Death Anniversary Thread

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

British novelist and scriptwriter Elinor Glyn died on this day 80 years ago, aged 78.

 

[diego 1,992]

Wenceslaus I, died 770 years ago, was King of Bohemia between 1230 and 1253.

 

Pablo Neruda was born in Parral, and died 50 years ago in Santiago at the age of 69, he was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971, Neruda was hospitalized with cancer in September 1973, at the time of the coup d'état. State led by Augusto Pinochet who overthrew Allende's government, but returned home after a few days when he suspected that a doctor had injected him with an unknown substance with the aim of assassinating him on Pinochet's orders. Neruda died at his home in Isla Negra on September 23, 1973, a few hours after leaving the hospital.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director Bob Fosse died on this day 36 years ago, aged 60. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Sweet Charity (1966), Pippin (1972), and Chicago (1975). He directed the films Sweet Charity (1969), Cabaret (1972), Lenny (1975), All That Jazz (1979), and Star 80 (1983).

 

[Drewsky1211 4,758]

Pepin the Short died on this day 1255 years ago, aged 54.

- Pepin was the son of Charles Martel (famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours in 732), and after his death in 741, he was made the Mayor of the Palace of Neustria (effectively the king's manager).

- By 751, the Frankish king (Childeric III) had virtually no power, and Pepin wrote to Pope Zachary regarding this; Zachary stated that the one who wields power should be the king, and Pepin therefore deposed King Childeric, forcing him to become a monk. In 751, Pepin would be elected the King of the Franks- becoming the first of the Carolingian dynasty.

- As king, Pepin would focus on the expansion of the kingdom, and would go on a southwards conquest, completely driving the Arabs out of France and back into Spain. Pepin died while on campaign, and the kingdom was inherited by two of his sons- Carloman I and Charles (soon to be known as Charlemagne).

- It is unknown how tall Pepin was in actuality- though his epithet has stood the test of time.

[Toast 16,151]

6 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

 It is unknown how tall Pepin was in actuality- though his epithet has stood the test of time.

 

I'm no expert on French historic vocabulary, but I always wondered if it meant that he was a man of few words.  Bref meaning brief, succinct, laconic.  If he was short in stature I would have expected him to be described as petit.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Neo-Nazi twat Ian Stuart (Donaldson) was eliminated 30 years ago (36).

 

[Sinbabad 1,125]

2 hours ago, Toast said:

 

I'm no expert on French historic vocabulary, but I always wondered if it meant that he was a man of few words.  Bref meaning brief, succinct, laconic.  If he was short in stature I would have expected him to be described as petit.

In the previous centuries french words could have a (slightly) different meaning than today. So Pépin was indeed nicknamed "le bref" because of his short stature. But you’re right, nowadays it would have been "le petit"

Another example is king Jean II le Bon. Nowadays "le bon" for a person  means the gentleman, the kind one, the righteous one. But at that time he was nicknamed le bon because he was good, skilled, at battles and war.

 

Ironically Pépin Le Bref wife, Charlemagne’s mother, was nicknamed Berthe aux grands pieds, which means Berthe with big feet !

[diego 1,992]

Pope Innocent II was born in Rome and died in the same place 880 years ago at the age of 61, he was Pope from February 14, 1130 until September 24, 1143.
He suffered from strong opposition from Antipope Anacleto II and great support from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
He instituted celibacy, fought usury, simony, false pontiffs, and also false sacraments and false penances.

Helena Pavlovna of Russia died 220 years ago in Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Holy Roman Empire, born in Saint Petersburg, died aged 18, was a daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and his second wife, Tsarina Maria Feodorovna

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

Indonesian politician and diplomat Mohammad Roem died on this day 40 years ago, aged 75.

 

 

 

[Hell 1,334]

American children's author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss died on this day 32 years ago, aged 87. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,758]

Tony Booth died on this day 6 years ago, aged 85.

- After his father was severely injured in a workplace accident, Booth cancelled his plans to go to university and got a job as a clerk, before he was drafted into the Royal Corps of Signals. He got his interest in acting while stationed in Paris.

- Booth's acting career began in 1960, with a role in one of the first episodes of Coronation Street.

- Booth's breakout role came in 1965 when he was cast as Mike Rawlins in Till Death Us Do Part, a role he played until 1975. Norman Lear would adapt the show into All in the Family, with Rob Reiner's character being the American equivalent of Rawlins.

- Booth was also known for starring in the Confessions Of series of films between 1974 and 1977 alongside Robin Askwith.

- In his later years, Booth would return to soap operas, with notable roles including Nobby Stuart in EastEnders and Errol Michaels in Emmerdale.

- Booth's daughter is none other than former British "first lady" (SOPMUK?) Cherie Blair- Tony became his son-in-law in 1980.

- Booth was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004, and would have a multitude of other afflictions, which included chronic heart failure, COPD, and a stroke he suffered in 2010. He debuted on the DeathList in 2017, and was the year's thirteenth hit (of the then-record 17).

- Booth has the distinction of being the DeathList hit whose death was announced the shortest time after the last one (as far as I know)- 52 minutes after Liz Dawn's death announcement was posted on the forum.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American writer George Plimpton died on this day 20 years ago, aged 76.

 

 

[diego 1,992]

Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll died 320 years ago, born in Edinburgh and died in Newcastle-upon-Tyne aged 45, sought to recover his father's properties which had been confiscated by King James II, after being accused of treason and executed on June 30, 1685. However, after failing to do so, he actively supported William and Mary in the revolution of 1688, which became known as the Glorious Revolution

Paul Ehrenfest died 90 years ago, born in Vienna, died in Amsterdam aged 53, made fundamental contributions in the area of statistical mechanics and its relations with quantum mechanics, including the theory of phase transition and Ehrenfest's Theorem.

Franco Modigliani was born in Rome and died 20 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the age of 85. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1985

[Hell 1,334]

American professional golfer Arnold Palmer died on this day 7 years ago, aged 87. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and charismatic players in the sport's history. In a career spanning more than six decades, Palmer won 62 PGA Tour titles from 1955 to 1973. He is fifth on the Tour's all-time victory list, trailing only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Ben Hogan. He won seven major titles in a six-plus-year domination from the 1958 Masters to the 1964 Masters. He also won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and in 1974 was one of the 13 original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

 

[Summer in Transylvania 2,190]

The Battle of Stamford Bridge occurred 957 years ago today, during which, among others, King Harald III "Hardrada" of Norway and disgraced earl (and brother of the then-incumbent King Harold II "Godwinson") Tostig Godwinson were killed, aged approximately 51 and 37 respectively.

 

Tostig Godwinson (1029-1066).

 

Harald Hardrada (1015-1066).

 

Another viking soldier, who allegedly single-handedly killed 40 Anglo-Saxon attackers defending his king, was also felled in the battle, although his name and age are unknown.

[Drewsky1211 4,758]

Byron Nelson died on this day 17 years ago, aged 94.

- Nelson went by his middle name; his first name was John. His mother Madge also lived to be a nonagenarian, dying in 1992 at the age of 98.

- Nelson's first experience in golf was when he was 12 years old, when he became a caddy at a local country club. He would win the club's inaugural caddy tournament in 1926 against fellow golf legend Ben Hogan, who also lived in Texas- the two would form a long-term friendly rivalry.

- Nelson went professional in 1932, and would achieve several records when playing in PGA tournaments- in 1945, he won 11 of them in a row between March and August. He also held the record of most top 20 finishes, with 113 (this would eventually be broken by Tiger Woods).

- Nelson retired from professional golf in 1946 to pursue his dream of becoming a rancher, though he would occasionally still play in professional tournaments (most notably winning Bing Crosby's Pro-Am tournament in 1951). He would later become a TV sportscaster in the 1960s.

- Nelson would first appear on the DeathList in 2001, and made three subsequent appearances (consecutively since 2004), being the 2006 list's eighth hit (of 13).

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American actor, film director, race car driver, philantropist and entrepreneur Paul Newman died on this day 15 years ago, aged 83.

 

[diego 1,992]

Stephen III of Bavaria died 510 years ago at the age of 76 in Niederschönenfeld, was a Duke of Bavaria from 1375 until his death. He was the eldest son of Duke Stephen II and Isabella of Sicily

 

Batley, Yorkshire was where Robert Palmer was born and died in Paris 20 years ago at the age of 54. He was known for his distinctive soul voice and his eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae and blues. He was successful both in his solo career and with The Power Station (with members of Duran Duran and Chic), and had songs in the Top 10 in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Shawn Lane was born in Memphis, Tennessee and died there 20 years ago of respiratory failure at the age of 40. He joined the band Black Oak Arkansas at just 14 years old, later releasing a series of instrumental albums, exploring diverse genres - from jazz fusion to typical Indian music - in partnership with bassist Jonas Hellborg.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American actress, visual artist, and activist Gloria Stuart died on this day 13 years ago, aged 100. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose Dawson Calvert in James Cameron's epic romance Titanic (1997), the highest-grossing film of all time at the time. Her performance in the film won her a Screen Actors Guild Award and earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

 

 

French politician Jacques Chirac died on this day 4 years ago, aged 86. He served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,758]

Jimmy Doolittle died on this day 30 years ago, aged 96.

- Doolittle served as a flight instructor during World War I. While serving in the Air Corps (the predecessor to the US Air Force), Doolittle would continue his education, and became the first person in the US to receive a doctorate in aeronautics, in 1925.

- Doolittle was also the first person to make a cross-country flight across the US, from Florida to California- this lasted 21 hours and 19 minutes, with him making a landing in Texas to refuel. He would also pioneer "instrument flying", where a pilot navigates with their outside view blocked, and became the first person to safely take off and land a plane in that fashion in 1929.

- Doolittle is perhaps more famous for planning and orchestrating the Doolittle Raid during World War II- the first American air raid on the Japanese mainland, which occurred in April of 1942. He would receive the Medal of Honor for this, and was also promoted from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general (2 military ranks higher instead of 1).

- Following the war, Doolittle would be appointed the chairman of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (a predecessor to NASA), where he would lead research into the development of rockets.

- Doolittle would retire in 1959, and was made an honorary four-star general by Ronald Reagan in 1985:

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American dancer, singer and actor Donald O'Connor died on this day 20 years ago, aged 78.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American magazine publisher Hugh Hefner died on this day 6 years ago, aged 91. Hefner extended the Playboy brand into a world network of Playboy Clubs. He also resided in luxury mansions where Playboy Playmates shared his wild partying life, fueling media interest. He was an advocate for the causes of First Amendment rights, animal rescue, and the restoration of the Hollywood Sign. He was a highly controversial figure in popular culture, accused of perpetrating and fostering sexual abuse and exploitation stretching back decades, and Playboy has since distanced itself from association with him.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,758]

Coolio died on this day a year ago, aged 59.

- Coolio's real name was Artis Ivey, and his rap name originated when he was a teenager- people called him "Coolio Iglesias" (a tribute to Julio Iglesias), with him dropping the second part. He also grew up in Compton, California- notably where NWA got its start.

- Coolio made his first song in 1987, and joined the rap group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. He went solo in 1994 after signing a deal with Tommy Boy Records. His debut album featured "Fantastic Voyage", which peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.

- Coolio's signature song, however, is "Gangsta's Paradise"- he wrote it for the movie Dangerous Minds in 1995, and was his only song to top the Hot 100 chart (3 weeks)- Billboard also listed it as the Song of the Year. Notably, he would start beef with Weird Al Yankovic following the release of his parody "Amish Paradise" in 1996 (Weird Al got the OK from his record label, but not Coolio himself)- Yankovic would write an apology letter, and the two would be on good terms by 2006, with Coolio openly regretting his disapproval by 2014.

- Coolio would sing the theme song of the Nickelodeon show Kenan and Kel, which ran from 1996 to 2000:

- Elsewhere on TV, Coolio would often appear as himself (or fictionalized versions of himself) in shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Duckman, and Gravity Falls. He also voiced Kwanzaa-bot in four episodes of Futurama, which ended up being his final role (the episode "I Know What You Did Next Xmas", released in August of 2023, features a dedication to him at the end of the episode).

- Coolio was cremated after his death- some of his ashes were put in jeweled necklaces for his family to wear.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American astronomer Edwin Hubble died on this day 70 years ago, aged 63.

 

[Hell 1,334]

Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcos died on this day 34 years ago, aged 72. was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981 and kept most of his martial law powers until he was deposed in 1986, branding his rule as "constitutional authoritarianism"  under his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement). One of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century, Marcos's rule was infamous for its corruption, extravagance, and brutality.