Death Anniversary Thread

[Hell 1,334]

Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances Gelnn Ford died on this day 16 years ago, aged 90.

 

 

American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor Wes Craven died on this day 7 years ago, aged 76.

 

 

American actress Valerie Harper died on this day 3 years ago, aged 80.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

American professional baseball player Arky Vaughan died on this day 70 years ago, aged 40.

 

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On this day in 1969  Italian American  professional boxer Rocky Marciano  died in a plane crash aged 45 as did two others. 

 

He boxed professionally  between  1947- 1955 and held the World heavyweight boxing title from 1952 to 1956. The only heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated  .

Marciano is regarded  one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. His fighting style was famous for its  relentless nature.

 

He died the day before his 46th birthday  in a  flight from Chicago to  Des Moines Iowa in a private jet alongside two others, including  28 year old Frankie Farrell- who was the oldest son of senior organised crime figure  Lew Farrell. Adverse weather conditions  caused spatial disorientation in a relatively inexperienced  pilot according to investigators. 

Unknown to Rocky there was a surprise  birthday party waiting for him in Iowa. 

His widow Barbara  died five years after the crash from lung cancer aged 46.

[Drewsky1211 4,746]

Laurent Fignon died on this day 12 years ago, aged 50.

Fignon was a professional cyclist who got his start in 1981. After seeing how well he did, fellow cyclist Cyrille Guimard invited him onto his cycling team.

 

Fignon would win the Tour de France two years in a row, in 1983 and 1984, and was the youngest winner since 1933 (26-year old Georges Speicher), aged 22 during the 1983 race. Fignon also came in second in the 1989 Tour de France, coming in eight seconds after American cyclist Greg LeMond. Fignon retired in 1993.

 

In 2009, Fignon announced that he was diagnosed with metastatic cancer that had spread to his digestive system, securing him a spot in the 2010 DeathList at #24. In January, it was discovered that the cancer originated in the lungs. Fignon died after a sixteen month battle (almost 3 weeks after his 50th birthday), and was cremated. He was the fourth DeathList hit of 2010.

[Hell 1,334]

member of the British royal family Diana, Princess of Wales died on this day 25 years ago, aged 36.

 

 

Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017 Pranab Mukherjee died on this day 2 years ago, aged 84.

 

[arghton 6,740]

Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland 1956-1982 who dominated Finnish politics for over three decades, died on this day 36 years ago, aged 85 from dementia complications.

 

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

British chemist George Porter died on this day 20 years ago, aged 81.

 

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Its 25 years since the death of Princess Diana Dodi Fayed Henri Paul US actor Will Hare. A veteran of stage and small and large screens in a career lasting over 50 years, he mad his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man after establishing himself on TV. He appeared as old man Peabody in Back to the Future, The Electric Horseman, The Rose and numerous others, while TV credits included Lou Grant and Dallas.

 

He was also "The Chessmaster", the face on the front of every release of the computer game of the same name.

 

A member of the Actors Studio, he was rehearsing there when he died of a heart attack, aged 78, 80 or 81, depending on which source you believe.

[Drewsky1211 4,746]

King Louis XIV died on this day 307 years ago, aged 77.

When Louis was 4, his father Louis XIII died. His reign started then, and he ruled for the next 72 and a half years- the second-longest verifiable reign of a monarch in history (Elizabeth II will succeed this if still reigning sometime during 2024). His reign would be defined by France's participation in several wars, such as the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678), the Nine Years' War (1688-1697), and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1715).

 

In 1661, construction began on the Palace of Versailles, which Louis would call home for the next 54 years, expanding it throughout the years. With 15 million annual visitors, the former royal palace is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the world.

 

Among some personal facts about Louis include that his favorite drink was hot chocolate (at that time, a nobility-only drink), he owned almost a thousand wigs, and loved to dance ballet.

 

After Louis died, his 5-year old great-grandson became king Louis XV (Louis' grandfather and father died a year apart from each other, in 1711 and 1712). His remains were desecrated during the French Revolution, with his mummified heart eventually coming into possession of Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt. In 1848, one of Vernon-Harcourt's children showed the heart to their guest, paleontologist William Buckland- and Buckland ate part of it.

[Summer in Transylvania 2,187]

3 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

His reign started then, and he ruled for the next 72 and a half years- the longest verifiable reign of a monarch in history. 

The second longest, after Swaziland's King Sobhuza II. 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

American scout and world-traveling adventurer Frederick Russell Burnham died on this day 75 years ago, aged 86.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American singer, guitarist, composer , and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films Jerry Reed died on this day 14 years ago, aged 71.

 

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Just realised I never posted anything for  yesterday! Totally forgot  with having a mad busy day and snatches of sleep.

So here it is belatedly..

 

 

On September  1st (yesterday) in 1997 Hungarian International footballer   Zoltan Czibor  died aged 68.  He played for Hungarys national team from 1949-1956.

A death that most likely received. much less news coverage and media attention than it would have usually  got because of the death of Princess Diana the day before in a car crash.

[Drewsky1211 4,746]

Bob Denver died on this day 17 years ago, aged 70.

Denver's breakout role came in 1959 as the character of Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis opposite the late Dwayne Hickman. The character has been described as a precursor to the hippie movement that would emerge during the following decade.

 

A year after Dobie Gillis ended, Denver got the title role of Gilligan's Island. The character of Gilligan is portrayed as the comic relief of the series, and after it ended in 1967, and in later years, Denver would often cameo as the character in other shows such as ALF and Baywatch.

 

Denver often smoked, and his habit led to throat cancer. Denver died of complications from surgery treating said cancer.

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On this day in 2001 american actor  Troy Donahue  died aged 65 .

 As a young man he was spotted by Hollywood producer  William  Asher  and director  James Sheldon on a diner in Malibu and they insisted he have a screen test. With Columbia Pictures. Alas it was unsuccessful  but he was to get a second chance when  famous discoverer  of male heart throbs and pin ups Hollywood talent agent Henry Willson signed him up. He also represented  or discovered Rock Hudson,  Guy Madison,  Tab Hunter, Robert Wagner, Rory Calhoun, Clint Walker and John Saxon.  His speciality was  casting male talent but he did also discover actresses like Rhonda Fleming and helped in Lana Turners earlier career development.  Troy Donahue is a stage name-created by Willson as it seemed more marketable than his real name Merle Johnson jnr. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troys career in film and television acting began in 1957.  After a few uncredited small roles his first credited role was in  The Tarnished angels (1957)  the leading cast being Rock Hudson,  Robert Stack and Dorothy  Malone . A movie about a disillusioned  world war one  flying ace pilot  spending his time during the great  depression of the 1930s touring rural air shows with his wife, son and  mechanic in tow.   A Journalist (Hudsons role) was intrigued by the 'gypsy' lifestyle constantly touring and not  settling down of the former war hero but was disappointed at his cavalier treatment of friends and family.  He has romantic designs on the pilots wife but tragedy ensures before there is any possibility of a happy ever after. 

 

Other film credits include  The Crowded Sky(1960)  co-starring Dana  Andrews and Rhonda Fleming,  Susan Slade (1961) in which Troy was the lead actor starring with Connie Stevens and Dorothy McGuire,   The Perfect  Furlough (1958) with husband and wife acting duo Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis,  A Distant Trumpet(1964)  a west in which his leading lady was also his wife at the time Suzanne Pleshette and  martial arts movie Low Blow(1986).

 

Troy married 4 times , with at least one of his exes alleging  cruel treatment  by him  but had one child with a woman he had a very brief fling with. He was not aware of his sons existence until the early 1980s until he ran into  the woman again.

 

Donahue struggled with drug and alcohol addiction ,regularly consuming huge quantities of cocaine and vodka.  A period of financial ruin and homelessness  living in a bush in Central Park New York followed. After his fourth marriage broke down in 1981 he sought help for his problems and went on to join alcoholics anonymous- which he credits with helping him get his life back on track and alcohol free.

 

 

He eventually  returned to Hollywood from New York after moving because he felt he didn't know how to fit in with all the changes in Hollywood. He had sucess as a jobbing actor but was never to receive his previous levels of recognition again.  

 

Infact after he died in 2001 Joan Collins,  who was a friend, expressed surprise at how little attention and reaction his death received .

 

 

 

 

[time 8,603]

Its 30 years since the death of Johnnie Mortimer*, who in partnership with Brian Cooke (below, Cooke left, Mortimer right)) wrote some of Britain's most popular TV comedies - Father Dear Father, Man About The House and spin-offs George & Mildred and Robin's Nest.

In addition, the pair also wrote for a plethora of British comedy stars of the 60s and 70s, including Harry Worth, Tommy Coper, Bernard Cribbins Kenneth Horne and Ronnie Barker.

 

He died aged 61, no cause of death seems to be recorded anywhere on-line.

 

* Not to be confused with John Mortimer (Emily's dad), who wrote Rumpole.

[Hell 1,334]

Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman who served as Prime Minister of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1955 and as President from 1945 until his death in 1969 Ho Chi Minh died on this day 53 years ago, aged 79.

 

 

English writer, poet, philologist, and academic, best known as the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien died on this day 49 years ago, aged  81.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

American radio, film, and television character actor Jay Novello died on this day 40 years ago, aged 78.

 

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On this day in 1945 american  professional Golfer and Olympic  Gold medallist  Mason Phelps died aged 59.

He took part in the Summer Olympics of 1904 in St Louis , Missouri and won a team gold medal in golf.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day in 2001, Pauline Kael, one of the most influential film critics of her era  died aged 82.

She wrote for The New Yorker  magazine from 1968-1991. .Fellow film buff and critics Roger  Ebert praised her posthumously as having a more positive influence on the climate for film in America than any other person for the last three decades.  He highlighted that her approach to film reviews  didn't go off any standard theory,  ideas,  guidelines  , no set objective  standards   There wasn't an understandable formula or style to her approach that could describe the Pauline Kael way- it was all intensely personal and subjective but expressed so well . Some in the field have argued that in that very passionate and personal approach to film critique  she kind of reinvented the art of review or at least gave it a big shake up.

 

She sometimes went happily against the tide of popular or conventional opinion  on certain films.  She loathed West Side Story and was very much in a minority amongst film critics in panning it.,  dismissed  Dances with Wolves  as a nature boy movie and said 2001 A Space Odyssey  a "monumentally  unimaginative movie ' when it received almost universal praise elsewhere. Her praise of the  MASH movie was credited with giving it a huge popularity boost at the box office. 

   Whereas The Warriors (1979) and Last Tango in Paris (1972) she hugely praised when most critics considered them failures. 

 

She was referred to as the nemesis of Clint Eastwood as she reviewed both his films and acting especially  negatively. 

In 1981 she was diagnosed with parkinsons disease  but retired a decade later when  her health was becoming a much bigger struggle and she also  felt  depressed by the state of american films stating "I had nothing new to say".

She had one child,  a daughter Gina from a brief marriage to poet and filmmaker  James Broughton.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,746]

Self-help author W. Clement Stone died on this day 20 years ago, aged 100.

Stone was closely associated with fellow self-help author Napoleon Hill. With Hill, Stone authored several books giving advice on how to become successful, and live a healthy and productive life, most notably 1960's Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude. Stone and Hill had also previously founded the magazine Success Unlimited in 1954, which ran issues until 2001.

 

Stone was also a businessman, founding Combined Insurance in 1922. Having a net worth of over $500 million, he donated over $275 million of his fortune to charity and religious groups. Stone was also a political lobbyist, advocating the inclusion of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, and donating $10 million to Richard Nixon's campaigns- he wanted to become the latter's ambassador to the UK (possibly the reason he made it on the list).

 

Stone's only appearance on the DeathList was in 2002 at the #28 spot, and was the tenth and final death of the year.

[Toast 16,140]

8 hours ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

Whereas The Warriors (1979) ... she hugely praised.

 

[Death Impends 7,976]

6 hours ago, Drewsky1211 said:

he wanted to become the latter's ambassador to the UK (possibly the reason he made it on the list).

 

More likely the committee had just discovered genarians.com the year before. 

[Hell 1,334]

English general and statesman who led armies of the Parliament of England against King Charles I during the English Civil War Oliver Cromwell 364 years ago, aged 59.

 

 

American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright E. E. Cummings died on this day 60 years ago, aged 67.

 

 

Nepali man who was the shortest man in recorded history measuring 54.6 cm Chandra Bahadur Dangi died on this day 7 years ago, aged 75.

 

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American composer Morton Feldman died on this day 35 years ago, aged 61.