Hell 1,334 Posted January 19 Carl Perkins died on this day 26 years ago, aged 65. He was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, beginning in 1954. Among his best-known songs are “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Honey Don’t”, “Matchbox” and “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”. Perkins’s songs were recorded by artists as influential as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton, which further established his prominent place in the history of popular music. He was nicknamed the “King of Rockability’. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockability Hall of Fame, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 19 American stock car racing driver Joe Weatherly died on this day 60 years ago, aged 41. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Immortal 634 Posted January 19 1 hour ago, The Ashes Urn said: American stock car racing driver Joe Weatherly died on this day 60 years ago, aged 41. A very unfortunate death despite the dangers of racing then. The crash itself was seemingly minor and the car had no damage, but because he didn't put any window protection (dont think NASCAR made it mandatory then) his head went through the window while turning and hit the wall along with the car, killing him. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 20 Johnny Weissmuller died on this day 40 years ago, aged 79. - Weissmuller was born in modern-day Hungary, but his family emigrated to the US 7 months later. - The Weissmullers ended up moving to Chicago, and Johnny took swim lessons at Lake Michigan. He developed a sense of competition, and would be admitted to a prestigious swim club as a teenager. - Weissmuller's professional swimming career began in 1921, and would set world records- most notably being the first person to swim 100 meters in less than a minute (58 seconds). Because of his prowess, he was chosen to compete in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, winning five gold medals between the two games. - Weissmuller was also a successful actor, and in 1932 he began portraying Tarzan on screen. He starred in twelve Tarzan movies between 1932 and 1948, and created this iconic yell: Weissmuller requested this to be played at his funeral three times as he was interred- which was obliged. - Weissmuller would also become the star of the Jungle Jim movies- 13 were made between 1948 and 1954. He would also portray the character on its TV show, which ran from 1956 to 1958. - Weissmuller's final film role was a cameo appearance as a stagehand in the 1976 movie Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 20 Audrey Hepburn died on this day 31 years ago, aged 63. She was a British actress. She rose to stardom in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953) alongside Gregory Peck, for which she was the first actress to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award for a single performance. That year, she also won a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance in Ondine. Hepburn went on to star in a number of successful films such as Sabrina (1954), in which Humphrey Bogart and William Holden complete for her affection; Funny Face (1957), a musical in which she sang her own parts; the drama The Nun’s Story (1959); the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961); the thriller-romance Charade (1963), opposite Cary Grant; and the musical My Fair Lady (1964). In 1967, she starred in the thriller Wait Until Dark, receiving Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations. After that, she only occasionally appeared in films, one being Robin and Marian (1976) with Sean Connery. Her last recorded performances were in the 1990 documentary television series Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming. She died from appendiceal cancer. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 20 American athlete Guinn Smith died on this day 20 years ago, aged 83. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,129 Posted January 20 5 hours ago, The Ashes Urn said: American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor Johnny Weissmuller died on this day 40 years ago, aged 79. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 21 Vladimir Lenin died on this day 100 years ago, aged 53. - Lenin's real last name was "Ulyanov", and his older brother Aleksandr was executed for attempting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III in 1886. He adopted the psudonym "Lenin" in 1901, probably after Siberia's Lena River. - Lenin would be radicalized during his college years, joining a student society (banned by the monarchy) and learning about the works of Karl Marx. By 1889, he was translating the Communist Manifesto into Russian and secretly publishing it. - Lenin was first arrested in 1894 on charges of sedition. In 1897, he was sentenced to exile in Siberia for three years. After exile, he fled to Switzerland, leading a ring that smuggled a communist newspaper into Russia. - Lenin would return to Russia in 1905 after Tsar Nicholas II adopted liberal reforms in his October Manifesto. Lenin encouraged criminal behavior against what he saw as bourgeoisie organizations- banks, post offices, and railway stations. - Despite Russia being an enemy, Lenin was granted permission by the German government to return to Russia in 1917- the Germans believed he would cause political turmoil... which he did by taking charge during the October Revolution. - In the 1917 election, the Bolsheviks placed second behind the Socialist Party. Lenin did not believe this reflected the will of the people, and covertly took control from the more moderate socialists by banning all other political parties. - Lenin began suffering from migraines in 1921, and by 1923 had had three strokes which rendered him mute. He began exhibiting aphasia, and died in 1924 from "an incurable disease of the blood vessels". - Lenin's body has been continuously preserved and his mummy remains on display in Red Square to this day. Over 2.5 million people visit each year: 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 21 Ann Sheridan died on this day 57 years ago, aged 51. She was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films San Quentin (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) with James Cagney and Bogart, They Drive by Night (1940) with George Raft and Bogart, City for Conquest (1940) with Cagney and Elia Kazan, The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) with Bette Davis, Kings Row (1942) with Ronald Reagan, Nora Prentiss (1947), and I Was a Male War Bride (1949) with Cary Grant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 7,956 Posted January 21 Want to feel ancient? At the claimed age of 111, the Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swami saga finally came to an end 5 years ago today. Still my favorite forum immortal meme after all these years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 21 American government official, businessman, philantropist and naval officer Lewis Strauss died on this day 50 years ago, aged 77. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 22 Telly Savalas died on this day 30 years ago, aged 72. - Savalas was the son of Greek immigrants, and his real name was "Aristotelis" ("Telly" obviously being derived from the "-telis" part). Greek was also his first language, with him learning English once he started school. - Savalas worked as a lifeguard after graduating, and promoted water safety throughout his life. He would soon be drafted into World War II, attaining the rank of corporal before being honorably discharged due to a severe injury from a car crash. - Savalas then became a radio announcer, and ended up being the person who gave Howard Cosell his first TV job. His acting career began in 1958, and he was high in demand due to his ability to produce an eastern European accent. - Savalas would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1963 after starring as Feto Gomez in Birdman of Alcatraz. His next major role was as Pontius Pilate in 1965's The Greatest Story Ever Told, for which he shaved his remaining head hair off (he was already mostly bald by then, and he continued to shave it when it grew back). - Savalas was also known for portraying Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service, being the third actor to play the character on screen. - In 1973, Savalas began starring as the titular character in Kojak. It ran until 1978, and he would also star in the series' TV movies from 1985 to 1990. - Savalas also delved into music; his 1975 Shatnerized rendition of "If" topped the UK charts for two weeks: - Savalas was diagnosed with bladder cancer in late 1989, and died after a four-year battle. He debuted on the DeathList at no. 49 the year he died (mistakenly believed to be turning 70), and was 1994's second death. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 22 Lyndon B. Johnson died on this day 51 years ago, aged 64. He was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. A Democrat from Texas, Johnson also served as a U.S. representative and U.S. senator. During his presidency, the American political landscape transformed significantly, as white southerners who were once staunch Democrats began moving to the Republican Party and Black voters who sporadically supported the Democrats prior to 1964 began shifting towards the party in historic numbers. Due to his domestic agenda, Johnson's presidency marked the peak of modern American liberalism in the 20th century.Johnson faced further troubles with race riots in major cities and increasing crime. His political opponents seized the opportunity and raised demands for "law and order" policies. Johnson began his presidency with near-universal support, but his approval declined throughout his presidency as the public became frustrated with both the Vietnam War and domestic unrest. Johnson initially sought to run for re-election; however, following disappointing results in the New Hampshire primary he withdrew his candidacy. Johnson returned to his Texas ranch, where he died in 1973. Public opinion and academic assessments of his legacy have fluctuated greatly ever since. Historians and scholars rank Johnson in the upper tier for his accomplishments regarding domestic policy. His administration passed many major laws that made substantial changes in civil rights, health care, welfare, and education. Conversely, Johnson is strongly criticized for his foreign policy, namely presiding over escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 22 American actress Frances Gifford died on this day 30 years ago, aged 73. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chel 376 Posted January 22 On 1/21/2024 at 9:53 AM, Drewsky1211 said: Vladimir Lenin died on this day 100 years ago, aged 53. Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live.... ... in anecdotes! Lenin said: - There are only three real communists in the Party: Ulyanov, Lenin and me. Lenin was very sad that his mother did not live just a year before the revolution. "It would have been better, on the contrary, that I had not lived," he said in a fit of grief, and everyone tactfully agreed with him. Georgian feast: - Let's drink to Gogi - he fought in the gorge and avenged his brother! - Let's drink to Kvichi - he fought in the gorge and avenged his brother! - No, let's drink to Lenin - he avenged his brother! Stalin visits Lenin at the Gorky estate. - I feel very bad, I'm going to die soon. - Then give me the power. - I'm afraid the people will not follow you. - Part of the people will follow me, and the rest will follow you. The tablet: "In this house, in 1910, Vladimir Lenin hid with Inessa Armand from his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya." - Nadezhda, where are my underpants? - While you were sleeping, Volodya, Bonch-Bruyevich came and took them for the Museum of the Revolution. The Russians sold Lenin's coffin to the Americans. The Americans put it on the roof of the tallest skyscraper in New York. Lenin stands up and looks around: - Well, this is how I imagined Communism... Lenin comes to life and asks for a copy of “Truth” for the last 70 years. He reads: "Reception in the Kremlin...", "Lunch in the Kremlin...", "Breakfast in the Kremlin...". - What have you given me? - Lenin is indignant. - It's a menu! Lenin was revived. A week later he received a summons from Israel from his maternal relatives and presented his papers to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. - Where are you going, Vladimir Ilyich? - To emigrate. Everything must start again! Bonus: a fragment of a ballet in Kazakhstan 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 23 Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn died on this day 204 years ago, aged 52. - Edward was the fourth son of King George III, and was named after his late uncle. - Edward began military training in 1785, and would be transferred to Quebec in 1791 as a colonel. During his time in Canada, he would reinforce British military bases, temporarily went to the Caribbean to participate in the invasion of Martinique in 1794, and worked on construction projects- among the most notable being the garrison clock in Halifax (now called the Halifax Town Clock): - In 1799, Edward became the commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, and in 1802 he would be appointed the governor of Gibraltar. - Queen Victoria was Edward's only legitimate child. He was known to have several mistresses, and had two children with said mistresses- Adelaide and Edward. - Edward died just six days before his father did. The reason his daughter Victoria succeeded his older brothers after their reigns was because they had no legitimate children. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 23 Larry King died on this day 3 years ago, aged 87. He was an American author, radio and television host. He earned his awards and nominations included two Peabodys, an Emmy, and 10 Cable ACE Awards. He was a WMBM radio interviewer in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s and beginning in 1978, gained national prominence as host of The Larry King Show, an all-night nationwide call-in radio program heard over the Mutual Broadcasting System. From 1985 to 2010, he hosted the nightly interview television program Larry King Live on CNN. King hosted Larry King Now from 2012 to 2020, which aired on Hulu, Ora TV, and RT America. He hosted Politicking with Larry King, a weekly political talk show, on the same three channels from 2013 to 2020. King also appeared in television series and films, usually playing himself. He remained active until his death in 2021. On January 2, 2021, King was hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. King recovered from the virus, but died on January 23 from sepsis. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 23 Norwegian painter Edvard Munch died on this day 80 years ago, aged 80. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 24 Alfonso IV of Aragon died on this day 688 years ago, aged 36. - The son of king James II, Alfonso married when he was 14 (fortunately his wife Teresa was also that age). Their wedding was reportedly so expensive that local government put a limit on how much Alfonso could spend. - Beginning in 1323, Alfonso led an invasion of Sardinia (then owned by Pisa), which he successfully completed in 1326. - Alfonso became heir to the throne in 1319 when his older brother James became a monk. He became king of Aragon in 1327 after the death of his father- who died two weeks after his wife. Alfonso ended up remarrying to his brother's ex-wife Eleanor of Castile. - Alfonso's second wife would make him favor their kids instead of his eldest child Peter, giving them swaths of land and lordships. This caused an unrest between the royalty and nobility. Despite that, he was given the epithet "the Kind" due to these actions. - Alfonso died after an eight-year reign, and was succeeded by Peter (IV). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 24 Winston Churchill died on this day 59 years ago, aged 90. He was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Apart from two years between 1922 and 1924, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1964 and represented a total of five constituencies. Ideologically an adherent to economic liberalism and imperialism, he was for most of his career a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955. He was a member of the Liberal Party from 1904 to 1924. Churchill formed a national government and oversaw British involvement in the Allied war effort against the Axis powers, resulting in victory in 1945. After the Conservatives' defeat in the 1945 general election, he became Leader of the Opposition. Amid the developing Cold Warwith the Soviet Union, he publicly warned of an "iron curtain" of Soviet influence in Europe and promoted European unity. Between his terms as prime minister, he wrote several booksrecounting his experience during the war. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. He lost the 1950 election but was returned to office in 1951. His second term was preoccupied with foreign affairs, especially Anglo-American relations and preservation of what remained of the British Empire with India now no longer part of it. Domestically, his government emphasised housebuilding and completed the development of a nuclear weapon (begun by his predecessor). In declining health, Churchill resigned as prime minister in 1955, remaining an MP until 1964. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 24 American serial killer Ted Bundy died on this day 35 years ago, aged 42. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 25 Mary Tyler Moore died on this day 7 years ago, aged 80. - Moore began her career as the elf mascot for Hotpoint in the 1950s, starring in 39 commercials: - Moore auditioned to play Danny Thomas' daughter in The Danny Thomas Show, but was turned down by him because her nose was too small. However, Thomas personally recommended her to Carl Reiner, and she got cast as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show. - In 1969, Moore and her husband Grant Tinker founded MTM Productions to produce The Mary Tyler Moore Show- their logo was notably a parody of MGM's, featuring a cat named Mimsie (who was not owned by Moore): - In later years, Moore would make guest appearances in shows such as Ellen, That '70s Show, and Hot in Cleveland. - Moore would be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 32- which led to multiple health problems after several decades. By 2014, she was reportedly "nearly blind" due to complications from it. - Moore debuted on the DeathList in 2016, and was the first hit of the 2017 list. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ashes Urn 1,354 Posted January 25 American conductor Robert Shaw died on this day 25 years ago, aged 82. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hell 1,334 Posted January 25 Ava Gardner died on this day 34 years ago, aged 67. She was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her performance in Robert Siodmak's film noir The Killers. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in John Ford's Mogambo (1953), and for best actress for both a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for her performance in John Huston's The Night of the Iguana (1964). She was a part of the Golden Age of Hollywood. During the 1950s, Gardner established herself as a leading lady and one of the era's top stars with films like Show Boat, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (both 1951), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), Bhowani Junction (1956) and On the Beach (1959). She continued her film career for three more decades, appearing in the films 55 Days at Peking (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966), Mayerling (1968), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), Earthquake (1974) and The Cassandra Crossing (1976). And in 1985, she had the major recurring role of Ruth Galveston on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drewsky1211 4,731 Posted January 26 David Rice Atchison died on this day 138 years ago, aged 78. - Atchison went to Transylvania University in Kentucky- among his classmates were five fellow future US Senators, including Confederate leader Jefferson Davis. - Atchison moved to Missouri in 1830 after becoming a lawyer, and was notably Mormon prophet Joseph Smith's attorney during a land dispute. - Atchison would be elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1834, and was one of the most vocal proponents of the Platte Purchase of 1836 (expanding the state to include Platte, Buchanan, Andrew, Nodaway, Holt, and Atchison counties- the latter being named after him as a result). - Atchison would be appointed as a US Senator in 1843 following the death of the incumbent Lewis Linn. In 1845, he would be named the president pro tempore of the Senate, putting him second in the line of presidential succession (now superseded by the Speaker of the House). He served until 1855, and his most notable action was coming up with the idea of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (Atchison was unfortunately pro-slavery). - In 1849, Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday. Because of that, president and vice-president elect Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore refused to take the oath of office until Monday. Because of this, Atchison has been seen by some as having been the acting president of the United States for a 24-hour period between March 4 and 5. Atchison's gravestone has this inscription on it, and the feat is by far what he is most remembered for: Atchison never actually claimed this himself; North Carolina senator Willie Mangum jokingly told him this on that day and jested about appointing him his Secretary of State. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
