Died On This Date

April 20

Columbine School Memorial
d. April 20, 1999
Memorial Garden at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado that honors the Victims of the Columbine High School Tragedy.

Stoker, Bram (Abraham)
b. November 8, 1847 d. April 20, 1912
Author. He is best known for his 1897 horror novel "Dracula", which established the popular modern day legend of the fictional 'vampire" of the title. Educated at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, he served there as President of the Philosophical Society and earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in 1870 and 1875, respectively. In 1878, he was selected by famed Shakespearian actor Henry Irving to manage London, England's Lyceum Theatre; he would hold that position until the theater's closure.

Kretsinger, George
b. June 20, 1844 d. April 20, 1906
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Private in the Union Army in the Chicago Mercantile Battery, Illinois Light Artillery. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on May 22, 1863 at Vicksburg, Mississippi. His citation reads "Carried with others by hand a cannon up to and fired it through an embrasure of the enemy's works."

Ingalls, Caroline Lake Quiner
b. December 12, 1839 d. April 20, 1924
Folk and literary figure. Born the fifth of seven children of Henry and Charlotte Tucker Quiner in Brookfield, Wisconsin. At sixteen, she started as a teacher, but married Charles Ingalls in February of 1860 effectively ending her career. She followed her husband through numerous moves and settled in more than half a dozen homes before she extracted a promise from her husband that their next move would be their last.

Parton, James
b. December 10, 1912 d. April 20, 2001
Journalist, Historian. Founder of American Heritage magazine. He was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and served as historian for the Eight Air Force. Founded American Heritage in 1954 and served as its publisher and president.

Mauser, Daniel Conner
b. June 25, 1983 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.

Whittingham, Charlie
b. April 13, 1913 d. April 20, 1999
Horse Trainer. His long career predated modern horse racing in California. Charlie Whittingham became affiliated with horse racing in 1930 at the now defunct Caliente track in Tijuana. He was present in the 30's when California's fledging horse racing industry moved to national prominence with the openings of Santa Anita, Del Mar and Hollywood Park. During his over sixty years as a trainer, his horses posted amazing results...Won the Kentucky Derby twice...Ferdinand and Sunday Silence .

Cantinflas (Fortino Mario Moreno Reyes)
b. August 12, 1911 d. April 20, 1993
Actor, Comedian. Known universally by the name "Cantinflas," Charlie Chaplin referred to him as the 'funniest man in the world.' He was the second of 15 brothers born to a poor family. In his youth he had to work as a shoemaker, cab driver, bull fighter and on occasions had to help his father, a mailman, deliver the mail. He began to study Medicine in order to please his family but promptly left it behind. He was in the military and a professional boxer before trying his hand as a dancer.

Velasquez, Kyle Albert
b. May 5, 1982 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999. Although Kyle never served in the military, he planned to enlist after high school, and was buried with full military honors.
Stewart, Dennis Cleveland
b. July 29, 1947 d. April 20, 1994
Actor. A native of Los Angeles, California, Stewart is best remembered for his role as Scorpions gangmember 'Leo "Crater Face" Balmudo' in "Grease" (1978), and "Grease 2" (1982). Stewart's other roles include the films, "Pete's Dragon" (1977), "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1978), "Elvis" (1979), "Zoot Suit" (1981), "D.C. Cab" (1983), "Police Story: Cop Killer" (1988), "Cop" (1988), and "Fatal Charm" (1990). He also appeared on the television programs, "Hunter", Cause of death: Complications of AIDS.

Paz, Octavio
b. March 31, 1914 d. April 20, 1998
Nobel Laureate, diplomat, poet and critic. In his teens, he founded an avant-garde magazine, Barandal, and published his first book of poems, Luna Silvestre (1933). He studied law and literature at the National University, but refused to accept his degree. During the Spanish Civil War (1937-1938), he fought on the Republican side. In the late 1930s and in the 1940s he worked as a journalist.

Kechter, Matthew Joseph
b. February 19, 1983 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.

Wessel, Dick
b. April 20, 1913 d. April 20, 1965
Screen, stage, radio and television actor. Appeared in dozens of films 1935-66 including "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), "An American in Paris" (1951) and "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" (1953).

DePooter, Corey Tyler
b. March 3, 1982 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.

Rohrbough, Daniel Lee
b. March 2, 1984 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.

Sanders, William 'Dave'
b. October 22, 1951 d. April 20, 1999
Murder Victim. Victim of the Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.