Died On This Date

April 30
Moorehead, Agnes
b. December 6, 1900 d. April 30, 1974Actress. She was born Agnes Robertson Moorehead in Clinton, Massachusetts, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. She was a graduate of Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio then went on to earn a master's degree in English and public speaking at the university of Wisconsin. She continued her studies in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began appearing on Broadway and radio. With Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles, she was founder and charter member of the famed Mercury. Cause of death: Uterine cancer

Jones, John Luther 'Casey'
b. March 14, 1864 d. April 30, 1900
American Folk Figure. He was killed in train wreck (Illinois Central Train #1, The Cannonball Express) at Vaughan, Mississippi, April 30,1900 at 3:52 a.m. The only one killed, he stayed with the train to slow it down as much as possible and thus it is believed that passengers were saved from injury and possible death. He is memorialized to this day in the famous ballad of "Casey Jones" by his friend Wallace Saunders.

Rafferty, Peter E
b. June 12, 1845 d. April 30, 1910
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient.

Leone, Sergio
b. January 3, 1929 d. April 30, 1989
Noted Italian Motion Picture Director. He is best known for his 'Spaghetti Westerns' such as "Per un pugno di dollari" (1964), "Per Qualque Dollaro in più" (1965) and "Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cativo" (1966) (released in USA as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"). He also directed the acclaimed film "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984).

Poston, Tom
b. October 17, 1921 d. April 30, 2007
Actor. He was best known as a comic actor in the Golden Age of television. In 1959 he won an Emmy for his role as the befuddled Everyman on "The Steve Allen Show", and he received Emmy nominations for his performances in "Newhart", "Mork and Mindy", and "Coach". His other TV credits include "Murphy Brown", "That 70's Show", "Will & Grace", "Becker", "Good Morning Miami", and as a longstanding panelist on "To Tell the Truth". Poston began his acting career in 1947 on Broadway.

Coleman, Bessie 'Brave Bessie'
b. January 26, 1892 d. April 30, 1926
Generally recognized as the first African American aviator. She became interested in aviation from reading aviation magazines. Due to her race and gender, she could not gain entrance into any aviation schools in the United States. Learning from French (this group may have included Eugene "Jacque" Bullard, an African American who had been a military aviator with the French in World War I) and German instructor pilots, she earned her pilot's license in France in 1921.

Waters (Morganfield), Muddy (McKinley)
b. April 4, 1915 d. April 30, 1983
Blues Musician. Born McKinley Morganfield, Muddy Waters received his more famous sobriquet as a child. His grandmother, who raised Waters following the death of his mother in 1918, called him "Muddy" after his habit of playing in a shallow creek nearby their home. He took up harmonica and guitar in his teens, absorbing the influences of local legends Son House and Robert Johnson. In 1941 and 1942, Waters recorded several acoustic country blues pieces for a team of Library of Congress folksong.

McIntosh, William
b. 1775 d. April 30, 1825
Creek Leader. Born near Tuetumplai in present day Alabama, the son of Captain William McIntosh, and Senoia Henneha of the Wind Clan of the Lower Creeks. McIntosh became a Micco or chief spokesman of the Lower Creek. He fought with American forces under the command of Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. During the Red Stick War of 1813 - 1814, he helped defeat the nationalistic Upper Creeks. McIntosh also fought for the United States in the First Seminole War.

Morrison, Francis
b. January 15, 1845 d. April 30, 1913
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Private in the Union Army in Company H, 85th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was awarded the CMOH for action on June 17, 1864 at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. His citation reads "Voluntarily exposed himself to a heavy fire to bring off a wounded comrade."

Waller, Francis A.
b. August 15, 1840 d. April 30, 1911
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He enlisted on June 16, 1861 and served as a Corporal in Company I, 6th Wisconsin Infantry. On July 1, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania, he captured the flag of the Confederate 2nd Mississippi Infantry during the assault at the railroad cut on McPherson's Ridge. His citation was issued on December 1, 1864 and he mustered out of the Union Army as a 1st Lieutenant on July 14, 1865.

Taylor, Zola
b. March 17, 1938 d. April 30, 2007Musician. A native of Los Angeles, Taylor was an original member of the famed rhythm and blues group, the Platters. A talented and very attractive contralto singer, Taylor began her singing career with the RPM Records Label. In 1954 she recorded the single "Make Love To Me" for that label, and went onto work with the likes of Shirley Gunter and the Queens before joining the Platters.

Darby, William Orlando
b. February 9, 1911 d. April 30, 1945
United States Army Officer. Renown for commanding “Darby's Rangers” in World War II. Graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1933. By October 1940 he had achieved the rank of Captain. Early in World War II he had served in staff positions but in early 1942 he was assigned to form a unit that bore the title "Rangers" based on the British model. He led “Darby's Rangers” with the rank of Colonel in North Africa, Sicily and Anzio as well as other actions.

Rasmussen, Philip M.
b. May 11, 1918 d. April 30, 2005
World War II Military Figure. On December 7, 1941, he was a US Army Air Corps 2nd Lieutenant, assigned to the 46th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Airfield, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Still in pajamas, he managed to take off in a P-36 Hawk with three other pilots and was directed to engage Japanese fighters toward Kaneohe Bay. Of the four US Airman that were able to get airborne in the attack, he was the only one to shoot down a Japanese Zero in the first battle of WW II.

Scott, Hugh Lenox
b. September 22, 1853 d. April 30, 1934
United States Army General. An 1876 graduate of the United States Military Academy, he served as Superintendant of West Point from 1906 to 1910, and as Army Chief of Staff from 1914 to 1917. Promoted to Major General in 1915, after he was retired from active duty he served as Chairman of the New Jersey State Highway Commission from 1923 to 1933. An expert on American Indian languages and sign language, he authored the work "Some Memories of a Soldier".