Died On This Date

April 13th

Redmond, Hugh Francis
b. October 30, 1919 d. April 13, 1970
World War II United States paratrooper who was held as a spy by the Chinese government for 19 years. He endured brutal torture and inhumane conditions while never admitting his U.S. government connections. His epitaph reads "His Country Above All Else." Cause of death: Murdered.

Bara, Theda (Theodosia Goodman)
b. July 29, 1885 d. April 13, 1955
Actress. She appeared in 47 films, from 1914 to 1926, but was unable to make the transition to sound film. She was considered one of the most successful and glamorous stars of the 1910s. She was the original "Vamp". Born under the name Theodosia Goodman, in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was close to her parents and two siblings, and went to college for two years, dropping out in 1905 to pursue an acting career. Cause of death: Cancer.

Lansing, Henry Seymour
b. February 17, 1824 d. April 13, 1882
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Served in the Civil War first as a Captain in the 12th United States Regular Infantry regiment, then as Colonel and commander of the 17th New York Volunteer Infantry. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "faithful and meritorious services during the war".

Ray, Joseph 'Joie'
b. 1923 d. April 13, 2007Auto Racing Pioneer. He is considered as the Jackie Robinson of automobile racing for breaking the color barrier in open wheel competition. In 1947, Ray was the first black person licensed by the American Automobile Association and first black to compete in sanctioned auto races. Until the 1950s, black drivers weren't allowed to compete with whites, so they formed an all-black circuit. His career spanned from 1947 to 1963, driving sprint cars, midget racers and super stock cars.

Lann, John S.
b. August 29, 1843 d. April 13, 1907
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in the Union Vay as a Landsman on board the "USS Magnolia". He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery during the attack on St. Marks, Florida on March 5 and 6, 1862. His citation reads in part "He served with the Army in charge of Navy howitzers. Throughout this fierce engagement he made remarkable efforts in assisting the transport of the gun.

Cannon, Annie Jump
b. December 11, 1863 d. April 13, 1941
Scientist. An Astronomer at the Harvard Observatory, she discovered over 300 stars and 5 novae. She was the first woman to be awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University (1925), and received the Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences (1931). She established the Annie J. Cannon Prize of the American Astronomical Society in 1933.

Premice, Josephine
b. July 21, 1926 d. April 13, 2001
Actress. She appeared in such movies and television shows including, "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" "A Different World" "The Cosby Show" and " The Jeffersons" and also starred on Broadway from 1976 to 1977 in the musical, "Bubbling Brown Sugar" and in "Mister Johnson" in 1956, based on Joyce Cary's novel. She was the mother of actor Enrico Fales and producer Susan Fales-Hill.

March, Peyton Conway
b. December 27, 1864 d. April 13, 1955
United States Army General. He graduated from the United States Military Academy, Class of 1888, and fought in the Spanish-American War in the Philippines (where he earned the Distinguished Service Cross), in the 1900 Philippine Insurrection, and was a military observer to the Japanese Army during the 1904 Russo-Japanese War. He served as United States Army Chief of Staff from 1918 to 1921, and was chief of staff during most of World War I.

Schultz Sr., Joseph Charles
b. July 24, 1893 d. April 13, 1941
Professional baseball player. Schultz played outfield for the 1912 & 1913 Boston Braves, the 1915 Brooklyn Robins, the 1915 Chicago Cubs, the 1916 Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1919-1924 St. Louis Cardinals, the 1924 & 1925 Philadelphia Phillies & the 1925 Cincinnati Reds. He was a key figure in the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system & later became the director of the Pittsburgh Pirates' baseball farm system.

Luce, Moses Augustine
b. May 14, 1842 d. April 13, 1933
Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in the Union Army as a Sergeant in Company E, Fourth Michigan Infantry. At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 10, 1864, he voluntarily returned in the face of the advancing Confederates to assist a wounded comrade and carried him to a place of safety. For extreme courage under enemy fire, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Johnson, Johnnie Clyde
b. July 8, 1924 d. April 13, 2005Pioneer Rock Music Musician. He was the pianist whose popular early-1950s trio with Chess Records was the launching pad for a young guitarist named Chuck Berry and he played a key role in the sound of Berry's genre-defining hits, such as "Rock and Roll Music" and "Roll Over Beethoven." One of Berry's best known songs, "Johnny B. Goode," was written as a salute to Johnson, whose keyboard work often played equal partner on recordings.

Chaminade, Cecile b. August 8, 1857 d. April 13, 1944Composer. Her light romantic music was very popular in the early 20th century. Chaminade's 400 published compositions include a symphony, a "Konzertstuck" for piano and orchestra, and a Flute Concertino that is still performed today; but her pure, melodic style was better suited to songs and solo piano pieces. In 1908 she was warmly received on a 12-city concert tour of the United States, and "Chaminade Societies" sprang up in the United States. and Europe. Her fame faded after World War I.

Willis, Guy
b. July 5, 1915 d. April 13, 1981
Member of the Willis Brother's trio also known as the Oklahoma Wranglers, who were star's of the Grand Ole Opry along with brothers Skeeter and Vic. Guy was the emcee and main voice. They have been seen in many Columbia motion pictures and were the first group to back up Hank Williams. Known for the hit song "Give Me Forty Acres and I'll Turn This Rig Around."

Blasingame, Don Lee 'Blazer'
b. March 16, 1932 d. April 13, 2005
Major league Baseball Player. He played for 12 years starting in 1955 with the St. Louis Cardinals, then with the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and Kansas City Athletics. He coached Baseball in Japan in the late 1970s and early 1980s winning over 180 games.

Parks, Larry (Samuel Lawrence Klausman)
b. December 13, 1914 d. April 13, 1975
American Actor. He was very busy at the beginning of his career, making thirty-three films between 1941 and 1945, mostly WWII home-front morale builders like “Hello, Annapolis,” “ Submarine Raider,” “Flight Lieutenant,” “Atlantic Convoy” (all 1942); “Reveille with Beverly,” “First Comes Courage,” “Destroyer” (all 1943); “Hey, Rookie” (musical, male lead opposite Ann Miller), “Stars on Parade” (another musical lead), “Sergeant Mike” (all 1944). Cause of death: Heart Attack.