Death Anniversary Thread

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French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology Claude Lévi-Strauss died on this day 13 years ago, aged 100.

 

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Canadian TV producer, who went on to become Head of Drama at both ABC Weekend & the BBC, Sydney Newman died from a heart attack 25 years ago today, aged 80.

He's generally regarded as the man who gave us Doctor Who.

 

Other credits include The Avengers, Adam Adamant Lives, & The Forsyte Saga.

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On this day 22 years ago in the year 2000 american  television and radio personality, comedian , actor and musician , Steve Allen died after a minor traffic accident aged 79.

 

He had  jokingly made light of another driver accidentally hitting the side of his car causing a small amount of damage as oh the things people will do to get my autograph! But it had caused an injury to his heart that if left untreated would be fatal. 

He simply went for a lie down  and a sleep at home  not realising he had suffered a serious internal injury of any kind.

Steve achieved a national level of fame in the US when he became the co-creator and first presenter of The Tonight show- Americas first  late night television talkshow. 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist and World War II veteran Samuel Fuller died on this day 25 years ago, aged 85.

 

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On this day in 2020  scottish actor , the one and only Sean Connery  died aged 90.

Notably played the legendary  iconic film role of british spy 007 James Bond and was voted and lauded as the sexiest man in the world innumerable times.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,081]

Here's a spooky tale for Halloween.

 

Peter Stumpp, known as the "Werewolf of Bedburg", died on this day 433 years ago, aged 54.

According to his confession, Stumpp claimed that he began practicing black magic since he was 12, and that Satan had given him a magical belt that allowed him to transform into a wolf-like creature when he wore it. Another thing the Devil gave him was a succubus that he had sex with- presumably when he was older.

 

Things got dark beginning in 1564. Stumpp consumed the flesh of sheep and goats, and eventually, he craved human flesh. Stumpp would allegedly kill and eat 14 children- including his own son, whose brain he devoured (zombie werewolf?). Stumpp also killed two pregnant woman, and tore out and ate the fetuses inside. Stumpp was also accused of having incestual relations with his daughter, who would be sentenced to death alongside him.

 

On October 31, 1589, Stumpp was tied to a wheel, flayed with burning pincers, had his limbs mangled, beheaded, and then burned. His head was placed on a pole with the torture wheel and a decoration of a wolf as a warning to other potential werewolves.

 

Stumpp was either just a child murderer whose story was sensationalized over time, or he really was the Albert Fish/Jeffrey Dahmer of his day.

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Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts Harry Houdini died on this day 96 years ago, aged 52.

 

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On this day in 1993, 29 years ago , up-and-coming promising young american actor River Phoenix died aged just 23 from a drugs overdose in Hollywoods The Viper Room nightclub. 

His most enduring and iconic film according to the majority of film critics is My Own Private Idaho in which he starred with Keanu Reeves.

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

 

 

On this day in 2020 the one and only scottish actor   Sean Connery  died aged 90.

Notably played the legendary  iconic film role of british spy 007 James Bond and was voted and lauded as the sexiest man in the world innumerable times.

 

 

Peter Capaldi would like a word

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American actress Joan Tetzel died on this day 45 years ago, aged 56.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,081]

Paul Tibbets died on this day 15 years ago, aged 92.

Tibbets enlisted in the US Army in 1937, and eventually proved himself to be a skilled pilot- he would later become George S. Patton's personal pilot. After World War II began, Tibbets flew bombing raids over Germany, ending service there in 1943. Beginning in 1945 would be stationed on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands.

 

On August 2, a top-secret weapon was loaded onto Tibbets' plane, the Enola Gay (named after his mother). Four days later, Tibbets and co-pilot Robert Lewis took off for Japan to drop it. After a six hour flight, the Enola Gay was over the city of Hiroshima, and the weapon, called "Little Boy", was dropped onto the city- this was the first ever use of the atomic bomb. At least 90,000 people in the city were killed in the blast- some vaporized immediately, others dying a slow and painful death from uranium poisoning and the resulting cancers. Tibbets would be given the Distinguished Service Cross for this. A second plutonium bomb dropped on Nagasaki three days later caused Japan to surrender, ending World War II.

 

Tibbets eventually retired from military duty in 1966, and would found an airplane company. In 1976, Tibbets re-enacted the bombing at an air show- the US government apologized to Japan, and Tibbets claimed that he didn't mean to add any more insult to injury. Tibbets would continue to show negative attitude towards civilian casualties, claiming that the brutality of the Japanese government at the time should've been the focus of the Enola Gay's 50th anniversary exhibition.

 

Tibbets was cremated due to the potential of protest or vandalism at his gravesite from opponents of the bombing.

[Hell 1,327]

American football running back who played in the National Football League for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears Walter Payton died on this day 23 years ago, aged 46.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American actor James Broderick died on this day 40 years ago, aged 55.

 

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On this day 70 years ago in 1952,american actress,  singer and dancer  Dixie Lee ,died aged 42 of ovarian cancer. 

 

She was the first wife of Bing Crosby  and it is said that she initially tempered his problem  drinking which in part arose from being a Hollywood it couple  constantly invited to parties and social events.  Latterly  however  it is said  Dixie  is the  one who developed a more serious alcohol addiction problem. No surprise that this dynamic created problems within the marriage and strong rumours that Bing was at times on the verge of asking for a divorce. 

Her speciality was  singing and dance and a number of films she starred in seemed to  reflect  that. 

 

Manhattan Love Song (1934)and Love in Bloom(1935) are some of Dixies film credits. 

[Summer in Transylvania 1,618]

30 minutes ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

On this day 80 years ago in 1952

Is it really 2032 already? Cor blimey, it feels like only last week Jerry Lee Lewis died.

[Drewsky1211 4,081]

Theo van Gogh died on this day 18 years ago, aged 47.

Van Gogh was a great-grandson of another Theo van Gogh- that Theo being the brother of none other than Vincent. Theo began filmmaking in the early 1980s after dropping out of law school.

 

Van Gogh was known for being a critic of Islam, and grew even more critical of the religion following 9/11. In 2004, Van Gogh made the short film Submission, showcasing violence against women due to fundamentalist interpretations of the Quran.

 

Less than three months after the film's release, van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim terrorist due to his views. The extremist shot van Gogh, stabbed an antisemitic manifesto into his back, and attempted to decapitate him before fleeing. They were caught following a gunfight with police, and in 2005, would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as the first president of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 until his death in 2004 Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan died on this day 18 years ago, aged 86.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

English-born mathematician, physician and science-fiction writer Charles Sheffield died on this day 20 years ago, aged 67.

 

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On this day 24 years ago  in 1998 , Scottish child actor Vincent Winter died aged 50 in Surrey.

As a youngster he starred in  The Kidnappers (1953) (titled The Little Kidnappers in the US)with British actors Duncan Macrae and Jean  Anderson- a role  for which he won a academy   juvenile award,  Greyfriars Bobby and Almost Angels.

 

As an adult  he switched to working behind the scenes on film sets from production manager to general  film crew.

 

The films he worked on behind the scenes as an adult  include  Indianna Jones and the temple of doom, Superman  one two and three,  the film adaptation of Jackie Collins novel The  Stud , Wind in the Willows , James Bond film For your eyes only as well as  some episodes of TV show Magum PI.

 

He died of a heart attack. 

 

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Jonathan Harris died on this day 20 years ago, aged 87.

Harris was born as Jonathan Charasuchin and legally changed his name to the chagrin of his father. Harris acted on television since 1949, and his first major role was as Bradford Webster in The Third Man, which ran from 1959 to 1965.

 

After The Third Man ended, Harris was cast as Dr. Zachary Smith, the main villain in Lost in Space. The character was among the most popular on the show, and because of this, Harris was allowed to rewrite episode scripts during production to make Smith a more comedic villain.

 

In his later career, Harris became a voice actor, with roles in shows such as Rainbow Brite, Freakazoid, and The Angry Beavers. Harris would also be cast in some Pixar films: Manny, a mantis in the bug circus in A Bug's Life, and Geri, who repairs Woody in Toy Story 2.

 

Harris died three days before his 88th birthday due to a blood clot that lodged in his heart.

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American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created the DC Comics character Batman with Bill Finger Bob Kane died on this day 24 years ago, aged 83.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,331]

American automotive industry executive Harlow Curtice died on this day 60 years ago, aged 69.

 

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35 minutes ago, The Ashes Urn said:

American character actor Jonathan Harris died on this day 20 years ago, aged 87.

 

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On this day exactly twenty years ago in 2002,   Lonnie  Donegan Scottish skiffle singer, musician and songwriter who was referred to as the King of Skiffle,  died aged 71.

 

 

On this day 56 years ago in 1966 british composer Eric Spear died aged 58.

He created the tunes  behind a number of films but by far his best known work is the themetune  to Coronation Street. 

[msc 17,762]

1 hour ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

 

 

On this day exactly twenty years ago in 2002,   Lonnie  Donegan Scottish skiffle singer, musician and songwriter who was referred to as the King of Skiffle,  died aged 71.

 

Had heart issues for ages. Got asked to perform at a George Harrison memorial concert and started prepping hard for it, and the excitement killed him.