Died On This Date

Picasso, Pablo
b. October 25, 1881 d. April 8, 1973
Artist. Considered one of the most important artists of all time, he created hundreds of works of art encompassing paintings, statues and sculptures. Well-known is the picture "Guernica," which shows his protest against acts of violence and war. Leaving Spain as a refugee, he lived and created mostly in France. His grave is decorated with his own sculpture "Woman with the Vase" (1933), shown during the World exhibition of 1937 in Paris.

Bradley, Omar Nelson
b. February 12, 1893 d. April 8, 1981
United States General of the Army. His rank of 5-Star General was tthe American equivalent of the European rank of Field Marshal. The last surviving 5-star officer, during World War II, he commanded the Twelfth Army Group (later called the Central Army Group), the largest fighting force every amassed under an American Flag. It numbered 40 divisions and over 1,000,000 men. He served 69 years on active duty. Born in Clark, Missouri, he entered the United States Military Academy in August 1911.

White, Ryan
b. December 6, 1971 d. April 8, 1990
AIDS Victim, he gained national attention for the disease and its victims, helping to education the public on its causes, it's treatment and the risks associated with the disease. During the period from 1986 to 1989, he became the national poster boy about the problems of the disease and helped remove the public stigmatisms associated with it. Born in Kokomo, Indiana, Ryan was the son of Hubert Wayne and Elaine Hale White.

Woolworth, Frank Winfield
b. April 13, 1852 d. April 8, 1919
Businessman.

Benedict, George Grenville
b. December 10, 1826 d. April 8, 1907
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served in the Civil War as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company C, 12th Vermont Volunteer Infantry. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery during his brigade's celebrated flank attack on Pickett's Charge during the Third Day of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 3, 1863). His citation reads "Passed through a murderous fire of grape and canister in delivering orders and re-formed the crowded lines".

Johnson, Ben
b. June 13, 1918 d. April 8, 1996
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of Sam the Lion in "The Last Picture Show" (1971), for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Born in Foraker, Oklahoma, his father, Ben Johnson, Senior, was a cattleman and rancher in Osage County, Oklahoma, as well as a champion rodeo steer roper. Naturally, young Ben would follow in the footsteps of his father, learning how to work a ranch and going on the rodeo circuit. Young Ben was soon a rodeo star in his own right. Cause of death: Heart attack.

O'Neil, George Michael 'Mickey'
b. April 12, 1900 d. April 8, 1964
Professional Baseball Player. O'Neil was a catcher for the 1919-1925 Boston Braves, the 1926 Brooklyn Robins, and the 1927 Washington Senators and New York Giants.

Michael, Don Leslie
b. July 31, 1947 d. April 8, 1967
Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. He served as a Specialist Fourth Class (Rifleman) in the US Army in Company C, 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in the Republic of Vietnam on April 8, 1967. He was KILLED IN ACTION. His citation reads in part "Undaunted, Sp4c Michael made his way back to the friendly positions to obtain more grenades.

Anderson, Marian
b. February 27, 1897 d. April 8, 1993
Opera Singer, Social Reformer. A classical music pioneer and Opera Singer, she was a contralto known for her wide-ranging repertory of art songs, opera arias, and spirituals. She was one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was the eldest of three daughters. She first developed her musical ability at the Union Baptist Church of Philadelphia where she joined the junior choir at age 6 and the senior choir at 13.

Nyiregyhazi, Ervin
b. January 19, 1903 d. April 8, 1987
Pianist, Composer. A Hungarian born prodigy whose early talents were compared to those of Mozart, Saint-Saens, and Liszt. He demonstrated his musical gifts as early as two years of age, and gave his first public performance at age six. By the time he was 12 he had played at Buckingham Palace and appeared as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1920 he made his debut at Carnegie Hall. Beginning in 1929, Nyiregyházi began working for United Artists and other studios.

Otis, Elisha Graves
b. August 3, 1811 d. April 8, 1861
Inventor. Invented the safety brake for elevators that prevented the car from falling, in the event the cables broke. This allowed the construction of skyscrapers.

Root, Augustus I.
d. April 8, 1865
Civil War Union Army Officer. The son of an officer who fought in the War of 1812, he entered the Union Army on May 15, 1861, when he received a commission of Captain and commander of Company K, 12th New York Volunteer Infantry. He fought with the unit until the 2nd Battle of Bull Run (August 30, 1862), when he was wounded. Upon his recovery in September 1862, he was advanced to Major of the regiment, and, after the December 1862 Fredericksburg Campaign, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

Smith, Thomas Church Haskell
b. March 24, 1819 d. April 8, 1897
Civil War Union Brigadier General.