Died On This Date - Feb. 17

Geronimo
b. 1829 d. February 17, 1909
American Indian Leader. Apache Shaman; Geronimo was the spiritual leader of a small group of Chiricahua Apaches, led by Naiche. He was born a Bedonkohe, raised after his father's death by the Chihenne (Warm Springs) people led by the great Mangas Coloradas, and later mostly aligned himself with the Chokonen (Cochise's People) and Nednai (a group led by Juh, of Northern Mexico). He outfought and evaded the US Army for many years. His boyhood name was Goyakle, which meant "he who yawns."

Newman, Alfred
b. March 17, 1901 d. February 17, 1970
Composer. One of Hollywood's most prolific and versatile film scorers, he had a seemingly inexhaustible gift for melody and did brilliant work in every conceivable genre. He was also an outstanding conductor. Newman received more Oscar nominations (45) than any other musician to date, and took home the award nine times, for "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938), "Tin Pan Alley" (1940), "The Song of Bernadette" (1943), "Mother Wore Tights" (1947), "With a Song in My Heart" (1952).

Lumpkin, Smn. C.
d. February 17, 1864
Civil War Figure. Crewman of the HL Hunley submarine. Only his last name is actually known. Some have speculated that this crewmember may have been named Simpkins, but forensic genealogists say his name was most likely Lumpkin (Lumkin). A recently discovered Confederate States Navy Pay Roster from October 1863 lists C. Lumpkins. Also, there is a handwritten note by William Alexander, one of the Hunley’s builders, that states a Lumpkin worked onboard the submarine.

Brown, Oliver
b. July 25, 1753 d. February 17, 1846
Revolutionary War Continental Army Officer. He was at the Boston Tea Party, and served as a Captain of artillery in the Continental Army. On April 8, 1775 he stood in front of the first cannon fired by the British on the Americans at Lexington. He then commanded the party which destroyed the statue of King George III in New York City, July 9, 1776, and fought in the engagements at Bunker Hill, Harlem Heights, White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Monmouth.

Rutgers, Henry
b. October 7, 1745 d. February 17, 1830
Patriot, Revolutionary War colonel, New York State legislator, civic leader, and philanthropist, Henry Rutgers' only memorial is the State University of New Jersey which bears his name. Although long believed to have been interred in Belleville, New Jersey, a recent investigation by Rutgers University revealed that he had been buried in and exhumed from two Dutch Reformed Lower Manhattan cemeteries, both defunct since the mid-1800s, before finally coming to rest in a mass grave in Brooklyn.

Vosler, Forrest L.
b. July 29, 1923 d. February 17, 1992
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps as a Technical Sergeant in the 358th Bomber Squadron, 303nd Bomber Group. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery on December 20, 1943. His citation reads “For conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio operator-air gunner on a heavy bombardment aircraft in a mission over Bremen, Germany, on 20 December 1943.

Halford, William
b. August 18, 1841 d. February 17, 1919
US Navy Peacetime Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served with the United States Navy aboard the "USS Saginaw," a pre-Civil War side-wheel steamer. In 1870 the Saginaw was assigned to do a survey and deepen the entrance to the lagoon at Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean. While heading back to San Francisco Bay, the Saginaw detoured long enough to see if anyone may have been shipwrecked at Ocean Island.

Barretto, Ray
b. April 29, 1929 d. February 17, 2006
Jazz Musician. He was born in Brooklyn (New York), the son of Puerto Rican immigrants, and died in Hackensack (New Jersey). He was one of the most prolific and influential Latin percussionists in the history of modern jazz and a pioneer of the salsa movement. He released nearly two dozen albums with the Fania label from the late-'60s until salsa's popularity peaked in the mid-1980's.

Wright, Edward
b. 1829 d. February 17, 1901
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Quartermaster in the Union Navy. His citation reads "On board the USS Cayuga during the capture of Forts St. Philip and Jackson and the taking of New Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862. As his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously, striking the vessel from stem to stern, Wright conscientiously performed his duties throughout the action in which the attempts of three rebel steamers .

Hesseltine, Francis Snow
b. December 10, 1833 d. February 17, 1916
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Union Army in the 13th Maine Infantry. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on Decemeber 30, 1863. His citation reads "In command of a detachment of 100 men, conducted a reconnaissance for two days, baffling and beating back an attacking force of more than 1000 Confederate cavalry, and regained his transport without loss."

MacDonald, Kimberly
b. April 18, 1964 d. February 17, 1970
Daughter and victim of Jeffrey MacDonald. He killed his pregnant wife and his two daughters in a murder spree that he tried to blame on "crazed hippies." The crime became the subject of the book "Fatal Vision" and a TV movie of the same name. The names on the MacDonald victims' graves have since been changed to 'Stevenson.'

Valdez, Jose F
b. January 3, 1925 d. February 17, 1945
US Army private, awarded the Medal of Honor, for actions against the enemy near Rosenkrantz, France, 25 Jan 1945. He covered the withdrawal of his patrol against two full companies of infantrymen. He was seriously wounded, but continued to fight, calling in artillery with 50 yds of his position. He fought 200 enemy until counterattack stopped. Died of wounds.

Graves, Terrence Collinson
b. July 6, 1945 d. February 17, 1968
Viet Nam Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander with the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company. While on a long-range reconnaissance mission, 2nd Lt. Graves' 8-man patrol observed 7 enemy soldiers approaching their position. Reacting instantly, he deployed his men and directed their fire on the approaching enemy.

Machrowicz, Thaddeus Michael
b. August 21, 1899 d. February 17, 1970
US Congressman. Elected to represent Michigan's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1951 to 1961. Also served as a Municipal Judge from 1942 to 1950, Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Michigan in 1952 and 1956, and Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1961 until his death in 1970.

Miller, Smn. Augustus
d. February 17, 1864
Civil War Figure, Crewman of the HL Hunley submarine. Seaman Miller may be the most elusive member of the HL Hunley. Only a few sketchy details are known. Miller stood 5'8" tall, above average for a man of the 19th century, yet he was one the smaller members of the crew. He was from Europe and had been in America for a relatively short period of time before he volunteered as a crewman for the Hunley.

Sholes, Christopher Latham
b. February 14, 1819 d. February 17, 1890
Sholes is credited as the U.S. inventor who developed the typewriter. The inscription on his tomb stone reads: "The Father of the Typewriter. Dedicated by The Young Men and Women of America In Grateful Memory of one who Materially aided in The World's Progress." He was granted a patent for the typewriter on June 23, 1868. Later improvements gained him two more patents, but due to difficulty in raising money for development, he sold his patent rights.