Death Anniversary Thread

[Hell 1,334]

American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware Beau Biden died on this day 8 years ago, aged 46.The oldest child of current US president Joe Biden and Neilia Hunter Biden, he served as the 44th attorney general of Delaware from 2007 to 2015 and was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard in the Iraq War. He died of glioblastoma.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Timothy Leary died on this day 27 years ago, aged 75.

- Leary was a student at the University of Alabama (in which he studied biology and psychology), but got expelled in 1942 after sleeping in the female dormitory.

- Leary served in World War II and achieved the rank of sergeant upon discharge at the end of the war. He would be readmitted to the University of Alabama at this time.

- After reading an article about its uses in Mazatec tribe rituals, Leary went on vacation in Mexico in 1960 to consume psilocybin mushrooms.

- After his trip, Leary created the Harvard Psilocybin Project to examine the effects of the chemical on Harvard undergraduates- 95% of them stated that their psychedelic trips "changed their lives for the better". Leary concurrently ran the Concord Prison Experiment in an attempt to rehabilitate prisoners.

- Leary would be fired from Harvard in 1963 due to safety concerns regarding his experiments.

- In 1966, Leary founded the League for Spiritual Discovery, a fringe religion where LSD was its holy sacrament.

- Leary was arrested in 1968 for possession of marijuana, and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. He soon escaped with help from the Black Panther Party, and he fled to Switzerland. He eventually went to Afghanistan, where he was arrested at the American embassy in Kabul and had his bail set as $5 million.

- Leary had 5 additional years added to his sentence, and was incarcerated at Folsom Prison- his cell was next to Charles Manson's, and the two often had conversations with each other.

- Leary became an FBI informant to shorten his sentence, and was released in 1976. In the 1980s, he often hosted lectures alongside Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy.

- In the last decade of his life, Leary became fascinated by computers, calling the Internet "the LSD of the '90s" and advocating for virtual reality.

- Leary was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995, and ran an online blog where he talked about embracing death. His death was captured on tape by friends, though the video was not released to the public.

- Leary debuted on the DeathList in 1996 (at spot #2) and was the fifth hit (of seven) of the year.

- An incidental note- my grandma calls him "the druggie from Harvard" and often mixes him up with Tom Lehrer.

[diego 1,985]

Milvina Dean born in Branscombe, Devon, England, died 14 years ago, England, she was the last survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic (she was 2 months into the voyage), In December 2008, aged 96, Dean was forced to sell several family souvenirs to pay for medical treatment, and among those belongings was a letter sent to her mother by the Titanic Relief Fund, and a suitcase given to her and her mother in New York after the ship sank. Her sale raised an estimated £32,000. In February 2009, she announced that she would be selling more belongings towards medical treatment costs. Aged 97, he died of pneumonia on the morning of 31 May 2009, the 98th anniversary of the launch of the Titanic in 1911; were scattered by a boat at the Southampton docks where the Titanic departed

[Hell 1,334]

Irish-born English singer and entertainer, best known for his on-stage drag persona Danny La Rue died on this day 14 years ago, aged 81. He performed in drag and also as himself in theatrical productions, television shows and film. His celebrity impersonations were Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Judy Garland, Margot Fonteyn, Marlene Dietrich and Margaret Thatcher. In the 1960s, he was among Britain's highest-paid entertainers. In 1982 he played Dolly Levi in the musical Hello, Dolly!. He also has the distinction of being the only man to take over a woman's role in the West End theatre when he replaced Avis Bunnage in Oh, What a Lovely War! and he was until his death still a regular performer in traditional Christmas pantomime shows in Britain.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Hank Ketcham died on this day 22 years ago, aged 81.

- Before he was a comic artist, Ketcham was an animator for several early Disney films, such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi.

- During World War II, Ketcham became the head writer for the Mr. Hook propaganda cartoons urging people to buy war bonds:

- In 1950, Ketcham's wife complained to him that their four-year-old son Dennis made a mess of his bedroom, calling him a 'menace'. This gave Ketcham an idea for a comic, and on March 12, 1951, the first Dennis the Menace strip was published:

(this panel was from October of that year)

In an astonishing coincidence, another comic made its debut on the same day with the same exact name- it was technically published first if time zones are taken into account. Due to the popularity of the American strip, this version is now often referred to as Dennis and Gnasher:

Both comics run to this day and have had animated series based on them (American version 1986, British 1996 and again in 2009).

- Ketcham retired from drawing Dennis the Menace comics in 1994 and his assistants took over production of it. He then took up oil and watercolor painting, and several of them are on display at the hospital near where he lived.

- Ketcham's death was overshadowed by the Nepalese royal massacre occurring on the same day that he died.

[diego 1,985]

Leslie Howard died 80 years ago at the age of 50, he was born in London, he was an actor and was nominated for an Oscar twice, for best actor for Old Romance (1933) and Pygmalion (1938), and won the Volpi Cup for best actor at the Festival of Venice by Pygmalion (1938), died on a flight between Lisbon and Bristol. The plane was shot down by a squadron of Nazi bombers in the Bay of Biscay (in Cedeira, A Coruña). Leslie was among the 17 victims.

Charles, Count of Flanders died 40 years ago aged 79, was the second son of King Albert I of Belgium and his wife, Duchess Elizabeth of Bavaria, was born in Brussels and died in Ostend

 

[time 8,611]

18 hours ago, Hell said:

Irish-born English singer and entertainer, best known for his on-stage drag persona Danny La Rue died on this day 14 years ago, aged 81. He performed in drag and also as himself in theatrical productions, television shows and film. His celebrity impersonations were Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Judy Garland, Margot Fonteyn, Marlene Dietrich and Margaret Thatcher. In the 1960s, he was among Britain's highest-paid entertainers. In 1982 he played Dolly Levi in the musical Hello, Dolly!. He also has the distinction of being the only man to take over a woman's role in the West End theatre when he replaced Avis Bunnage in Oh, What a Lovely War! and he was until his death still a regular performer in traditional Christmas pantomime shows in Britain.

 

and an early adopter of Kappa leisurewear.

[Hell 1,334]

American lawyer, diplomat, and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861 James Buchanan died on this day 155 years ago, aged 77. Beginning in 1844, Buchanan became a regular contender for the Democratic party's presidential nomination. He was finally nominated in 1856, defeating incumbent President Franklin Pierce and Senator Stephen A. Douglas at the Democratic National Convention. Buchanan and running mate John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky carried every slave state except Maryland, defeating anti-slavery Republican John C. Frémont and Know-Nothing former president Millard Fillmore to win the 1856 presidential election. As President, Buchanan intervened to assure the Supreme Court's majority ruling in the pro-slavery decision in the Dred Scott case. He acceded to Southern attempts to engineer Kansas' entry into the Union as a slave state under the Lecompton Constitution, and angered not only Republicans but also Northern Democrats. Buchanan's leadership during his lame duck period, before the American Civil War, has been widely criticized. Historians and scholars rank Buchanan as one of the worst presidents in American History.

 

 

French fashion designer who founded his eponymous fashion label Yves Saint Laurent died on this day 15 years ago, aged 71. He developed his style to accommodate the changes in fashion during that period. He approached his aesthetic from a different perspective by helping women find confidence by looking both comfortable and elegant at the same time. He is also credited with having introduced the "Le Smoking" tuxedo suit for women and was known for his use of non-European cultural references and of diverse models. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century.

 

[Sinbabad 1,124]

On this day 45 years ago, Real Madrid’s president Santiago Bernabéu died aged 82. He had also been a Real Madrid player (during 14 years) and manager (only one year in 1926-1927)

During his record 34 years term, from 1943 until his death, Real Madrid won 6 European Cup (record equalled by Fiorentino Perez) , a record 16 Liga and 6 Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid stadium was named after him in 1955.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Pope Eugene I died on this day 1366 years ago, aged 42.

- Eugene is one of the few popes not to achieve the papacy via election: in June of 653, Pope Martin I was deposed by Byzantine emperor Constans II for not agreeing with the government's Monothelite ideas (monothelism is the idea that Jesus was only either of human or divine nature, not both). Eugene was appointed by the emperor in August of 654.

- Eugene sent his envoys to Constantinople shortly after his election to inform Constans he had been elected and agreed with him. However, the envoys were bribed to bring a letter from Peter, the patriarch of Constantinople, back to Rome- this letter avoided discussing Jesus' natures, and was rejected by the clergy after it was read. When Constans found out, he threatened to depose Eugene, but was preoccupied by fighting Rashidun conquerors.

- Eugene died before Constans could do anything about him, and would be succeeded by Pope Vitalian. He spent just under three years as the pope, and would be made a saint.

- On his Wikipedia page, it calls him an "elderly priest" when he was 38- the average lifespan at that time was about 33-ish.

[diego 1,985]

Clara Gonzaga died 520 years ago aged 38, was born in Mantua, Italy and died in France, she was Countess of Montpensier and Douphin of Auvergne as wife of Gilberto de Bourbon-Montpensier.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees Lou Gehrig died on this day 82 years ago, aged 37. Gehrig signed with the Yankees on April 29, 1923. He set several major-league records during his career, including the most career grand slams (23; since broken by Alex Rodriguez) and most consecutive games played (2,130), a record that stood for 56 years and was long considered unbreakable until it was surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995. On June 19, 1939, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS.

 

 

Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist Andrés Segovia died on this day 36 years ago, aged 94. Many professional classical guitarists were either students of Segovia or students of Segovia's students. Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire included not only commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works. He is remembered for his expressive performances: his wide pallet of tone, and his distinctive musical personality, phrasing and style.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Stephen A. Douglas died on this day 162 years ago, aged 48.

- Douglas was born in Vermont, and would move to Illinois in 1833, where he would establish a law firm.

- Douglas would be elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1836, and would attempt to run for Congress in 1838- he lost to the Whig candidate, John Stuart, by a mere 36 votes.

- Douglas became friends with Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, expressing sympathy for them. He arranged the state charter for the city of Nauvoo, the headquarters of the religion until they went west to Utah. Smith encouraged Douglas to run for president.

- Douglas would be elected to the US House of Representatives in 1842 following the creation of Illinois' 5th congressional district in 1840. He served two terms before being elected to the Senate in 1846 by the state legislature (he had won reelection in the House).

- Douglas passed the Compromise of 1850, which added California to the Union and banned the slave trade in Washington DC, but also included the Fugitive Slave Act (which led to the kidnapping and enslavement of free Blacks).

- Douglas would also propose the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, leading to much violence in the region.

- Douglas ran for president in 1856. He came in second place at the Democratic National Convention, losing to former Secretary of State James Buchanan (who ultimately won the presidency).

- Douglas defeated Abraham Lincoln and won re-election to the Senate in 1858. Lincoln won the popular vote by 34,000- but Douglas was elected by the state legislature (the Seventeenth Amendment ended state legislatures from electing candidates in 1913).

- Douglas ran for president again in 1860- the Democratic Party had fractured based on location, and he was chosen by the northerners (with Georgia governor Herschel Johnson as his running mate); the southerners picked vice president John C. Breckinridge. Douglas won the state of Missouri and three of New Jersey's seven electoral votes.

- After the Civil War began, Douglas put his differences with Lincoln aside and ordered more troops to fight the Confederates (Lincoln suggested 75,000; Douglas 200,000).

- Douglas died from typhoid fever, but was unwell in the last two years of his life- he was known to suffer from gout.

[diego 1,985]

Cesare Balbo died 170 years ago, was born and died in Turin (ITA), was an Italian politician, writer and first President of the Council of the Kingdom of Sardinia,died aged 63

Pope John XXIII was born in Sotto il Monte, Italy, he died aged 81 60 years ago

 

[Hell 1,334]

Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini died on this day 34 years ago, aged 89. He was the founder of the Islamic Republican of Iran and the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which saw the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the end of the Persian monarchy. Following the revolution, Khomeini became the country's first supreme leader, a position created in the constitution of the Islamic Republic as the highest-ranking political and religious authority of the nation, which he held until his death. Most of his period in power was taken up by the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–1988.

 

 

American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the CBS television series Gunsmoke James Arness died on this day 12 years ago, aged 88. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-television Gunsmoke films in the 1990s. In Europe, Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the Western series How the West Was Won.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Emperor Shomu died on this day 1267 years ago, aged 54.

- Shomu's father, Emperor Monmu, died when he was 5 years old- before he became king in 724, his grandmother and aunt served as empresses in a regency period.

- Shomu's reign, which lasted from 724 to 749, is known as the Jinki era (insert Velma from Scooby-Doo here).

- Probably the most notable event to occur during his reign was a smallpox epidemic that lasted from 735 to 737. The plague killed 1 million (about a third of Japan's population at the time). After it ended, Shomu commissioned the Tōdai-ji Buddhist temple (which opened in 752).

- Shomu's wife Empress Komyo (whom he married in 729) was the first Japanese consort to not have been born into the imperial family- she was a member of the Fujiwara clan.

- Shomu moved Japan's capital several times. The first was in 741, from Heijō-kyō (Nara) to Kuni-kyō (Kizugawa), then in 744 to Naniwa-kyō (Osaka), the following year to Shigaraki-kyō (Koka) and then back to Nara.

- Shomu abdicated after a 25-year reign in favor of his daughter Takano (regnal name Koken). He and his wife would become Buddhist monks afterwards.

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 1 year ago, Barbadian novelist and poet George Lamming, who wrote the novel "In the Castle of My Skin", passed away at the age of 94.

[time 8,611]

It's 12 years since the death of actor Donald Hewlett, aged 90.

He appeared in many staples of British TV (Coronation Street, The Saint, Doctor Who to name but three), predominantly as an upper-class official (he was born to a wealthy family, and his father was a conservative MP), but is particularly remembered for his roles in the Croft/Perry sitcoms It Ain't Half Hot, Mum, Come Back Mrs Noah and You Rang, M'Lord?, (alongside Michael Knowles in IAHHM and You Rang..., as well as the radio sitcom Anything Legal).

[diego 1,985]

Andronic Paleologist Cantacuzeno died 570 years ago, was the last great domestic of the Byzantine Empire. Present in the city when the fall of Constantinople was one of the group of officials officials performed by Sultan Ottoman Muhammad II, the conqueror five days after the city was taken.

 

Flavio Biondo was born in Forli (ITA) and died 560 years ago in Rome, he was the first to coin the term Middle Ages and one of the first to take care of the study on antiquity, being considered a precursor of archeology. He was secretary and chancellor of Popes Eugênio IV, Nicolau V, Calisto III and Pi II. Was the author of three encyclopedias that are the basis of all successive works regarding Romanic antiquity

 

[Hell 1,334]

American basketball coach and player John Wooden died on this day 13 years ago, aged 99. he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division I college men's or women's basketball, Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men's basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the AP award five times.

 

[The Unknown Man 584]

Country music singer Conway Twitty died on this day 30 years ago, aged 59.

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Ray Bradbury died on this day 11 years ago, aged 91.

- Bradbury's middle name, Douglas, was given to him as his parents were fans of actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

- Bradbury wrote his first science fiction stories at the age of 12, taking inspiration from HG Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs- he wrote a sequel fanfiction to the latter's The Warlord of Mars from the John Carter books. Bradbury also wrote short horror, using Edgar Allan Poe as a muse.

- Bradbury earned his first money for writing when he was 14- he sold a joke to George Burns for him to use on his radio show; he had met him due to living near Hollywood and roller skating there almost daily.

- Bradbury's first published story was made when he was 17, and the sci-fi magazine that published it would sponsor his trip to the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in New York in 1939.

- Among Bradbury's most well-known novels were The Martian Chronicles (1950), Something Wicked this Way Comes (1962), and most notably the Orwellian Fahrenheit 451 (1953).

- Bradbury was known to have been friends with Walt Disney and Ray Harryhausen, and the latter was the best man at his wedding in 1947. In 1965, Bradbury suggested that he help work on Tomorrowland at Disneyland- Walt responded with "You’re a genius, and I’m a genius. After two weeks, we’d kill each other."

- Bradbury hosted The Ray Bradbury Theater on HBO and USA Network from 1985 to 1992, with each episode based on a short story he wrote.

- Bradbury was appointed the screenwriter for the film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland in 1982, but dropped out of the film's production in 1985- it was released in Japan in 1989 after an 8-year production period (and 1992 in the US).

- Bradbury was known for his conservative political views- he praised Ronald Reagan (who he coincidentally shares a death anniversary with) as the best president, and called Bill Clinton a shithead. The only time he voted Democrat after 1968 was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

- Bradbury suffered a stroke in 1999, before retiring from appearing at sci-fi conventions in 2009.

- Bradbury would make three appearances on the DeathList beginning in 2010, and was the fifth hit (out of 12) of 2012.

[diego 1,985]

Fernando, the Infante Santo died 580 years ago in Fez (Morocco), was born in Santarém (POR), was the eighth son of King João I of Portugal and his wife Filipa de Lencastre, the youngest member of the Ínclita Geração. being the younger brother, he did not have access, like the older ones, to so much riches, and he tries to put himself at the service of the pope, the emperor, or another European sovereign in order to gain prestige and prebends. Pope Eugene IV himself even offered him the title of cardinal in 1434, which he refused. Encouraged by his older brothers, he ended up giving up, turning his attention to fighting the crusade in Morocco, from which immense good fortune could come to him.

Marie Popelin died 90 years ago was born in Schaerbeek, Belgium and died in Ixelles, Belgium, she was the first Belgian woman to become a doctor of law. After being refused admission to the bar, Popelin had an active career as leader of the Belgian League for Women's Rights.

Kurt Tank died 40 years ago,born in Bromberg-Schwedenhöhe died in Munich aged 85,was a German test pilot and aeronautical engineer,The Fw 190 Würger (butcher bird), flown in 1939 and was produced from 1941 to 1945, was a Luftwaffe single-seat fighter-bomber during World War II. This was the best-known plane designed by him and the most manufactured (over 20,000 units)

Conway Twitty died 30 years ago, was born in Friars Point, Mississippi died in Springfield (Missouri), aged 59, One of his partnerships with Loretta Lynn, "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" soundtrack of the electronic game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, more precisely on K-Rose radio. He has been quoted several times on the Family Guy series and sings an entire song in the 9th episode of the 7th season called "I See The Want to In Your Eyes"

[Drewsky1211 4,753]

Robert F. Kennedy died on this day 55 years ago, aged 42.

- Robert is often known by his initials or "Bobby"; his older brother JFK called him "Black Robert" due to his prude nature.

- RFK served in the Navy during World War II from 1944 to 1946.

- In 1950, he married Ethel Skakel (#18 on the list), and they had 11 children between 1951 and 1968- their youngest, Rory, was born after RFK's death.

- RFK served on Adlai Stevenson II's 1956 presidential campaign, but was dissatisfied with him and voted for Dwight D. Eisenhower.

- After helping his older brother's campaign, he would be made the US Attorney General; during his tenure he prosecuted Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters.

- While he was a supporter of the civil rights movement, RFK authorized the FBI to wiretap MLK's phone after accusations of the latter's association with communists.

- Many people were in favor of RFK becoming LBJ's running mate in 1964- this did not happen due to their mutual dislike of each other, and Johnson ultimately chose Hubert Humphrey.

- RFK instead ran for the US Senate for New York in 1964, winning by a landslide 700,000 votes. He would then declare his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination for president in March of 1968.

- On June 5, 1968, RFK was shot three times at the Ambassador Hotel in LA, and died from his wounds the next day. Like his older brother's assassination, there are conspiracy theories surrounding it- his own son, Robert Kennedy Jr., believes that Sirhan Sirhan was not the assassin and that a second gunman was involved. On the other hand, the initial report states that Sirhan- who is Palestinian- shot RFK for his support of Israel in the Six-Day War.

- RFK wished to be buried in his native Massachusetts, but was interred near his brother at Arlington National Cemetery. His younger brother Ted would also be interred there after his death in 2009:

[Hell 1,334]

American actress Anne Bancroft died on this day 18 years ago, aged 73. Bancroft made her film debut in the noir thriller Don't Bother to Knock in 1952, and then appeared in 14 other films over the following five years. In 1958, Bancroft made her Broadway debut with the play Two for the Seesaw, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. The following year she portrayed Anne Sullivan in the original Broadway production of The Miracle Worker, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Following her continued success on stage, Bancroft's film career was revived when she was cast in the acclaimed film adaptation of The Miracle Worker (1962) for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her film career further progressed with Oscar nominated performances in The Pumpkin Eater (1964), The Graduate (1967), The Turning Point (1977), and Agnes of God (1985).