Died On This Date

August 5

Monroe (Baker), Marilyn (Norma Jean)
b. June 1, 1926 d. August 5, 1962
Actress. In a career that spanned 16 years, with no acting experience and through the promotion of her sex symbol image, Marilyn became a Hollywood media star and a legend while making 29 movies. She was born in Los Angeles at General Hospital to unmarried Gladys Pearl Monroe Baker. Cause of death: Overdose of Nembutal and Chloral Hydrate.

Burton, Richard
b. November 10, 1925 d. August 5, 1984
Actor. He is best remembered for his roles in such movies as "Cleopatra" (1963), "Where Eagles Dare" (1971), "Raid on Rommel" (1973), as the voice of Sir Winston Churchill in the television series, "The Valiant Years," and for being married to Actress Elizabeth Taylor twice. Born in Pontrhydyfen, Wales, as Richard Walter Jenkins, Jr, he would take his stage name from his former schoolteacher, Philip Burton, and grew up speaking Cymraeg (Welsh) as well as English.

Guinness, Alec
b. April 2, 1914 d. August 5, 2000
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of 'Colonel Nicholson' in the motion picture "The Bridge Over the River Kwai" (1957), and for his role of 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' in the first three "Star Wars" films (1977 to 1983). Despite many rumors to the contrary, he never spoke the words "May the Force be with you" in any of the Star Wars movies. Born in London, England, he was raised by his mother, and never knew his father.

Died On This Date

August 4

Andersen, Hans Christian
b. April 2, 1805 d. August 4, 1875
Writer. Famous for his fairy tales. His father was a poor shoemaker and literate, who believed he was of aristocratic origin. Andersen's mother worked as washerwoman. He declined into alcoholism and died in 1833 in a charitable old people's home. Andersen's half-sister Karen Marie worked as a prostitute for some time. She contacted her famous brother only a few times before dying in 1846. Andersen received little education. As a child he was highly emotional, suffering all kinds of fears.


Mature, Victor John
b. January 29, 1913 d. August 4, 1999
Actor. He appeared in musicals, westerns, comedies, historical epics and melodramas. The brawny star of the 1940s and '50s appeared in 50 credit movies mostly with 20th Century Fox. His most noted are now classics..."Samson and Delilah" playing Samson and "My Darling Clementine" playing Doc Holliday. He was born to Italian immigrant parents as Victor Joseph Maturi in Louisville, Kentucky the only survivor of three children. Cause of death: Leukemia.

Died On This Date

August 3

Jones, Carolyn
b. April 28, 1930 d. August 3, 1983
Actress. She is best remembered for her role of Morticia Frump Addams on "The Addams Family" television show (1964-1966). Born Carolyn Sue Jones in Amarillo, Texas, her father abandoned the family in 1933 when he lost his job in the Great Depression, and her mother moved the family in with her parents, then also living in Amarillo. As a child, she suffered from asthma, but loved to go to the movies, and while in school, she won several awards for speech, poetry and dramatics. Cause of death: Cancer.


Lupino, Ida
b. February 4, 1918 d. August 3, 1995
Actress, Writer and Director. Ida Lupino is best known as a pioneering figure in the world of female filmmakers. Born into a British theater family in Camberwall, London, England, Ida was encouraged to enter the world of show business by both her parents and her uncle, actor and theater manager, Lupino Lane. In 1931, Ida made her film debut in the "The Love Race." She would continue playing minor roles until 1939, when she appeared in the drama, "The Light That Failed."

Died On This Date

August 2

Bell, Alexander Graham
b. March 3, 1847 d. August 2, 1922
Inventor, Educator. He is famous not only as an inventor, but also as an educator and writer of books to help people who cannot speak or hear. Born in Edinburgh Scotland, he emigrated to Canada along with his family. He was hired to teach in Boston at a school for children not being able to speak nor hear. His home remained America for the rest of his life and he became an American citizen. Through his teachings, he became interested in the sound of the human voice which led to his invention. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Hickok, James Butler 'Wild Bill'
b. May 27, 1837 d. August 2, 1876
Western Figure. Born in Troy Grove, near Ottawa, Illinois, he took part in the Kansas struggle preceding the Civil War, was a driver of the Butterfield stage line, and gained fame as a gunfighter. He was an assistant station tender for the Pony Express at the Rock Creek, Nebraska station. He served as a Union scout in the Civil War. After the war he became deputy United States Marshal at Fort Riley (1866), Marshal of Hays, Kansas (1869), and Marshal of Abilene (1871). Cause of death: Shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall

Caruso, Enrico
b. February 27, 1873 d. August 2, 1921
Opera Singer. Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy. His singing was always in demand, either at the local church or some special festivities. At the age of fifteen his mother was seriously ill, she insisted he must sing, upon return after mass found her dead. His father remarried and the family ultimately reached 22 children. With very little formal or musical education he learned and refined his theatrical skills throughout his life on his own.

Died On This Date

August 1

Cannary, Martha Jane 'Calamity Jane'
b. May 1, 1852 d. August 1, 1903
American Folk Figure. Born Martha Jane Cannary, Calamity Jane is nearly as famous as Bill Hickok was and is known to be as tough as any man in the West. Raised in the mining camps of Wyoming, she is a legendary horsewoman and crack shot, and was an Army scout for Custer. Her apparent immunity to small pox made her extremely valuable as a nurse during the small pox outbreak. She got her famous nickname by rescuing Captain Egan, whose command she was under at the time.


Hatfield, Sid
b. May 15, 1893 d. August 1, 1921
Sheriff and former miner in Matewan, WV, during what is now called the "Coal Wars," in the 1920's. He and Mayor C. Testerman helped protect miners who were being evicted by the Baldwin-Felts detectives. His murder by Felts Detectives resulted in the founding of the United Mine Workers Union. He was played by David Strathairn in John Sayles' 1987 film "Matewan." Cause of death: Murdered on the McDowell County Courthouse steps.

Died On This Date

July 31

Reeves, Jim
b. August 20, 1923 d. July 31, 1964
Nicknamed "Gentleman Jim," he was one of the great voices in music. His aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player ended due to an ankle injury so he turned to singing and working as a disc jockey for KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana, the home of the Louisiana Hayride. His breakthrough single came in 1953 with a song called Mexican Joe. That same year he officially joined the cast of the Louisiana Hayride and in 1955 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Cause of death: Plane crash.

Johnson, Andrew
b. December 29, 1808 d. July 31, 1875
17th United States President. The first President to be tried for impeachment. After President Johnson notified Congress on February 21, 1868, that he had removed Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War and replaced him with Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas, it took the House of Representatives only three days to impeach him for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Meanwhile, Stanton refused to abandon his office and had Thomas arrested for attempting to exercise the duties of the Secretary of War. Cause of death: Stroke

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine Marie Roger de
b. June 29, 1900 d. July 31, 1944
Author, Inventor. He wrote "Wind, Sand and Stars" (1939), and the children's classic "The Little Prince" (1943). Went missing on a flight over the Mediterranean in 1944 and his body was never recovered. The flowerbed around his memorial is laid out in the shape of his drawing of the Little Prince.

Died On This Date

July 30

Colbert, Claudette
b. September 13, 1903 d. July 30, 1996
Actress who starred in more than 60 films. Claudette Colbert died in Speightstown, Barbados, on July 30, 1996. (This was her vacation home.) Her permanent address was Manhattan. She was born on September 13, 1903, in France. Her real name was "Lily Claudette Chauchoin. While still a child her parents moved the family to New York. She won the Best Actress award in 1934 for "It Happened One Night," a Frank Capra movie.

Phillips, Sam Cornelius
b. January 5, 1923 d. July 30, 2003
Rock pioneer. He was the founder of Sun Records and was credited with discovering Elvis Presley. He produced Presley's first record in 1954. He later sold Presley's recording contract to RCA for only $35,000. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Walsh, Bill (William Ernest)
b. November 30, 1931 d. July 30, 2007
Professional Football Coach. Nicknamed "the genius", he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1988 and NFL Coach Of the Year in 1981 & 1984. He coached the 49ers to three Super Bowl Championships. An innovative thinker, he popularized an offensive game plan that became known as the West Coast Offense and is still in use today. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1993. Cause of death: Leukemia.

Died On This Date

July 29

Van Gogh, Vincent
b. March 30, 1853 d. July 29, 1890
Artist. He was born in the Netherlands. In 1869 he began working for art dealers, but in 1877 he studied religion and from 1878 to 1880 he was an evangelist in Belgium. Later he decided to become an artist. He admired the work of Millet and Daumier and his early subjects were peasants. He lived in Brussels and in Netherlands and in February 1886 he moved to Paris where he lived together with his brother, Theo, and encountered Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting. Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot.

Kanka, Megan
b. December 7, 1986 d. July 29, 1994
Young murder victim. She was murdered by a neighbor and it was later discovered that he had been released from prison after having served time for child molestation. Megan's Law, the sex offender's law that now requires convicted sex offenders to register with the local authorities when they move into an area, was named for her. It was made into a Federal Law and is now enforced in all 50 states. Megan's killer was sentenced to death and is currently sitting on death row.

Niven, David (James David Graham)
b. March 1, 1910 d. July 29, 1983
Actor, Producer. Most remembered for his dapper English roles in such films as the Pink Panther series, "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956), and numerous other films. He won an Oscar for his role in "Separate Tables" (1958). Born in London, England, the son of a British Army Captain who was killed at Gallipoli in 1915. He attended Stowe School and Sandhurst Military Academy, where he was commissioned and served two years with the Highland Light Infantry.

Elliot, Cass
b. September 19, 1941 d. July 29, 1974
Rock Singer. She was a singer for the folk-rock group "Mamas and the Papas," during the 1960s and early 1970s. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland, she grew up in the Washington DC area. During her senior year in high school she performed in a summer stock of "The Boyfriend" at the Owings Mills Playhouse; a performance that compelled her to forego college in pursuit of an acting career. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Died On This Date

July 28

Bach, Johann Sebastian
b. March 21, 1685 d. July 28, 1750
Composer and Organist. One of the acknowledged giants of Western music and the greatest composer of the Baroque era. Bach's work represents the culmination of all the musical ideas of his era. He brought such techniques as counterpoint and fugue to their heights of expressiveness, and wrote masterpieces in every existing genre except opera. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, into a family that boasted seven generations of musicians. Cause of death: Stroke.

Died On This Date

July 27

Hope, Bob (Leslie Townes)
b. May 29, 1903 d. July 27, 2003
Comedian, Actor, Entertainer. Legendary comic performer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s. One of the most beloved in American History, he has earned over 2,000 awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2 honorary Oscars, 2 Emmys, the National Medal of Arts (received from President Bill Clinton), 58 honorary degrees, and was knighted (honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. Cause of death: Pneumonia.


Walsh, Adam
b. November 14, 1974 d. July 27, 1981
He was the son of "America's Most Wanted" host, John Walsh and his wife Reva. He was abducted and murdered. The search continued for days and many appeals to the public for help until Adam's decapitated head was found. His death inspired a television movie and the "America's Most Wanted" television program in 1988. On December 16th, 2008, the Hollywood Police Department finally identified Adam Walsh's killer as Ottis Toole (who died in prison in 1996).

Died On This Date

July 26

Houston, Sam
b. March 2, 1793 d. July 26, 1863
Texas Republic Army General, Texas Republic President, Tennessee Governor, Texas Governor. He is best remembered as the General who defeated the Mexicans to win Texas independence. Born in Virginia in 1793, his family moved to Tennessee when he was 13 years old and lived in a frontier settlement, where Houston worked as a clerk in a trader's store. When he was 15, he ran away from home and lived with the Cherokee Indians in eastern Tennessee, where the Indians adopted him.

Peron, Eva (María Eva Ibarguren)
b. May 7, 1919 d. July 26, 1952
Argentinean Leader. Wife of Argentina President Juan Domingo Peron. Born Maria Eva, she was the fourth child born to Juana Ibarguren and Juan Duarte, all illegitimate in a ramshackle house near the village of Los Toldos some 150 miles west of Buenos Aires. At 15, she arrived in Buenos Aires, and became a star of radio soap operas and then a movie. She met Juan Peron during an earthquake-relief meeting. The widowed Peron married her in 1945, and they became a team in power ruling Argentina.
Cause of death: Uterine cancer.

Died On This Date

July 25

Rich, Charlie
b. December 14, 1932 d. July 25, 1995
Singer. Musician. Born near Forrest City, Arkansas. He attended Consolidated High School in Forrest City, where he played saxophone in the high school band. After high school, he attended Arkansas State College on a football scholarship. He then transferred to the University of Arkansas as a music major but left after one semester to join the Air Force. He married his life-long love, fellow jazz enthusiast Margaret Ann in 1952.

Pausch, Randy
b. October 23, 1960 d. July 25, 2008
Professor, Author. Gained international fame after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and giving a "last lecture" to his class that was posted on the internet. He received a Bachelor's degree in computer sciences from Brown University and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon. He taught at the University of Virginia and at Carnegie Mellon. After his famous lecture, Randy Pausch was seen on several television shows including interviews done by Diane Sawyer and Oprah Winfrey.

Died On This Date

July 24

Sellers, Peter (Richard Henry)
b. September 8, 1925 d. July 24, 1980
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of inept French police Inspector 'Jacques Clouseau' in the "Pink Panther" series of films (1964 to 1982). The last of that series, "Trail of the Pink Panther" (1982) was made after his death, using film clips and unseen footage from his earlier "Pink Panther" movies. Born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Hampshire, England, his parents worked in an acting company run by his grandmother. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Van Buren, Martin
b. December 5, 1782 d. July 24, 1862
8th United States President. Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York a Hudson River town totally comprised of people of Dutch descent. His mother had been widowed with three children before marrying his father who was a tavern-inn proprietor while owning slaves who worked at the enterprise. The tavern hosted political meetings, elections and entertained such guests as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Young Martin received a political education while ease dropping as a boy.

Died On This Date

July 23

Grant, Ulysses (Hiram Ulysses) S
b. April 27, 1822 d. July 23, 1885
18th United States President, Civil War Union Lieutenant General. He was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. At seventeen, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation, his first assignment was service in a border war with Mexico. After eleven years he resigned his commission and persued a number of failed civilian endeavors.

Rickenbacker, Edward Vernon 'Eddie'
b. October 8, 1890 d. July 23, 1973
World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Distinguished Service Cross Recipient, Fighter Ace, Aviator, Race Car Driver, America's 'Ace of Aces' during World War I. The son of Swiss immigrants, he first gained fame driving race cars. He raced 4 time in the Indianapolis 500 with his best finish being 10th in 1914. He enlisted in the Army in 1917 when the United States declared war on Germany.

Clift, Montgomery
b. October 17, 1920 d. July 23, 1966
Actor. He is best remembered for his role as ‘Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt’ in the motion picture "From Here to Eternity" (1953). He represented the new wave of post-World War II actors who were handsome, intelligent, soft-spoken, introspective, and acted with intensity. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta, to a banking family, his mother, Ethel, had been born out of wedlock, and she determined that the children would grow up knowing their true southern aristocratic heritage.

Griffith, D.W. (David Wark)
b. January 22, 1875 d. July 23, 1948
Motion Picture Director. Called by many as “The Father of the Motion Picture”, he was the first to recognize the new medium's potential, and invented many of the common film techniques used today, such as the Flashback, the Iris shot, the mask, and Crosscutting. He is best remembered for his epic "Birth of a Nation" (1915), considered by most his best work, despite its racist message. Born in rural Kentucky to Jacob Griffith, a Confederate Army Colonel and Civil War hero. Cause of death: Cerebral hemorrhage.

Died On This Date

July 22

Shepard, Alan Bartlett
b. November 18, 1923 d. July 22, 1998
American Astronaut. The first American into space, he is currently the oldest man to have walked on the moon. Born in Derry, New Hampshire, the son of Army Lieutenant Colonel Alan B. Shepard and Renza Emerson Shepard, Alan Jr graduated from the Admiral Farragut Academy (military high school) in 1941, and received a BS degree in Engineering from the US Naval Academy in 1944.

Getty, Estelle
b. July 25, 1923 d. July 22, 2008
Actress. Best known for her role as sassy Italian octogenarian "Sophia Petrillo", on the hit sitcom "The Golden Girls." Estelle was born in New York to Polish immigrants. In 1947, she married Arthur Gettleman. The couple had two sons together. Estelle Gettleman began her acting career under the stage name Estelle Getty in 1978 playing a teacher in the film "Team Mates." She had small walk on roles in the Films "Tootsie" in 1982 and "Mask" in 1985.

Sandburg, Carl
b. January 6, 1878 d. July 22, 1967
Author. Poet. Carl Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Illinois. He was born the son of Swedish immigrants, August and Clara Anderson Sandburg. He was the second of seven children and was called Charlie by his family. He quit school after graduating from the eighth grade in 1891. The next few years he worked a variety of jobs. He spent some time traveling as a hobo while honing his writing and political views. He volunteered for service in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Cause of death: Heart Attack.

Died On This Date

July 21

Rathbone, Basil (Philip St. John)
b. June 13, 1892 d. July 21, 1967
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of 'Sir Guy of Gisbourne' in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), and for his role of 'Sherlock Holmes' in a series of movies with actor Nigel Bruce playing 'Dr. Watson' from 1939 to 1946). Born Philip St. John Basil Rathbone in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Edgar Philip Rathbone, a mining engineer, and his wife, Anna Barbara, a violinist. In 1895, his family was forced to return to Great Britain, when Boers accused his father of being a British spy. Cause of death: Heart Attack.

Young, Robert
b. February 22, 1907 d. July 21, 1998
Actor. In a career that lasted over fifty years, Robert Young performed on stage, screen and radio, appearing in some 100 movies before making a successful transition to television. He was born in Chicago coming west when his family relocated to Los Angeles at age seven. Introduced to acting while attending Lincoln High School, he then pursued an acting career after graduation by enrolling at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Died On This Date

July 20

Lee, Bruce
b. November 27, 1940 d. July 20, 1973
Acclaimed Martial Artist, Actor, and Film Director. Balancing martial arts theory and film performance, Bruce Lee remains the most recognized martial artist of the twentieth century. Though born in San Francisco, Lee would move to Hong Kong with his family while still an infant and would act in several films there as a child. After losing a street fight in 1953, he would also study Wing Chun Kung Fu, a style emphasizing economy of movement.

Doohan, James Montgomery
b. March 3, 1920 d. July 20, 2005
Actor. He is best known for his role of 'Montgomery "Scotty" Scott', the Chief Engineer of the starship "Enterprise" in the seminal and immensely popular 1960's science fiction television series "Star Trek" and it's subsequent movies. Born in British Columbia, Canada, he served in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, and lost the middle finger on his right hand after Canadian forces stormed ashore at Juno Beach during the D-Day Normandy invasion.

Villa, Pancho
b. 1877 d. July 20, 1923
Mexican Revolutionary, General, Bandit, and Governor. He was a major leader in the Mexican Revolution and in 1916-1917, was the object of the Punitive Expedition in which US Troops crossed into Mexico in a futile attempt to capture him. Born Jose Doroteo Orango Arámbula, he is better known under his revolutionary name, Francisco "Pancho" Villa. Many details of his life are in dispute. Villa's early life is mostly unknown.

Died On This Date

July 19

Gebel-Williams, Gunther
b. September 12, 1934 d. July 19, 2001
Circus animal trainer. He delighted ladies, gentleman, children of all ages during his three decades with the Greatest Show on Earth. He never missed a performance during his career with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The flashy performer worked with elephants, tigers, leopards, lions, panthers, mountain lions, horses, goats, camels, zebras, and a giraffe. In addition, he was featured in TV specials and advertisements.

Beatty, Clyde
b. June 10, 1903 d. July 19, 1965
Wild animal trainer, circus performer. He left all Ringing interests at the end of the 1934 season, and joined out with owner-partners Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell with the new Cole Bros. Circus that winter, and opened with them for the season of 1935. They added his name to the title for public appeal, and his name appeared in the title of every circus he was on thereafter. He was on Cole Bros. & Clyde Beatty through the 1937 season.

Died On This Date

July 18

Jones, John Paul
b. July 6, 1747 d. July 18, 1792
Father of the American Navy. The Revolutionary War was fought on sea as well as on land. The fledgling Continental Navy was even more ragtag then the Colonies counterpart the army. Although he was a Scott, not an American, John Paul Jones was the first naval hero. He first stalked British ships around the Colonies and then took the war direct to Britain with command of the sloop Ranger.

Died On This Date

July 17

Holiday, Billie
b. April 7, 1915 d. July 17, 1959
Jazz Singer. "Lady Day" (as she was named by Lester Young) had a small voice and did not scat but her innovative behind-the-beat phrasing made her very influential. The emotional intensity that she put into the words she sang (particularly in later years) was memorable because she often really did live the words she sang. Her original name and birthplace have been wrong for years but were finally listed correctly by Donald Clarke's definitive Billie Holiday biography "Wishing on the Moon".

Cobb, Ty
b. December 18, 1886 d. July 17, 1961
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Ranks as one of Baseball's greatest players, if not the game's fiercest competitor. Everyone knows about his batting records! Ty Cobb grew up in the post Civil War South where racism was the norm. This is not to say that it was right, but it was a given and accepted practice. What shaped Tys' personality more than anything was an incident that happened when he was just 18, just a few sparse weeks before he joined the Tigers.

Spillane, Mickey
b. March 9, 1918 d. July 17, 2006
Author. Real name Frank Morrison Spillane. He is best remembered for creating the hard boiled detective Mike Hammer, who appeared in a series of violent mystery novels beginning with "I, the Jury" (1947). There have been several films adapted from his books and a "Mike Hammer" television series in the 1980s, starring Stacy Keach. Spillane himself played the character in the film "The Girl Hunters" (1963). Prior to writing novels, Spillane wrote for magazines and comic books.

Died On This Date

July 16

Kennedy Jr., John Fitzgerald
b. November 25, 1960 d. July 16, 1999
Son of US president John F. Kennedy. Born at Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy Jr. was the second child of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, and brother to Caroline Schlossberg. Known as John-John to the American public, the not-quite-three-year-old boy, Kennedy is famously remembered for saluting the casket of his assassinated father. Kennedy spent most of his growing-up years and adult life in Manhattan, New York City. Cause of death: Plane crash.

Lincoln, Mary Todd
b. December 13, 1818 d. July 16, 1882
Presidential First Lady. She was born to pioneer settlers in Kentucky. When Mary Lincoln was seven, her mother died and her father remarried. She belonged to the aristocracy of Lexington with an excellent social life and a sound private education. Nearly 21, she went to Springfield, Illinois to live with her sister. Here she met Abraham Lincoln. Three years later, after a stormy courtship and a broken engagement, they were married. They were opposites in background and temperament.

Chapin, Harry
b. December 7, 1942 d. July 16, 1981
Singer, Songwriter, Activist. He originally wanted to become a filmaker, and his socially-conscious folk-rock ballads showed a decided flair for storytelling. His signature song, the six-minute "Taxi" (1972), reveals the hard-bitten observations of a cab driver, while "W. O. L. D." (1973) describes the life of a disc jockey. "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974), Chapin's only Number One hit, is about a businessman who realizes too late how he sacrificed his relationship with his son.

Died On This Date

July 15

Pershing, John Joseph 'Black Jack'
b. September 13, 1860 d. July 15, 1948General of the Armies of the United States. Born in Laclede, Missouri, he was the son of a railroad switchman. At 17, he taught in a rural school for black children to earn enough money to pay for his college education at Kirksville Normal School (now Truman State University.) In 1881, answering an advertisement for the United States Military Academy's entrance exam, he sat for the exam and won entry to West Point in 1882.

Bonney, William 'Billy The Kid'
b. November 23, 1859 d. July 15, 1881
Legendary Outlaw. He was born in New York City as Henry McCarty. His mother's name was Catherine McCarty. Not very much information is known about his father except that he died when the Kid was young. Eventually, Catherine moved with the Kid and his brother Joseph to Wichita Kansas. After his first brush with the law, Catherine was diagnosed with tuberculosis and decided to move to New Mexico, where she remarried and died in 1874.

Stratton, Charles Sherwood 'General Tom Thumb'
b. January 4, 1838 d. July 15, 1883Circus Performer. Without question the most famous midget in history. Phineas T. Barnum discovered him, named him "General Tom Thumb" and made him a success, in 1842. When Charles Stratton was born, he was a large baby, weighing a little over nine pounds. He developed normally for a while, reaching 15 pounds and two feet, one inch in length by five months of age, then his growth stopped. By age five he had not grown an inch more, but otherwise he was a completely normal child.

Died On This Date

July 14

Little Turtle, Chief 'Michikinikwa'
b. 1752 d. July 14, 1812 Miami war chief. Born to a Miami chieftain and a Mahican mother in what is present day Indiana, he was given the name Me-she-kin-o-quah. During the American Revolution, frontier fighting brought Little Turtle in conflict with the American ally Augustin Mottin de La Balme who had destroyed Miami villages at Kekionga (present day Ft. Wayne) in November of 1780. At that time, Little Turtle rose to war chief of the Miamis.

Died On This Date

July 13

Buttons (Chwatt), Red (Aaron)
b. February 5, 1919 d. July 13, 2006
Entertainer. His show business career spanned nearly 70 years. Best known as a feisty stand-up comedian with a rapid-fire delivery, he was also a fine character actor in Hollywood films. Buttons won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for "Sayonara" (1957). Born Aaron Chwatt in New York City, the son of Jewish immigrants, he got hooked on performing after winning an Amateur Night contest at age 12. Originally called "Irish" because of his red hair and puckish features.

Died On This Date

July 12

Hamilton, Alexander
b. January 11, 1755 d. July 12, 1804
Founding Father, Statesman. The thirteen states after the Revolutionary War were weak and still separate. Alexander Hamilton was the strong voice calling for a strong united government with a new Constitution and then most instrumental in the formation and convening of the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia which established the United States of America. He was born southeast of Florida on Nevis, a small island making up the group in the Caribbean known as the West Indies.

Madison, Dolley
b. May 20, 1768 d. July 12, 1849
Presidential First Lady. She was the wife of 4th United States President James Madison. Born in New Garden, North Carolina, she married John Todd, Jr., a lawyer, who in 1790 who succumbed to yellow fever, leaving her with a small son, Payne. Her second marriage was to James Madison, who was then serving as a Congressman from Virginia, and was seventeen years her senior.

Died On This Date

July 11

Gershwin, George
b. September 26, 1898 d. July 11, 1937
Composer. He is best remembered for his compositions with his equally talented lyricist older brother, Ira Gershwin. They are responsible for such hit songs as "Someone to Watch over Me" (1926), "Love Walked In" (1937), "Love is Here to Stay" (1937), "Rhapsody in Blue" (1924), and for such musicals as "Of Thee I sing" (1931 - the first musical to ever win a Pulitzer Prize), and "Porgy and Bess" (1935). Born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York, of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. Cause of death: Brain Tumor.
Johnson, Claudia Alta Taylor 'Lady Bird'
b. December 22, 1912 d. July 11, 2007
Presidential First Lady. Born Claudia Alta Taylor to T.J. and Minnie Taylor. A maid noticed that she was as cute as a "Lady Bird," and the nickname stuck. In 1918 when she was six years old, her mother died. Their aunt Effie Pattillo raised Lady Bird and her two older brothers, for the most part. In 1933, she graduated from The University of Texas, earning a BA in Liberal Arts, followed by a Bachelors in Journalism the next year. Cause of death: Natural causes.

Died On This Date

July 10

Blanc (Blank), Mel (Melvin Jerome)
b. May 30, 1908 d. July 10, 1989
Voice Actor. His career spanned radio, movies and television starting in the early 1930's and even continued after his death into 2000. A television commercial for American Express charge card was revived after his death. His birth and death years appeared on the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial, both to promote their card, and pay tribute to Mel Blanc. The rarely seen voice innovator even did sound effects. He literally performed in over a thousand shows.

Died On This Date

July 9

Taylor, Zachary
b. November 24, 1784 d. July 9, 1850
12th US President. Taylor fought in the War of 1812 and vanquished the Seminoles in Florida. He antagonized the South by advocating the integration of California (a non-slave state). He was the second President to die in office. He died 5 days after he became ill after attending a July 4th celebration at the Washington Monument.

Steiger, Rod
b. April 14, 1925 d. July 9, 2002
American film and television actor. Between 1951 and 2002 Steiger appeared in many films including "Dr. Zhivago," "A Month of Sundays," " The January Man," "American Gothic," "The Player," "The Amityville Horror," "Teresa," "The Loved One," "Convicts 4," "Carpool," "Mars Attacks," "End of Days," "Incognito," "The Hurricane," "Lightmaker,' "The Flying Dutchman," and of course "In The Heat of The Night" for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1967.

Sanford, Isabel
b. August 29, 1917 d. July 9, 2004Actress. She was best known for her role as 'Louise "Weezie" Jefferson' on the popular 1970s and 1980s television sitcom "The Jeffersons." An acclaimed actress on Broadway for over 30 years, she co-starred with Sherman Hemsley on the spin-off of the popular series "All in the Family," in which she also appeared. In 1981, she became the first African-American woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on "The Jeffersons."
Cause of death: Natural causes

Died On This Date

July 8

Allyson, June
b. October 7, 1917 d. July 8, 2006
Actress. Born Ella Geisman in the Bronx, New York to Clara and Robert Geisman. She was injured in an accident at age eight and spent four years confined within a steel brace. Swimming therapy slowly gave her mobility again, and she began to study dance as well. She entered dance contests after high school and earned roles in numerous musical films called "Broadway Brevities", the Vitaphone short subjects.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe
b. August 4, 1792 d. July 8, 1822
Poet. One of the great English poets of the romantic period. Author of "Queen Mab," "Adonais," "Ozymandias" and others. Husband of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. His heart was not originally buried with his body. It was retrieved from his funeral pyre by his friend Trelawny and kept by Shelley's wife Mary, pressed flat, in a copy of the poet's "Adonais" and was interred for the first time in her tomb in St. Peters', Bournemouth.

Died On This Date

July 7

Leigh (Hartley), Vivien Mary
b. November 5, 1913 d. July 7, 1967
Actress. After finishing her primary education she decided to pursue acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art when she was 18. For the next few years her career consisted of stage work and small film roles. In 1937 her first marriage with dissolved and she took up residence with actor Laurence Olivier. It was in that same year she starred in "Dark Journey" with Conrad Veidt and "Fire Over England" with future husband Olivier. Cause of death: Tuberculosis.

Doyle, Sir. Arthur Conan
b. May 22, 1859 d. July 7, 1930
Author. He is best remembered as the creator of the fictional detective "Sherlock Holmes", which has become one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he began practicing medicine in 1882, but was not a great success. While waiting for patients, he started writing short stories as a hobby, but his early writings earned him only pocket money. His first great success came with his first Sherlock Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet" (1887).

Lake (Ockelman), Veronica (Constance Frances Marie)
b. November 14, 1922 d. July 7, 1973
Actress. She was born Constance Frances Ockleman in Brooklyn, New York to a seaman father. He died in an explosion on an oil ship when Constance was five. Her mother remarried and the family was constantly on the move living in Canada, New York and Florida. She graduated from high school in Miami. The family moved to California and she was enrolled in the Bliss Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood. Bit parts came almost immediately with RKO Studios. Cause of death: Hepatitis.

Died On This Date

July 6

Armstrong, Louis 'Satchmo'
b. July 4, 1900 d. July 6, 1971
Jazz Musician. His achievements in the jazz circle of America are extremely remarkable in light of his humble beginnings. Louis Armstrong was born a illegitimate black baby in the slums of segregated New Orleans, became a juvenile delinquent then relegated to the Colored Waifs' Home for Boys. He was introduced to the cornet which began a lifelong commitment to Jazz music.

Rogers (Slye), Roy (Leonard Franklin)
b. November 5, 1911 d. July 6, 1998
Actor, Singer. He was born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio to a musical family. His father played guitar and his Kentucky-born mother was a singer. Leonard grew up in Duck Run, Ohio a little town near Portsmouth. He quit high school after two years forced to work in a shoe factory to help support his family. At nineteen, he moved to California and formed a band which became known as the Sons of The Pioneers.

Ebsen, Buddy (Christian Rudolph)
b. April 2, 1908 d. July 6, 2003
Actor. Motion picture and television figure whose career spanned from the 1930s until the 1990s. Best known for being the patriarch 'Jed Clampett' on the 1960s television sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," he also gained notoriety as television detective 'Barnaby Jones' in the 1970s series of the same name, and as Fess Parker's sidekick in "Davy Crockett" during the 1950s. He is famously connected to the 1939 film classic "Wizard of Oz," when, cast as the role of the Tin Woodsman. Cause of death: Pneumonia

Died On This Date

July 5

Williams, Ted
b. August 30, 1918 d. July 5, 2002
Baseball Hall OF Famer. Considered by many to be the greatest hitter of all time, Ted Williams was born on Aug. 30, 1918, in San Diego, California. Ted was shy and sensitive boy growing up. "I was awfully self-conscious as a kid -- about everything,"' he said. "The way I looked and things I didn't have that some of the other kids did." His parents separated when Ted was at a young age, and his mother worked as a Salvation Army worker.

James, Harry Haag
b. March 15, 1916 d. July 5, 1983
Musician, Band Leader. The wartime era was crowded with big bands but Harry James with his colorful trumpet playing became one of the most popular swing bands in the nation. The group reflected the circus upbringing of its leader. The men were attired in red mess jackets, white bow ties and winged collars that went with full dress outfits. Color was the order of the day. He was born Harry Haag James in Albany, Georgia, his parents were both circus performers.

Died On This Date

July 4

Jefferson, Thomas
b. April 13, 1743 d. July 4, 1826
American Founding Father. Third President of the United States. He was a philosopher, statesman, scholar, attorney, planter, architect, violinist, writer, and natural scientist who wished to be remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and as the founder of the University of Virginia. Born of a moderately well-off planter family, Jefferson was early imbued by his father Peter with a love both of nature, and of books.

Adams, John
b. October 30, 1735 d. July 4, 1826
2nd United States President, first United States Vice President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Massachusetts, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and Revolutionary War Patriot. Born the first of two sons to John and Susanna Boylston Adams, he was born in Braintree, Massachusetts (now part of Quincy, MA), where his father was a Puritan farmer, a lieutenant in the militia, a town selectman (town councilman), and a descendant of the first settlers who had arrived in New England.

Curie (Sklodowska), Marie
b. November 7, 1867 d. July 4, 1934
Scientist. She had degrees in mathematics and physics and was the first woman in Europe to receive her doctorate of science. In 1903, she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for Physics for the co-discovery (jointly awarded to Curie, her husband Pierre, and Henri Becquerel) of radioactivity. In 1906, she became the first female lecturer, professor and head of Laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris. In 1911, she won an unprecedented second Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

White, Barry
b. September 12, 1944 d. July 4, 2003
Soul/Disco Singer. Barry White was born on September, 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, and he recorded his first album at the age of 16. White is best known for his soulful, smooth, mellow singing voice, which he used to sing love songs from the 1970s up through the 2000s. White had 106 gold albums, 41 platinum singles, 20 gold platinum singles, and ten platinum singles, which sold over 100 million. Cause of death: Kidney failure.

Monroe, James
b. April 28, 1758 d. July 4, 1831
5th United States President. James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County Virginia to parents not only wealthy but rich in legacy with kinship to the Royal Family. Tutored until eleven then educated at the finest school in Virginia, Campbelton Academy with the future Chief Justice John Marshall a classmate. He attended the College of William and Mary then studied law under Thomas Jefferson. He fought in the American Revolution. Elected to the Virginia legislature, then a member of Congress.

Died On This Date

July 3

Morrison, Jim
b. December 8, 1943 d. July 3, 1971
Singer, Songwriter. Born in Melbourne, Florida, the son of a naval officer, he adopted a bohemian lifestyle in California while attending UCLA while literally homeless, sleeping in any convenient place handy, friends couches, rooftops, in cars and under the pier at Venice Beach. A voracious reader of books, he started a rock band with fellow student Ray Manzarek after he graduated. They quickly found two more members, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.

Harmon, Larry 'Bozo The Clown'
b. January 2, 1925 d. July 3, 2008
Entertainer. Larry Harmon portrayed 'Bozo the Clown' for more than fifty years. He bought the rights to Bozo, and the business that combined animation, character licensing, and personal appearances was worth millions. His television show was seen all over the country as well as some overseas markets. He trained more than 200 'Bozos' to represent him in local markets. As Bozo's influence spread, his name became a synonym for clownish behavior.

Died On This Date

July 2

Stewart, James 'Jimmy'
b. May 20, 1908 d. July 2, 1997
Actor, American Icon. James Stewart was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he had an ideal childhood with encouraging and supporting parents. When he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940 for his role in "The Philadelphia Story," he sent it to his father saying, "It belongs to us both." His dad, who owned a hardware store, kept it on a shelf for 25 years where it could be viewed by the customers. Cause of death: Pulmonic blood clot.

Grable, Betty (Ruth Elizabeth)
b. December 18, 1916 d. July 2, 1973
Actress. She was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri the youngest of three children to a truck driver father and a mother who was the ultimate in stage door moms. She began training Ruth literally from the time the child could walk and talk, teaching her to dance, play the saxophone and sing. A family vacation to California when Ruth was twelve, resulted in a longer stay with mom enrolling her in various Hollywood schools for formal training. Cause of death: Cancer.

Hemingway, Ernest Miller
b. July 21, 1899 d. July 2, 1961
Author. He was born at Oak Park, Illinois, grew up in the Chicago suburbs while spending summers at the families water front home on Bear Lake. Ernest Hemingway was one of six children the son of a strict doctor who gave him a passion for fishing and hunting and a music teacher mother who cultivated a cultural knowledge of music and literature. He spoke often of his ideal, happy childhood. Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot.

Gwynne, Fred (Frederick Hubbard)
b. July 10, 1926 d. July 2, 1993
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of Herman on the television comedy series, "The Munsters" (1964-1966) and for his role of Officer Francis Muldoon in the television comedy series, "Car 54, Where are You?" (1961-1963). He was also a noted author and illustrator of ten children's books, including "The King Who Rained" (1970), "A Chocolate Moose for Dinner" (1976), and "A Little Pigeon Toad" (1988). Born Frederick Hubbard Gwynne in New York City to Frederick Walker Gwynne, a stockbroker. Cause of death: Pancreatic cancer

Sills, Beverly
b. May 25, 1929 d. July 2, 2007
Opera Singer. Considered to be one of the best known opera singers of the 1960s and 1970s, she was renowned for her coloratura roles in operas around the world. Born Belle Miriam Silverman in Brooklyn, she became general manager of the New York City Opera in 1980 after retiring from her singing career. Subsequently, in 1994, became Chairman of Lincoln Center and in 2002, of the Metropolitan Opera. Cause of death: Lung cancer.

Puzo, Mario
b. October 15, 1920 d. July 2, 1999
Novelist and screenwriter. After serving in World War II, he began his writing career for men's magazines. He published his first novel, "The Dark Arena", in 1955. His third novel was "The Godfather" which sold more than 21 million copies worldwide. Besides his movie career, he also published several other novels including the best-seller "The Sicillian" in 1984. Just before his death he finished another novel, "Omerta". Cause of death: Heart attack.

Died On This Date

July 1

Landon (Orowitz), Michael (Eugene Maurice)
b. October 31, 1936 d. July 1, 1991
Actor, Writer, Producer, Director. Born in Forest Hills, New York, to Eli Maurice Orowitz and Peggy O'Neal Orowitz. The family moved to Collingswood, New Jersey, when he was four. Eli and Peggy did not have the best of marriages and often times they had violent arguments. He experienced a stressful and unhappy childhood. His suffering from nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting) further complicated his life. His mother believed that she could cure this problem with shame. Cause of death: Cancer of the pancreas.

Matthau, Walter
b. October 1, 1920 d. July 1, 2000
Actor. Born Walter John Matthow in New York City to Russian immigrants and grew up on the Lower East Side. Matthau contributed to the family by playing bit parts at a Yiddish theater by age 11 where he was paid fifty cents for each onstage appearances. During WWII he served with the U.S. Army Air Corps where he made Staff Sergeant. In 1948 he made his Broadway debut in "Anne of the Thousand Days." He would make his film debut as the heavy in 1955's "The Kentuckian."

Mitchum, Robert

b. August 6, 1917 d. July 1, 1997
Motion Picture and Television Actor. Born Robert Charles Durman Mitchum, he appeared in more than 125 films during his 55 year run in show business and even had a brief career as a singer. Famous for his tough-guy roles in Film Noirs and Westerns, he could be menacing or charming in his roles and was sometimes both at once. Grew up as a trouble-making, wayward boy, and in the late 1940s, served a brief prison sentence for marijuana possession. In 1943, he appeared in a staggering dozen films. Cause of death: Lung cancer.

Vandross, Luther
b. April 20, 1951 d. July 1, 2005
Singer. He became famous for his soulful, romantic ballads and his many collaborations with such stars as Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. Beginning his career singing background vocals for Richard Marx and Chaka Khan, he was discovered by David Bowie, who overheard him singing his song "Young Americans," and had him make a recording of the song. His debut solo album "Never Too Much," released in 1981, became a huge success.

Nostradamus (de Nostre Dame) (Michel)
b. December 14, 1503 d. July 1, 1566
Born Michel de Nostradame in St. Remy de Provence, France; the oldest of five brothers. The family had been Jews forced to convert to Catholicism by the Inquisition. He attended the University at Avignon and was graduated from the University of Montpellier after which he practiced as a physician. He was apparently remarkably successful in treating plague victims in the Montpellier area. About 1534 he married and had a son and a daughter.

Brando, Marlon
b. April 3, 1924 d. July 1, 2004
Actor. Motion picture and stage actor who achieved legendary status in his own lifetime. The youngest of three children of alcoholic parents, he was left alone much of the time as a child. He was kicked out of military high school for riding a motorcycle through the halls, worked as a department store elevator operator and quit after four days due to his embarrassment in having to call out the lingerie floor. Prevented from enlisting in World War II due to his 4-F status, he moved to New York. Cause of death: Pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that involves scarring of the lungs.

Wolfman Jack (Robert Weston Smith)
b. January 21, 1938 d. July 1, 1995
Disc Jockey, Actor, Entertainer. Born Robert Weston Smith in Brooklyn, New York. He was first on the airwaves as "Daddy Jules" on Newport News, Virginia station WYOU-AM. He made his mark as a disc jockey from 1958 to 1966, on radio station XERF (1570 AM) in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, just across the river from Del Rio, Texas. The Wolfman's name came from a trend of the 1950's when disc jockeys took nicknames such as Moondog or Hound dog. Cause of death: Heart failure.

Died On This Date

June 30

Atkins, Chet (Chester Burton)
b. June 20, 1924 d. June 30, 2001
Country Musician. Known as "Mr. Guitar" and considered the most-recorded solo instrumentalist in music history, he was born in the small town of Luttrell, Tennessee in 1924. His guitar style influenced such pop greats as Mark Knopler, George Harrison, Duane Eddy, George Benson and many other recording artist. As head of RCA Records in Nashville, he propelled an entire generation of country music stars to fame, such as Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, and Charley Prides. Cause of death: Cancer.

McFarland, George Robert Phillips 'Spanky'
b. October 2, 1928 d. June 30, 1993
Actor. Fondly remembered for playing 'Spanky' in the Our Gang/Little Rascals serial comedies. He was featured in many of the one-reelers from the 1930s and 40s. He appeared on the television show "Cheers" shortly before his death. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Hackett, Buddy
b. August 31, 1924 d. June 30, 2003
Comedian. Legendary rubber-faced comic, actor, and entertainer. He is fondly remembered for his half-century comedy career. Described as a comic's comic, he appeared in motion pictures such as "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963), and "The Love Bug" (1968)." Television appearances include "What's My Line?," "The Hollywood Squares," and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In," among many others. Cause of death: Natural causes.

Died On This Date

June 8
Jackson, Andrew
b. March 15, 1767 d. June 8, 1845
7th United States President. When he threw his hat in the ring and decided to run for the presidency, Andrew Jackson the "Hero of New Orleans" was the most popular man in the country and even received a "favorite son" endorsement from Tennessee delegates. Detractors had a field day after his marriage to Rachel Donelson seizing on a marriage technicality to tarnish both their images.

Paige, Satchel (Leroy Robert)
b. July 7, 1906 d. June 8, 1982
Hall of Fame Negro and Major League Baseball Player. Gaining his nickname as a railroad porter was a boy, he became a legendary right-handed pitcher while playing for the Chattanooga Black Lookouts (1926 to 1927), Birmingham Black Barons (1927 to 1930), Baltimore Black Socks (1930) Cleveland Cubs (1931), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1931 to 1937) Kansas City Monarchs (1935 to 1936, 1939 to 1948, 1950, 1955), Santo Domingo (1937), Santo Domingo All Stars (1937), Newark Eagles (1938), and Mexican League.

Cochise, Chief
b. 1823 d. June 8, 1874
Actual date of birth unknown. "Cochise," derived from the Apache word "cheis," or "oak," led his Chokonen Apaches (rising sun people), often called Chiricahuas, through their first conflicts and dealings with the United States. He was among the most powerful and respected of Apache leaders and his influence extended far beyond his own band. He was one of the few Apache leaders whose influence transcended his own band and could bring together many of the diverse family groups that made up the group.

Paine, Thomas
b. January 29, 1737 d. June 8, 1809
Author of "Common Sense." American Revolutionary War patriot, agitator and pamphleteer. He was born in Thetford, England the son of a corset maker. Adulthood found him with many trades, master of none. He met Benjamin Franklin, who convinced him to emigrate to America in 1774, where he became editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine and anonymously published his pamphlet Common Sense; in language of the common man urging immediate separation from England.

Died On This Date

June 7
Harlow, Jean
b. March 3, 1911 d. June 7, 1937
Actress. While only in the spotlight for ten short years, life was cut short by her untimely death and one can only speculate as to what might have transpired had she had a normal lifespan. Jean Harlow was married three times with a fourth on the horizon in William Powell. She appeared in forty one movies, was voted to the American Film Institute's list of the greatest actresses of the Golden Age. Cause of death: Complications of uremic poisoning.

McKay (McManus), Jim (James Kenneth)
b. September 24, 1921 d. June 7, 2008
Sports Journalist and Announcer. Fondly remembered for hosting ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and 12 Olympic Games. He won 13 Emmy's during his career. He was also the first American network sports commentator to visit mainland China.

Died On This Date

June 6
Henry, Patrick
b. May 29, 1736 d. June 6, 1799
American Patriot. He is best remembered for his stirring phrase "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death." Born in Hanover County, Virginia, he attended public school for only a short time, and was taught by his father, who had a good education. He began a career as a shopkeeper, but was a poor businessman and soon deeply in debt. He then studied law and received his attorney's license in 1760, which helped his oratory skills when he had to argue cases in court.

Kennedy, Robert Francis
b. November 20, 1925 d. June 6, 1968
US Senator, US Attorney General. He was the third son of Joseph Kennedy, Sr. and the brother of both US President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy. Known as 'Bobby,' he started his career as an attorney in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in 1951. Cause of death: Assassinated.

Bancroft (Italiano), Anne (Anna Maria)
b. September 17, 1931 d. June 6, 2005
Actress, Stage, Screen, Television. Her career spanned half a century. Anne Bancroft was a prolific award winner for her excellent acting. Nominated for an Academy Award four times, she won once then was a two time winner of both Tony and Emmy Awards. However, her role as 'Mrs. Robinson' in the "Graduate" was her defining performance resulting in great fame and recognition. She toiled to the very end furnishing the voice for "Delgo" currently in post production. Cause of death: Cancer.

Chevrolet, Louis
b. December 25, 1878 d. June 6, 1941
This monument has been established in honor of race car driver and automobile designer Louis Chevrolet. The monument features a large bust of Chevrolet and smaller plaques that feature his brother Gaston, who drove a car Louis designed to victory in the 1920 Indianapolis 500, Henry Ford, W.C. Durant, who made the Chevrolet an integral member of General Motors Corporation and Tommy Milton, who drove a car Louis designed to victory in the 1921 Indianapolis 500. Cause of death: Medical complications following a leg amputation.

Died On This Date

June 5
Reagan, Ronald Wilson
b. February 6, 1911 d. June 5, 2004
40th United States President, Actor. Considered by many historians and political scientists as the one individual who most helped end the Cold War between the Western world and the Soviet Union and its allies (although this event occurred ten months after he left office). Born in the small town of Tampico, Illinois, he graduated from Eureka College, Illinois, in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology. He landed a job as sportscaster for Radio station WOC in Davenport, Iowa. Cause of death: Pneumonia, complications of Alzheimer's Disease

Twitty, Conway
b. September 1, 1933 d. June 5, 1993
Musician. Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Friars Point, Mississippi. His father taught him guitar chords when he was just 4 years old. When he was 10 years old the family moved to Helena, Arkansas and he put together his first band, the Phillips County Ramblers that same year. By the time he was 12 he had his own Saturday morning radio show. He was also an excellent baseball player and turned down an opportunity to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies joining the Army instead. Cause of death: Surgery complications.

Torme, Mel
b. September 13, 1925 d. June 5, 1999
Jazz singer, Actor, Composer, Author. Nicknamed "The Velvet Fog," he was a performer almost from the beginning and always said his introduction and love of Jazz was acquired from his birthplace and exposure to music in the black section of Chicago. He was born Melvin Howard Torma to a musical family, his father, a Russian immigrant owned a dry goods store He began singing publicly at the age of four at a restaurant, then make his professional debut with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra.

Died On This Date

June 4
Casanova, Giacomo
b. April 2, 1725 d. June 4, 1798
Famous Lover. He was born to Venetian actors and is known more for his amorous adventures than for his experiences as a secret agent, author, businessman and musician. During his life, he served as a spy for King Louis XV, began a business selling printed silk and played the violin for the theater in Venice. However, he is best known as the “world’s most famous lover.” He went to school to be a priest but was expelled because of his profligate activities. He eventually returned to Venice.

Died On This Date

June 3
Quinn, Anthony (Antonio Rudolfo)
b. April 21, 1915 d. June 3, 2001
Actor, writer, artist, Sculptor. This naturalized American's career would span over sixty years with appearances in more than 150 films the winner of two Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Viva Zapata (1952) and Lust for Life (1957) along with two nominations as Best Actor in a leading role: Wild is the Wind (1957) and Alex Zorbas (1964). Quinn appeared in many movies which today are classics such as "Zorba the Greek" and "Lawrence of Arabia." Cause of death: Pneumonia.

Died On This Date

June 2
Gehrig, Lou (Henry Louis)
b. June 19, 1903 d. June 2, 1941
Legendary Baseball Player. Despite his numerous baseball athletic records, he is best remembered for his farewell speech of July 4, 1939 in Yankee Stadium, in which he said goodbye to his fans. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, shortly after his retirement, and he was the first baseball player to have his number (4) retired. Born Heinrich Ludwig (Henry Louis) Gehrig in New York City to poor German immigrants, he was the only one of four children to survive to adulthood. Cause of death: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Diddley (Bates), Bo (Elias)
b. December 30, 1928 d. June 2, 2008
Musician. Legendary guitarist and vocalist, he is best known for such hits as "I'm a Man", "Who Do You Love?" and "Pretty Thing". He was born Elias Bates McDaniel in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Chicago. In 1955, he signed with Checkers Records and had hits with "Mona", "Say Man", "Before You Accuse Me" and "Road Runner". Many artists including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Doors covered his songs. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Harrison (Carey), Rex (Reginald)
b. March 5, 1908 d. June 2, 1990
Actor. Born in Reginald Carey Harrison in Huyton, Lancashire (now Merseyside), England, he adopted the nickname “Rex” at an early age. He spent an apprenticeship with the Liverpool Repertory Theatre (legend has it that the first time he had a line, he forgot it), and made both his London stage and film debuts in 1930. He served as a Flight Lieutenant in the RAF during World War II.

Coca, Imogene
b. November 18, 1908 d. June 2, 2001
She was the elfin actress and satiric comedienne who co-starred with Sid Caesar on television's 1950s classic "Your Show of Shows." Her saucer eyes, fluttering lashes, big smile and boundless energy lit up the TV screen and brought her an Emmy as best actress in 1951. A talented singer and dancer, her spoofs of opera divas and prima ballerinas tiptoed a fine line between dignity and absurdity until she pushed them over the edge. Cause of death: Natural causes.

Died On This Date

May 26
Albert, Eddie
b. April 22, 1906 d. May 26, 2005
Actor. Born Edward Albert Heimberger, he is best remembered for his role of lawyer-turned-farmer ‘Oliver Wendell Douglas' on the classic television comedy series "Green Acres". His career began on radio, and appeared on the earliest test for television in 1936. He made his motion picture debut in the military academy comedy "Brother Rat" in 1938, and went on to co-star in "Brother Rat and a Baby" and "Four Wives" in 1939. Cause of death: Pneumonia.

Pollack, Sydney
b. July 1, 1934 d. May 26, 2008
Actor, producer and Academy Award winning motion picture director. He won two Oscars for his work on the 1986 film "Out of Africa." Born in Lafayette, Indiana to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, his father, David Pollack was a professional boxer who had become a pharmacist, while his mother, Rebecca Miller, was a homemaker. While very young, his parents divorced, and his mother, an alcoholic, died when he was 16. Cause of death: Cancer.

Died On This Date

May 25
Reilly, Charles Nelson
b. January 13, 1931 d. May 25, 2007
Actor, Director, Comedian, Entertainer. Fondly remembered for his numerous appearances on the 1970s game show "Match Game." Cause of death: Complications of pneumonia.

Died On This Date

May 24
Ellington, Duke (Edward Kennedy)
b. April 29, 1899 d. May 24, 1974
Jazz Legend. Jazz composer, bandleader and pianist, often referred to as America's most prolific composer of the twentieth century. His written contributions are almost innumerable: thousands of songs and dozens of works in symphonic form, as well as complete scores for ballet, theater and film. His artistic development and sustained achievement are among the most spectacular in the history of music. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in April of 1899 into a black middle-class family. Cause of death: Lung cancer and pneumonia.

Martin, Dick
b. January 30, 1922 d. May 24, 2008
Entertainer, Director. Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, he is best known as half of the team "Rowan & Martin," the long-time comedy act formed with his partner, Dan Rowan, in the 1950s. He was originally a writer for a radio sit-com "Duffy's Tavern" before teaming with Rowan. The two played nightclubs and Las Vegas which resulted in his 1962 role on "The Lucy Show". Cause of death: Respiratory complications.

Died On This Date

May 23
Kidd, Capt. William
b. 1645 d. May 23, 1701
Legendary pirate. He was born in Greenock, Scotland. He emigrated to New York. During trip to England, Kidd was offered a privateer's commission for the purpose of attacking pirates by noble lords. Kidd had to sell his ship the Antigua to raise funds. The new ship, the Adventure Galley, was equipped with 34 cannons and 150 men. However Kidd’s enterprise was not a success.
Rockefeller Sr., John D.
b. July 8, 1839 d. May 23, 1937
American financier, oil magnate and philanthropist. Best known as the patriarch of the socially prominent Rockefeller family of New York, founder of the Standard Oil Company and founder of the Rockefeller Foundation. He was born John Davison Rockefeller on July 8, 1839 in Richford, New York, the son of William Avery Rockefeller, a traveling quack doctor, and Eliza Davison Rockefeller, who was very religious and disciplined. She taught John D. to work, to save, and to give to charities.

Parker, Bonnie
b. October 1, 1910 d. May 23, 1934
Legendary Outlaw. She was the middle child and oldest daughter of Henry and Emma Parker. After the death of her father in 1914, her mother moved the family to the West Dallas area called “Cement City.” In her youth, she was known for being kind, an Honor Student and a writer of poetry (and other creative writing endeavors). In 1926, She married high-school sweetheart Roy Thornton. Despite the rocky and sometimes abusive marriage and Roy’s imprisonment in 1929, she remained married to him. Cause of death: Shot to death with Clyde Barrow by officers in an ambush near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

Barrow, Clyde
b. March 24, 1909 d. May 23, 1934
Outlaw. His first crime was auto theft in 1926. He met partner Bonnie Parker when he was on parole in 1932. During two years of kidnapping and robbery they killed 12 people. He and Bonnie were shot and killed by Texas Rangers near Gibsland, Louisiana.

Died On This Date

May 22
Washington, Martha
b. June 21, 1731 d. May 22, 1802
First of America's First Ladies. Martha Washington was born on a plantation near Williamsburg, Virginia. Typical for a girl in that day and age, her education was negligible except in domestic and social skills. She was a wealthy widow and mother of two when she married Colonel George Washington who had fought in the Indian wars and was active in Virginia politics. Martha followed George from camp to camp during the Revolutionary war weathering harsh winters and danger.

Hugo, Victor
b. February 26, 1802 d. May 22, 1885
One of the most powerful and popular authors of 19th-century France, and a champion of republicanism, exiled during the reign of Napoleon III and returned in 1870. Major works include "Notre-Dame" and "Les Miserables", and a large body of poetry. His death, and the spontaneous national mourning which followed, inspired the French government to "reinvent" the Pantheon as a homage to the great men (and, eventually, women) of France. Entered Pantheon 1885.

Died On This Date

May 21
Cartland, Barbara
b. July 9, 1901 d. May 21, 2000
Author. Aviation pioneer. British political and society figure. Dame Barbara Cartland was born into a middle class family, and showed writing talent from an early age; her first job as a gossip columnist for The Daily Express was followed by her first novel, "Jigsaw", in 1923. By the time her career ended, she had published 657 books, making her, according to the 1983 edition of "The Guinness Book of World Records", the largest selling author on earth.

Gielgud, John
b. April 14, 1904 d. May 21, 2000
Actor. Born Arthur John Gielgud in South Kensington, London to Frank Gielgud, a stockbroker, and his wife, Kate Terry-Lewis. He attended Hillside preparatory school, where he first appeared onstage in a production of Shakespeare's ‘Merchant of Venice'. At 17 he made his professional debut at the Old Vic in 1921 in a minor role in ‘Henry V.' He studied his craft at Lady Benson's Dramatic Academy and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Monroe, Vaughn
b. October 7, 1911 d. May 21, 1973
Singer, Orchestra Leader, Actor. One of the most successful radio and recording artists of the 1940s and 1950's, he had dozens of top selling records, including "There, I've Said it Again", "Let it Snow", "Dance Ballerina" and "Ghost Riders in the Sky". As a result of his popularity Camel Cigarettes signed him for the Saturday night radio show "The CBS Caravan". He received parts in several motion pictures, including "Singing Guns" and "The Toughest Man in Arizona".

Died On This Date

May 20
Columbus, Christopher
b. September 1, 1451 d. May 20, 1506
Explorer. He is credited with discovering America for Europeans in 1492, although at the time, he believed he had discovered a new route to China. He was given the titles Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Viceroy of the Indies. Born Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon as he called himself in Spain), the eldest of five children in Genoa, Italy, to Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver and local guildsman, and Susanna Fontanarossa, the daughter of a wool weaver. Although trained to follow in his father'.

Lafayette, Marquis de
b. September 6, 1757 d. May 20, 1834
Revolutionary War Continental Army Major General. After the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in North America, he offered his services to the colonists, and refused to take any pay for his services while spending much of his own money to outfit the American Colonial Army with shoes and clothing. Born Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier in France to a military father who was killed when he was two, at age twelve, his mother passed away and a few weeks later his wealthy grandfather.

Radner, Gilda
b. June 28, 1946 d. May 20, 1989
Actress, Comedienne. Gained wide fame in the mid-1970s as an original cast member on the hit TV comedy series "Saturday Night Live." Fondly remembered for creating many unique characters. She was married to actor Gene Wilder. Cause of death: Ovarian cancer.

Died On This Date

May 19
Kennedy Onassis (Bouvier), Jacqueline Lee 'Jackie'
b. July 28, 1929 d. May 19, 1994
Presidential First Lady. Wife of 35th United States President John F. Kennedy. She served as First Lady from January 20, 1961 to November 22, 1963. She was a daughter of John Vernon Bouvier, III and his wife, Janet Lee. Cause of death: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Boleyn, Anne
b. 1502 d. May 19, 1536
Queen Consort. She was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. When the Vatican refused to nullify his first marriage to Catharine of Aragon , Henry changed Christianity forever by denouncing the Vatican and creating the National Church in England with him the supreme leader. Annie Boleyn became his wife, but soon became disillusioned with her for failing to produce a male heir to the throne of England.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel
b. July 4, 1804 d. May 19, 1864
Renowned Author. He was a descendent of prominent early New England settlers. His most famous work was "The Scarlet Letter," published in 1850. His other novels were, "Fanshawe," "The House of the Seven Gables," "The Blithedale Romance," and "The Marble Faun." His short stories were, "Twice-Told Tales," "Mosses From An Old Manse," and "Tanglewood Tales".

Died On This Date

May 18
Montgomery, Elizabeth Victoria
b. April 15, 1933 d. May 18, 1995Actress. best remembered for her leading role as Samantha, the beautiful witch who cast spells by twitching her nose on the top-rated ABC Sitcom "Bewitched" (1964-1972). Montgomery was born in Hollywood, California in Aprill of 1933, the daughter of actress Elizabeth Allen Montgomery and actor-director Robert Montgomery. Cause of death: Colon cancer.

Died On This Date

May 17
Welk, Lawrence
b. March 11, 1903 d. May 17, 1992
Jazz Bandleader, Musician. He is best remembered for his television show, "The Lawrence Welk Show" which ran for 27 years, from 1955 to 1982. Born on a farm in Strasburg, North Dakota, the sixth of nine children, his parents were Alsatian Germans, and he dropped out of school in fourth grade. Since virtually everyone in his community was German, he grew up speaking German, not learning English until he was 21. As a result, his unique accent never left him. Cause of death: Pneumonia.

Randall (Rosenberg), Tony (Leonard)
b. February 26, 1920 d. May 17, 2004
Actor, Entertainer. Fondly remembered for his role of 'Felix Unger' on the hit 1970s television series, "The Odd Couple," for which he won an Emmy Award. A highly respected and accomplished stage actor, he was popular in numerous Broadway plays. He appeared in many motion pictures, including "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957), "Pillow Talk" (1959), "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" (1964), and "Our Man in Marrakesh" (1966).

Died On This Date

May 16
Henson, Jim
b. September 24, 1936 d. May 16, 1990
Entertainer. He is best known as the creator of the "Muppets". He began his career on a Washington, DC television station on a five-minute program called "Sam and Friends." The appearance of Muppets on the show "Sesame Street" (1969) catapulted Henson to nationwide popularity. His subsequent television shows ("The Muppet Show" in 1976, and "Fraggle Rock" in 1983) and films--The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)-gained international recognition. Cause of death: Pneumonia.

Davis Jr., Sammy
b. December 8, 1925 d. May 16, 1990
American Entertainment Icon. Acclaimed and beloved singer, actor, and dancer. A multi-talented performer, Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded forty albums and made countless film, television and appearances in Las Vegas in his life time. He was born in Dec. of 1925 in Harlem New York to New York vaudeville star Sammy Davis, Sr., and the Puerto Rican dancer.

Ness, Eliot
b. April 19, 1903 d. May 16, 1957
Law Officer. He was the Federal agent who brought gangster Al Capone to justice. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was educated at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1925 with a degree in business and law. He initially worked as an investigator for the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta, Georgia, working in their field office in Chicago, where he conducted credit investigations on persons applying to banks for credit loans.

Died On This Date

May 15
Dickinson, Emily
b. December 10, 1830 d. May 15, 1886
Renowned Poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, the second daughter (the third and last child) of Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross. Her father served in the General Court of Massachusetts and later in the United States House of Representatives. Raised in a strict puritanical Massachusetts in a Christian tradition, she would later challenge her parents' beliefs. She attended Amherst Academy, and later, South Hadley Female Seminary.

Cash, June Carter
b. June 23, 1929 d. May 15, 2003
Country Singer, producer, author, actress. Born in Maces Springs, Virginia, on June 23, 1929, as Valerie June Carter, she was a member of the famous singing Carter Family. The Carter Family began recording country music in 1927 and continued until Maybelle's death in 1978. The Carter Family Singers included members like 'Mother' Maybelle Carter, Anita Carter, and Alvin Pleasant 'A.P.' Carter, and of course June who would go onto a successful singing career herself.

Died On This Date

May 14
Sinatra, Frank (Francis Albert)
b. December 12, 1915 d. May 14, 1998
Singer, Actor, Entertainer. He began his career in the 1930s and achieved widespread national popularity in the early 1940s. Nicknamed "Old Blue Eyes," he attained the pinnacle of his success in the music industry in the 1950s and 1960s with albums such as "Wee Small Hours" (1955), "Come Fly with Me" (1958), and "Nice 'N' Easy" (1960). He started Reprise Records in 1962, and won an Academy Award for his role as 'Angelo Maggio' in the motion picture "From Here to Eternity" (1953).

Hayworth, Rita
b. October 17, 1918 d. May 14, 1987
Actress. Born to Spanish dancer Eduardo Cansino and Volga Hayworth, a Ziegfield Follies showgirl, Rita Hayworth began her career as a dancer in the family act during her adolescence. In the late 1930s, she signed with Columbia studios who urged her to dye her hair auburn and change her name to Rita Hayworth. Cause of death: Alzheimers Disease.

Stack, Robert
b. January 13, 1919 d. May 14, 2003
Actor. Born in Los Angeles, California to James Langford Stack and Elizabeth Modini Wood Stack. His parents divorced when he was one year old, and his mother took him to Europe when he was 3, he couldn't speak English until he was 6. Robert spoke fluent Italian and French, but had to learn English when they returned to Los Angeles. His parents remarried in 1928. He was a National skeet champion at age 16 and a member of the all-American team. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Died On This Date

May 13
Cooper, Gary (Frank James)
b. May 7, 1901 d. May 13, 1961
Actor. His career lasted over thirty six years in which he received five Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, winning twice and also received an Honorary Award from the Academy for his many memorable screen performances and the international recognition he, as an individual, had gained for the motion picture industry. He was born Frank James Cooper in Helena, Montana to English parents and spent part of his childhood around Helena - his father served as a Montana Supreme Curt Justice.

O'Hanlon, Virginia
b. July 20, 1889 d. May 13, 1971
American Folk Figure. She penned the most famous Christmas letter of the last two centuries. As an eight-year-old girl, Virginia O'Hanlon asked her father Philip whether there was a Santa Claus. His best advice was to write to the "New York Sun" and, if she saw it in print there, she could believe it. The letter, written September 21, 1897 to the general editor of the "Sun" Francis Pharcellus Church.

Blocker, Dan
b. December 10, 1928 d. May 13, 1972
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of ‘Hoss Cartwright' in the TV series, "Bonanza," which ran from 1959 to 1972. Born in Bowie County, Texas, he entered the movie and television field in 1955 with his first role in the film, "Hook a Crook" (1955). He began taking small cameo roles on television, in such programs (mostly westerns) as "Gunsmoke," "Playhouse 90," "Cheyenne," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "The Restless Gun," "Maverick," "The Rifleman," and "Zane Grey Theater."

Peterson, Oscar Verner
b. August 27, 1899 d. May 13, 1942World War II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Born in Prentis, Wisconsin and enlisted in the Navy December 8, 1920. He served continuously at sea and on April 8, 1941, reported for duty on the U.S.S. NEOSHO (AO-23) as Chief Water Tender. His citation reads, "At the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942, his ship was under heavy attacks from Japanese dive bombers. Furious fires broke out and the struggle to save the ship began. He was in charge of a repair party below.

Wills, James Robert 'Bob'
b. March 6, 1905 d. May 13, 1975'King of Western Swing'. Founder of Bob Will's western swing band. The inscription on his headstone reads "Deep Within My Heart Lies a Melody."

Clem, John Lincoln
b. August 31, 1851 d. May 13, 1937
Civil War Figure, United States Army General. On May 24, 1861, at just 9-years of age, he left his home in Newark, Ohio, to join the fighting that had recently erupted in what would become the Civil War. His mother had been killed in a train accident, and he was now free to do his part to protect the Union. The first thing he did was to change his name. He was born John Joseph Klem, but changed his middle name to Lincoln because of his admiration for President Abraham Lincoln.

Winder, David F.
b. August 10, 1946 d. May 13, 1970
Vietnam Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Served as a Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade. In Vietnam on May 13, 1970 Pfc. Winder a senior medical aid man with Company A, was in a sweep of a freshly cut rice paddy when his unit came under assault from an entrenched force. Hearing cries from the wounded, the unarmed Winder started to crawl toward the nearest casualty across a long swath of bullet-swept terrain.

Ahern, George Patrick
b. December 29, 1859 d. May 13, 1940
United States Army Officer, Conservationist. He served in Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. After the war, he remained in the Philippines to organize the Office of Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks and later the Bureau of Forestry for the Philippine Government. Earlier in 1890, he explored some of the last areas unmapped in Montana, mapping what would become Glacier National Park.

Phillips, William
b. 1731 d. May 13, 1781
Major General William Phillips. Artillery hero in the Seven Years War; Deputy commander to General John Burgoyne at Battle of Saratoga; Prisoner of War at Albemarle Barracks, Virginia; Commander of the British Campaign in Virginia March-May 1781 and Army at the Battle of Petersburg on 25 April 1781. Cause of death: "Malignant Fever".

Sarazen, Gene
b. February 27, 1902 d. May 13, 1999
Professional Golfer. Gene Sarazen was the first professional golfer to win all four major championships. He was also known for his legendary "shot heard 'round the world" with his rare double-eagle in the 1935 Masters. Born Eugenio Saraceni, he was known as "The Squire" for his golf knickers and cap. Sarazen is also known as the inventor of the sand wedge.

Jenks, Frank
b. November 4, 1902 d. May 13, 1962
Character Actor and Musician. He made more than 130 movies, including the classic comedy "His Girl Friday" (1940) as a newspaper reporter and as a singing cabdriver in "100 Men and a Girl" with Deanna Durbin. He appeared playing his trombone in "The Big Broadcast of 1937." He also worked in "Letter of Introduction" (1938), "Golden Boy" (1939), "Follow the Boys" (1944), "Two Girls and a Sailor" (1944) and "Christmas in Connecticut" (1945).

Case, Theodore W.
b. December 12, 1888 d. May 13, 1944
Inventor. An important figure in the development of sound motion pictures. Case was born in Auburn, New York, into a socially prominent family. He began to experiment with photographing sound waves while a student at Yale, and in 1916 he set up the Case Research Laboratory in a greenhouse at his Auburn estate. During World War I he worked on classified projects involving infrared signals for the US Navy.

Burks, Robert
b. July 4, 1909 d. May 13, 1968
Cinematographer. He was the favorite cameraman of director Alfred Hitchcock. From 1951 to 1964 Burks shot 12 films for the "Master of Suspense", a remarkable collaboration that resulted in some of the most memorable images in Hollywood history. He won an Academy Award for the dazzling color photography of "To Catch a Thief" (1955) and received Oscar nominations for "Strangers on a Train" (1951), "Rear Window" (1954), and the Guy Green-directed "A Patch of Blue" (1965).

Williams, John J.
b. 1843 d. May 13, 1865
Civil War Union Army Soldier. A Private in the Union Army, he was killed at the Battle of Palmetto Ranch, Texas, on May 13 1865. He was the last man killed in the US Civil War.

Smalley, Henry Adam
b. February 28, 1834 d. May 13, 1888
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Graduated from the USMA in 1854. Served in the Civil War first as Colonel and commander of the 5th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, having been granted a leave of absence from the Regular Army. He commanded the unit until September 1862, when his leave was revoked, and he returned to the Regular service as a Captain in the 2nd United States Regular Artillery.

Semple, Robert
b. August 18, 1887 d. May 13, 1943
Mexican Vera Cruz Campaign Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a 28 year old Navy chief gunner when he earned his Medal. His citation reads "For meritorious service under fire on the occasion of the landing of American navel forces at Vera Cruz (Mexico) on 21 April 1914. C.G. Semple was then attached to the U.S.S. Florida as a chief turret captain." Retired as a Navy Lieutenant Commander, his other Navy awards include the Navy Cross.

Died On This Date

May 12
Como, Perry
b. May 18, 1912 d. May 12, 2001
Singer, Actor. Helped pioneer variety shows on the new medium of television in the 1950s. He worked as a barber before he left that profession in the 1930s to sing with big bands. He had 14 singles that made it to No. 1 and sold more than 100 million albums. He had more than 20 gold records in his career and was probably best known for the tune "And I Love You So." In 1958 he won a Grammy Award as best male singer for the hit "Catch a Falling Star." Cause of death: Died in his sleep from complications of alzheimers.

Stuart, James Ewell Brown 'J.E.B.'
b. February 6, 1833 d. May 12, 1864
Civil War Confederate Major General. After graduating from West Point in 1854, he became a first lieutenant in the United States Army 1st Cavalry, and an Indian fighter in the west. In 1859, he was sent with orders for Robert E Lee to go to Harpers Ferry to stop the raid of John Brown. After Brown's raiders were surrounded in the town, Stuart volunteered to issue the ultimatum to Brown before the final assault.

Reed, Robert
b. October 19, 1932 d. May 12, 1992
Motion picture and television actor. Fondly remembered in the role of 'Mike Brady,' the father on the popular TV series "The Brady Bunch." Cause of death: Cancer related to AIDS

Paine, Robert Treat
b. March 11, 1731 d. May 12, 1814
Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Massachusetts. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Paine graduated from Harvard University in 1749 at the age of 18, and taught school in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Discovering he lacked the patience to teach, after one year, he began to sail about the Atlantic, going to Spain, the Azores, and Greenland. Returning home in 1754, he began to study law, and became a lawyer in 1757 in Taunton, Massachusetts.

Scott, John Wallace
b. August 31, 1832 d. May 12, 1903
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a Brevet Major in the Union Army. He was awarded the Medal of Honor as a Captain in Company D, 157th Pennsylvania Infantry for action on April 1, 1865 at Five Forks, Virginia. His citation reads "Capture of the flag of the 16th South Carolina Infantry, in hand-to-hand combat."

Westerhold, William
b. January 21, 1836 d. May 12, 1910
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was born in Binde, Prussia and he died in New York, New York. He entered the Union Army in New York, New York and served as a Sergeant in Company G, 52d New York Infantry. He attained the rank of First Lieutenant. He was awarded the CMOH for action on May 12, 1864 at Spotsylvania, Virginia. His citation reads "Capture of flag of 23d Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.) and its bearer."

Lubin, Arthur
b. July 25, 1898 d. May 12, 1995
Motion Picture Director. He began his career as actor in silent movies. From 1930, he worked for Universal Pictures. He is best remembered for films such as "Big Town Czar" (1939), "Black Friday" (1940), "Hold That Ghost" (1941), "Phantom of the Opera" (1943), "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" (1944), "The Spider Woman Strikes Back" (1946), "Francis Goes to the Races" (1951) and "Lady Godiva" (1955).

Bettenhausen Sr., Melvin Eugene 'Tony'
b. September 12, 1916 d. May 12, 1961
Auto Race Car Driver. He was the 1951 and 1958 National Racing Champion. He was killed test driving a racecar at the Indianapolis Speedway.

Murphy, Jeremiah J.
b. February 2, 1858 d. May 12, 1932
Indian Wars Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served during the Wars with the Plains Indians as a Private in Company M, 3rd United States Cavalry. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action at Powder River, Montana on March 17, 1876. His citation reads "Being the only member of his picket not disabled, he attempted to save a wounded comrade".

Berkman, Ted
b. January 9, 1914 d. May 12, 2006
Screenwriter, Author. Berkman wrote the story for the film "Bedtime for Bonzo", (1951) starring Ronald Reagan. Born Edward Oscar Berkman in Brookyln, NY. he was author of the book "Cast a Giant Shadow", which was made into a film starring Kirk Douglas. Berkman's other screenplays included "Fear Strikes Out", (1957) about real-life ballplayer Jimmy Piersall, starring Anthony Perkins and "Edge of Fury", (1958).

McKinney, William H.
d. May 12, 1864
Civil War Union Soldier. He was mustered into the Union Army on March 16, 1864, as a private, in Company F, 17th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. He was buried in Arlington on May 13, 1864, and was the first United States soldier to have family present at their funeral services. He also was the second soldier to be buried in Arlington. His stone lists his name as "W.H. McKinney".

Died On This Date

May 11
Marley, Bob (Nesta Robert)
b. February 6, 1945 d. May 11, 1981
Reggae Musician. He is best remembered for bringing mainstream cultural acceptance of reggae music outside of Jamaica. His music was especially popular in Africa due much to its smooth combination of Jamaican and African musical sources. Born in Saint Ann, Jamaica, as Robert Nesta Marley, his father was a British Army Officer, Norval St. Clair Marley, and his mother was a Jamaican grocer, Cedella Malcolm (Booker). He was raised in the belief of Rastafari, a religion strongest in Jamaica. Cause of death: Cancer.

Terry, Seymour W
b. December 11, 1918 d. May 11, 1945
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during World War II in the United States Army as Captain and commander of Company B, 382nd Infantry, 96th Infantry Division. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery at Zebra Hill on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands on May 11, 1945. His citation reads "1st Lt. Terry was leading an attack against heavily defended Zebra Hill when devastating fire from 5 pillboxes halted the advance.

Patterson, Floyd
b. January 4, 1935 d. May 11, 2006
Professional Boxer. Heavyweight champion from 1956-1959 & 1960-1962. He won the middleweight gold medal during the 1952 Summer Olympics. Trained and managed by Cus D'Amato from a teenaged amateur boxer to the youngest world heavyweight boxing champion and first in boxing history to successfully regain the heavyweight title. He became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion after knocking out Archie Moore in the fifth round on November 30 1956.

Adams, Henry A.
b. March 18, 1800 d. May 11, 1869
United States Naval Officer. Entering as a Midshipman on March 14, 1814, he would go on to serve 48 years in the United States Navy. He was promoted to Lieutenant on January 13, 1825, Commander on September 8, 1841, and Captain on September 14, 1855. He commanded the "USS Mississippi" in the East India Squadron, and it was at this post he had his greatest moment during his service, as he was second in command.

Stover, Russell
b. 1888 d. May 11, 1954
It was in Omaha that a fellow approached Stover with a chocolate-covered ice cream bar idea. Stover produced and sold it for a year. After the first mad surge for the novelty, sales dropped off and the Stovers bailed out with $25,000. This novelty was the Eskimo Pie. The Stover's moved to Denver where they began "Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candies." In 1931 they moved their business to Kansas City. Many Kansas Citizens will remember the company headquarters at 1206 Main street in downtown Kansas.

Flatt, Lester
b. June 19, 1914 d. May 11, 1979
Bluegrass Musician. A native of the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennesse, he ranks as one of the all-time preeminent lead singers of Bluegrass music. Born in Sparta,Tennessee, he left school in 1931 at an early age to work in the local textile mills. While working in the mill, he got a part time job at radio station WDBJ to perform with "The Charlie Scott Harmonizers". Later he would team up with Clyde Moody and perform a few shows in and around Burlington,North Carolina.

Rambo (Luttrell), Dottie (Joyce Reba)
b. March 2, 1934 d. May 11, 2008
Gospel Singer, Songwriter. Born Joyce Reba Luttrell. She was a prolific composer in the Christian music industry and credited with up to 2500 songs that she wrote and co-wrote. Many of her songs have been recorded by various artists. She was awarded the Grammy in 1969 for her album, "It's The Soul of Me". She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and received many honors over her career, including Songwriter of the Century, the GMA Dove Award, ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award.

Miller, Frederick Edward John
b. November 24, 1824 d. May 11, 1888
Brewery founder. Founder of the Miller Brewing Company. He came to Milwaukee in 1855, and opened the Plank Road Brewery. Cause of death: Cancer.

Rice, James Clay
b. December 27, 1828 d. May 11, 1864
Civil War Union Brigadier General. Graduating from Yale in 1853, he taught at Natchez, Mississippi before traveling to New York City, where he took a position in the law office of Theodore Sedgwick, and was admitted to the bar in 1856. Upon the start of the Civil War, he was commissioned 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant with the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry (the "Garibaldi Guard") and was engaged in action at the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run). He was promoted to Captain in August 1861.

Pollard, Frederick Douglass
b. January 27, 1894 d. May 11, 1986
"Fritz" Pollard was the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl with Brown University in 1915 and was named the first African-American head coach in NFL history with the 1921 Akron Pros. He began his NFL career as a halfback with Akron in 1919 as one of two African-Americans in the league. He led the Pros to the first NFL championship in 1920. He also played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros and Providence Steam Roller in the NFL between 1919-26.

Barker, Lex
b. May 8, 1919 d. May 11, 1973
Actor. Born Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. Died of a heart attack at the age of 54. Ex-husband of actress Lana Turner and actress Arlene Dahl. Married to actress Irene Labhardt until her death in 1962. Appeared in "Doll Face" (1945), "Tarzan's Magic Fountain" (1949), "Tarzan and the She Devil" (1953), and "Jungle Heat" (1957).

Howells, William Dean
b. March 1, 1837 d. May 11, 1920
Writer.

Smith, Maynard 'Snuffy'
b. May 19, 1911 d. May 11, 1984
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II as a Sergeant in the 423rd Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bomber Group. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery over Europe on May 1, 1943. Eighth Air Force bombers and fighters began arriving in England during the spring of 1942. The first heavy bomber mission against targets in Occupied Europe was flown on August 17, 1942.

Rockefeller Jr., John D.
b. January 29, 1874 d. May 11, 1960
Philanthropist, Social Reformer. The only son of John D. Rockefeller, he was born in Cleveland, Ohio, into one of the wealthiest American families of his time. His father had founded and was President of Standard Oil Company. His parents' strict discipline and frugal lifestyle were impressed upon him from the first day. His father's attitude could be explained with the question: "Is it right, is it duty?" From this, he admitted, he took responsibility early, and was serious.

Puller, Lewis B.
b. August 18, 1945 d. May 11, 1994
Author, and First Lieutenant, USMC (retired). He won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography, "Fortunate Son." His military awards include the Silver Star, the Purple Heart (2 awards), and the Navy Commendation Medal. Cause of death: suicide (by gunshot). One of the last victims of the Vietnam War. His father was the legendary Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in US History.

Lincoln, Evelyn Norton
b. June 25, 1909 d. May 11, 1995
She was the personal secretary to President John F. Kennedy. She was known for visiting Kennedy's grave at Arlington Cemetery every year on the anniversary of his death. In 1988 on the 25th anniversary, she went alone to the grave and laid three red roses near the eternal flame. Mrs. Lincoln also was the author of two best selling books, "My 12 Years with John F. Kennedy" and "Kennedy and Johnson."

Gould, Chester
b. November 20, 1900 d. May 11, 1985
Cartoonist. He is best known for creating the "Dick Tracy" cartoon strip. Born in Pawnee, Oklahoma, he spent 10 years working on various comic strips at the Chicago “Tribune”-New York “News” Syndicate under editor Joseph Medill Patterson before creating "Dick Tracy" in 1931. (Patterson shortened the first name from his original "Plainclothes Tracy" to the then nickname for detective, and the result was comic strip immortality.)

Terry, Dewey
b. 1938 d. May 11, 2003
R&B/Rock Musician. He was one-half of the musical group duo, 'Don & Dewey.' Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Dewey Terry and Don Harris, were high school friends. They first joined the musical group, 'The Squires' and recorded for the Vita Record Label before leaving and forming 'Don & Terry' and recording for the Specialty Record Label. The band was formed in Pasadena, California, in 1957, and had Dewey on keyboards/vocals and Don playing guitar and sometimes violin.

Blassie, Michael Joseph
b. April 4, 1948 d. May 11, 1972
United States Army Vietnam Veteran. A 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he served in the Viet Nam War as a 1st Lieutenant the 8th Special Operations Squadron. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War.