Death Anniversary Thread

[diego 1,984]

Pablo Escobar was born in Rionegro and died 30 years ago in Medellín (44 years), he was a Colombian drug trafficker and narco-terrorist who was the founder and only leader of the Medellín Cartel. Nicknamed "the cocaine king", Escobar is the richest criminal in history, having accumulated a net worth estimated at $30 billion at the time of his death — equivalent to $64 billion in 2021 — while his drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade in the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s
  The Netflix series Narcos, released in 2015, tells his story and Wagner Moura, his interpreter, competed for the Golden Globe for best dramatic actor

Marcelo Déda was born in Simão Dias and died in São Paulo 10 years ago (53 years). With a political career in his home state, Sergipe, he was a state and federal deputy. In 2000, he was elected mayor of Aracaju, a position he held from 2001 until 2006, when he resigned to run for state government. He was elected governor of Sergipe that year and was re-elected in 2010, a position he held until his death

Pedro Rocha was born in Salto and died 10 years ago at the age of 70 in São Paulo, he played for the Uruguayan national team in the 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974 World Cup, as a coach he worked in several Brazilian clubs

[Hell 1,334]

American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music Aaron Copland died on this day 33 years ago, aged 90. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Composers". The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many people consider to be the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as "populist" and which the composer labeled his "vernacular" style. Works in this vein include the ballets Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, his Fanfare for the Common Man and Third Symphony. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,734]

Scatman John died on this day 24 years ago, aged 57.

- Scatman John's real name was John Larkin, and he had a stutter from birth. He would play piano during his childhood, and learned scat singing by listening to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald records.

- His professional career only began when he was 39 years old, and he made his first album (named after himself), consisting of instrumental compositions, in 1986.

- Moving to Germany in 1990, Scatman John would begin to sing on his songs- his agent decided to put his scatting over EDM instrumentals. This led to the release of his album Scatman's World in 1995, known for its titular track- and more so due to "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)":

 

"Scatman" would peak at #3 on the UK Singles Chart. Both it and "Scatman's World" eventually became Internet memes, primarily thanks to early YTPs (YouTube Poops).

- Scatman John was most popular in Japan- his 1996 album Everybody Jam! sold more copies there than anywhere else in the world, and he would be commissioned to make songs for makeup and pudding commercials:

- Scatman John was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1998 and died after a year-long battle with the disease. He was posthumously inducted into the National Stuttering Association's Hall of Fame for his establishment of the Scatland Foundation, an organization dedicated to those with stutters.

[diego 1,984]

Basil III of Moscow died in Moscow at the age of 54 490 years ago, he was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 until his death. He was the son of Grand Prince Ivan III and his second wife Sofia Paleologia.

[The Ashes Urn 1,355]

American jazz trombonist Emile Christian died on this day 50 years ago, aged 78.

 

[Hell 1,334]

British politician during the 1920s and 1930s who rose to fame when he turned to fascism Oswald Mosley died on this day 43 years ago, aged 84. He was a member of parliament and later founded and led the British Union of Fascists (BUF). Mosley was one of the youngest members of parliament, representing Harrow from 1918 to 1924. At the 1924 general election he stood in Birmingham Ladywood against the future prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, coming within 100 votes of defeating him. Mosley returned to Parliament as Labour MP for Smethwick at a by-election in 1926 and served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the Labour Government of 1929–31. Mosley's New Party became the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932. As leader of the BUF, he publicly espoused antisemitism and sought alliances with other fascist leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Mosley was imprisoned in May 1940, after the outbreak of the Second World War, and the BUF was banned. He was released in 1943 and, politically disgraced by his association with fascism, moved abroad in 1951, spending most of the remainder of his life in Paris and two residences in Ireland.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,734]

Robert Loggia died on this day 8 years ago, aged 85.

- R as in Robert Loggia's real name was "Salvatore Loggia".

- O as in On Broadway, Robert Loggia debuted in a 1955 production of The Man With the Golden Arm.

- B as in Because of his Broadway success, Robert Loggia made it into Hollywood, with his first film being Somebody Up There Likes Me.

- E as in Elfego Baca was considered to be Robert Loggia's breakout role- specifically the Disney show The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca.

- R as in Radio was another thing Robert Loggia was known for, having anchored in the Panama Canal Zone.

- T as in T.H.E. Cat was another show Robert Loggia starred in, airing as titualar character Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat.   ....Space.

- L as in Lopez was the character Robert Loggia played in Scarface.

- O as in Oliver and Company was a movie Robert Loggia provided voice work for, specifically as the main antagonist, Sykes.

- G as in Getting the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for Big was one of Robert Loggia's achievements.

- G as in Getting the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Jagged Edge was not- but Robert Loggia was nominated.

- I as in In 2010, Robert Loggia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and he died after a five-year battle.

- A as in As you can see, I was referencing Robert Loggia's famous Family Guy cutaway gag throughout this post:

 

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 1 year ago, American tennis coach Nick Bollettieri passes away at the age of 91.

[diego 1,984]

Frank Zappa (52 years), born in Baltimore and died in Los Angeles 30 years ago, was an American composer, singer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, producer and director. Considered one of the greatest musicians and composers of the century. XX.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,355]

American stock car racing driver Iggy Katona died on this day 20 years ago, aged 87.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American rapper and record producer Pimp C died on this day 16 years ago, aged 33. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK). Signing to Jive Records in 1992, UGK released their major-label debut album Too Hard to Swallow to critical acclaim. The group followed this with their second and third major-label albums Super Tight in 1994 and Ridin' Dirty in 1996, both of which charted in the Billboard 200 to further success. The group received national attention in 2000 after being featured on Jay-Z's hit single "Big Pimpin'", which peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Rhythmic Top 40. The group went on hiatus for the first half of the 2000s after Pimp C was sentenced to eight years in prison for a probation violation. During this time both members pursued solo careers, with Pimp C releasing his solo debut, The Sweet James Jones Stories, in 2005, composed of material recorded prior to his sentencing. After being released from prison in December 2005, he released his second solo album, Pimpalation, in 2006. UGK released their eponymous fifth studio album in 2007, which spawned the single "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring OutKast, which peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 1 year ago, American actor Bob McGrath, who starred in the education TV series "Sesame Street", passed away at the age of 90.

 

Photo Credit: Cathlin McGrath per Creative Commons license.

[Drewsky1211 4,734]

Nelson Mandela died on this day 10 years ago, aged 95.

- Mandela's birth name was "Rolihlahla"- a Xhosa word meaning "troublemaker". His father was a tribal chief who had taken his father's given name as his own surname- and Mandela's great-grandfather was Ngubengcuka, king of the Thembu Kingdom from 1810 to 1830.

- The name "Nelson" was given to him by his teacher- Mandela himself did not know why she chose this specific English name for him.

- In 1943, Mandela joined the African National Congress Party, and became a prominent figure by 1952 for his role in the Defiance Campaign- the first large-scale organized anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa.

- Mandela founded the uMkhonto we Sizwe militant group in 1961, which would attack South African government installations. As one of its leaders, Mandela would be arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1962.

- While Robben Island is often given as Mandela's place of imprisonment, he was also transferred between Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. He was released in 1990, and worked with president FW de Klerk to end Apartheid and draft a new constitution.

- Mandela would be elected president of South Africa in 1994. He would launch investigations into human rights abuses during the colonial regime, issue acts of land reform, and meet with international celebrities such as Michael Jackson and the Spice Girls:

 

- Mandela would not seek reelection in 1999, continuing to comment on world affairs and campaign to combat HIV.

- Mandela had multiple ailments throughout his later years. He was diagnosed with and beat prostate cancer in 2001, but retired from public life in 2004. He would be hospitalized multiple times for a recurring lung infection between 2011 and 2013, and ended up dying from it.

- Mandela made eight appearances on the DeathList between 1989 and 2013 (including every list from 2009 to his death), and was the tenth hit (of thirteen) of 2013.

[diego 1,984]

Salvador de Mendonça (72 years) was born in Itaboraí (RJ) and died in Rio de Janeiro 110 years ago, he was one of the founders of the Brazilian Academy of Letters

Robert Aldrich (65 years) was born in Cranston (Rhode Island) and died in Los Angeles 40 years ago, he won a Silver Bear as best director in Berlin in 1956 and in Venice he won a Silver Lion in 1955
Critical success came with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and The Dirty Dozen (1967), with Lee Marvin

Felix Kaspar (88 years) was born in Vienna and died in Bradenton, Florida 20 years ago, and was an Austrian figure skater. He won an Olympic bronze medal in 1936, and three world championship medals, two gold and one bronze.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,355]

Scottish pioneer of radio direction finding and radar technology Robert Watson-Watt died on this day 50 years ago, aged 81.

 

[Hell 1,334]

Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer died on this day 11 years ago, aged 104. He was considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was best known for his design of civic buildings for Brasília, a planned city that became Brazil's capital in 1960, as well as his collaboration with other architects on the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. His exploration of the aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete was highly influential in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In 1956, Niemeyer was invited by Brazil's new president, Juscelino Kubitschek, to design the civic buildings for Brazil's new capital, Brasília. His designs for the National Congress of Brazil, the Cathedral of Brasília, the Palácio da Alvorada, the Palácio do Planalto, and the Supreme Federal Court, all designed by 1960, were experimental and linked by common design elements. This work led to his appointment as inaugural head of architecture at the University of Brasília, as well as honorary membership of the American Institute of Architects. Due to his largely left-wing ideology, and involvement with the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Niemeyer left the country after the 1964 military coup and opened an office in Paris. He returned to Brazil in 1985, and was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1988. A socialist and atheist from an early age, Niemeyer had spent time in both Cuba and the Soviet Union during his exile, and on his return served as the PCB's president from 1992 to 1996. Niemeyer continued working at the end of the 20th and early 21st century, notably designing the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (1996) and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (2002). Over a career of 78 years he designed approximately 600 projects. He made 9 appearances on Deathlist.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 2 years ago, American politician Bob Dole, who was a Kansas senator from 1969 to 1996 as well as the 1996 Republican presidential nominee passed away at the age of 98.

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 2 years ago, Belgium-born French mathematician Jacques Tits passed away at the age of 91.

 

Photo Credit: Harald Hanche-Olsen per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,734]

Pope Clement VI died on this day 671 years ago, aged 61.

- Clement was born as Pierre Roger- or Pierre Rosiers- to a family in the French nobility.

- Clement entered the Benedictine order when he was just 10 years old, eventually becoming a doctor of theology at the age of 32.

- In 1328, Clement became the Bishop of Arras, and was promoted as the Archbishop of Sens a year later. Pope Benedict XII made him a cardinal in 1338.

- Clement would succeed Benedict as pope after the latter's death in 1342. His papacy is best known for coinciding with the Black Death from 1347 to 1351. During the pandemic, Clement cleared the sins of those who died from it, and said those who blamed Jewish people for it had been "seduced by that liar, the Devil".  He attributed the bubonic plague as a "hidden judgment" from God.

- Clement was also known for declaring a crusade in 1343 (that nobody went on), excommunicating German king Louis IV in 1346, and donating the vast fortune Benedict XII had accumulated- also using the money to build new chapels and commission Vatican artists.

- Clement was known to suffer from kidney stones, and died from some kind of tumor after a 10-year reign. His successor was Pope Innocent VI.

 

[YoungWillz 21,044]

30 years ago today Hollywood star Don Ameche left his Cocoon and Traded Places from life to death, aged 85.

 

[diego 1,984]

Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio (85 years) was born in Barberena, and died in Guatemala City 20 years ago, he was President of Guatemala from July 1, 1970 to July 1, 1974. His government carried out torture, disappearances and murders against political and military opponents, as well as as common criminals. The Guatemalan Human Rights Commission estimated that 20,000 Guatemalans were killed or "disappeared" during the Arana government. He also served as ambassador to Nicaragua

[The Ashes Urn 1,355]

American singer, songwriter and musician Roy Orbison died on this day 35 years ago, aged 52.

 

[Hell 1,334]

German-American inventor, game developer, and engineer Ralph H. Baer died on this day 9 years ago, aged 92. Baer's family fled Germany just before World War II and Baer served the American war effort, gaining an interest in electronics shortly thereafter. Through several jobs in the electronics industry, he was working as an engineer at Sanders Associates (now BAE Systems) in Nashua, NH, when he conceived the idea of playing games on a television screen around 1966. With support of his employers, he worked through several prototypes until he arrived at a "Brown Box" that would later become the blueprint for the first home video game console, licensed by Magnavox as the Magnavox Odyssey. Baer continued to design several other consoles and computer game units, including contributing to design of the Simon electronic game. Baer continued to work in electronics until his death in 2014, with over 150 patents to his name. Baer is considered "the Father of Video Games" due to his many contributions to games and helping to spark the video game industry in the latter half of the 20th century. In February 2006, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology for "his groundbreaking and pioneering creation, development and commercialization of interactive video games, which spawned related uses, applications, and mega-industries in both the entertainment and education realms".

 

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 2 years ago, Norwegian prime minister Kåre Willoch, who served his term from 1981 to 1986, passed away at the age of 93.

[Drewsky1211 4,734]

Elizabeth Edwards died on this day 13 years ago, aged 61.

- Edwards' actual first name was Mary, and her maiden name was Anania. She married John Edwards in 1977.

- Edwards worked at a law firm, retiring after her son Wade was killed in a car accident.

- Edwards gained national spotlight during her husband's presidential run in the 2004 election due to how open she was about her struggles (especially Wade Edwards' death), and would have become the Second Lady of the United States had John Kerry beat George W. Bush.

- The day after the 2004 election, Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer, becoming an activist against the disease. She beat it once, but it recurred in 2007, metastasizing to her bones and lungs.

- While undergoing cancer treatment, John Edwards had an affair and fathered an illegitimate daughter (which was highly publicized between 2008 and 2010). Elizabeth would legally separate from John in January of 2010 following his admission, and excluded him from her will.

- Edwards died the day after she stopped treatment due to the cancer spreading to her liver. She had made one appearance on the DeathList, at #30 on the 2008 list.