Death Anniversary Thread

[diego 1,980]

Idi Amin was born in Koboko (UGA), and died 20 years ago in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) he held the office of President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He is considered one of the most brutal dictators and despots in history

Haroldo de Campos was born in São Paulo and died 20 years ago in the same city, he was a Brazilian baroque poet and translator, winner of several national literature awards

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

Bill Deedes died on this day 16 years ago, aged 94.

- Deedes entered journalism in 1931, and joined The Daily Telegraph in 1937 following its acquisition of the paper he initially worked for.

- Deedes would be elected to Parliament in 1950, and served until 1974; he was the Minister without portfolio from 1962 to 1964.

- After his political career ended, Deedes rejoined The Daily Telegraph, retiring in 1986. He would continue to write newspaper articles for other papers for the next 20 years.

- Deedes was made a baron in 1986. though disliked being called "Lord" instead of "Bill".

- In 2001, Deedes appeared as a guest panelist in Have I Got News For You- he was 88 at the time, and the oldest guest star on the show at the time (superseded by 90-year old Baroness Trumpington in 2012).

- Deedes made five appearances on the DeathList between 1996 and 2007, and was the penultimate hit of 2007. 

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

American lyricist Ira Gershwin died on this day 40 years ago, aged 86.

 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Joseph Bingham died exactly 400 years ago today (54).
 

He is buried in the churchyard of St Swithun's, Headbourne Worthy.

 

Among other things, he wrote his extensive work entitled Origines Ecclesiasticae, or Antiquities of the Christian Church, the first volume of which appeared in 1708 and the tenth and last in 1722.

 

 

 

 

[diego 1,980]

Eustace IV, Count of Bologna was born in Suffolke mortey 870 years ago, he was the eldest son of King Stephen of England and Matilda I, Countess of Bologna. He became the heir to the English throne when his father took it shortly after the death of Henry I in 1135.

 

Reinier de Graaf, born in Schoonhoven (NED) and died 350 years ago in Delft (NED), was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made important discoveries in reproductive biology. He specialized in iatrochemistry and iatrogenesis, and was the first to develop a syringe to inject dye into human reproductive organs so that he could understand their structure and function. De Graaf may have been the first to understand the reproductive function of the fallopian tube, he described hydrosalpinx, linking its development to female infertility. De Graaf also invented a practical syringe, described in his third treatise.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American actress Vivian Vance died on this day 44 years ago, aged 70. She is best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom I Love Lucy (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, among other accolades. She also starred alongside Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show from 1962 until she left the series at the end of its third season in 1965. In 1991, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is most commonly identified as Lucille Ball’s longtime comedic foil from 1951 until her death in 1979.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

Elmer Bernstein died on this day 19 years ago, aged 82.

- Elmer Bernstein was friends with fellow composer Leonard Bernstein- the two were not related. To differentiate themselves, they nicknamed themselves based on where they were from (Elmer was "Bernstein West" for California, Leonard was "Bernstein East" for New York).

- Some of Bernstein's first compositions came after he was drafted into World War II- he composed music for the American Forces Network.

- Bernstein would be put on the Hollywood Blacklist in the '50s for writing music reviews for a communist newspaper- he would be relegated to doing the scores for Z-movies such as 1953's Robot Monster.

- Bernstein was nearly an EGOT- he won an Emmy and and Oscar, and was nominated for a Tony (3 times) and a Grammy (5 times).

- Here is a list of some of the films Bernstein composed music for (in order of release)- you may recognize some of their themes:

• The Ten Commandments (the Charlton Heston version)
• The Magnificent Seven
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Great Escape
• True Grit
• National Lampoon's Animal House
• The Blues Brothers
• Airplane!
• Ghostbusters (except for the theme song, written by Ray Parker Jr.)
• Cape Fear (the 1991 remake)

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

American composer and performer of ragtime music Arthur Marshall died on this day 55 years ago, aged 86.

 

[diego 1,980]

Magnus Decentius died 1670 years ago. Nothing is known of Decentius before 350. Magnentius usurped power from Constans on 18 January 350, and made Decentius a caesar later that year, perhaps in July or August. He was appointed consul in 352 .Decentius, when he learned of Magnentius's defeat by Constantius at the Battle of Mons Seleucus and his subsequent suicide, strangled himself in the besieged city, signaling the end of the civil war.

Pope Alexander VI died was born in Xátiva (Spain) and died 520 years ago, he was the 214th pope of the Catholic Church, from August 11, 1492 until the date of his death. , due to the period in which it happened, the two most likely hypotheses are poisoning or malaria.

Joana Sofia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was born in Langenburg, (GER) and died in Stadthagen (GER) 280 years ago at the age of 69, she was a Countess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by birth and Countess of Schaumbburg-Lippa by her marriage to Frederick Christian of Schaumbburg -Lipa.

John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton was born in Ashburton and died 240 years ago in Exmouth. He was first noted in English politics when he wrote a note in 1762 defending the British East India Company's merchants against their Dutch rivals. He was a Member of Parliament from 1768 onwards. His career in the House of Commons is best known for his motion in 1780 on the study of the growing influence of the Crown on the workings of that House and that it should be lessened. He was created Baron Ashburton in 1782.

[Hell 1,334]

British entertainer and television presenter Bruce Forsyth died on this day 6 years ago, aged 89. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series Sunday Night at the London Palladium. He went on to host several game shows, including The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right and You Bet!. He co-presented Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2013. In 2012, Guinness World Records recognised Forsyth as having the longest television career for a male entertainer.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor died on this day 530 years ago, aged 77.

- Frederick became the duke of Austria when he was 9 years old- his uncle served as his regent until he came of age. During this time, his brother Albert (the archduke) would contest his brother for the rights as co-ruler.

- In 1440, Frederick became the king of Germany, having been elected after his cousin Albert II's death. He would become the Holy Roman Emperor in 1452 after a 15-year vacancy, as its first ruler from the (extremely inbred) Habsburg dynasty.

- During his reign, Frederick failed to invade Hungary (in 1459), and was known for being a patron to musicians and Jewish scholars (his successor was less kind to the latter group).

- Frederick signed "AEIOU" onto all of his things- this meant either "Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan" or "Austriae est imperare orbi universo", which translated means "All the world is subject to Austria".

- Frederick was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis in 1493, and one of his legs had to be amputated because of it. He died from either complications from the amputation, old age, or food poisoning (after contracting severe diarrhea after eating a melon). His son Maximilian I would succeed him as the Holy Roman Emperor (he was his co-ruler in Germany since 1486).

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

American costume designer Lucinda Ballard died on this day 30 years ago, aged 87.

 

[diego 1,980]

Sérgio Vieira de Mello was born in Rio de Janeiro and died 20 years ago in Baghdad, he was a Brazilian philosopher and diplomat, a United Nations (UN) employee for 34 years and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights since 2002.together with 21 other people was the victim of a bomb attack against the local UN headquarters. The extremist organization Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for what happened and said that Mello was the main target of the attack.
he was considered by many to be Kofi Annan's virtual successor at the United Nations General Secretariat

Carlos Roberto Reina was born in Comayagüela, and died in Tegucigalpa 20 years ago at the age of 77, He was president of Honduras from January 27, 1994 to January 27, 1998, committed suicide with a gunshot at the age of 77, His brother revealed that Reina was suffering from health problems related to the gallbladder and pancreas

Abdul Rahim Hatef died at the age of 87 10 years ago, the Afghan from Kandahar died in Alphen aan den Rijn and was Vice President during the last years of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Before the fall of Kabul, he was the interim President of Afghanistan for two weeks in April 1992, due to the overthrow of President Mohammad Najibullah

 

[Hell 1,334]

American comedian, actor, writer, singer, stage, film, radio, television star and vaudeville performer Groucho Marx died on this day 46 years ago, aged 86. He made 13 feature films as a team with his siblings the Marx Brothers. He also had a successful solo career primarily on radio and television, most notably as the host of the game show You Bet Your Life. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit and one of America's greatest comedians.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

Pope Pius VII died on this day 200 years ago, aged 81.

- Pius was born as Barnaba Chiaramonti to a noble family. Through marriage, he was related to the family of his predecessor Pope Pius VI.

- When he was 14, Pius joined the monastery of the Order of St. Benedict, taking the name "Brother Gregory".

- The aforementioned Pius VI made the then-Gregory the Bishop of Trivoli in 1782, and then a cardinal in 1785.

- Pius was elected pope in 1800 (following Pius VI's death the previous year), and was known during his papacy for forming an alliance and friendship with Napoleon, going as far as calling him his "son". However, Pius would be imprisoned by French forces in 1809, and was freed in 1813.

- Upon his return to Rome, Pius revived the Jesuit order... as well as the inquisition and Index of Condemned Books.

- Pius was an abolitionist, but also reestablished the Jewish ghetto in Rome that Napoleon had abolished.

- Pius died from complications of a broken hip, and would be succeeded as pope by Leo XII.

 

 

[diego 1,980]

Bernard of Clairvaux was born in the castle of Fontaine-lès-Dijon and died in Ville-sous-la-Ferté 870 years ago aged 62, he was a French abbot, canonized in 1174 and proclaimed Doctor of the Church. He was primarily responsible for reforming the Order of Cistercians, which he entered shortly after his mother's death. He was the founder of the Abbey of Clairvaux (Clairvaux), in the Diocese of Langres.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

Chinese politician Hua Guofeng died on this day 15 years ago, aged 87.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian Jerry Lewis died on this day 6 years ago, aged 91. in 1946, he teamed up with Dean Martin to form Martin and Lewis, before going as a "solo" stage act, movie star and singer in 1956. Lewis was an early and prominent user of video assist, which allows real-time review of how a scene looks on camera.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

Elizabeth Bathory died on this day 409 years ago, aged 54.

- Bathory came from a noble family; her uncle Stephen was the king of Poland from 1576 to 1586.

- However, she is much more known for one thing- her status as a possible serial killer. Beginning in 1590, Bathory would reportedly begin abducting and murdering girls. A formal investigation would be initiated by Holy Roman Emperor Matthias II in 1610, and he sent notaries to find evidence for the claims against her. By the following year, over 300 people would give witness testimonies- common evidence included the use of needles as a form of torture. On December 31, 1612, Bathory would be arrested.

- During the trial, most of the witnesses simply said that they heard the rumors, but had never seen the purported murders. Modern historians now dismiss the accusations against Bathory as a political witch hunt, as Bathory controlled a vast swath of land, had a lot of money, and the emperor was in debt to her.

- Bathory would end up being put under house arrest until her death- from natural causes.

- Regardless of her probable innocence, Bathory still remains a popular base for vampire stories because of the accusation that she bathed in the blood of her victims to keep herself youthful.

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

American musician and visual artist Wesley Willis died on this day 20 years ago, aged 40.

 

[Hell 1,334]

Icelandic actor and singer Stefán Karl Stefánsson died on this day 5 years ago, aged 43. He was best known for portraying Robbie Rotten, the antagonist of the children's television series LazyTown. Stefán Karl announced that he had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer in October 2016. 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,726]

King Philip VI of France died on this day 673 years ago, aged 56.

- Philip was the son of the Count of Valois, and was initially unexpected to take the French throne. This changed with his cousin Charles IV's heirless death in 1328, and Philip was chosen as his successor due to being the eldest living grandson of King Philip III.

- The other claimant to the French throne was Philip's cousin King Edward III of England- though the two were on good terms upon Philip's accession. They had planned to have a crusade in 1332, which never came to fruition. Their relationship soured due to disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine, and the fact that Philip had granted asylum to King David II of Scotland.

- In 1336, Edward granted refuge to Philip's ex-friend Robert III of Artois, who committed forgery to obtain Philip's inheritance. Philip demanded Edward to extradite him back to France, which he refused. In May of 1337, Philip declared that England had forfeited Aquitaine for their insolence, and Edward renewed his claim to the French throne in retaliation- thus initiating the Hundred Years' War.

- Asides from the Hundred Years' War, Philip was also the king of France when the Black Death pandemic began, albeit he did not die from the disease.

- Following Philip's death, he would be succeeded as king by his son John II.

[The Ashes Urn 1,354]

American actress of the silent film era Louise Huff died on this day 50 years ago, aged 77.

[diego 1,980]

John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland was born and died in London 470 years ago, was Viscount Lisle, Earl of Warwick, Duke of Northumberland and Lord Protector of England, Friend of Henry VIII, was a notable military man. He made even greater strides under his son Edward VI in 1547: he thought the Somerset Protector too moderate. He intrigued against the Seymour family. He crushed the jacquerie of 1549, being the true champion of the landed aristocracy. He fought for absolute monarchy after winning the Protector in 1552. His unbridled ambition made him unpopular. He was executed 

 

[Hell 1,334]

Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician Michael Collins died on this day 101 years ago, aged 31. He was a leading figure in the early-20th century struggle for Irish independence. During the War of Independence he was Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a government minister of the self-declared Irish Republic. He was then Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from January 1922 and commander-in-chief of the National Army from July until his death in an ambush in August 1922, during the Civil War.