Died On This Date - Feb. 8

Peter I the Great
b. June 9, 1672 d. February 8, 1725
Russian Monarch. The Tsar of Russia, he is best remembered for having instituted many needed reforms, for modernizing Russia, and for bringing it into Europe as a modern power. He was considered a far-sighted and skillful diplomat, as well as a talented military leader. Born Peter Alexeevich Romanov to Tsar Alexis and his second wife, Natalia Naryshkina, in Moscow, during one of the more turbulent times for Russia. When his father died in 1682, he was declared Tsar.

Stuart, Mary 'Queen of Scots'
b. December 8, 1542 d. February 8, 1587
Scottish Monarch. French Monarch. Born the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland. James died within a week of Mary's birth and she was crowned queen of Scots. In 1548, Mary sailed to France after the Scots Parliament agreed to her marriage with Francis, heir to Henry II. In 1558, she married the Dauphin in Notre Dame Cathedral. Later that year, Mary I of England died and Henry II encouraged his daughter-in-law to assume the royal arms of England.

Smith (Hogan), Anna Nicole (Vickie Lynn)
b. November 28, 1967 d. February 8, 2007
Model, Actress. Born Vickie Lynn Hogan, she first gained popularity as Playboy magazine's 1993 Playmate of the Year. Her highly publicized marriage to oil business executive and billionaire J. Howard Marshall, who was 63 years her senior, resulted in tumultuous speculation that she married the octogenarian merely for his money, which she denied. Following his death, she began a lengthy and ongoing legal battle over a share of his estate.

Mack, Connie (Cornelius McGillicuddy)
b. December 23, 1862 d. February 8, 1956
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Manager. Real name was Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy. Played as a catcher from 1886 to 1896 with the Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates of the National League and the Buffalo Bisons of the Players League. Managed the Pirates from 1894 to 1896 as their player-manager. Took over the manger's position for the newly instituted Philadelphia Athletics of the American League in 1901 and managed them for the next 50 years (1901 to 1950).

Denning, Lorenzo
b. September 6, 1843 d. February 8, 1865
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. His true name was Lorenzo Deming. He was a Prisoner of War. He has a "In memory of" marker in Fairview Cemetery. He died in Salisbury Prison North Carolina which is now part of Salisbury National Cemetery. He is one of 11,700 unknowns buried in a long trench. He served as a Landsman in the Union Navy. His citation reads "Denning served on board the US Picket Boat No. 1 in action , 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albemarle which had.

Denby, Edwin
b. February 18, 1870 d. February 8, 1929
US Congressman. Served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. Elected to represent Michigan's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1905 to 1911. He was defeated in 1910. Also served as Member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1903 to 1904, and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1921 to 1924.

Roberts, Otis O.
b. March 20, 1842 d. February 8, 1930
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Sergeant in the Union Army in Company H, 6th Maine Infantry. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on November 7, 1863 at Rappahannock Station, Virginia. His citation reads "Capture of flag of 8th Louisiana (C.S.A.) in a hand-to-hand struggle with the color bearer."

Wheeler, Raymond A.
b. July 31, 1885 d. February 8, 1974
United States Army General. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1911 and served with the Vera Cruz Expedition in 1914. He earned the Silver Star medal for his actions in the Aisne-Marne campaign during World War I. During Word War II, he was the Commanding General of the Services of Supply in the China-Burma-India Theater from 1942 until 1943. He was Deputy Supreme Commander of the Southeast Asia Command under Lord Mountbatten of the British Navy from 1943 until 1945.

Donovan, William 'Wild Bill'
b. January 1, 1883 d. February 8, 1959
World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Lawyer, US Diplomat. Known by the sobriquet "Wild Bill". Most noted for founding and directing the US Office of Strategic Services during World War II. The OSS was the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency. He is the only holder of the top four highest awards of the United States: The Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security Medal.

Walton, George Washington
b. March 27, 1844 d. February 8, 1920
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a Sergeant in the Union Army. He was awarded the Medal of Honor as a Private in Company C, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry for action on August 29, 1864 at Fort Hell, Petersburg, Virginia. His citation reads "Went outside the trenches, under heavy fire at short-range, and rescued a comrade who had been wounded and thrown out of the trench by an exploding shell."

Smith, Jimmy
b. December 8, 1928 d. February 8, 2005Jazz Musician. Known as the "Emperor of the Hammond B-3 Organ," he is credited with creating the distinctive sound of "soul jazz." He played piano in local R&B groups in the late 1940s and early '50s buying his first Hammond B-3 in 1954. He formed his first trio in September 1955, playing in the Philadelphia area. His debut in New York at the Club Bohemia in 1956, lead to performances at Birdland in New York City and to the Newport Jazz Festival.

Schwartz, Julius
b. June 19, 1915 d. February 8, 2004
Editor. He was a pioneering force in the "Silver Age" revival of the comic book industry in the 1950s when he introduced new versions of "The Flash," "Green Lantern" and many other characters for DC Comics. He was also the editor of “Batman” and “Superman” comic books where he introduced the "new look" to Batman in 1964 and toned down the Man of Steel's other worldliness and added new realism to his adventures in the 1970s.

Whitney, Phyllis A.
b. September 9, 1903 d. February 8, 2008
Author. For more than a half-century, she was a best-selling author of romantic mysteries, young adult novels and children's mysteries. Her first book, "A Place for Ann" was published in 1941 and she continued to publish books until she was 94. Her novels included "Woman Without a Past", "The Glass Flame", "A Window for Julie," "Nobody Likes Trina", "Mystery of the Scowling Boy" and "Secret of the Missing Footprint".

Wilkes, Charles
b. April 3, 1798 d. February 8, 1877
Civil War Union Naval Officer, Explorer. He was born in New York City, New York, and attended the United States Naval Academy graduating in 1822. He proved to be a brilliant student of navigation and naval technology, but was headstrong and almost constantly at odds with his superiors. In 1838, he was placed in charge of the first scientific expedition ever outfitted by the United States government.