Died On This Date

July 31

Reeves, Jim
b. August 20, 1923 d. July 31, 1964
Nicknamed "Gentleman Jim," he was one of the great voices in music. His aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player ended due to an ankle injury so he turned to singing and working as a disc jockey for KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana, the home of the Louisiana Hayride. His breakthrough single came in 1953 with a song called Mexican Joe. That same year he officially joined the cast of the Louisiana Hayride and in 1955 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Cause of death: Plane crash.

Johnson, Andrew
b. December 29, 1808 d. July 31, 1875
17th United States President. The first President to be tried for impeachment. After President Johnson notified Congress on February 21, 1868, that he had removed Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War and replaced him with Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas, it took the House of Representatives only three days to impeach him for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Meanwhile, Stanton refused to abandon his office and had Thomas arrested for attempting to exercise the duties of the Secretary of War. Cause of death: Stroke

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine Marie Roger de
b. June 29, 1900 d. July 31, 1944
Author, Inventor. He wrote "Wind, Sand and Stars" (1939), and the children's classic "The Little Prince" (1943). Went missing on a flight over the Mediterranean in 1944 and his body was never recovered. The flowerbed around his memorial is laid out in the shape of his drawing of the Little Prince.

Died On This Date

July 30

Colbert, Claudette
b. September 13, 1903 d. July 30, 1996
Actress who starred in more than 60 films. Claudette Colbert died in Speightstown, Barbados, on July 30, 1996. (This was her vacation home.) Her permanent address was Manhattan. She was born on September 13, 1903, in France. Her real name was "Lily Claudette Chauchoin. While still a child her parents moved the family to New York. She won the Best Actress award in 1934 for "It Happened One Night," a Frank Capra movie.

Phillips, Sam Cornelius
b. January 5, 1923 d. July 30, 2003
Rock pioneer. He was the founder of Sun Records and was credited with discovering Elvis Presley. He produced Presley's first record in 1954. He later sold Presley's recording contract to RCA for only $35,000. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Walsh, Bill (William Ernest)
b. November 30, 1931 d. July 30, 2007
Professional Football Coach. Nicknamed "the genius", he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1988 and NFL Coach Of the Year in 1981 & 1984. He coached the 49ers to three Super Bowl Championships. An innovative thinker, he popularized an offensive game plan that became known as the West Coast Offense and is still in use today. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1993. Cause of death: Leukemia.

Died On This Date

July 29

Van Gogh, Vincent
b. March 30, 1853 d. July 29, 1890
Artist. He was born in the Netherlands. In 1869 he began working for art dealers, but in 1877 he studied religion and from 1878 to 1880 he was an evangelist in Belgium. Later he decided to become an artist. He admired the work of Millet and Daumier and his early subjects were peasants. He lived in Brussels and in Netherlands and in February 1886 he moved to Paris where he lived together with his brother, Theo, and encountered Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting. Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot.

Kanka, Megan
b. December 7, 1986 d. July 29, 1994
Young murder victim. She was murdered by a neighbor and it was later discovered that he had been released from prison after having served time for child molestation. Megan's Law, the sex offender's law that now requires convicted sex offenders to register with the local authorities when they move into an area, was named for her. It was made into a Federal Law and is now enforced in all 50 states. Megan's killer was sentenced to death and is currently sitting on death row.

Niven, David (James David Graham)
b. March 1, 1910 d. July 29, 1983
Actor, Producer. Most remembered for his dapper English roles in such films as the Pink Panther series, "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956), and numerous other films. He won an Oscar for his role in "Separate Tables" (1958). Born in London, England, the son of a British Army Captain who was killed at Gallipoli in 1915. He attended Stowe School and Sandhurst Military Academy, where he was commissioned and served two years with the Highland Light Infantry.

Elliot, Cass
b. September 19, 1941 d. July 29, 1974
Rock Singer. She was a singer for the folk-rock group "Mamas and the Papas," during the 1960s and early 1970s. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland, she grew up in the Washington DC area. During her senior year in high school she performed in a summer stock of "The Boyfriend" at the Owings Mills Playhouse; a performance that compelled her to forego college in pursuit of an acting career. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Died On This Date

July 28

Bach, Johann Sebastian
b. March 21, 1685 d. July 28, 1750
Composer and Organist. One of the acknowledged giants of Western music and the greatest composer of the Baroque era. Bach's work represents the culmination of all the musical ideas of his era. He brought such techniques as counterpoint and fugue to their heights of expressiveness, and wrote masterpieces in every existing genre except opera. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, into a family that boasted seven generations of musicians. Cause of death: Stroke.

Died On This Date

July 27

Hope, Bob (Leslie Townes)
b. May 29, 1903 d. July 27, 2003
Comedian, Actor, Entertainer. Legendary comic performer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s. One of the most beloved in American History, he has earned over 2,000 awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2 honorary Oscars, 2 Emmys, the National Medal of Arts (received from President Bill Clinton), 58 honorary degrees, and was knighted (honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. Cause of death: Pneumonia.


Walsh, Adam
b. November 14, 1974 d. July 27, 1981
He was the son of "America's Most Wanted" host, John Walsh and his wife Reva. He was abducted and murdered. The search continued for days and many appeals to the public for help until Adam's decapitated head was found. His death inspired a television movie and the "America's Most Wanted" television program in 1988. On December 16th, 2008, the Hollywood Police Department finally identified Adam Walsh's killer as Ottis Toole (who died in prison in 1996).

Died On This Date

July 26

Houston, Sam
b. March 2, 1793 d. July 26, 1863
Texas Republic Army General, Texas Republic President, Tennessee Governor, Texas Governor. He is best remembered as the General who defeated the Mexicans to win Texas independence. Born in Virginia in 1793, his family moved to Tennessee when he was 13 years old and lived in a frontier settlement, where Houston worked as a clerk in a trader's store. When he was 15, he ran away from home and lived with the Cherokee Indians in eastern Tennessee, where the Indians adopted him.

Peron, Eva (María Eva Ibarguren)
b. May 7, 1919 d. July 26, 1952
Argentinean Leader. Wife of Argentina President Juan Domingo Peron. Born Maria Eva, she was the fourth child born to Juana Ibarguren and Juan Duarte, all illegitimate in a ramshackle house near the village of Los Toldos some 150 miles west of Buenos Aires. At 15, she arrived in Buenos Aires, and became a star of radio soap operas and then a movie. She met Juan Peron during an earthquake-relief meeting. The widowed Peron married her in 1945, and they became a team in power ruling Argentina.
Cause of death: Uterine cancer.

Died On This Date

July 25

Rich, Charlie
b. December 14, 1932 d. July 25, 1995
Singer. Musician. Born near Forrest City, Arkansas. He attended Consolidated High School in Forrest City, where he played saxophone in the high school band. After high school, he attended Arkansas State College on a football scholarship. He then transferred to the University of Arkansas as a music major but left after one semester to join the Air Force. He married his life-long love, fellow jazz enthusiast Margaret Ann in 1952.

Pausch, Randy
b. October 23, 1960 d. July 25, 2008
Professor, Author. Gained international fame after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and giving a "last lecture" to his class that was posted on the internet. He received a Bachelor's degree in computer sciences from Brown University and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon. He taught at the University of Virginia and at Carnegie Mellon. After his famous lecture, Randy Pausch was seen on several television shows including interviews done by Diane Sawyer and Oprah Winfrey.

Died On This Date

July 24

Sellers, Peter (Richard Henry)
b. September 8, 1925 d. July 24, 1980
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of inept French police Inspector 'Jacques Clouseau' in the "Pink Panther" series of films (1964 to 1982). The last of that series, "Trail of the Pink Panther" (1982) was made after his death, using film clips and unseen footage from his earlier "Pink Panther" movies. Born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Hampshire, England, his parents worked in an acting company run by his grandmother. Cause of death: Heart attack.

Van Buren, Martin
b. December 5, 1782 d. July 24, 1862
8th United States President. Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York a Hudson River town totally comprised of people of Dutch descent. His mother had been widowed with three children before marrying his father who was a tavern-inn proprietor while owning slaves who worked at the enterprise. The tavern hosted political meetings, elections and entertained such guests as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Young Martin received a political education while ease dropping as a boy.

Died On This Date

July 23

Grant, Ulysses (Hiram Ulysses) S
b. April 27, 1822 d. July 23, 1885
18th United States President, Civil War Union Lieutenant General. He was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. At seventeen, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation, his first assignment was service in a border war with Mexico. After eleven years he resigned his commission and persued a number of failed civilian endeavors.

Rickenbacker, Edward Vernon 'Eddie'
b. October 8, 1890 d. July 23, 1973
World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Distinguished Service Cross Recipient, Fighter Ace, Aviator, Race Car Driver, America's 'Ace of Aces' during World War I. The son of Swiss immigrants, he first gained fame driving race cars. He raced 4 time in the Indianapolis 500 with his best finish being 10th in 1914. He enlisted in the Army in 1917 when the United States declared war on Germany.

Clift, Montgomery
b. October 17, 1920 d. July 23, 1966
Actor. He is best remembered for his role as ‘Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt’ in the motion picture "From Here to Eternity" (1953). He represented the new wave of post-World War II actors who were handsome, intelligent, soft-spoken, introspective, and acted with intensity. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta, to a banking family, his mother, Ethel, had been born out of wedlock, and she determined that the children would grow up knowing their true southern aristocratic heritage.

Griffith, D.W. (David Wark)
b. January 22, 1875 d. July 23, 1948
Motion Picture Director. Called by many as “The Father of the Motion Picture”, he was the first to recognize the new medium's potential, and invented many of the common film techniques used today, such as the Flashback, the Iris shot, the mask, and Crosscutting. He is best remembered for his epic "Birth of a Nation" (1915), considered by most his best work, despite its racist message. Born in rural Kentucky to Jacob Griffith, a Confederate Army Colonel and Civil War hero. Cause of death: Cerebral hemorrhage.

Died On This Date

July 22

Shepard, Alan Bartlett
b. November 18, 1923 d. July 22, 1998
American Astronaut. The first American into space, he is currently the oldest man to have walked on the moon. Born in Derry, New Hampshire, the son of Army Lieutenant Colonel Alan B. Shepard and Renza Emerson Shepard, Alan Jr graduated from the Admiral Farragut Academy (military high school) in 1941, and received a BS degree in Engineering from the US Naval Academy in 1944.

Getty, Estelle
b. July 25, 1923 d. July 22, 2008
Actress. Best known for her role as sassy Italian octogenarian "Sophia Petrillo", on the hit sitcom "The Golden Girls." Estelle was born in New York to Polish immigrants. In 1947, she married Arthur Gettleman. The couple had two sons together. Estelle Gettleman began her acting career under the stage name Estelle Getty in 1978 playing a teacher in the film "Team Mates." She had small walk on roles in the Films "Tootsie" in 1982 and "Mask" in 1985.

Sandburg, Carl
b. January 6, 1878 d. July 22, 1967
Author. Poet. Carl Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Illinois. He was born the son of Swedish immigrants, August and Clara Anderson Sandburg. He was the second of seven children and was called Charlie by his family. He quit school after graduating from the eighth grade in 1891. The next few years he worked a variety of jobs. He spent some time traveling as a hobo while honing his writing and political views. He volunteered for service in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Cause of death: Heart Attack.

Died On This Date

July 21

Rathbone, Basil (Philip St. John)
b. June 13, 1892 d. July 21, 1967
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of 'Sir Guy of Gisbourne' in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), and for his role of 'Sherlock Holmes' in a series of movies with actor Nigel Bruce playing 'Dr. Watson' from 1939 to 1946). Born Philip St. John Basil Rathbone in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Edgar Philip Rathbone, a mining engineer, and his wife, Anna Barbara, a violinist. In 1895, his family was forced to return to Great Britain, when Boers accused his father of being a British spy. Cause of death: Heart Attack.

Young, Robert
b. February 22, 1907 d. July 21, 1998
Actor. In a career that lasted over fifty years, Robert Young performed on stage, screen and radio, appearing in some 100 movies before making a successful transition to television. He was born in Chicago coming west when his family relocated to Los Angeles at age seven. Introduced to acting while attending Lincoln High School, he then pursued an acting career after graduation by enrolling at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Died On This Date

July 20

Lee, Bruce
b. November 27, 1940 d. July 20, 1973
Acclaimed Martial Artist, Actor, and Film Director. Balancing martial arts theory and film performance, Bruce Lee remains the most recognized martial artist of the twentieth century. Though born in San Francisco, Lee would move to Hong Kong with his family while still an infant and would act in several films there as a child. After losing a street fight in 1953, he would also study Wing Chun Kung Fu, a style emphasizing economy of movement.

Doohan, James Montgomery
b. March 3, 1920 d. July 20, 2005
Actor. He is best known for his role of 'Montgomery "Scotty" Scott', the Chief Engineer of the starship "Enterprise" in the seminal and immensely popular 1960's science fiction television series "Star Trek" and it's subsequent movies. Born in British Columbia, Canada, he served in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, and lost the middle finger on his right hand after Canadian forces stormed ashore at Juno Beach during the D-Day Normandy invasion.

Villa, Pancho
b. 1877 d. July 20, 1923
Mexican Revolutionary, General, Bandit, and Governor. He was a major leader in the Mexican Revolution and in 1916-1917, was the object of the Punitive Expedition in which US Troops crossed into Mexico in a futile attempt to capture him. Born Jose Doroteo Orango Arámbula, he is better known under his revolutionary name, Francisco "Pancho" Villa. Many details of his life are in dispute. Villa's early life is mostly unknown.

Died On This Date

July 19

Gebel-Williams, Gunther
b. September 12, 1934 d. July 19, 2001
Circus animal trainer. He delighted ladies, gentleman, children of all ages during his three decades with the Greatest Show on Earth. He never missed a performance during his career with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The flashy performer worked with elephants, tigers, leopards, lions, panthers, mountain lions, horses, goats, camels, zebras, and a giraffe. In addition, he was featured in TV specials and advertisements.

Beatty, Clyde
b. June 10, 1903 d. July 19, 1965
Wild animal trainer, circus performer. He left all Ringing interests at the end of the 1934 season, and joined out with owner-partners Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell with the new Cole Bros. Circus that winter, and opened with them for the season of 1935. They added his name to the title for public appeal, and his name appeared in the title of every circus he was on thereafter. He was on Cole Bros. & Clyde Beatty through the 1937 season.

Died On This Date

July 18

Jones, John Paul
b. July 6, 1747 d. July 18, 1792
Father of the American Navy. The Revolutionary War was fought on sea as well as on land. The fledgling Continental Navy was even more ragtag then the Colonies counterpart the army. Although he was a Scott, not an American, John Paul Jones was the first naval hero. He first stalked British ships around the Colonies and then took the war direct to Britain with command of the sloop Ranger.

Died On This Date

July 17

Holiday, Billie
b. April 7, 1915 d. July 17, 1959
Jazz Singer. "Lady Day" (as she was named by Lester Young) had a small voice and did not scat but her innovative behind-the-beat phrasing made her very influential. The emotional intensity that she put into the words she sang (particularly in later years) was memorable because she often really did live the words she sang. Her original name and birthplace have been wrong for years but were finally listed correctly by Donald Clarke's definitive Billie Holiday biography "Wishing on the Moon".

Cobb, Ty
b. December 18, 1886 d. July 17, 1961
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Ranks as one of Baseball's greatest players, if not the game's fiercest competitor. Everyone knows about his batting records! Ty Cobb grew up in the post Civil War South where racism was the norm. This is not to say that it was right, but it was a given and accepted practice. What shaped Tys' personality more than anything was an incident that happened when he was just 18, just a few sparse weeks before he joined the Tigers.

Spillane, Mickey
b. March 9, 1918 d. July 17, 2006
Author. Real name Frank Morrison Spillane. He is best remembered for creating the hard boiled detective Mike Hammer, who appeared in a series of violent mystery novels beginning with "I, the Jury" (1947). There have been several films adapted from his books and a "Mike Hammer" television series in the 1980s, starring Stacy Keach. Spillane himself played the character in the film "The Girl Hunters" (1963). Prior to writing novels, Spillane wrote for magazines and comic books.

Died On This Date

July 16

Kennedy Jr., John Fitzgerald
b. November 25, 1960 d. July 16, 1999
Son of US president John F. Kennedy. Born at Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy Jr. was the second child of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, and brother to Caroline Schlossberg. Known as John-John to the American public, the not-quite-three-year-old boy, Kennedy is famously remembered for saluting the casket of his assassinated father. Kennedy spent most of his growing-up years and adult life in Manhattan, New York City. Cause of death: Plane crash.

Lincoln, Mary Todd
b. December 13, 1818 d. July 16, 1882
Presidential First Lady. She was born to pioneer settlers in Kentucky. When Mary Lincoln was seven, her mother died and her father remarried. She belonged to the aristocracy of Lexington with an excellent social life and a sound private education. Nearly 21, she went to Springfield, Illinois to live with her sister. Here she met Abraham Lincoln. Three years later, after a stormy courtship and a broken engagement, they were married. They were opposites in background and temperament.

Chapin, Harry
b. December 7, 1942 d. July 16, 1981
Singer, Songwriter, Activist. He originally wanted to become a filmaker, and his socially-conscious folk-rock ballads showed a decided flair for storytelling. His signature song, the six-minute "Taxi" (1972), reveals the hard-bitten observations of a cab driver, while "W. O. L. D." (1973) describes the life of a disc jockey. "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974), Chapin's only Number One hit, is about a businessman who realizes too late how he sacrificed his relationship with his son.

Died On This Date

July 15

Pershing, John Joseph 'Black Jack'
b. September 13, 1860 d. July 15, 1948General of the Armies of the United States. Born in Laclede, Missouri, he was the son of a railroad switchman. At 17, he taught in a rural school for black children to earn enough money to pay for his college education at Kirksville Normal School (now Truman State University.) In 1881, answering an advertisement for the United States Military Academy's entrance exam, he sat for the exam and won entry to West Point in 1882.

Bonney, William 'Billy The Kid'
b. November 23, 1859 d. July 15, 1881
Legendary Outlaw. He was born in New York City as Henry McCarty. His mother's name was Catherine McCarty. Not very much information is known about his father except that he died when the Kid was young. Eventually, Catherine moved with the Kid and his brother Joseph to Wichita Kansas. After his first brush with the law, Catherine was diagnosed with tuberculosis and decided to move to New Mexico, where she remarried and died in 1874.

Stratton, Charles Sherwood 'General Tom Thumb'
b. January 4, 1838 d. July 15, 1883Circus Performer. Without question the most famous midget in history. Phineas T. Barnum discovered him, named him "General Tom Thumb" and made him a success, in 1842. When Charles Stratton was born, he was a large baby, weighing a little over nine pounds. He developed normally for a while, reaching 15 pounds and two feet, one inch in length by five months of age, then his growth stopped. By age five he had not grown an inch more, but otherwise he was a completely normal child.

Died On This Date

July 14

Little Turtle, Chief 'Michikinikwa'
b. 1752 d. July 14, 1812 Miami war chief. Born to a Miami chieftain and a Mahican mother in what is present day Indiana, he was given the name Me-she-kin-o-quah. During the American Revolution, frontier fighting brought Little Turtle in conflict with the American ally Augustin Mottin de La Balme who had destroyed Miami villages at Kekionga (present day Ft. Wayne) in November of 1780. At that time, Little Turtle rose to war chief of the Miamis.

Died On This Date

July 13

Buttons (Chwatt), Red (Aaron)
b. February 5, 1919 d. July 13, 2006
Entertainer. His show business career spanned nearly 70 years. Best known as a feisty stand-up comedian with a rapid-fire delivery, he was also a fine character actor in Hollywood films. Buttons won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for "Sayonara" (1957). Born Aaron Chwatt in New York City, the son of Jewish immigrants, he got hooked on performing after winning an Amateur Night contest at age 12. Originally called "Irish" because of his red hair and puckish features.

Died On This Date

July 12

Hamilton, Alexander
b. January 11, 1755 d. July 12, 1804
Founding Father, Statesman. The thirteen states after the Revolutionary War were weak and still separate. Alexander Hamilton was the strong voice calling for a strong united government with a new Constitution and then most instrumental in the formation and convening of the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia which established the United States of America. He was born southeast of Florida on Nevis, a small island making up the group in the Caribbean known as the West Indies.

Madison, Dolley
b. May 20, 1768 d. July 12, 1849
Presidential First Lady. She was the wife of 4th United States President James Madison. Born in New Garden, North Carolina, she married John Todd, Jr., a lawyer, who in 1790 who succumbed to yellow fever, leaving her with a small son, Payne. Her second marriage was to James Madison, who was then serving as a Congressman from Virginia, and was seventeen years her senior.

Died On This Date

July 11

Gershwin, George
b. September 26, 1898 d. July 11, 1937
Composer. He is best remembered for his compositions with his equally talented lyricist older brother, Ira Gershwin. They are responsible for such hit songs as "Someone to Watch over Me" (1926), "Love Walked In" (1937), "Love is Here to Stay" (1937), "Rhapsody in Blue" (1924), and for such musicals as "Of Thee I sing" (1931 - the first musical to ever win a Pulitzer Prize), and "Porgy and Bess" (1935). Born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York, of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. Cause of death: Brain Tumor.
Johnson, Claudia Alta Taylor 'Lady Bird'
b. December 22, 1912 d. July 11, 2007
Presidential First Lady. Born Claudia Alta Taylor to T.J. and Minnie Taylor. A maid noticed that she was as cute as a "Lady Bird," and the nickname stuck. In 1918 when she was six years old, her mother died. Their aunt Effie Pattillo raised Lady Bird and her two older brothers, for the most part. In 1933, she graduated from The University of Texas, earning a BA in Liberal Arts, followed by a Bachelors in Journalism the next year. Cause of death: Natural causes.

Died On This Date

July 10

Blanc (Blank), Mel (Melvin Jerome)
b. May 30, 1908 d. July 10, 1989
Voice Actor. His career spanned radio, movies and television starting in the early 1930's and even continued after his death into 2000. A television commercial for American Express charge card was revived after his death. His birth and death years appeared on the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial, both to promote their card, and pay tribute to Mel Blanc. The rarely seen voice innovator even did sound effects. He literally performed in over a thousand shows.

Died On This Date

July 9

Taylor, Zachary
b. November 24, 1784 d. July 9, 1850
12th US President. Taylor fought in the War of 1812 and vanquished the Seminoles in Florida. He antagonized the South by advocating the integration of California (a non-slave state). He was the second President to die in office. He died 5 days after he became ill after attending a July 4th celebration at the Washington Monument.

Steiger, Rod
b. April 14, 1925 d. July 9, 2002
American film and television actor. Between 1951 and 2002 Steiger appeared in many films including "Dr. Zhivago," "A Month of Sundays," " The January Man," "American Gothic," "The Player," "The Amityville Horror," "Teresa," "The Loved One," "Convicts 4," "Carpool," "Mars Attacks," "End of Days," "Incognito," "The Hurricane," "Lightmaker,' "The Flying Dutchman," and of course "In The Heat of The Night" for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1967.

Sanford, Isabel
b. August 29, 1917 d. July 9, 2004Actress. She was best known for her role as 'Louise "Weezie" Jefferson' on the popular 1970s and 1980s television sitcom "The Jeffersons." An acclaimed actress on Broadway for over 30 years, she co-starred with Sherman Hemsley on the spin-off of the popular series "All in the Family," in which she also appeared. In 1981, she became the first African-American woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on "The Jeffersons."
Cause of death: Natural causes

Died On This Date

July 8

Allyson, June
b. October 7, 1917 d. July 8, 2006
Actress. Born Ella Geisman in the Bronx, New York to Clara and Robert Geisman. She was injured in an accident at age eight and spent four years confined within a steel brace. Swimming therapy slowly gave her mobility again, and she began to study dance as well. She entered dance contests after high school and earned roles in numerous musical films called "Broadway Brevities", the Vitaphone short subjects.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe
b. August 4, 1792 d. July 8, 1822
Poet. One of the great English poets of the romantic period. Author of "Queen Mab," "Adonais," "Ozymandias" and others. Husband of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. His heart was not originally buried with his body. It was retrieved from his funeral pyre by his friend Trelawny and kept by Shelley's wife Mary, pressed flat, in a copy of the poet's "Adonais" and was interred for the first time in her tomb in St. Peters', Bournemouth.

Died On This Date

July 7

Leigh (Hartley), Vivien Mary
b. November 5, 1913 d. July 7, 1967
Actress. After finishing her primary education she decided to pursue acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art when she was 18. For the next few years her career consisted of stage work and small film roles. In 1937 her first marriage with dissolved and she took up residence with actor Laurence Olivier. It was in that same year she starred in "Dark Journey" with Conrad Veidt and "Fire Over England" with future husband Olivier. Cause of death: Tuberculosis.

Doyle, Sir. Arthur Conan
b. May 22, 1859 d. July 7, 1930
Author. He is best remembered as the creator of the fictional detective "Sherlock Holmes", which has become one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he began practicing medicine in 1882, but was not a great success. While waiting for patients, he started writing short stories as a hobby, but his early writings earned him only pocket money. His first great success came with his first Sherlock Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet" (1887).

Lake (Ockelman), Veronica (Constance Frances Marie)
b. November 14, 1922 d. July 7, 1973
Actress. She was born Constance Frances Ockleman in Brooklyn, New York to a seaman father. He died in an explosion on an oil ship when Constance was five. Her mother remarried and the family was constantly on the move living in Canada, New York and Florida. She graduated from high school in Miami. The family moved to California and she was enrolled in the Bliss Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood. Bit parts came almost immediately with RKO Studios. Cause of death: Hepatitis.

Died On This Date

July 6

Armstrong, Louis 'Satchmo'
b. July 4, 1900 d. July 6, 1971
Jazz Musician. His achievements in the jazz circle of America are extremely remarkable in light of his humble beginnings. Louis Armstrong was born a illegitimate black baby in the slums of segregated New Orleans, became a juvenile delinquent then relegated to the Colored Waifs' Home for Boys. He was introduced to the cornet which began a lifelong commitment to Jazz music.

Rogers (Slye), Roy (Leonard Franklin)
b. November 5, 1911 d. July 6, 1998
Actor, Singer. He was born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio to a musical family. His father played guitar and his Kentucky-born mother was a singer. Leonard grew up in Duck Run, Ohio a little town near Portsmouth. He quit high school after two years forced to work in a shoe factory to help support his family. At nineteen, he moved to California and formed a band which became known as the Sons of The Pioneers.

Ebsen, Buddy (Christian Rudolph)
b. April 2, 1908 d. July 6, 2003
Actor. Motion picture and television figure whose career spanned from the 1930s until the 1990s. Best known for being the patriarch 'Jed Clampett' on the 1960s television sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," he also gained notoriety as television detective 'Barnaby Jones' in the 1970s series of the same name, and as Fess Parker's sidekick in "Davy Crockett" during the 1950s. He is famously connected to the 1939 film classic "Wizard of Oz," when, cast as the role of the Tin Woodsman. Cause of death: Pneumonia

Died On This Date

July 5

Williams, Ted
b. August 30, 1918 d. July 5, 2002
Baseball Hall OF Famer. Considered by many to be the greatest hitter of all time, Ted Williams was born on Aug. 30, 1918, in San Diego, California. Ted was shy and sensitive boy growing up. "I was awfully self-conscious as a kid -- about everything,"' he said. "The way I looked and things I didn't have that some of the other kids did." His parents separated when Ted was at a young age, and his mother worked as a Salvation Army worker.

James, Harry Haag
b. March 15, 1916 d. July 5, 1983
Musician, Band Leader. The wartime era was crowded with big bands but Harry James with his colorful trumpet playing became one of the most popular swing bands in the nation. The group reflected the circus upbringing of its leader. The men were attired in red mess jackets, white bow ties and winged collars that went with full dress outfits. Color was the order of the day. He was born Harry Haag James in Albany, Georgia, his parents were both circus performers.

Died On This Date

July 4

Jefferson, Thomas
b. April 13, 1743 d. July 4, 1826
American Founding Father. Third President of the United States. He was a philosopher, statesman, scholar, attorney, planter, architect, violinist, writer, and natural scientist who wished to be remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and as the founder of the University of Virginia. Born of a moderately well-off planter family, Jefferson was early imbued by his father Peter with a love both of nature, and of books.

Adams, John
b. October 30, 1735 d. July 4, 1826
2nd United States President, first United States Vice President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Massachusetts, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and Revolutionary War Patriot. Born the first of two sons to John and Susanna Boylston Adams, he was born in Braintree, Massachusetts (now part of Quincy, MA), where his father was a Puritan farmer, a lieutenant in the militia, a town selectman (town councilman), and a descendant of the first settlers who had arrived in New England.

Curie (Sklodowska), Marie
b. November 7, 1867 d. July 4, 1934
Scientist. She had degrees in mathematics and physics and was the first woman in Europe to receive her doctorate of science. In 1903, she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for Physics for the co-discovery (jointly awarded to Curie, her husband Pierre, and Henri Becquerel) of radioactivity. In 1906, she became the first female lecturer, professor and head of Laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris. In 1911, she won an unprecedented second Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

White, Barry
b. September 12, 1944 d. July 4, 2003
Soul/Disco Singer. Barry White was born on September, 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, and he recorded his first album at the age of 16. White is best known for his soulful, smooth, mellow singing voice, which he used to sing love songs from the 1970s up through the 2000s. White had 106 gold albums, 41 platinum singles, 20 gold platinum singles, and ten platinum singles, which sold over 100 million. Cause of death: Kidney failure.

Monroe, James
b. April 28, 1758 d. July 4, 1831
5th United States President. James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County Virginia to parents not only wealthy but rich in legacy with kinship to the Royal Family. Tutored until eleven then educated at the finest school in Virginia, Campbelton Academy with the future Chief Justice John Marshall a classmate. He attended the College of William and Mary then studied law under Thomas Jefferson. He fought in the American Revolution. Elected to the Virginia legislature, then a member of Congress.

Died On This Date

July 3

Morrison, Jim
b. December 8, 1943 d. July 3, 1971
Singer, Songwriter. Born in Melbourne, Florida, the son of a naval officer, he adopted a bohemian lifestyle in California while attending UCLA while literally homeless, sleeping in any convenient place handy, friends couches, rooftops, in cars and under the pier at Venice Beach. A voracious reader of books, he started a rock band with fellow student Ray Manzarek after he graduated. They quickly found two more members, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.

Harmon, Larry 'Bozo The Clown'
b. January 2, 1925 d. July 3, 2008
Entertainer. Larry Harmon portrayed 'Bozo the Clown' for more than fifty years. He bought the rights to Bozo, and the business that combined animation, character licensing, and personal appearances was worth millions. His television show was seen all over the country as well as some overseas markets. He trained more than 200 'Bozos' to represent him in local markets. As Bozo's influence spread, his name became a synonym for clownish behavior.

Died On This Date

July 2

Stewart, James 'Jimmy'
b. May 20, 1908 d. July 2, 1997
Actor, American Icon. James Stewart was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he had an ideal childhood with encouraging and supporting parents. When he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940 for his role in "The Philadelphia Story," he sent it to his father saying, "It belongs to us both." His dad, who owned a hardware store, kept it on a shelf for 25 years where it could be viewed by the customers. Cause of death: Pulmonic blood clot.

Grable, Betty (Ruth Elizabeth)
b. December 18, 1916 d. July 2, 1973
Actress. She was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri the youngest of three children to a truck driver father and a mother who was the ultimate in stage door moms. She began training Ruth literally from the time the child could walk and talk, teaching her to dance, play the saxophone and sing. A family vacation to California when Ruth was twelve, resulted in a longer stay with mom enrolling her in various Hollywood schools for formal training. Cause of death: Cancer.

Hemingway, Ernest Miller
b. July 21, 1899 d. July 2, 1961
Author. He was born at Oak Park, Illinois, grew up in the Chicago suburbs while spending summers at the families water front home on Bear Lake. Ernest Hemingway was one of six children the son of a strict doctor who gave him a passion for fishing and hunting and a music teacher mother who cultivated a cultural knowledge of music and literature. He spoke often of his ideal, happy childhood. Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot.

Gwynne, Fred (Frederick Hubbard)
b. July 10, 1926 d. July 2, 1993
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of Herman on the television comedy series, "The Munsters" (1964-1966) and for his role of Officer Francis Muldoon in the television comedy series, "Car 54, Where are You?" (1961-1963). He was also a noted author and illustrator of ten children's books, including "The King Who Rained" (1970), "A Chocolate Moose for Dinner" (1976), and "A Little Pigeon Toad" (1988). Born Frederick Hubbard Gwynne in New York City to Frederick Walker Gwynne, a stockbroker. Cause of death: Pancreatic cancer

Sills, Beverly
b. May 25, 1929 d. July 2, 2007
Opera Singer. Considered to be one of the best known opera singers of the 1960s and 1970s, she was renowned for her coloratura roles in operas around the world. Born Belle Miriam Silverman in Brooklyn, she became general manager of the New York City Opera in 1980 after retiring from her singing career. Subsequently, in 1994, became Chairman of Lincoln Center and in 2002, of the Metropolitan Opera. Cause of death: Lung cancer.

Puzo, Mario
b. October 15, 1920 d. July 2, 1999
Novelist and screenwriter. After serving in World War II, he began his writing career for men's magazines. He published his first novel, "The Dark Arena", in 1955. His third novel was "The Godfather" which sold more than 21 million copies worldwide. Besides his movie career, he also published several other novels including the best-seller "The Sicillian" in 1984. Just before his death he finished another novel, "Omerta". Cause of death: Heart attack.

Died On This Date

July 1

Landon (Orowitz), Michael (Eugene Maurice)
b. October 31, 1936 d. July 1, 1991
Actor, Writer, Producer, Director. Born in Forest Hills, New York, to Eli Maurice Orowitz and Peggy O'Neal Orowitz. The family moved to Collingswood, New Jersey, when he was four. Eli and Peggy did not have the best of marriages and often times they had violent arguments. He experienced a stressful and unhappy childhood. His suffering from nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting) further complicated his life. His mother believed that she could cure this problem with shame. Cause of death: Cancer of the pancreas.

Matthau, Walter
b. October 1, 1920 d. July 1, 2000
Actor. Born Walter John Matthow in New York City to Russian immigrants and grew up on the Lower East Side. Matthau contributed to the family by playing bit parts at a Yiddish theater by age 11 where he was paid fifty cents for each onstage appearances. During WWII he served with the U.S. Army Air Corps where he made Staff Sergeant. In 1948 he made his Broadway debut in "Anne of the Thousand Days." He would make his film debut as the heavy in 1955's "The Kentuckian."

Mitchum, Robert

b. August 6, 1917 d. July 1, 1997
Motion Picture and Television Actor. Born Robert Charles Durman Mitchum, he appeared in more than 125 films during his 55 year run in show business and even had a brief career as a singer. Famous for his tough-guy roles in Film Noirs and Westerns, he could be menacing or charming in his roles and was sometimes both at once. Grew up as a trouble-making, wayward boy, and in the late 1940s, served a brief prison sentence for marijuana possession. In 1943, he appeared in a staggering dozen films. Cause of death: Lung cancer.

Vandross, Luther
b. April 20, 1951 d. July 1, 2005
Singer. He became famous for his soulful, romantic ballads and his many collaborations with such stars as Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. Beginning his career singing background vocals for Richard Marx and Chaka Khan, he was discovered by David Bowie, who overheard him singing his song "Young Americans," and had him make a recording of the song. His debut solo album "Never Too Much," released in 1981, became a huge success.

Nostradamus (de Nostre Dame) (Michel)
b. December 14, 1503 d. July 1, 1566
Born Michel de Nostradame in St. Remy de Provence, France; the oldest of five brothers. The family had been Jews forced to convert to Catholicism by the Inquisition. He attended the University at Avignon and was graduated from the University of Montpellier after which he practiced as a physician. He was apparently remarkably successful in treating plague victims in the Montpellier area. About 1534 he married and had a son and a daughter.

Brando, Marlon
b. April 3, 1924 d. July 1, 2004
Actor. Motion picture and stage actor who achieved legendary status in his own lifetime. The youngest of three children of alcoholic parents, he was left alone much of the time as a child. He was kicked out of military high school for riding a motorcycle through the halls, worked as a department store elevator operator and quit after four days due to his embarrassment in having to call out the lingerie floor. Prevented from enlisting in World War II due to his 4-F status, he moved to New York. Cause of death: Pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that involves scarring of the lungs.

Wolfman Jack (Robert Weston Smith)
b. January 21, 1938 d. July 1, 1995
Disc Jockey, Actor, Entertainer. Born Robert Weston Smith in Brooklyn, New York. He was first on the airwaves as "Daddy Jules" on Newport News, Virginia station WYOU-AM. He made his mark as a disc jockey from 1958 to 1966, on radio station XERF (1570 AM) in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, just across the river from Del Rio, Texas. The Wolfman's name came from a trend of the 1950's when disc jockeys took nicknames such as Moondog or Hound dog. Cause of death: Heart failure.