Death Anniversary Thread

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 1 year ago, American businessman and investor Charlie Munger, who was the financial partner of Warren Buffet, passed away at the age of 99.

 

Photo Credit: Nick per Creative Commons license

[Drewsky1211 4,759]

Washington Irving died on this day 165 years ago, aged 76.

- Irving was a son of British migrants to the then-Thirteen Colonies. He was born the week news of the ceasefire officially ending the hostilities of the American Revolution reached New York City, and so his mother named him after George Washington (Irving ended up meeting his namesake in 1789 just before his inauguration). His older brothers William and Peter became notable politicians.

- Irving began work as a theatre journalist for the New York Morning Chronicle in 1802, under the alias 'Jonathan Oldstyle', and among his fans was then-Vice President Aaron Burr. Irving would begin his own publication, the satirical periodical Salmagundi, in 1807, using other pseudonyms such as 'Launcelot Langstaff'. Irving would have many pseudonyms during his career, such as 'Diedrich Knickerbocker' (for his 1809 joke history book A History of New York, in which he promoted it by saying Knickerbocker was a missing historian) and 'Geoffrey Crayon'.

- Irving is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), the latter of which is famous for introducing the character of the Headless Horseman.

- In 1842, Irving would be appointed the US Ambassador to Spain by President John Tyler. While in this position, he would also negotiate the partition of US-Canadian border within the Oregon Territory. He served into the Polk administration, leaving office in 1846.

- Irving's last work was a biography of George Washington compiled between 1855 and 1859, personally considering it his magnum opus. He died eight months after the last volume of the biography was published.

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 3 years ago, Spanish visionary Justo Gallego Martinez, who created the Mejorada del Campo cathedral, passed away at the age of 96.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

English novelist and poet Ian Serraillier died on this day 30 years ago, aged 82.

 

[time 8,623]

Its 31 years since the death of songwriter and lyricist Tommie Connor, aged 89.

He has what you might call a diverse portfolio, having written the words & music for I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, English lyrics to Lili Marlene (Lily of the Lamplight), and the words ro The Biggest Aspidistra in the World. Additionally, of all the tunes in Ennio Morricone's score for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, only one has lyrics. He wrote those too. (The Story of a Soldier).

 

Still not diverse enough? He wrote the lyrics to Val Doonican standard O'Rafferty's Motor Car, as well as Alma Cogan's hit Never do a Tango with an Eskimo.

 

The Glenn Miller Band too!

 

 

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 142 years ago, Scottish scientist and mathematician Mary Somerville passed away at the age of 91.

[Drewsky1211 4,759]

Henry Kissinger died on this day a year ago, aged 100.

- Kissinger's birth name was Heinz, which was anglicized when his family fled Nazi Germany in 1938. He would enlist in the US Army during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

- Kissinger began his political career as a foreign policy advisor to Nelson Rockefeller's failed 1960 run for president, sticking with him when he tried again in 1964 and 1968. Kissinger initially distrusted Richard Nixon, but was chosen to be his National Security Advisor upon taking office in 1969. He would then become his Secretary of State in 1973.

- Kissinger is infamous for his policy during the Vietnam War, being largely supportive of dropping bombs on Cambodia to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail (despite Cambodia being a neutral country). It is because of these actions that saw the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge to power, and up to 150,000 civilians may have been killed by the bombing alone.

- Kissinger controversially won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize (along with Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho) for organizing the ceasefire between North Vietnam and the US. This would lead to two members of the Nobel Committee resigning in protest, and also led to this notable remark:

Kissinger is also believed to have helped encourage the 1973 Chilean coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power.

- After Nixon resigned, Kissinger would remain in the Ford administration as his Secretary of State (being replaced as National Security Advisor by Brent Scowcroft in 1975), leaving office in 1977 once Jimmy Carter became president. He would continue to advise US presidents on foreign policy issues, notably with George W. Bush during the Iraq War.

- Kissinger made 11 appearances on the DeathList between 1993 and 2023, and was the 16th hit (of 19) of the 2023 list- appearing on every list from 2018 until his death.

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 100 years ago, Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who composed La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, passed away at the age of 65.

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 3 years ago, American actress Arlene Dahl, who starred in the films Three Little Words and Journey to the Center of the Earth, passed away at the age of 96.

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 2 years ago, American Korean War Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi H. Miyamura passed away at the age of 97.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American boxer James J. Braddock died on this day 50 years ago, aged 69.

 

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 1 year ago, French-born American photographer Elliott Erwitt passed away at the age of 95.

 

Photo Credit: Alessio Jacona per Creative Commons license

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 1 year ago, American opera singer Mildred Miller passed away at the age of 98.

[Drewsky1211 4,759]

Edmund Ironside died on this day 1008 years ago, aged 26.

- Edmund was the third son of Ethelred the Unready. Growing up, the Danish/Norwegians would invade England, and Edmund would lead a war to drive them out in 1014.

- Edmund's father died in April of 1016, with Londoners recognizing him as the new king (Edmund II); others saw King Cnut as a legitimate monarch. Edmund's reign was brief and known for the continuing struggle against the Danes, lasting only seven months before his death. Cnut would succeed him regardless of what people thought of his claims.

- The most well-known story regarding Edmund's death was that he was stabbed by an enemy soldier while he was going to the bathroom, but an earlier suggestion says he was poisoned. Contemporary reports, however, do not mention the murder at all, meaning that it was more likely he died of natural causes (perhaps a viral disease).

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 2 years ago, Chinese president Jiang Zemin, who served his term from 1993 to 2003, passed away at the age of 96.

 

Photo Credit: Kremlin.ru / Roman Kubanskiy per Creative Commons license

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 6 years ago, US president George H.W. Bush, who served his term from 1989 to 1993, passed away at the age of 94.

[John "요한" Sulu 421]

On this day 21 years ago, American competition swimmer and Olympic champion Gertrude Ederle, who was the first woman to swim the English Channel, passed away at the age if 98.

[The Ashes Urn 1,358]

American actor, activist and founding member of the Screen Actors Guild Lionel Stander died on this day 30 years ago, aged 86.