Died On This Date - Feb. 22

Ballard, Florence Glenda
b. June 30, 1943 d. February 22, 1976
R&B singer and founding member of one of America's successful female vocal groups of all time, the Supremes. Florence Glenda Ballard was the eighth of thirteen children born in Rosetta, Mississippi. She grew up in the housing projects of Detroit, Michigan. In her teens, Ballard formed the vocal group the Primettes with school friends Mary Wilson and Betty Travis (who later left the group). Diana Ross completed the line-up in 1960. The following year, in Jan. of 1961, the Primettes were signed.

Holtzapple, George Emanuel
b. May 22, 1862 d. February 22, 1946
Medical Pioneer. He discovered new and improved treatments for pneumonia, which saved many lives.

Jones, Chuck
b. September 21, 1912 d. February 22, 2002
Influential Animator. Born Charles Martin Jones in Spokane, Washington, his family moved to California while he was still an infant. As a boy, he found occasional work as a child extra in Mack Sennett comedies. At fifteen, he enrolled in the Chouinard Art Institute before he got his first job in animation as a cel washer for Ubbe Iwerks in 1932. Four years later, he was promoted to an animator working for Leon Schlesinger Studio, where his animation unit, nicknamed Termite Terrace.

Warhol, Andy
b. August 6, 1928 d. February 22, 1987
Artist, Author. He gave birth to the Pop Art movement, and his paintings of the Campbell's soup cans brought him to the attention of the art world. Born, raised and schooled in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Carpathian immigrant parents from Slovakia. He received his drawing skills and training from Carnegie Institute of Technology, then moved to New York City, gaining success as a commercial artist. He set up a building where he manufactured his art and filmed movies.

Peale, Charles Willson
b. April 16, 1741 d. February 22, 1827
Artist. Born in Queen Anne County, Maryland, to Charles Peale who had been, deported to Colonies in lieu of death sentence for forgery and Margaret Triggs. At thirteen, Peale became apprenticed to a saddle maker. He became his own master at twenty and opened his own saddle shop. He taught himself several other trades including watch making, silversmithing, upholstery, and sign painting. About 1764 he began to study art with Gustavus Hesselius, a portraitist living near Annapolis.

Shay, Larry
b. August 10, 1897 d. February 22, 1988
Lyricist and Composer. He wrote the song standard "When You're Smiling, The Whole World Smiles With You."

Smith, Wilson
b. September 6, 1841 d. February 22, 1901Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Sergeant in the Union Army in Battery H, 3d New York Light Artillery. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on September 6, 1862 at Washington, North Carolina. His citation reads "Took command of a gun (the lieutenant in charge having disappeared) and fired the same so rapidly and effectively that the enemy was repulsed, although for a time a hand-to-hand conflict was had over the gun."

Vetter, David 'The Bubble Boy'
b. September 21, 1971 d. February 22, 1984
Folk Personality. Known as "The Bubble Boy," Vetter suffered from an immune disease, called Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID). The disease required him to live his life in a sterile environment that coined the name, "The Bubble Boy." His death at age 12 was attributed to a treatment he was undergoing for his condition. Several movies and books have been written about David's life including, "The True Story Of David The Bubble Boy" (1995), by Mary Ida Murphy.

Von Trapp, Rupert
b. November 1, 1911 d. February 22, 1992
Entertainer. He was a member of the Von Trapp family of singers who escaped Nazi-occupied Austria and emigrated to America, where they toured the country. Their story was told in the Broadway musical and Academy Award-winning film "The Sound Of Music".

Astor III., John Jacob
b. June 10, 1822 d. February 22, 1890
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, Financier. Grandson of patriarch John Jacob Astor I and son of William Backhouse Astor. He devoted his life to philanthropy and civic affairs. He and his wife Charlotte provided funding for a host of charities, including the Children's Aid Society, the Astor Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Cancer Hospital. During the Civil War, he served as an volunteer Aide-de-Camp to General George B. McClellan, and recieved the brevet.

Maltese, Michael
b. February 6, 1908 d. February 22, 1981Renowned cartoon writer for Warner Brothers Looney Toons Classic Animation and Hanna-Barbera Animation. He worked for famed cartoon directors Isadore "Friz" Freleng and Tex Avery, but he did his most memorable work with legendary animator Chuck Jones.

Burger, Anthony John
b. June 5, 1961 d. February 22, 2006
Noted Southern Gospel pianist. Played for The Celestials, The Kingsmen Quartet and most recently traveled with The Gaither Homecoming Tour. He also did a stint with a group comprised of Ivan Parker, Kirk Talley and himself called simply "The Trio" in which he not only accompanied but also contributed vocally. Winner of 9 Singing News Fan Awards for Instrumentalist of the Year which was later named The Anthony Burger Award in 1989, one Dove Award along with several nominations, 2 People's.