Death Anniversary Thread

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The first African American woman & first Native American to hold a pilot's licence, Bessie Coleman was killed along with her mechanic, William D. Wills, 96 years ago today. She was 34.

Born in Texas, the tenth of thirteen, she moved to Chicago at the age of 23; working in a barbershop, she learnt of flying by hearing pilots, returning from The Great War, talking about their exploits. Taking a second job she saved up with the intent of learning to fly, however US flying schools didn't admit women or black people, so with the encouragement and sponsorship of local black businessmen, she learnt French and moved to Paris to study. She became the first black person to earn an international Pilot's Licence.

 

The only way to make a living as a civilian pilot was as a stunt pilot in the barnstorming air shows of the day, and she was a huge favourite (of both blacks and whites).  AN advocate for equality between black & white, she refused to perform at one Texas show unless the planned arrangement of separate entrances for blacks & whites was scrapped. It was (though seating was still segregated).

 

On 30th April 1926, she and Wills were reconnoitring in a recently bought plane for a stunt the following day, over Jacksonville, Florida. Wills was piloting, when he lost control; the plane turn over and Coleman was eject at approximately 2000ft AGL; she was killed on impact. Wills was unable to regain control and crashed not far from her body, also dying on impact. The cause of the crash was determined to have been a wrench left in the engine compartment during servicing jamming the flight controls.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

English born Italian-American actress and model Gia Scala died on this day 50 years ago, aged 38.

 

 

 

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Twenty three years since 3 were killed in the Admiral Duncan bombing. Andrea Dykes, Nik Moore and John Light were celebrating Andrea's pregnancy, with her husband Julian, who was seriously injured.

It was the third of three nail bombs planted in London over successive weekends, resulting in 140 injured as well as the three deaths. The perpetrator, a neo-nazi, was given six life sentences.

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Novelty musician Spike Jones died on this day 57 years ago, aged 53.

Jones formed the band Spike Jones and the City Slickers around 1940. Their first major hit came in 1942 with "Der Fuehrer's Face", a song mocking Adolf Hitler. Every "heil" in the song was followed by blowing a raspberry.

Jones' band continued to make songs with sound effects galore. One egregious example is his 1946 song "Cocktails for Two".

Jones' most recognizable song is probably 1948's "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth":

 

Jones was an avid smoker, and died of emphysema. Posthumously, his works were prominently featured on Dr. Demento's radio show, and director Spike Jonze's pseudonym is derived from his name.

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American actress Olympia Dukakis died on this day a year ago, aged 89.

 

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Sir Anthony Mamo, the first President of Malta 1974-1976 died on this day 14 years ago, aged 99.

In January 2008, a bit under five months before his death, Eddie Fenech Adami, who was the President of Malta at the time, visited him and pointed out that he was the oldest living former state leader. Mamo's response was "I knew I am old but I didn’t know I was the oldest ex-head of state!" 

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Actress Grace Lee Whitney died 7 years ago, aged 85. She's best remembered as Yeoman Rand in the original Star Trek series & movies, but began her life as a singer in her teens, at one time touring with Spike Jones (see above). Her acting career began with a Broadway production of Top Banana, starring Phil Silvers, and she appeared on many of the top shows of the 50s & 60s. She also appeared in Some Like it Hot, with Lemmon, Curtis & Monroe.

 

She also released a single...

 

[The Immortal 529]

On this day 28 years ago, legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna was killed in a fatal accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the age of 34, after he crashed into a barrier at the Tamburello corner. Senna won 3 F1 championships and 41 races. He is considered as one of the greatest motorsports icons in history, even being given a state funeral at his home country of Brazil.

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American actor Grant Mitchell died on this day 65 years ago, aged 82.

 

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On this day in  1920 Princess Margaret of Connaught  died aged 38 from sepsis.

She was the grandaughter of Queen Victoria and was married to the Crown Prince of Sweden with whom she had five children.  She died decades before her husband  ascended to the throne in Sweden and she is the grandmother of the current King of Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf 

 

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Leader of al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden was finally killed on this day 11 years ago, aged 54.

 

Below is a list of some of the things found on a computer (possibly his) found at the compound he hid at for nearly 10 years:

- a biography about himself and the documentary Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?

- National Geographic videos

- The "Charlie Bit My Finger" viral video

- a video on how to crochet a flower

- animated films such as Cars, Antz, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

- Tom and Jerry and Wallace and Gromit cartoons

- video games such as Final Fantasy VII, Animal Crossing, and Counter-Strike (the latter is an online game- people may have played on the "terrorist" team WITH A REAL-WORLD TERRORIST)

- A large collection of porn

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Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect Leonardo da Vinci died on this day 503 years ago, aged 67.

 

 

American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States for nearly 48 years J. Edgar Hoover died on this day 50 years ago, aged 77.

 

 

English actor known for his upper-middle class, macho image and “hellraiser” lifestyle Oliver Reed died on this day 23 years ago, aged 61.

 

 

American politician and attorney who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957 Joseph McCarthy died on this day 65 years ago, aged 48.

 

 

American politician and professional gridiron football player Jack Kemp died on this day 13 years ago, aged 73.

 

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Actress Lynn Redgrave died 12 years ago, aged 67, from breast cancer. The daughter of Rachel Kempson & Michael Redgrave and younger sister of Vanessa, she appeared in many stage (including The West End and Broadway) and film roles, as well as TV programmes and commercials. She has the unenviable distinction of being the only person to be nominated for all 4 of the EGOT's without winning any. Her two Oscar nominations were in 1967, for Georgy Girl and 1999 for Gods and Monsters.

 

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Austrian-American actor Helmut Dantine died on this day 40 years ago, aged 63.

 

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On this day in 1980  New Zealand  born australian cricketer  Clarrie Grimmett died aged 88. He is thought to be one of the  finest early spin bowlers and the flipper technique is thought to have originated with him.

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Mehmed II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, died on this day 541 years ago, aged 49.

Mehmed first became sultan in 1444 when his father Murad II abdicated. After Hungary began retaliatory attacks against the empire, the 12-year old sultan requested his father reclaim the throne (either him or the Grand Vizier suggested it). This occurred in 1446, following a janissary revolt. Murad died in 1451, and the now 18-year old Mehmed became Sultan for the second time.

 

Mehmed had grand ambitions for the empire. He began bulking up its navy, and in April 1453, began his conquest of Constantinople- the capital of the once mighty Byzantine Empire. On May 29, 1453, after his forces stormed into the city, and Emperor Constantine XI having either been killed or committed suicide, Mehmed declared himself "Caesar"- Constantinople was understood to have been the rightful capital of the Roman Empire since 330.

 

In 1454, Mehmed then set his sights on Serbia, and overtook its capital (Smederevo) in 1459. Following this were the remaining holdouts of the Byzantine Empire, Morea and Trebizond, in 1460 and 1461 respectively. Bosnia was the next kingdom to fall to the Ottomans in 1463. In 1479, they conquered Albania, and in the following year, they seized the Italian city of Otranto. Mehmed died the year after that (to much European celebration), and the Ottomans were driven out of Italy.

 

For his accomplishments in expanding the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed was given the epithet "The Conqueror".

 

 

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American actor, television director, producer, and executive Jackie Cooper died on this day 11 years ago, aged 88.

 

[The Immortal 529]

French racing driver Sebastien Enjolras died on this day 25 years ago, aged 21 during a practice crash for the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans after his car flew airborne over the safety barriers and then crashed and exploded into flames.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American film actor Bruce Cabot died on this day 50 years ago, aged 68.

 

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On this day in 1958 english cricketer Frank Foster died aged 69.

He played for both Warwickshire and the national England team and was considered an exemplary  all rounder.

Despite his career in cricket being cut short due to an accident in world war 1 his achievements  before before the 1910s  mean he still ranks as one of crickets  highly regarded all rounders.

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Adam "MCA" Yauch died on this day 10 years ago, aged 47.

Now here's a little story I've got to tell, about three bad brothers you know so well. It started way back in history- specifically 1981.

Yauch, alongside fellow members of his band The Young Aborigines, changed their band name to "Beastie Boys" after the departure of their bassist, Jeremy Shatan. Guitarist John Berry left soon after, then drummer Kate Schellenbach in 1984, leaving just three members: Yauch, Mike D(iamond), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz.

 

Their debut album, Licensed to Ill, was released in 1986, becoming the first rap album to top the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart, and "Fight For Your Right" reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

 

 

In 1998, under the pseudonym "Nathanael Hornblower", Yauch directed the music video for their single "Intergalactic", basing it on Japanese kaiju movies such as Godzilla. The song reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it earned them a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group the following year.

The album it was featured on, Hello Nasty, gave them a second Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

 

Yauch was diagnosed with cancer of the parotid salivary gland in 2009, and died from the disease three years later. Beastie Boys effectively disbanded after this.

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Former President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Josip Tito died on this day 42 years ago, aged 87.

 

 

American actor and comedian Moe Howard died on this day 47 years ago, aged 77.

 

 

American football defensive back and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League from 1963 to 1995 Don Shula died on this day 2 years ago, aged 90.

 

 

English actress and singer Diana Dors died on this day 38 years ago, aged 52.

 

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It's 8 years since tennis player Elana Baltacha died from liver cancer, at the age of 30.

Born in Kyiv, she moved to the UK as a child when her father, a professional footballer signed for Ipswich Town. She was diagnosed with the liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis at the age of 19.

 

In December 2013, shortly after retiring from tennis, she married her coach Niño Severino; the following month she was diagnosed with liver cancer, dying 4 months later. Her last ITF tour victory was the 2013 Nottingham Open, - the trophy was named the Elena Baltacha Trophy in her memory.

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American actor Alvy Moore died on this day 25 years ago, aged 75.

 

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On this day in 1938  Kano Jigoro  the founder of the Japanese martial art Judo  died aged 77.