Death Anniversary Thread

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American acoustic guitarist and songwriter Michael Hedges died on this day 25 years ago, aged 43.

 

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On this day in 2016 american professional diver and Olympic gold medallist Sammy Lee died aged 96.

 

He was the first asian american to win an Olympic gold medal.

He  won an Olympic gold in platform diving at the London Olympics in 1948 and at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,762]

Scatman John died on this day 23 years ago, aged 57.

Scatman John's real name was John Larkin, and he suffered a sever stutter from the time he was able to talk. Larkin learned about scat singing by listening to music by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

 

Larkin's musical career began in 1981, and he eventually moved to Berlin in 1990, where he soon took on the "Scatman" moniker. In 1994, Scatman John released the song "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)", where he directly sang about his stutter.

 

After being re-released on his album Scatman's World the following year, the song launched Scatman John into stardom, and topped the charts in countries such as France, Spain, and Ireland. Scatman John saw continued success with "Scatman's World" (the album's title song).

 

In 1998, Scatman John was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died after a year-long battle. Posthumously, Scatman John has continued to be proven popular, ranging from his music being used in many early YouTube Poops (circa 2006-2009), to Lou Bega sampling him in 2019.

 

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30 minutes ago, Drewsky1211 said:

Scatman John died on this day 23 years ago, aged 57.

Scatman John's real name was John Larkin, and he suffered a sever stutter from the time he was able to talk. Larkin learned about scat singing by listening to music by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

 

Larkin's musical career began in 1981, and he eventually moved to Berlin in 1990, where he soon took on the "Scatman" moniker. In 1994, Scatman John released the song "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)", where he directly sang about his stutter.

 

 

This sounds so stupid, but being a stutterer myself, I always admired Scatman John and I really love his music. I've always wished that he got more time to make more songs.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American publisher Frank Gannett died on this day 65 years ago, aged 81.

 

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On this day one year ago in 2021 , long standing royal courtier The Dowager Duchess of Grafton, a lady in waiting and mistress of the robes to the late Queen Elizabeth ll died aged 101.

She worked for the Queen from 1967.

 

She outlived one of her sons so her grandson was The Duke of Grafton at the time of her death.

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US actress & singer Madeline Khan died 23 years ago today. 

 

She worked as a singing waitress while a student, later auditioning for roles in the theatre, making her professional debut in the chorus of Kiss Me Kate. Her film debut was in the short De Duva (The Dove) before landing the role of Ryan O'Neal's fiancée in What's Up Doc?, then with O'Neal again (plus Tatum) in Paper Moon, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. A further nomination was received for her role as Lily von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles.

 

She was also nominated four times for Tony Awards, winning in 1993 for The Sisters Rosensweig, plus for four Golden Globes, and an Emmy in addition to winning a daytime Emmy for an ABC Afterschool Special.

 

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998, she continued to work while receiving treatment, and also got married, but the cancer spread rapidly, and she died the following year, aged 57.

 

Conicidentally, Scatman John (see above) and Khan shared the same birth and death-days.

[Drewsky1211 4,762]

Bert Lahr died on this day 55 years ago, aged 72.

Lahr was born in NYC as Irving Lahrheim to Jewish immigrants from Germany. In 1910, Lahr dropped out of school to perform in vaudeville, and he made his Broadway debut in 1927. Lahr's film career began in 1931 with an adaptation of Flying High, reprising the role he played on the Broadway play the film was based on.

 

In 1938, Lahr signed up to his most famous role- the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. It used real lion fur, and with how the lighting was used, this caused the costume to become quite hot. Lahr would often ad-lib his lines, leading to scenes needing to be reshot due to his costars laughing (particularly Judy Garland).

 

Lahr would continue to work on Broadway, and would make appearances on television in the 1950s and 60s- as the mystery guest in a 1956 episode of What's My Line, and starring in commercials for Lay's potato chips where he would be dressed in a different costume each time- ranging from the Devil to George Washington to Julius Caesar.

 

Lahr's cause of death has been contested- his son John said that he died from cancer that he never knew he had, while the official death certificate listed it as pneumonia that was possibly caused due to damp conditions at the studio he was filming his latest movie (The Night They Raided Minsky's). The film was completed by using his body double, Joey Faye.

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American film and theatre director Rouben Mamoulian died on this day 35 years ago, aged 90.

 

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On this day three years ago in 2019, former England Cricket captain Bob Willis,  who is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers  in cricket of all time,  died aged 70 from prostate cancer.

 

He is currently ranked as Englands fourth highest wicket taker of all time. 

 

 

On this day 5 years ago in 2017 former British model and showgirl  Christine Keeler died aged 75. 

She achieved  infamy and notoriety in the early 1960s after becoming a central figure in what was to be known as the Profumo scandal,  which rocked the conservative government  of Harold MacMillian . A huge political scandal.

Christine had a sexual relationship with both  cabinet minister John Profumo and a Soviet Naval attache which ultimately lead to a huge scandal were both morality and national security were regarded as heavily compromised and at dangerous risk. 

Profumo resigned over the scandal and a high society medic was prosecuted for acting  as a pimp with regards to Keeler.

 

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King Michael of Romania died on this day 5 years ago, aged 96.

Also known by his Romanian name "Mihai", Michael became the heir apparent to the Romanian throne in 1925 following his father Carol renouncing his rights to the throne to marry one of his mistresses. He became king himself at the age of five following the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, starting a regency period. Carol would return to the throne in 1930, but abdicated in 1940 due to general unpopularity, leading to Michael's second reign.

 

Romania's prime minister Ion Antonescu allied with Nazi Germany, and in 1944, Michael participated in a coup that successfully ousted Antonescu, and announced that he would be partnering with the Allied forces. Soon after the war, political pressure from the Soviet Union forced Michael to appoint a pro-Soviet government, and that government forced him to resign on December 30, 1947. Michael and his family would be exiled and first seek asylum in Italy, then Switzerland, then England, and would permanently return to Switzerland in 1956.

 

Exactly one year after Nicolae and Elena Ceaucescu's executions, Michael would return home to his now-democratic country for Christmas, only to be turned away at the airport (despite acquiring a visa). In 1992, the Romanian government officially ended his exile, and Michael's return drew large crowds of Romanian citizens. Michael's citizenship would be restored in 1997, and he would spend time in both Romania and Switzerland. The former king remained popular, topping a 2012 poll as the most-trusted public figure in Romania.

 

Michael retired from public life in March 2016, and was widowed in August. Michael would soon be diagnosed with leukemia, leading to his only appearance on the DeathList in 2017 (his claim for UK notability was that he was a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip). Michael would top most of the "xth Death of 2017" polls in the final third of the year. 

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American jazz double-bassist Arvell Shaw died on this day 20 years ago, aged 79.

 

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Bob Dole died on this day 1 year ago, aged 98.

 

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On this day 8 years ago in 2014 the former Queen Fabiola of Belgium died aged 86.

 

She was the Queen of Belgium  for 42 years from 1951 until 1993 when her husband  King Baudouin l  died  aged 62 of heart failure. 

He was succeeded by his brother King Albert ll as Fabiola and Baudouin never had any children  due to numerous miscarriages. 

Fabiola remained beloved by many Belgians  as a widow and former Queen and continued with royal duties as the new Kings sister in law. 

Infact sometimes it seemed that she was more popular with the public than her successor as Queen  -Queen Paola who seemed slightly haughty and aloof in comparison to Fabiola at times.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,762]

Saint Nicholas died on this day 1679 years ago, aged 73.

Nicholas was born in what is now southwest Turkey- then a part of the Roman Empire. After his parents died, Nicholas donated the money he inherited to the poor, and one story claims that he donated some to pay for dowries to a father of two women that had lost all of his money- apparently due to Satan's meddling.

 

Nicholas became the bishop of Myra around the year 300. During this time, Emperor Diocletian began to persecute Christians, and Nicholas was imprisoned and tortured (his reported remains corroborated this when a facial reconstruction in 2004 revealed a broken nose that had partially healed). Nicholas would be released once Constantine the Great became emperor.

 

In 325, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea, where he promoted Trinitarianism (God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) over Arianism (God created Jesus and the two are separate entities). One legend that came from this arose in the 1300s: Nicholas slapped a supporter of Arianism during the ecumenical council, and Emperor Constantine revoked his vestments due to the outburst.

 

Another strange legend regarding Nicholas that arose in medieval times involves him resurrecting three children that were slaughtered by a cannibalistic butcher by making the Sign of the Cross.

 

Beginning in the Middle Ages, children would be given gifts on his feast day. This tradition spread across Europe, and Nicholas became synonymous with figures such as England's Father Christmas and the Netherlands' Sinterklaas- once the Dutch colonized New York, Sinterklaas eventually became Santa Claus.

While Santa is now largely seen as a secular figure, some of Nicholas' attributes remain- such as his beard, and him being a bearer of gifts.

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American cowboy-turned-character actor Hank Worden died on this day 30 years ago, aged 91.

 

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On this day 34 years ago  american singer songwriter and musician Roy Orbison , formerly a member of the rock band The Travelling wilburys,  died aged 52 from a heart attack. 

His song you got it became a posthumous number one in the charts in 1989.

[Drewsky1211 4,762]

Rube Goldberg died on this day 52 years ago, aged 87.

Goldberg became a sports cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle after a brief stint as an engineer. In 1907, he moved to New York to work for the New York Evening Mail. Goldberg would soon make comics, starting with Foolish Questions in 1908- its punchline was that the answers were foolish.

 

In 1929, Goldberg created The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts, A.K., where Profesor Butts would create very complex machines in order to achieve simple tasks.

The idea of these kinds of gadgets would soon become known as "Rube Goldberg machines", which have been cemented in popular culture from games such as Mouse Trap to films such as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

 

Goldberg would also write the first Three Stooges film, Soup to Nuts, in 1930, with him making a cameo appearance:

 

Goldberg died from an unspecified type of cancer.

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American actor Will Lee died on this day 40 years ago, aged 74.

 

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On this day 25 years ago in 1997  Scottish footballer Billy Bremner died from a heart attack aged 54.

 

He played for Scotlands national team and Leeds United- the latter he went on to be  manager  for.

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Charles Lightoller died on this day 70 years ago, aged 78.

Lightoller decided to choose a maritime career over a factory job, notably putting out a coal fire on his first ship Primrose Hill, in which he was promoted to its second mate. In 1898, Lightoller joined in on the Klondike Gold Rush, becoming a Canadian cowboy when he was unable to find any. He returned home by becoming a stowaway on trains, and earned enough money to return home by working as a cattle wrangler- he was broke when he returned. Lightoller would soon become a crewmate on White Star Line brand ships, starting with the Medic, making his way up to their flagship at the time, the Oceanic.

 

In 1912, Lightoller became the second officer of one of their three new flagships- the Titanic. On the night of April 14, 1912, Lightoller was on the bridge, and ordered lookouts to be alert of ice in the Atlantic- the water was almost frozen, at 33 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius). Lightoller was getting ready to go to bed when the ship scraped across a large iceberg, and would return back to his room when he saw nothing on deck. During the evacuation, Lightoller was in charge of lowering the lifeboats on the port side of the ship, and interpreted the "women and children first" rule as "women and children only"- Lightoller allowed only one man to board as he was lowering. He also forced male passengers out of a lifeboat by gunpoint. Lightoller would eventually take the frosty plunge into the water, climbing into the Collapsible B lifeboat around the same time the first funnel collapsed (2:15 AM). He would be the most senior officer on the ship to survive.

Lightoller considered the inquiries into the sinking to be farcical and blamed the calmness of the water- he was unable to see any waves breaking against solid surfaces.

 

Lightoller would later serve in World War I in the Royal Navy, notably sinking the German U-boat UB-110 in 1918 while aboard the HMS Garry. Lightoller would retire from boating in 1919 because of his association with the Titanic likely making it difficult to find employment. Lightoller still owned a private yacht, and participated in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, rescuing 127 soldiers.

 

Lightoller died from heart disease- his death was somewhat overlooked due to the then-ongoing Great Smog of London.

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United States Air Force officer and first African-American astronaut Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. died on this day 55 years ago, aged 32.

 

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On this day yesterday (8th December) , three years ago in 2019, american puppeteer  Caroll Spinney , of Sesame Street  fame, died aged 85.

 

Multi talented he was a puppeteer,  author  cartoonist and artist who was best known for  playing Big Bird and Oscar the grouch on Sesame Street from 1969 until 2018.

[Drewsky1211 4,762]

Patrick Moore died on this day 10 years ago, aged 89.

Moore's interest in astronomy began when he was six years old, and joined the British Astronomical Association when he was 11. Five years after that, he began to wear his signature monocle due to having worse eyesight in his right eye than his left eye. Moore would study the Moon as an adult, publishing his first book in 1952 and coining the term "transient lunar phenomenon" to describe short-lived events on the Moon's surface (i.e. an asteroid strike).

 

Moore would also discuss space-related topics on television, with his first appearance being a debate about UFOs (being on the opposing side of the idea). In 1957, he began hosting The Sky at Night, a show dedicated to astronomy that tried to appeal to both casual and professional astronomers. The show still runs to this day, and Moore would host until his death 55 years after its inception. He would also show current events in the topic elsewhere on TV, revealing the first pictures of the Soviet Luna 3 mission to the West in 1959, and broadcast all Apollo missions beginning with Apollo 8.

 

In later life, Moore was well-known as the title character of GamesMaster, which ran from 1992 to 1998 and was the UK's first video game-focused show. Moore would give the contestants challenges to complete within the game showcased in the episode.

 

Moore made eight appearances on the DeathList between 1991 and 2009- he is the person with the most appearances to be a miss.

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American comedian and comic actor Joey Forman died on this day 40 years ago, aged 53.