Death Anniversary Thread

[Hell 1,334]

Canadian-American film producer Louis B. Mayer died on this day 66 years ago, aged 73. He was the co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industry's most prestigious movie studio, accumulating the largest concentration of leading writers, directors, and stars in Hollywood. Mayer was forced to resign as MGM's vice president in 1951, when the studio's parent company, Loew's, Inc., wanted to improve declining profits. Mayer at one time was the chairman of the California Republican Party. In 1927 he was one of the founders of AMPAS, famous for its annual Academy Awards.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Bonar Law died on this day 100 years ago, aged 65.

- Law was named after Andrew Bonar (pronounced "bonner") if you're wondering why someone would give their child such an unfortunate name. Earlier on, he went by "AB Law". Law was born in New Brunswick, moving from Canada to the UK with his aunt when he was 12.

- Law would first be elected to Parliament in 1900, serving for four different constituencies over the next 23 years. Law was known for his advocacy for reforming tariffs.

- Law became the leader of the opposition in 1911 after Arthur Balfour's resignation, and the head of the Tories in 1916. During World War I, he served in David Lloyd George's wartime cabinet as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

- After Lloyd George's resignation, Law became prime minister, though resigned as PM and from Parliament seven months- he was the shortest-serving British PM of the 20th century.

- The reason for Law's resignation was him being diagnosed with terminal throat cancer, dying five months afterwards.

- Law is sometimes referred to by the nickname "The Unknown Prime Minister"- this is not because of his short tenure, but HH Asquith's remarks at his funeral: "[they] were burying the Unknown Prime Minister next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier".

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

Canadian-American botanist Alice Eastwood died on this day 70 years ago, aged 94.

 

[diego 1,984]

John Abbott was born in St. Andrews and died in Montreal at age 72 130 years ago, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as Canada's third Prime Minister, in office from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Party Conservative

Renato Canini was born in Paraí and died in Pelotas at the age of 77 10 years ago, he was a Brazilian illustrator, known for his work in several publications, such as "O Pasquim", "Pancada" and Crás ,publishing company Abril, where he also illustrated comic books from Disney and stood out drawing the character Zé Carioca

 

[Hell 1,334]

American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, and composer, writer and actor Steve Allen died on this day 23 years ago, aged 78. He gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. After he hosted The Tonight Show, he went on to host numerous game and variety shows, including his own The Steve Allen Show, I've Got a Secret, and The New Steve Allen Show. He was a regular panel member on CBS's What's My Line? and, from 1977 until 1981, he wrote, produced, and hosted the award-winning public broadcasting show Meeting of Minds, a series of historical dramas presented in a talk format. Allen won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition for "Gravy Waltz", for which he wrote the lyrics. In 1996, Allen was presented with the Martin Gardiner Lifetime Achievement Award from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Hollywood Theater named in his honour.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Peter Stumpp died on this day 434 years ago, aged 54.

(I remember I told his story last Halloween- so here we go again for those not here a year ago:)

- Peter Stumpp's name might not have even been that- one of the names attributed to him was "Abel Griswold", and some believe that "Stumpp" refers to the fact that his left hand had been cut off (which was witness evidence used in his trial that I'm about to talk about).

- In 1589, Stumpp was put on trial for allegations of werewolfery. During it, Stumpp confessed (probably after being tortured) that he had been willingly transforming since 1564, when he was given a magical belt by Satan (wearing it turned him into a voracious, bloodthirsty werewolf, and him removing it changed him back into his normal human self). He is sometimes referred to as the "Werewolf of Bedburg":

- Stumpp stated that he first feasted on livestock such as goats and sheep, and then moved on to consuming human flesh. He reportedly devoured 14 children and tearing the fetuses of 2 pregnant women out, particularly stating that he enjoyed eating their hearts. Stumpp also claimed to have eaten the brain of his own son.

- Stumpp was also accused of having committed incest with his daughter Sybil, who would be executed alongside him.

- Stumpp's execution was quite grisly- he was tied to a wheel and flayed, his arms and legs were smashed, then he was beheaded and his body burned. His head would be put on top of a pike with his breaking wheel and a small statue of a wolf as a warning to others potential werewolves. 

[diego 1,984]

Cosimo III de Medici was born in Florence 300 years ago at the age of 81, he was the penultimate Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the eldest son of Grand Duke Ferdinand II. His 53-year reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of ultra-reactionary laws regulating prostitution and which banned the so-called May Celebrations. His reign also witnessed a deterioration of the Tuscan economy to levels never before recorded. When he died in 1723, he was succeeded by his youngest son João Gastão

Everardo Luís de Württemberg was born in Stuttgart and died 190 years ago in Ludwigsburg at the age of 57. He was the tenth Duke of Württemberg from 1692 until his death.

Federico Fellini was born in Rimini and died in Rome 30 years ago, and was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Known for his distinctive style, which mixes fantasy and baroque imagery with grisliness, he is recognized as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Fellini won the Palme d'Or for La Dolce Vita, was nominated for twelve Oscars and won four in the best foreign language film category, the best for any director in the Academy's history. At the 1993 Oscars in Los Angeles, he received an honorary award

River Phoenix was born in Madras, Oregon and died in Hollywood, California at the age of 23 30 years ago, and was an American actor, musician and activist. It was listed in John Willis's Screen World, vol. 38 as one of the twelve "promising new actors of 1986", He was also known for his animal rights activism. His promising career ended with his death from drug-induced heart failure in Hollywood, California, at The Viper Room nightclub. In 1989, he was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for Running on Empty.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American professional football player, coach and team owner George Halas died on this day 40 years ago, aged 88.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Charles II of Spain died on this day 323 years ago, aged 38.

- Charles became king when he was 3 years old, following the death of his father Philip IV. His mother Mariana would serve as his regent- however, Charles' very poor health and mental disability effectively left her in charge of royal decisions up until her death in 1696.

- Charles' family tree explains exactly what caused said poor health: incest.

Because of this severe inbreeding, Charles was rendered infertile and was the last Habsburg king of Spain. His death would cause the War of the Spanish Succession, which lasted from 1701 to 1714, and saw Spain decline as a world power.

- Charles earned the epithet "The Bewitched" thanks to a legend that grew during his lifetime that he was cursed by a witch when he was 14. In modern times, this moniker is still valid due to said inbreeding causing his very ugly appearance and how he defied expectations just by surviving for so long. 

- After his death, the physician who performed his autopsy made the following remarks: "his body did not contain a single drop of blood, his heart was the size of a peppercorn, his lungs corroded, his intestines rotten and gangrenous, he had a single testicle, black as coal, and his head was full of water". In life, Charles was also known to have suffered from chronic diarrhea, epilepsy, and a skeletal deformity.

[diego 1,984]

David of Trebizond was born in Trebizond and died 560 years ago in Constantinople, he was the last emperor of the Empire of Trebizond which reigned between 1459 and 1461. Along with his nephew Alexios (son of John IV) and three of his sons, they were executed by letters considered suspicious because they were sent to the sultan's enemies. Only one son, Giorgio, was spared due to his young age and converted to Islam

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American gossip columnist, author, songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality and professional hostess Elsa Maxwell died on this day 60 years ago, aged 80.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American actress, dancer, and singer Dixie Lee died on this day 71 years ago, aged 42. She was the first wife of singer Bing Crosby. Dixie made her two appearances on the Shell Chateau radio program in 1935, and she made three more films. Her most notable film is probably Love in Bloom (1935). Her last film was Redheads on Parade, but the reviews were mediocre. She made a couple of records on March 11, 1935, "You've Got Me Doing Things", a song she introduced in the film Love in Bloom. This was her first record, and she backed it with "My Heart Is an Open Book." She was encouraged back in to recording studio again on July 27, 1936, and she recorded "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "When a Lady Meets a Gentleman Down South" for Decca Records. Her final recordings were two duets with her husband recorded on August 19, 1936 - A Fine Romance and The Way You Look Tonight. She then retired from show business. Dixie Lee died from ovarian cancer.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Ngo Dinh Diem died on this day 60 years ago, aged 62.

- Diem had an upbringing in Vietnam's minority Catholic populace, and would serve as a colonial official (France occupied Vietnam at the time).

- Diem would leave Vietnam in 1950 during the First Indochina War, returning only after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.

- The US would help install Diem as Prime Minister at the beginning of the Vietnam War, and he would become South Vietnam's first president in 1955.

- Diem was the one who coined the term "Viet Cong"- initially referring to South Vietnamese communists, Diem would soon label any of his dissidents as such.

- While the US would paint Diem as a leader trying to preserve democracy in South Vietnam, Diem was very authoritarian. He would order travelling squads to execute those suspected of being communist. Diem would also only allow the South Vietnamese governmental flag to be flown, and when Buddhists flew different flags to celebrate the Buddha's birthday in 1963, he ordered his secret police to arrest them- 9 were killed, and this culminated in a Buddhist monk (Thich Quang Duc) lighting himself on fire in protest of his regime a month later:

The above image quickly circulated around the world, and was a public relations disaster for Diem- this led to the Kennedy administration to become disillusioned with him.

- Several scheming generals soon plotted a coup against him- the US government allowed them to go along with it (thinking that Diem was secretly negotiating with North Vietnam), and Diem would be arrested and shot dead; this assassination occurred just three weeks before JFK's.

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

2 years ago from yesterday, American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, who developed Cognitive behavior therapy passed away at the age of 100.

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American football and baseball player and coach Greasy Neale died on this day 50 years ago, aged 81.

 

[diego 1,984]

Matilde of Flanders died in Caen 940 years ago. The fact that she was a descendant of Alfred the Great, king of England, was one of the reasons that led William of Normandy to ask her to marry him. Apparently she rejected him, since she didn't want to marry a bastard. Furious, Guilherme approached her and attacked her. Such rather unconventional behavior led her to change her mind and they married in 1051, although they had to wait until 1059 before receiving papal permission. At 127 cm tall, she is considered by Guinness World Records to be the shortest Queen of England. In 1819 and 1959, Matilda's incomplete skeleton was examined and her bones were measured to determine her height. The 1819 estimate was less than five feet, while the 1959 estimate was 5' (152 cm) tall. A reputed height of 4' 2" (127 cm) appeared sometime after 1959 in non-scientific literature, misrepresenting the 1959 measurement

 

[Hell 1,334]

Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan died on this day 19 years ago, aged 86. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he succeeded Sheikh Shakhbut as the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and then as the first President of the United Arab Emirates while he retained his position as Abu Dhabi's ruler from 1971 until his death in 2004. He is revered in the United Arab Emirates as the Father of the Nation, credited for being the principal driving force behind uniting seven Emirates. Zayed replaced his older brother Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan as the ruler of Abu Dhabi on 6 August 1966 after Shakhbut was deposed through a bloodless coup by members of the ruling family with British support.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 419]

On this day 2 years ago, American politician Neal Smith, who served as an Iowa representative from 1959 to 1995, passed away at the age of 101.

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Emperor Constantius II died on this day 1662 years ago, aged 44.

- The son of Constantine the Great, Constantius became emperor when he was 20 years old.

- Constantius and his brothers decided to split the Roman Empire amongst themselves, and Constantius would receive the eastern part. The empire ended up reunifying in 350 after the death of his brother Constans, with Constantius as the sole ruler- he would, however, have to fight a usurper, Magnentius, and came out victorious.

- Constantius was known for furthering the Christian policies of his father. Among the laws introduced included death penalties for participating in pagan sacrifices, and banning interfaith marriages between Jews and Christians.

- In 360, his cousin Julian was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers, and Constantius went to confront him- however, he died from an unspecified illness on the way, and reportedly named Julian his rightful successor on his deathbed.

[diego 1,984]

Joan of Valois, Queen of Navarre was born in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, France, and died in Évreux 650 years ago at the age of 30. In February 1352, at just 9 years old, she married her relative Charles II of Navarre, King of Navarre

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

Italian-American symphony conductor and composer Alfredo Antonini died on this day 40 years ago, aged 82.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American comic book writer, animator and artist Bob Kane died on this day 25 years ago, aged 83. He co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC Comics. He was inducted into the comic book industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993 and into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1996. In early 1939, DC's success with the seminal superhero Superman in Action Comics promoted editors to scramble for more such heroes. In response, Bob Kane conceived "the Bat-Man." Kane said his influences for the character included actor Douglas Fairbanks' film portrayal of the swashbuckler Zorro; Leonardo da Vinci's diagram of the ornithopter, a flying machine with huge bat-like wings; and the 1930 film The Bat Whispers, based on Mary Rinehart's mystery novel The Circular Staircase (1908).

 

[Drewsky1211 4,742]

Yitzhak Rabin died on this day 28 years ago, aged 73.

- Rabin was the son of immigrants to Israel (then under British control), whose surnames were originally "Rubitzov". Rabin would grow up to become a secular Jew.

- Rabin served in World War II in the invasion of Vichy French Lebanon, and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 against Egypt. Rabin would be made the chief of staff of the IDF in 1964, and led Israel to victory in the Six-Day War of 1967.

- From there, Rabin became the Israeli ambassador to the US, and afterwards would be elected to the Knesset in 1973.

- Rabin would become PM in 1974 after Golda Meir resigned, but he himself resigned in 1977 when it was discovered he maintained a foreign bank account in the United States (this was illegal without authorization).

- Rabin would remain in cabinet positions during the 1980s, particularly the Minister of Defense from 1984 to 1990.

- Rabin would become prime minister for the second time in the 1992 election. He would participate in the Oslo Accords that created the Palestinian National Authority. This led to mass protests from Zionist Israelis, who denounced Rabin's recognition of a Palestinian state- among the leaders of these protests was Benjamin Netanyahu. He would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 because of his actions.

- Rabin was also a reformist, expanding the private business sector and introducing universal healthcare to Israel.

- Rabin would be assassinated by a far-right extremist opposed to the Oslo Accords. Shimon Peres would be made acting PM afterwards, and would be confirmed as prime minister a few weeks later.

[diego 1,984]

Carlos Magalhães de Azeredo was born in Rio de Janeiro and died in Rome 60 years ago. He was a Brazilian lawyer, journalist, diplomat and writer, one of the founders of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,356]

American film producer and production executive Ely Landau died on this day 30 years ago, aged 73.