Death Anniversary Thread

[Bibliogryphon 8,711]

4 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

Erasmus Darwin died on this day 222 years ago, aged 70.

- Darwin started off as a doctor, and managed to be such a success that king George III invited him to become the Royal Physician- which he declined.

- Darwin was much more famous for his biology studies, with his first publications being translations of Carl Linnaeus works into English- Darwin would coin several plant names. In 1791, he would write The Botanic Garden, a compilation of two long poems that incorporated lurid vocabulary and anthropomorphizing the plants in the book to pique readers' interests in botany. 

- Darwin's most famous work is 1796's Zoonomia, which focused on the study of bacteria and viruses, wheree would categorize diseases into four different groups (irritation, sensation, volition and association). However, what was the lasting impact of the book was his ideas that supported the theory of evolution- namely a common ancestor to life, and inheritance of characteristics with each passing generation.

- Darwin was also an inventor- his inventions included a carriage designed to not tip over while riding, a machine that was used to produce sounds similar to human speech, and meteorological devices.

- Darwin's ideas in Zoonomia would later be further developed by his more famous grandson- none other than Charles Darwin.

 

There is a building named after him at Nottingham Trent University

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Lord Byron died on this day 200 years ago, aged 36.

- Byron's first name was George. He gained his "lord" title when he was 10 upon the death of his great-uncle William Byron- specifically, he was a baron.

- One of Byron's earlier works, his poetry book Hours of Idleness, received scathing reviews from the Edinburgh Review; as such Byron would write the satirical piece English Bards and Scotch Reviewers anonymously in 1809, the same year he entered the House of Lords.

- Byron's breakout book was 1812's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, which Byron personally did not believe would sell well. From there, he became a star of Romantic era novels, which included The Giaour, The Bride of Abydos, and The Siege of Corinth. Equally successful was his Hebrew Melodies collection of poems from 1815, which were lyrics Byron wrote to accompany music composed by Jewish composer Isaac Nathan.

- Byron would leave England in 1816 due to his split from his wife, and rumors that he had an incestuous affair with his half-sister. He first went to Switzerland (where he befriended Percy and Mary Shelley), then to Italy the following year.

- In 1823, he decided to assist Greece in their war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, because he wanted a life of adventure. He would use his own money to supply his own legion of troops. Byron did not die in battle- rather, he fell sick, and his condition was exacerbated due to how much blood was drained from his body (due to bloodletting).

- Byron's daughter and only legitimate child was Ada Lovelace.

[lilham 662]

4 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

Byron's daughter and only legitimate child was Ada Lovelace.

I had no idea she was his kid.

[John "요한" Sulu 371]

On this day 3 years ago, American vice president Walter Mondale, who served his term from 1977 to 1981 as well as the 1984 Democratic presidential nominee, passed away at the age of 93.

[John "요한" Sulu 371]

On this day 2 years ago, Japanese supercentenarian Kane Tanaka who was the world's oldest validated person as well as the oldest validated Japanese person ever as well as the second-oldest validated person ever, passed away at the age of 119.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Bram Stoker died on this day 112 years ago, aged 64.

- "Bram" was a nickname for his real name, Abraham. His older brother Thornley was the first and only Baron of Hatch Street.

- Stoker was initially a theater critic who reviewed plays, and he became known for the quality of his articles. Stoker ended up becoming the manager of the Lyceum Theatre and would often collaborate with the actor Henry Irving.

- Stoker's literary career began with short stories that were published in periodicals- among their titles were "Crystal Cup" and "The Chain of Destiny". His first novel was 1875's The Primrose Path, though it was not until 1890 that he became a full-time writer.

- Dracula was released in 1897, and Stoker did not name him after Vlad "Dracul" the Impaler- he saw the word in a book while on vacation in Romania, and believed it meant 'devil' (it actually means 'dragon'- his final novel was 1911's The Lair of the White Worm, actually about a dragon).

- Stoker died from 'locomotive ataxia' that was likely a result of untreated syphilis. His death, however, was overshadowed by the sinking of the Titanic less than a week prior (the inquiry into the sinking began the day he died).

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

(The artist formerly known as) Prince died on this day 8 years ago, aged 57.

- Prince was indeed his real first name- he was named after his father John's stage name 'Prince Rogers'. Prince did not like his name- and preferred the nickname 'Skipper'.

- Prince's first musical act was in the band of his cousin's husband, called 94 East:

- Prince's debut single was 1978's "Soft and Wet", and he would immediately end up on the charts- number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.

- Prince's song "Darling Nikki" inadvertently led to the creation of the Parental Advisory label on albums, when Al Gore's wife saw their daughter dancing to the song.

- Prince was the original singer of "Nothing Compares 2 U", composed in 1985:

- Prince was one of the few musicians to outright deny Weird Al permission to parody their songs, and Weird Al stated Prince was the only one to not give an explanation as to why.

- Despite being associated with the color purple, Prince's favorite color was actually orange.

- Prince's cremated remains were put into a custom 3D-printed urn shaped like his mansion, Paisley Park:

[Sir Creep 7,017]

Ansel Adams would have to be photoshopped as of 40 years ago (82).

 

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Shock G (AKA Humpty Hump) died on this day 3 years ago, aged 57.

(just let me introduce himself)

- Shock's real name was Gregory Jacobs. He initially wanted to become a drummer, but got a turntable once he got into hip hop. He would be mentored by his cousin, nicknamed DJ Stretch, and his friend in their group suggested the stage name "Shah-G".

- Shock's first group was called "Master Blasters", and he would eventually found Digital Underground in 1987. The group's first major successful single was the 1989 song "Doowutchyalike", which became a cult hit in the rap community:

(if you missed it, he's the one who said "just grab 'em in the biscuits")

- 1990 saw the release of the group's signature song, "The Humpty Dance":

The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, but spent five weeks atop Billboard's Rap Chart. Humpty Hump was considered an alter ego; the character's backstory was that his name was 'Edward Ellington Humphrey III', and his big (like a pickle) nose was the result of it getting burned in a deep fryer while he was working as a fry cook.

- Shock would be instrumental in the career of 2Pac, who joined Digital Underground in 1991. He would later act as the producer for some of his songs, such as "I Get Around" and "So Many Tears".

- Shock died from an accidental fentanyl, meth and alcohol overdose.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Silas Soule died on this day 159 years ago, aged 26.

- Soule was a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger George Soule; his 5x-great-grandfather.

- Soule would move to Kansas in 1855; his family (particularly his father Amasa) were abolitionists who came to assist Underground Railroad efforts in Bleeding Kansas. Silas himself would help bring escaped slaves from Missouri to the north (possibly towards Iowa).

- Following John Brown's arrest in 1859 following the Harper's Ferry raid, Soule would plan to break him out of jail- Brown refused due to wanting to be a martyr for the antislavery cause, and remained in his cell when Soule did manage to convince the jailer to let him out of his cell for a bit.

- Soule would move to Colorado in 1860, and would join the Colorado Cavalry upon the outbreak of the Civil War. He would remain within the group after the Confederates retreated from New Mexico (where he fought).

- Soule was one of the American soldiers who participated in the Sand Creek massacre of 1864- but refused his superior's orders to kill any Native Americans and told his unit to hold their fire. Soule would whistleblow details of the attack, and testified against said superior in the federal investigation of the event.

- Soule was killed by a gunman a few months after his testimony (while working as a provost marshal), and his death is believed to have been an assassination.

[TQR 12,384]

On 21/04/2024 at 04:50, Drewsky1211 said:

(The artist formerly known as) Prince died on this day 8 years ago, aged 57.

Apologies for being three days late but I only look at this thread occasionally. Can scarcely believe it’s been that long! Definitely one of the headline ‘2016 was cruel’ deaths. An absolute musical marvel obviously and his legacy will outlive all of us but he also sparked one of the funniest Twitter (RIP) moments of all time:

 

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Estee Lauder died on this day 20 years ago, aged 95.

- Lauder's real name was Josephine. Her nickname "Estee" was derived from her middle name Esther; her parents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants, and originally wanted to name her "Eszti"- the same pronunciation.

- Lauder got her start by helping her uncle with his business, which included lotions and fragrances. She would come up with her first fragrance in 1953, called "Youth-Dew".

- The Estee Lauder company was founded in 1946; Lauder founded it with her husband Joseph. Her company would become the first female-focused cosmetic company to introduce a line for men in 1976, specifically skincare products. While in her 80s, her company would see massive growth due to brand acquisitions and going public.

- Lauder would appear on the DeathList four times (all consecutively, from 2001 to 2004). She was the fourth (of 12) death on the 2004 list. At the time of her death, her age was believed to have been 97 instead of 95.

[Paul Bearer 5,714]

Not a death anniversary as such, but I missed my own anniversary on death list.  Twenty years ago on the 20th April 2004, I joined the death list. (Actually it was a bit earlier as I lurked for a couple of months before joining).  

[En Passant 2,968]

1 hour ago, Paul Bearer said:

Not a death anniversary as such, but I missed my own anniversary on death list.  Twenty years ago on the 20th April 2004, I joined the death list. (Actually it was a bit earlier as I lurked for a couple of months before joining).  

 

Gz. Feels like yesterday (I was lurking back then not posting).

You don't look a day older.

[YoungWillz 19,189]

45 years ago today Blair Peach died at the hands of the police.

 

Either you know or you don't. Look him up.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Anders Celsius died on this day 280 years ago, aged 42.

- Celsius' family was full of scientists- his uncle Olof was a botanist, his paternal grandfather Magnus was a mathematician, and his maternal grandfather Anders Spole was an astronomer. His father Nils was also a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University, which he would attend- and also became an astronomy professor there in 1730.

- Celsius had several feats in the realm of astronomy: he was the first person to link auroras with changes in the Earth's magnetic field (based on observations within a compass), and he participated in an expedition that proved the world was an ellipsoid and not a perfect sphere.

- Celsius was most famous for his temperature scale, centigrade, which he proposed in 1742. It is now the dominant temperature scale in the world (three countries use Fahrenheit instead), and Celsius' name has been used interchangeably with 'centigrade'.

- Celsius' young death was caused by a bout of tuberculosis. 

[John "요한" Sulu 371]

On this day 1 year ago, American singer known for "The Banana Boat Song", actor known for "Carmen Jones", and activist Harry Belafonte passed away at the age of 96 from congestive heart failure.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Count Basie died on this day 40 years ago, aged 79.

- Basie's actual first name was William, and he began using his stage name sometime around 1928. His parents were instrument players, and they taught him how to play the piano- albeit he preferred drums.

- Basie would get his start in Harlem (during its eponymous 'Renaissance' in the 1920s), before moving to Kansas City in 1929. He would play for the Bennie Moten Band, and he would soon take over the band when they kicked Moten out. He would rename it 'Count Basie and His Cherry Blossoms', before later renaming it to 'Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm'. Among his biggest hits included "One O'Clock Jump" and "Boogie Woogie":

- Basie's band would break up once the big band era ended following World War II, but he would make a new orchestral band in 1952, called "The New Testament Band", moving from swing and blues to jazz at this time.

- Basie would make a few cameos in movies in his later years, most notably in Blazing Saddles:

- Basie was one of the musicians mentioned in Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke", and one of two alive at the time of the song's release in 1977 (the other being Ella Fitzgerald). Basie was specifically the first one mentioned in the second verse's lyrics.

- Basie died from pancreatic cancer.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Ruth Handler died on this day 22 years ago, aged 85.

- Handler would found a plastic furniture company with her husband Elliot. Due to falling sales in World War II, the Handlers would begin making dollhouse furniture, and in 1945 the company was renamed to "Mattel". The dollhouse furniture sale success led to the company fully entering the toy market.

- In 1956, Handler would visit Germany, where she would notice a doll based on a comic book character named "Bild Lilli". She would bring one home for her daughter to play with, and noticing the absence of adult-aged female dolls in toy stores (girls would tend to play with baby dolls), decided to redevelop Bild Lilli for an American audience. Three years later, the doll would release, Handler would name it after said daughter- and the rest is history:

Barbie's boyfriend Ken would follow in 1961, named after the Handlers' son.

- Handler would have a mastectomy following a diagnosis of breast cancer in 1970, and would develop her own prosthetic breasts under a new company, "Ruthton":

They were known as "Nearly Me"s.

- Handler would resign from Mattel in 1975 after she was reported to have made fraudulent financial reports; she was fined and had to serve 2500 hours of community service.

- Handler was later diagnosed with colon cancer and died from complications of surgery treating it. Interest in her surged following the 2023 Barbie movie, where her spirit would be played by Rhea Perlman.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 371]

On this day 1 year ago, American basketball and baseball player Dick Groat passed away at the age of 92 due to complications of a stroke.

[John "요한" Sulu 371]

On this day 1 year ago, English-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, lawyer, and politician Jerry Springer passed away at the age of 79 due to pancreatic cancer.

 

Photo Credit: NrBelex per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Artabanus IV of Parthia died on this day 1800 years ago, aged ~63.

- Artabanus was the son of king Vologases V. His name is derived from the Old Persian "Arta-banu", meaning "the glory of arta"- arta being a Zoroastrian term for 'righteousness'.

- Artabanus' father died in 208, and his older brother Vologases VI would become the king of Parthia. Artabanus would end up rebelling against Vologases sometime around 213, and successfully took over the majority of the country (Vologases still had dominion over some areas within Parthian territory).

- During his reign, Parthia would enter a conflict with the Roman Empire. Emperor Caracalla would use the pretext of Artabanus refusing to marry his daughter, and Roman and Parthian forces would clash with each other in 217.

- Artabanus would be killed in a battle against the Sasanian Empire in 224, which marked the end of the Parthian Empire. The Sasanians, led by Ardashir I, would rule over Parthia until 651 when the Rashidun Caliphate took them over.

[An Fear Beag 1,355]

On 24/04/2024 at 09:07, YoungWillz said:

45 years ago today Blair Peach died at the hands of the police.

 

Either you know or you don't. Look him up.

Thanks for that @YoungWillz- I didn't know, so I did look him up.

 

It's a bit depressing to read through the details now, and to contemplate how little has changed in the intervening 45 years. 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Deborah Sampson died on this day 197 years ago, aged 66.

- Sampson was born in colonial Massachusetts, and had Mayflower passenger ancestors on both sides of her family- her mother was a direct great-granddaughter of William Bradford. Her father abandoned his family under the guise of a shipwreck, when he actually moved to Maine and started another family there.

- Sampson became an indentured servant when she was 10, and would be educated by the sons of the man she worked for (he didn't believe in women's education, but the kids shared their homework with her). Because of this education, she would become a teacher afterwards.

- Sampson, however, is most known for her service during the American Revolution. In 1782, she would dress in drag and enlist in an army unit under the name of 'Timothy Thayer', but was found out almost immediately by a fellow townsperson. She would try this again with a different unit under the new alias 'Robert Shirtliff'. She wasn't immediately discovered due to her small breast size (easily covered up) and above-average height:

Sampson- or Shirtliff- would see combat in Tarrytown, New York, and was shot band had her forehead cut by a British soldier. After being taken to a hospital, she would manage to remove the musket ball herself using a knife and needle, leaving after her sword wound was treated. Sampson fell in in 1783, and the doctor who treated her found her breast-concealing cloth- but kept his discovery secret and had her tended to by a female nurse. The doctor would give her a note to give to her superior- which was the revelation of her gender. She would be honorably discharged from the US Army by Henry Knox in October of 1783, having served for over a year.

- After the war, Sampson would marry and had four children (one adopted). In 1792, she petitioned the Massachusetts government due to not having her army pay given to her due to her being a woman. She would receive the money, with John Hancock signing the agreement.

- Sampson would also befriend Paul Revere, and he would loan her money when she was in financial trouble- her main source of income was giving lectures where she performed a military drill exercise from her time in service.

- Sampson died in 1827 after a bout of yellow fever.

[Drewsky1211 4,101]

Peter Mayhew died on this day 5 years ago, aged 74.

- Mayhew was 7'3" (or 2.21 meters) tall, as a result of Marfan syndrome.

- Mayhew's first film role he was cast in was in the 1977 film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, in the role of a robot minotaur.

- Mayhew's second film role was what he was most famous for- Chewbacca. The role was originally going to go to David Prowse, but after Prowse became Darth Vader's physical actor, Mayhew was cast after George Lucas saw his height. He would continue to play Chewbacca in both Star Wars media and in cameos (like The Muppet Show and Glee) up until The Force Awakens in 2015.

- One of the few non-Chewbacca roles Mayhew did was the voice of Susha in Funimation's English dub of Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy in 2004.

- In his later years, Mayhew had mobility issues and relied on a wheelchair; he had knee replacement surgery in 2013 and spinal surgery in 2018. Mayhew ultimately died of a heart attack.