Death Anniversary Thread

[Hell 1,330]

American Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist Che Guevara died on this day 56 years ago, aged 39. He is a major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia in popular culture.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,545]

William H. Seward died on this day 151 years ago, aged 71.

- In his youth, Seward went by his middle name, Henry. He entered college at the age of 15.

- Seward became a politician in the 1820s, and would be elected to the New York senate in 1830. Seward would be the Whig Party of New York's nominee for governor in 1834, but lost the election by about 10,000 votes. A rematch occurred between him and incumbent governor William Marcy in 1838, and Seward defeated him by the same margin he previously lost.

- Seward was eventually elected as a US senator in 1848, and switched from the Whig to Republican Party in 1855. Seward ran for president in 1860 and was considered the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but lost to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln ended up giving Seward a cabinet position as his Secretary of State.

- Seward was a target of John Wilkes Booth's group of conspirators (specifically Lewis Powell) on April 14, 1865- he was recovering from an injury he suffered a few days before, and his cheek was severely cut by his attempted assassin (who was chased out of his home by his children and guard).

- Seward is best remembered for negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867- the land was initially deemed as useless, and called "Seward's Folly", but this changed once gold was found there in the 1890s.

- After serving as Secretary of State, Seward spent his retirement traveling across North America, and visited Japan and China in 1871.

[The Ashes Urn 1,343]

French singer Édith Piaf died on this day 60 years ago, aged 47.

 

[diego 1,939]

Pedro II, Duke of Bourbon was born in Moulins and died 520 years ago in the same city. With the death of his brother Charles II of Bourbon in 1488 he became Count of Forez, Count of Clermont, Duke of Auvergne and Duke of Bourbon

 

[Hell 1,330]

American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Orson Welles died on this day 38 years ago, aged 70. His first film was Citizen Kane (1941), which he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in as the title character, Charles Foster Kane. It has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest films ever made. He directed twelve other features, the most acclaimed of which include The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Stranger (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), The Trial (1962), Chimes at Midnight (1966) and F for Fake (1973). Welles also starred in films such as Jane Eyre (1943), The Third Man (1949), and A Man for All Seasons (1966).

 

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 2 years ago, American animator Ruthie Tompson, who worked on many Disney films, passed away at the age of 111.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 2 years ago, Spanish composer Luis de Pablo passed away at the age of 91.

 

Photo Credit: SIGMA PROJECT per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,545]

Angela Lansbury died on this day a year ago, aged 96.

- Lansbury was a nepo baby- her mother was the Irish actress Moyna Macgill. She was also cousins with stop-motion animator Oliver Postgate, a second cousin once removed of Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, and sister-in-law of Peter Ustinov.

- Lansbury's first film role was in 1944's Gaslight, and would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this. She then had a string of hits with National Velvet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Harvey Girls.

- In the 1960s, Lansbury was known for playing the mothers of leading actors- most notably as Eleanor in The Manchurian Candidate, and as Elvis' mom in Blue Hawaii.

- Lansbury would largely act in theatrical productions, and is particularly remembered for her role as Mrs. Lovett in the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd.

- Lansbury would return to A-list celebrity status by starring as mystery writer turned crime scene detective Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, which ran from 1984 to 1996. For this, Lansbury was nominated for ten Golden Globes (winning four) and 12 Emmys.

- In her later career, Lansbury would be known for voice work in movies such as The Last Unicorn, Don Bluth's Anastasia, and most notably Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast- in the latter film, she sung its title song and a verse of "Be Our Guest":

- Lansbury debuted on the DeathList in 2010, and was that list's last survivor. She returned to the list in 2020 and remained on the list until her death, and was the 10th death of the 14 that year.

- Lansbury died five days before her 97th birthday, and her last role was released posthumously- a cameo in Glass Onion where she plays Among Us with Daniel Craig:

 

[diego 1,939]

Pope Boniface VIII died 720 years ago at the age of 73, born in Anagni, Italy, died in Rome, born with the name Benedetto Gaetani. Currently, Boniface VIII is probably remembered for his conflicts with Dante Alighieri, who portrayed him in hell in his Divine Comedy, and the publication of the bull Unam Sanctam in the dispute against King Philip IV of France. His legacy is significant in the field of Canon Law , where Boniface VIII continues to have great influence.

María de Villota was born in Madrid and died 10 years ago in Seville at the age of 33, she was a Spanish motor racing driver. She was the daughter of former Formula 1 driver Emilio de Villota and sister of Emilio de Villota Jr., who competed in Formula Palmer Audi. In July 2012, she suffered a serious accident during tests carried out by the Marussia team, losing her right eye. She was found in her hotel room by emergency services. She was supposed to speak at the "Fundación Lo Que De Verdad Importa" conference in Seville, which has since been suspended.
The former pilot died following the consequences of the serious accident she suffered in 2012.

[The Ashes Urn 1,343]

American sculptor James Earle Fraser died on this day 70 years ago, aged 76.

 

[Hell 1,330]

German mid-level SS commander in the SS police force of Nazi Germany Erich Priebke died on this day 10 years ago, aged 100. In 1996, he was convicted of war crimes in Italy, for commanding the unit which was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre in Rome on 24 March 1944 in which 335 Italian civilians were killed in retaliation for a partisan attack that killed 33 men of the German SS Police Regiment Bozen. Priebke was one of the men held responsible for this mass execution. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, he fled to Argentina, where he lived for almost 50 years.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,545]

Quintin Hogg- better known as Lord Hailsham- died on this day 22 years ago, aged 94.

- Hailsham was the son of Douglas Hogg (Viscount Hailsham), who was also a politician. The junior Hailsham succeeded his father in the House of Lords when he died in 1950.

- Hailsham would be elected to Parliament in 1938, and would briefly serve in combat during World War II. He would end up waiving his peerage in 1963 to return to the House of Commons, which he was re-elected to, but his title would be given back to him in 1970.

- Also in 1970, Hailsham became the Lord Chancellor- he prophetically joked about this in a 1962 newspaper interview, where he thought if the Conservative Party returned to power by 1970, “some ass might make [him] Lord Chancellor”. He would retire from this position in 1974, but would return to this role in 1979 once Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. Hailsham served until 1987 (and would be succeeded by fellow DeathList hit Michael Havers).

- Hailsham debuted on the DeathList in 1991, and made four more appearances in 1992, 1998, 1999 and 2001- and was the ninth hit (of the ten) that year, dying three days after his birthday.

[The Ashes Urn 1,343]

American jockey Bill Shoemaker died on this day 20 years ago, aged 72.

 

[diego 1,939]

Peregrino Júnior was born in Natal and died at the age of 85 in Rio de Janeiro 40 years ago. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. He was the sixth occupant of chair 18

 

[Hell 1,330]

American oilman and politician Alf Landon died on this day 36 years ago, aged 100. He served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential election, and was defeated in a landslide by incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,545]

Emperor Claudius died on this day 1969 years ago, aged 63.

- Claudius was a grandson of Mark Antony, and his uncle was the Emperor Tiberius.

- Claudius was initially a historian who authored a history of recent Roman civil wars- these were criticized for being too truthful about Emperor Augustus, who was late in his reign at this time.

- Once his uncle became emperor in 14, he allowed Claudius to enter the cursus honorum- the rising ranks of Roman politicians. This culminated with him becoming a consul in 37.

- After his nephew Caligula's assassination in 41, Claudius was elected emperor. His reign was known for expanding Roman territory by annexing Judea, Thrace, Lycia and Noricum into the empire and also conquering and establishing the province of Britannia, and industrializing Rome through the construction of roads, canals, and aqueducts.

- Claudius' 17-year reign came to an end when he was poisoned- most likely by his wife Agrippina. His adoptive son Nero succeeded him as emperor.

[diego 1,939]

Bertram Neville Brockhouse died 20 years ago at the age of 85 in Hamilton, Canada's Lethbridge. He won the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of neutron spectroscopy.

[The Ashes Urn 1,343]

American actress Gwen Welles died on this day 30 years ago, aged 42.

 

[Hell 1,330]

Ninth King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej died on this day 7 years ago, aged 88. Reigning from 1946 until his death in 2016, he is the third-longest verified reigning sovereign monarch in world history after King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth II, reigning for 70 years and 126 days. His reign of over 70 years is the longest reign of any Thai monarch, and the longest native rule of any Asian sovereign.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American astronaut James McDivitt passed away at the age of 93.

[Drewsky1211 4,545]

Simon MacCorkindale died on this day 13 years ago, aged 58.

- MacCorkindale's father Peter was an RAF officer, but he was rejected due to poor eyesight. He decided to become a theater director afterwards.

- MacCorkindale debuted on West End early in his career, in a 1974 production of Pygmalion. He would quickly become a TV actor as well, most notably in the 1976 miniseries adaptation of I, Claudius, and Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth.

- MacCorkindale's breakout role was in the 1978 film Death on the Nile as the character of Simon Doyle. He would move to the US in 1980, refusing to speak in American accents because he wanted to become a niche actor. MacCorkindale would appear in single episodes of shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, Dynasty, and Fantasy Island.

- MacCorkindale would star in the 1983 superhero show Manimal as the title role of Jonathan Chase- a person who can transform into any animal:

The show lasted only eight episodes before being cancelled (mostly due to Dallas airing new episodes during the same timeslot on a different channel at the same time).

- Also in 1983, MacCorkindale starred in Jaws 3D, where his character (Philip FitzRoyce) falls prey to the titular shark:

This was his last major film role.

- MacCorkindale passed up the role of Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise (which went to Scott Bakula), moving back to the UK in 2002 to star in Casualty as Dr. Harry Harper. His acting was criticized as being too stiff, too loud, or as one Guardian journalist called him, a human Foghorn Leghorn (I say, I say).

- MacCorkindale was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006, which metastasized to his lungs after remission. He announced his diagnosis as terminal in 2009, and debuted on the 2010 DeathList for his only appearance, being the seventh of the nine hits that year.

[diego 1,939]

Humberto II of Savoy died 900 years ago, he was Count of Savoy from 1080 until his death in 1103. He was also Count of Maurienne

Émile Sarrade died 70 years ago at the age of 76, he was a French tug-of-war competitor and rugby union athlete. He competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the rugby competition as well as the silver medal in the tug-of-war competition, both as a member of the French team.

Moktar Ould Daddah was born in Boutilimit and died in Paris 20 years ago at the age of 78. He held the presidency of Mauritania, being the first to hold the position in the country, after independence from France. He ruled from November 28, 1960 to July 10, 1978, when he was forcibly removed from power in a military coup led by Mustafa Ould Salek.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,343]

American film and television character actor Paul Fix died on this day 40 years ago, aged 82.

 

[Hell 1,330]

American singer, actor, television producer, television and radio personality and businessman Bing Crosby died on this day 46 years ago, aged 74. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a leader in record sales, a network radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1926 to 1977. He was one of the first global cultural icons. He made over 70 feature films and recorded more than 1600 songs. Crosby won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Going My Way (1944) and was nominated for its sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), opposite Ingrid Bergman, becoming the first of six actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, English actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, passed away at the age of 72.

 

Photo Credit: clogdancer per Creative Commons license