Death Anniversary Thread

[Drewsky1211 4,938]

Hiroo Onoda died on this day 11 years ago, aged 91.

- Onoda was a Japanese soldier who would serve in the Philippines, and was tasked with destroying the American-built airstrip and pier on the occupied Lubang Island so that enemy planes and boats would have a more difficult time landing or docking.

- When the US and Philippine Commonwealth retook Lubang in February of 1945, Onoda would lead a small group of soldiers into more wooded, mountainous terrain to hide. Six months later, Japan surrendered, but Onoda and the troops remained unaware. They would sustain themselves by eating fruit that grew on the trees such as bananas and coconuts, and stole rice and cattle from local farmers.

- Onoda would first receive a message stating that World War II ended two months after its conclusion, but would dismiss it as an Allied psyop. This was followed by a command from a leading general a few months later, and was also dismissed as a potential fabrication. In 1952 Onoda's family had pictures of them with letters begging them to come home dropped by plane, and once again the soldiers thought it was a trick. Onoda would be declared dead in absentia in 1959; one of his troops left on his own in 1950 and successfully returned to Japan; the other two were killed in shootouts with locals believing they were thieves.

- In 1974, a Japanese explorer named Norio Suzuki went to Lubang to find Onoda, and was successful after a four-day search. Onoda would continue refusing to surrender, still awaiting orders from his commanding officer. Suzuki returned to Japan, and the government tracked the officer (now a bookstore owner) down. On March 10, 1974, Onoda would formally surrender, and was the second-to-last World War II holdout to do so (Teruo Nakamura was the last, being found in Indonesia in December of that year):

He had spent a total of 30 years on the island, when only 1 year was necessary.

- After returning to Japan, Onoda would write an autobiography, and with the money he received from newfound fans would later move to Brazil to become a cattle rancher. He would move back to Japan in 1980, and would spend time in Brazil for a few months each year.

[The Ashes Urn 1,371]

American poet, literary critic and translator Robert Fitzgerald died on this day 40 years ago, aged 74.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,938]

Rutherford B. Hayes died on this day 132 years ago, aged 70.

- Hayes started off as a lawyer, often defending slaves from the Fugitive Slave Act, and soon joined the newly-formed Republican Party.

- During the Civil War, Hayes would rise through the ranks to become a major general (not sure if he was the very model of a modern one), and was notably injured in combat multiple times and continuing to give orders while bleeding.

- Hayes would be elected to the US House of Representatives in 1864, serving there until 1867 before getting elected governor of Ohio that same year by a margin of 3,000 votes. He planned to retire from politics in 1872 to spend time with his wife and kids, but would be nonconsecutively reelected governor again in 1875 after accepting the Republican nomination, winning again in another close victory.

- Hayes' closest victory by far was the 1876 US presidential election, where he received 185 electoral votes to Samuel J. Tilden's 184. Due to the fact that the legislative branch decided where the 20 disputed electoral votes went, his opponents would nickname him 'Rutherfraud' and 'His Fraudulency', accusing the Republicans of stealing the election.

- While Hayes' presidency is best known for ending the Reconstruction Era, as well as his support for reform of the civil service system, Hayes was also known to have installed the first telephone in the White House (the phone number was '1'), and he owned the first Siamese cats in the US (named Siam and Miss Pussy). He would not seek a second term.

- After retiring, Hayes would become an education advocate, and enjoyed a 12-year post-presidency before dying from complications of a heart attack.

[The Ashes Urn 1,371]

American chemist and tennis player Robert Lindley Murray died on this day 55 years ago, aged 77.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,938]

John Tyler died on this day 163 years ago, aged 71.

- Tyler's father John Sr. would serve as Virginia's governor from 1808 to 1811, and during his tenure the younger Tyler would be admitted to the bar as a lawyer at just 19 years old.

- Tyler was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1811, and then to the US House of Representatives in a special election in 1816. He served until 1821, and in 1825 would be elected to the same position his father held- governor of Virginia. In 1826 he would be nominated and elected to the US Senate, serving there until 1836.

- Tyler was chosen as William Henry Harrison's running mate in the 1840 election, and as such is the shortest serving VP- setting the precedent for the vice president to immediately become president upon the president's death in office. Tyler is often considered one of the worst US presidents due to going against everything the Whig Party stood for, leading to many of his cabinet officials resigning in protest and his own party kicking him out. At the end of his term, he would hold a ball at the White House- just to deliver a pun that he 'could not be a president without a party'.

- In 1861, Tyler would defect to the Confederate States of America (he was a slaveowner), and that year would be elected to the seceded country's House of Representatives- but died before he could take office. Due to his disloyalty, he is the only president to have not had their death acknowledged by the White House.

- Tyler had 15 children, the most of any president. Three of them were born before his second wife Julia. (And yes, you are probably aware of his living grandson- 96-year-old Harrison Tyler, son of his son Lyon Tyler).

[The Ashes Urn 1,371]

American film, stage, television and radio actress Nancy Coleman died on this day 25 years ago, aged 87.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,938]

Wilson Pickett died on this day 19 years ago, aged 64.

- Pickett would sing in the gospel choir of his church, and in 1955 would join his first band, The Violinaires- catering to the same audience. He would go secular in 1959, joining the band The Falcons and becoming their lead singer the following year.

- Pickett's solo career was best known for his songs "In the Midnight Hour" (1965), "Mustang Sally", and his biggest hit, his 1966 version of "Land of a Thousand Dances":

- In the late '60s, Pickett would cover popular contemporary songs such as "Born to be Wild", "Hey Jude", and "Sugar, Sugar". His last charting single (at least on the pop chart) would be in 1974. In 1999, Pickett would be nominated for a Grammy for his album It's Harder Now.

- Pickett had a decades-long addiction to alcohol and cocaine, which (obviously) led to legal issues- mostly drunk driving and drug possession. This would also lead to health issues, with his health beginning to fail in 2004, and he died of a heart attack about a year afterwards.

[The Ashes Urn 1,371]

German-American actor, director and producer Frank Reicher died on this day 60 years ago, aged 89.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,938]

Meat Loaf died on this day 3 years ago, aged 74.

- Meat Loaf's real name was Marvin Aday. His girthy figure originally manifested itself when he purposefully gained 60 pounds (27 kg) to avoid the draft for the Vietnam War (due to being too overweight).

- Meat Loaf got his stage name from his first band- Meat Loaf Soul, formed in 1968. (Meat Loaf was ironically a vegetarian.) The band would often change its name, most notably to Floating Circus.

- Meat Loaf's most popular songs were 1978's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "Bat out of Hell", 1995's "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)", and (obviously) 1993's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)":

 

He was offered both "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart", but his label turned them down claiming no one wanted to hear them... they occupied the top two spots of the Billboard Hot 100 for a short time in 1983.

- Meat Loaf also had a lengthy acting career, and starring in a production of Hair was what got him signed to a record company in the beginning. His most notable roles were Eddie in The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and in Fight Club... but what was his name?

Some of his last projects were acting roles, which included a cameo role in the 2016 adult animated film Sausage Party (as the object he named himself after), and episodes of Elementary and Ghost Wars.

[The Ashes Urn 1,371]

American actress and dancer Barbara Stanwyck died on this day 35 years ago, aged 82.