Death Anniversary Thread

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Franz Kafka died on this day 100 years ago, aged 40.

- Kafka initially studied chemistry in college, but soon turned to law to please his father; he earned his doctorate in 1906.

- Kafka worked as an insurance worker, but spent his free time writing books that he was most well-known for. His earliest published work was 1909's Description of a Struggle, followed by The Judgment in 1912. 1915's Metamorphosis, a story about a man named Gregor Samsa who is suddenly transformed into a giant insect, is his best-known work:

- Kafka's novels also revolved around dystopian topics, largely overbearing governments in works such as The Trial and The Castle. His writing style has entered the English lexicon as "Kafkaesque"- often comparatively used with "Orwellian".

- Kafka's family was Jewish, though he described himself as atheist at one point. He would develop an interest in Yiddish theatre, and also considered emigrating to Mandatory Palestine. Kafka had three sisters, all of them murdered during the Holocaust.

- Kafka died from complications from chronic tuberculosis. It is believed he starved to death because eating was too painful for him- a case of life imitating art, as Gregor Samsa starved to death in Metamorphosis.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Eduard Khil died on this day 12 years ago, aged 77.

- Khil was from Russia, and was in a children's home during World War II. He would perform songs for soldiers at his local hospital to entertain them.

- Khil srudied at the Leningrad Conservatory, where he would begin acting in musical theater, which included the titular role in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Soon afterwards, Khil would decide to become a pop singer, competing in several national tournaments and becoming a celebrity in the Soviet Union.

- Khil, however, is best known internationally for a 1976 performance where he sang a non-lyrical version of the Russian song "I Am Very Glad, As I Am Finally Returning Back Home":

Said "trololo" vocalizations made him a meme in early 2010, and the song was often used as a substitute for Rickrolling because of said noises. Khil would discover his new online fame when he heard his grandson humming the tune, and embraced it:

- Khil suffered a severe stroke in April of 2012, which left him comatose for the last two months of his life.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American baseball player, coach, and manager Roger Craig passed away at the age of 93.

[polar duck 747]

12 minutes ago, John "요한" Sulu said:

On this day 1 year ago, American baseball player, coach, and manager passed away at the age of 93.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 2 years ago, Barbadian novelist George Lamming, who wrote "In the Castle of My Skin" and poet, passed away at the age of 94.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 3 years ago, Austrian poet Friederike Mayröcker passed away at the age of 96.

 

Photo Credit: Franz Johann Morgenbesser per Creative Commons license

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 3 years ago, American politician John Patterson, who was the governor of Alabama from 1959 to 1963, passed away at the age of 99.

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Ronald Reagan died on this day 20 years ago, aged 93.

- Before Reagan became an actor, he worked as a lifeguard, and credited with 77 rescues.

- Among Reagan's notable film roles were as George Gipp in 1940's Knute Rockne, All American (where he got his "The Gipper" nickname from), Peter Boyd in 1951's Bedtime for Bonzo, and Jeff Williams in 1952's Hong Kong.

- Surprisingly enough, Reagan was initially a registered Democrat, idolizing FDR; he began veering to the right during the Eisenhower administration.

- Reagan was a top contender in the 1976 Republican primaries, coming in a very close second behind Gerald Ford (receiving 1078 delegates at the Republican National Convention to Ford's 1121).

- Besides his Reaganomics policies, making peace with the Soviet Union, the (now-failed) War on Drugs, the Iran-Contra scandal, and bungling the AIDS crisis, Reagan was known for his sense of humor during his presidency. Among his quips included "hoping none of [his surgeons] were Democrats" after his assassination attempt, outlawing Russia and saying "we begin bombing in five minutes", and referring to said assassination attempt when a balloon popped during one of his speeches:

- Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, and died after a 10-year battle. He appeared on the DeathList 14 times, and was the 5th hit (of 14) of 2004; he was initially given the description of "Idiot", which was changed due to complaints (possibly due to seemingly disrespecting his mental deterioration, rather than right-wing outrage).

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Jack Haley died on this day 45 years ago, aged 81.

- Haley's entertainment career started on vaudeville, and he would record songs in the 1920s.

- Haley would star in musical films beginning in the 1930s- but his most famous role came in 1939, where he played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz:

Haley would replace Buddy Ebsen (of future Beverly Hillbillies/Barnaby Jones fame) in the role, after Ebsen suffered an allergic reaction to the makeup.

- Haley retired after 1946's Vacation in Reno, but would return to acting for a few roles in the 1970s, which included Martin Scorsese's New York, New York, and Norwood (the latter directed by his son, Jack Haley Jr.). He would often have reunions with his Wizard of Oz co-stars Ray Bolger and Margaret Hamilton (Bolger would deliver a eulogy at his funeral), and at one point saw the Broadway production of The Wiz:

(Haley with Tiger Haynes, who played the Tin Man in The Wiz)

- Ironically, Haley died from a heart attack.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American comedian and actor Pat Cooper, who starred in the film "Analyze This" passes away at the age of 93.

 

Photo Credit: Rob Weidenfeld per Creative Commons license

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, French/American painter and memoirist Françoise Gilot, who wrote Life with Picasso, passed away at the age of 101.

 

Photo Credit: KhanAcademyTurkce per Creative Commons license

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American actress Noreen Nash, who starred in the films The Southerner and Giant, passed away at the age of 99.

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Alan Turing died on this day 70 years ago, aged 41.

- Turing would earn a PhD in mathematics in 1938, and his dissertation would introduce his concept of ordinal logic, and he would soon follow this with the Turing reduction.

- During World War II, Turing would serve as a German codebreaker at Bletchley Park, putting his ideas to use in order to upgrade the existing system. He is credited with deciphering the German Lorenz machine.

- After the war, Turing would work on early computers, and is the namesake of the Turing test- a test regarding a machine's capability to display human-like intelligence. Modern machines can now easily beat this test (considering the generative AI boom seen this decade).

- After his house was robbed in 1952, Turing informed the authorities that he was in a sexual relationship with another man named Arnold Murray, and was subsequently charged with gross indecency due to Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885. He was found guilty and forced to chemically castrate himself, and his life was effectively ruined due to his conviction (he was barred from entering the US, and he was fired from his job at GCHQ). Turing would commit suicide by eating a cyanide-laced apple, apparently choosing to die by reenacting Disney's version of Snow White (his favorite fairy tale).

- Turing would be posthumously pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II in December of 2013.

[time 8,495]

695 years since Robert the Bruce died, aged 54. He was King of Scotland from 1306 to 1329 (his death).

 

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

King Harthacnut died on this day 982 years ago, aged 24.

- The son Cnut the Great, Harthacnut would succeed his father as the king of Denmark in 1035, following the former's death. He would take the regnal name of Cnut III there.

- After his brother Harold died in 1040, Harthacnut would travel to England to claim the throne (as the Danish had taken over the country from the Anglo-Saxons at that time). During his reign, Harthacnut would double the size of the English naval fleet (from 16 to 32 ships), but was also known to be a cruel leader, having ordered the burning of the city of Worcester and the massacre of its citizens (most had fled due to being aware of Harthacnut's forces approach) after they killed two of his tax collectors.

- Harthacnut died while attending the wedding of his friend Tovi, possibly from tuberculosis. He was succeeded in Denmark by Magnus "the Good", and in England by his half-brother Edward "the Confessor". Harthacnut was the last Danish king to rule over England.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American evangelist and television host Pat Robertson, who is known for The 700 Club, passed away at the age of 93.

 

Photo Credit: Paparazzo Presents per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Rik Mayall died on this day 10 years ago, aged 56.

- Mayall would get his start at The Comedy Store comedy club in London in the early '80s, forming a group with Adrian Edmondson called 20th Century Coyote. During this time he created the character of Kevin Turvey, which he would reprise when he began starring on TV shows such as A Kick Up the Eighties.

- Mayall would soon create the sitcom The Young Ones, which aired from 1982 to 1984. He was also a regular cast member on the British version of Saturday Night Live, regrouping with Edmondson in The Dangerous Brothers sketches.

- Mayall would have a number-one song (on the UK chart) in 1986 with a novelty version of Cliff Richards' "Living Doll"- which Richards would re-record with him and his The Young Ones co-stars:

 

- Mayall would also have a notable film career. Among his roles were Rest Home Ricky in Shock Treatment, the titular character of Drop Dead Fred, and Sean Bourke in Cell Mates (a play in which Stephen Fry infamously went missing for a bit afterwards). Mayall would also audition for The Lion King (as Zazu, Timon and Banzai), and had a cut role in the first Harry Potter film as Peeves.

- Mayall was involved in a severe ATV crash in 1998, where doctors would put him into an induced coma for five days. Mayall often joked that he was brought back from the dead when recalling the incident.

- Mayall would ultimately die from a sudden heart attack following a jog.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, French sociologist Alain Touraine passes away at the age of 97.

 

Photo Credit: سامان صالحی پریزم per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Ray Charles died on this day 20 years ago, aged 73.

- Charles' stage name was just his first and middle names- his last name was Robinson.

- Charles went blind by the age of 7, likely from glaucoma. He learned how to play piano through the use of Braille music.

- Charles' first big hit was 1954's "I've Got a Woman":

His song would soon be covered by both Elvis and The Beatles, and was notably later interpolated over 50 years later in Kanye West's "Gold Digger".

- Charles' first number-one single (in the US) was 1960's "Georgia on My Mind", which would earn him four Grammy Awards of the 17 in his career (the song would also become one of the US state of Georgia's state songs). This was followed in 1961 with another number-one single (and one of his signature songs), "Hit the Road Jack":

- Charles would also have an acting career, appearing in The Blues Brothers, and later on voiced G-Clef in the 2000 direct-to-video Blue's Clues film Blue's Big Musical:

- Charles' death was slightly overshadowed by the death of Ronald Reagan five days prior. At the time of his death, he had planned to attend a screening of his upcoming biopic Ray (which he was consulted for).

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

DeForest Kelley died on this day 25 years ago, aged 79.

- Kelley went by his middle name- his first name was actually 'Jackson'. His parents gave him his middle name in honor of electronics pioneer Lee de Forest.

- Kelley made his film debut in 1940 as an extra in the movie New Moon, and would have his first major role in 1947's Fear in the Night. He would have a string of successful films, such as Variety Girl, Gunfight at the OK Corral, and Warlock. He would often play villains in these roles, and would soon seek roles as heroes to avoid being typecast.

- Gene Roddenberry initially wanted Kelley to portray Spock in Star Trek, but Kelley refused, wanting to play Dr. Leonard McCoy. This would largely be the role he would play up until his death, reprising it for the 1973 Star Trek animated series, the first five theatrical films, and a cameo in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

- Kelley was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1997, and died after a two-year battle. He feared that "He's dead, Jim" would be the words engraved as his epitaph, and therefore decided to have his body cremated.

[Toast 15,853]

8 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

 He feared that "He's dead, Jim" would be the words engraved as his epitaph, and therefore decided to have his body cremated.

 

Some people are just no fun.

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Nicole Brown Simpson died on this day 30 years ago, aged 35.

- Brown met OJ Simpson when she was 18, and working as a waitress. OJ would divorce his wife Marguerite in 1979, and the two would date for another 6 years before marrying each other in 1985. They would have two children together.

- Throughout her marriage to OJ, Nicole would often be verbally and physically abused by him. A particular beating on New Year's Eve in 1988 led her to call the police on OJ, but she dropped the charges due to her parents encouraging her to reconcile (Brown's father Louis was also financially enabled by OJ).

- Brown would finally divorce Simpson in 1992, but would again attempt to reconcile with him. OJ continued to display abusive behavior, particularly stalking her wherever she went. Among the last things she did for OJ was attend the premiere of Naked Gun 33 ¹/₃: The Final Insult, which he starred in.

- Brown would meet Ron Goldman in April of 1994, and the two quickly became good friends. Brown was also good friends with (the one and only) Kris Jenner, who she planned to discuss her relationship with OJ with before tragedy struck.

- Brown and Goldman would be murdered by stabbing, leading to the world's most famous car chase when OJ became the suspect:

While OJ was acquitted of the crime, many still believe he indeed murdered her.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 2 years ago, American actor Philip Baker Hall, who starred in the films Boogie Nights and Argo, passed away at the age of 90.

 

Photo Credit: David Shankbone per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,543]

Henry Middleton died on this day 240 years ago, aged 67.

- Middleton was part of a political family- his father Arthur served as the governor of South Carolina (when it was a colony) from 1725 to 1730. Henry himself would be a longtime member of South Carolina's Commons House of Assembly, and was elected its speaker three times (1747, 1754 and 1755).

- Before the American Revolution officially began, Middleton was chosen as one of South Carolina's delegates to the Continental Congress. Middleton opposed American independence, yet he served as the Continental Congress' second president for a mere four days, following Peyton Randolph's resignation. Middleton would resign from the Continental Congress in February of 1776, when the majority of the Congress was agreeing on independence.

- Afterwards, Middleton returned home to Charleston, where he accepted being a British subject after the British victory there in 1780. Despite his anti-independence stance, Middleton was supportive of the revolution's cause (the colonies wanting to be represented in Parliament), and as such did not have his estate confiscated by the Continental Army.

- Henry's son Arthur was ironically one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

[John "요한" Sulu 407]

On this day 1 year ago, American comic book artist John Romita Sr, who co-created Wolverine and The Punisher, passed away at the age of 93.

 

Photo Credit: Pinguino per Creative Commons license