywood films never really took of in part because her first husband didn't prove popular on the Hollywood social scene were talk and rumour has it that both Diana and her husband ended up pushed in the swimming pool at a Hollywood party attended by Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lana Turner and Hollywood executive's who they were meant to impress not alienate! 

 

In her early career she was viewed as a British version of Marilyn Monroe but her career never quite gained the same traction as Marilyns. 

 

On British TV she took on many roles mainly guest spots in shows like "Queenies Castle " and Mrs Bott in "Just William"  

 

She also starred in a music video for Adam and the ant's song "Prince Charming"  as the Fairy Godmother. 

 

There was controversy over her will as she stated that a large fortune would be left to her youngest son with her last husband actor Alan Lake via a secret code that hee husband was in poession of. 

However he committed suicide within six months of her death. The code has never been found and the whereabouts of the fortune remain a mystery. 

This in itself has added to speculation about Diana's life and fuelled rumours that she had connections with unsavoury dodgy characters in the criminal underworld. 

 

She'd also had two other older son's with second husband British American actor Richard Dawson. 

 

She died on the 4th of May 1984 in Berkshire aged 52.

[Joey Russ 7,229]

Adam Yauch, aka MCA, quit fighting for his right to party 5 years ago today. 

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On the 4th of May 1987 American singer and harmonica player Paul Butterfield died of a heroin overdose aged 44.

 

Born in December 1942 Paul Butterfield was the lead musician in The Paul Butterfield Bluesband. He was mentored and encouraged early on by fellow musician the now rather famous Muddy Waters. 

 

His particular talent and genre was in blues harmonica. Overtime he took the blues genre in a new and innovative direction, ruffled a few feathers inevitably at first but eventually converted the purists on the country blue scene to accept, like and appreciate the added dimension and changes musically that he brought. 

His original approach has made him probably one of the best known blue harps players and he was posthumously inducted into the blues Hall of fame in 2006.

 

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

Alvy Moore stopped acting on this day 20 years ago, aged 75.

 

 

 

[Spade_Cooley 9,547]

 

27 people, include 18 members of Il Grande Torino, died in the Superga Air Crash today in 1949. Torino had won Serie A three seasons on the bounce and the disaster wiped out the Italian national squad.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

George Sidney stopped directing films on this day 15 years ago, aged 85.

 

 

 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Paul W. Klipsch became acoustically imperfect on 5-5-2002, 15 years ago

 

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On the 5th May 2002 former Bolivian dictator and then constitutional President Hugo Banzer died aged 75.

 

Banzer was opposed to the increasing left wing direction that Bolivia was taking and after one military faction organised a failed bloody military coup. Banzer led a successful coup in August 1971 and was a military dictator from 1971 until 1978.

His rise to power is thought to have had covert outside backers and support including the Nixon administration in the USA. 

 

By 1978 and years of dubious human rights records and jailing of opponents or rebels the situation had changed and the US government under Jimmy Carter was pushing for democratic change in Bolivia. 

 

Banzer failed to get elected for a number of subsequent years until 1997 when he became the country's elected constitutional president. In some ways he underwent quite a bit of a conversion from opposing democracy to embracing it. However his tenure as dictator created painful memories and much controversy. He grew tired of the political divisions in the country and banned many parties from existing originally in 1971 in order to "stabilise and save" the country (in his mind.) 

In 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and stepped down. 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

80 years ago today the Hindenburg had it's spectacular crash and burn.  The last survivor died maybe 4 years ago as I recall/misremember.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/gallery-the-hindenburg-disaster/collection_7f8a4d33-2755-5a34-9181-9607adc0c086.html

 
Educator Maria Montessori - 65 years
William Casey (CIA) - 40 years
Marlene Dietrich - 25 years

 

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On the 6th May 1992 legendary movie star Marlene Dietrich died aged 90.

[Death Impends 8,008]

1 hour ago, Sir Creep said:

80 years ago today the Hindenburg had it's spectacular crash and burn.  The last survivor died maybe 4 years ago as I recall/misremember.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/gallery-the-hindenburg-disaster/collection_7f8a4d33-2755-5a34-9181-9607adc0c086.html

 

 

You're thinking of the last surviving crew member, Werner Franz. However there's still one surviving passenger in Werner Doehner, now 88.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

Henry David Thoreau stopped writing on this day 155 years ago, aged 44.

 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

3 hours ago, Death Impends said:

 

You're thinking of the last surviving crew member, Werner Franz. However there's still one surviving passenger in Werner Doehner, now 88.

Key to surviving was being named Werner.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

Isabella Blow died on this day 10 years ago, aged 48.

 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Cult leader Yahweh ben Yahweh died 10 years ago.
Perhaps more notably, the key witness against him was a former NFL player who joined the cult and killed upwards of 7 white folk to please YbY. Robert Rozier is now 61, and has spent 28 of the past 31 years behind bars.  He can't last forever....a name to put on the back burner for a couple years but a likely death before 2025, I'd surmise.
 

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On May 7th 1940 Former leader of the Labour party George Lansbury died aged 81.

 

He was the leader of the Labour party for three years from 1932-1935. 

The rather historically famous Clement Atlee was his deputy who succeeded him. 

Originally a radical liberal Lansbury became drawn to socialism in the 1890s.He refused to follow former Labour leader Ramsay Macdonald in 1931 into the national government and subsequently became leader of the Labour party a year later. 

 

He was MP for Bow and Bromley twice 1910-1912 and 1922-1940. 

He quit parliament in 1912 for a time in order to free himself to fully campaign for women's suffrage. Infact he was briefly involved in Militant action in this campaign and was jailed for a short time. 

Lansbury was very much a pacifist and his refusal to compromise on this despite the changes and woes and conflicts unfolding across Europe in the 1930's put him on a collision course with the parliamentary Labour party. This was key to the ending of his leadership of the party. 

 

Born in February 1859 George was the grandfather of Hollywood legend Angela Lansbury. 

[The Unknown Man 587]

Eddie Rabbitt stopped singing 19 years ago today, aged 56.