(no subject)
A short list of famous people who died in 2005.
I like these because I can never stay up on who is dead or not. Like I thought Johnny Carson was dead long ago.
Frank Kelly Freas (artist) -- Dead. Died January 2, 2005. Born August 27, 1922. Award-winning science fiction artist who also did quite a lot of art for Mad.
Thelma White (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 11, 2005. Born April 12, 1910. One of the leads in the infamous Reefer Madness.
H. Bentley Glass (geneticist) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 16, 2005. Born January 17, 1906. Pioneering geneticist whose controversial theories spurred many debates on ethical issues; promoted the theory that only the cockroach would survive total nuclear war.
Zhao Ziyang (Chinese leader) -- Dead. Died January 17, 2005. Born October 17, 1919. A Chinese leader who tried to bring democratic reforms, outsted from power during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.
Johnny Carson (TV host) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died January 23, 2005. Born October 23, 1925. Longtime host of The Tonight Show (1962-1992), rumored to have done a little joke-writing for David Letterman before his death.
Keith Knudsen (drummer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 8, 2005. Born February 18, 1948. Longtime drummer for the Doobie Brothers.
Hunter S. Thompson (writer) -- Dead. Suicide. Died February 20, 2005. Born July 18, 1939. The phrase "gonzo journalism" was invented for him, wrote books like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, had his ashes sent up with fireworks over Colorado on 8/30/05.
Johnnie Cochran (lawyer) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died March 29, 2005. Born October 2, 1937. LA lawyer for OJ in the infamous Simpson/Goldman murder case.
Mitch Hedberg (comic) -- Dead. Heart failure/(drugs?). Died March 30, 2005. Born February 24, 1968. Frequent David Letterman guest.
Pope John Paul II (Leader of the Roman Catholic Church) -- Dead. Parkinson's disease/heart failure/kidney failure. Died April 2, 2005. Born May 18, 1920. Born Karol Wojtyla, he was the first Polish pope, he served from 1978-2005, widely-traveled, multi-lingual.
Maurice Hilleman (microbiologist) -- Dead. Cancer. Died April 11, 2005. Born August 30, 1919. Prolific vaccine developer responsible for vaccines that fought mumps, measles, chickenpox, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases.
Thurl Ravenscroft (voice) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died May 22, 2005. Born February 16, 1914. Voice of Tony the Tiger, and memorably sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch".
Luther Vandross (smooth singer) -- Dead. [rumors] Died July 1, 2005. Born April 20, 1951. "Here and Now", lapsed into a coma following a stroke on April 16, 2003, recovered somewhat but died just over two years later.
James Doohan (Scotty) -- Dead. Pneumonia/Alzheimer's. Died July 20, 2005. Born March 3, 1920. And was a father again at the age of 80! "Cap'n, I dunna know if we kin hold on much longa!" He attended one last Star Trek convention and received his Hollywood star in 2004.
Peter Jennings (TV news anchor) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died August 7, 2005. Born July 29, 1938. ABC World News Tonight anchor, narrated many documentaries.
Robert Moog (inventor/musician) -- Dead. Brain Tumor. Died August 21, 2005. Born May 23, 1934. Experimented with theremins, later developed synthesizers in the '60s, launching a wave of electronic music.
Bob Denver (Little Buddy) -- Dead. Cancer. Died September 2, 2005. Born January 9, 1935. Gilligan on Gilligan's Island, Maynard on Dobie Gillis.
Gordon Gould (inventor) -- Dead. Died September 16, 2005. Born July 17, 1920. Another American who independently developed the laser (and invented its name) in 1957, sparking a long legal battle over patents.
Charles Rocket (actor) -- Dead. Suicide. Died October 7, 2005. Born August 24, 1949. Former SNL comic who may have been the first to say "f*ck" on network TV, co-starred as Geena Davis' fiance Ted in Earth Girls Are Easy.
Rosa Parks (long-time civil rights activist) -- Dead. Died October 24, 2005. Born February 4, 1913. Woman who defied the segregation laws in Montgomery Alabama by refusing to sit in the back of the bus, the first woman to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda.
Moustapha Akkad (producer) -- Dead. Murdered by terrorists (Jordan 2005). Died November 11, 2005. Born circa 1933. Produced all of the Halloween movies, his daughter also died in the terrorist blast.
Stan Berenstain (cartoonist) -- Dead. Died November 26, 2005. Born September 29, 1923. With his wife Jan, he wrote and illustrated over 200 Berenstain Bears books.
Richard Pryor (comedian) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 10, 2005. Born December 1, 1940. Great stand-up comic and writer, starred in Uptown Saturday Night and many TV specials, struggled with addictions and multiple sclerosis.
I like these because I can never stay up on who is dead or not. Like I thought Johnny Carson was dead long ago.
Frank Kelly Freas (artist) -- Dead. Died January 2, 2005. Born August 27, 1922. Award-winning science fiction artist who also did quite a lot of art for Mad.
Thelma White (actress) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 11, 2005. Born April 12, 1910. One of the leads in the infamous Reefer Madness.
H. Bentley Glass (geneticist) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died January 16, 2005. Born January 17, 1906. Pioneering geneticist whose controversial theories spurred many debates on ethical issues; promoted the theory that only the cockroach would survive total nuclear war.
Zhao Ziyang (Chinese leader) -- Dead. Died January 17, 2005. Born October 17, 1919. A Chinese leader who tried to bring democratic reforms, outsted from power during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.
Johnny Carson (TV host) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died January 23, 2005. Born October 23, 1925. Longtime host of The Tonight Show (1962-1992), rumored to have done a little joke-writing for David Letterman before his death.
Keith Knudsen (drummer) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died February 8, 2005. Born February 18, 1948. Longtime drummer for the Doobie Brothers.
Hunter S. Thompson (writer) -- Dead. Suicide. Died February 20, 2005. Born July 18, 1939. The phrase "gonzo journalism" was invented for him, wrote books like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, had his ashes sent up with fireworks over Colorado on 8/30/05.
Johnnie Cochran (lawyer) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died March 29, 2005. Born October 2, 1937. LA lawyer for OJ in the infamous Simpson/Goldman murder case.
Mitch Hedberg (comic) -- Dead. Heart failure/(drugs?). Died March 30, 2005. Born February 24, 1968. Frequent David Letterman guest.
Pope John Paul II (Leader of the Roman Catholic Church) -- Dead. Parkinson's disease/heart failure/kidney failure. Died April 2, 2005. Born May 18, 1920. Born Karol Wojtyla, he was the first Polish pope, he served from 1978-2005, widely-traveled, multi-lingual.
Maurice Hilleman (microbiologist) -- Dead. Cancer. Died April 11, 2005. Born August 30, 1919. Prolific vaccine developer responsible for vaccines that fought mumps, measles, chickenpox, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases.
Thurl Ravenscroft (voice) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died May 22, 2005. Born February 16, 1914. Voice of Tony the Tiger, and memorably sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch".
Luther Vandross (smooth singer) -- Dead. [rumors] Died July 1, 2005. Born April 20, 1951. "Here and Now", lapsed into a coma following a stroke on April 16, 2003, recovered somewhat but died just over two years later.
James Doohan (Scotty) -- Dead. Pneumonia/Alzheimer's. Died July 20, 2005. Born March 3, 1920. And was a father again at the age of 80! "Cap'n, I dunna know if we kin hold on much longa!" He attended one last Star Trek convention and received his Hollywood star in 2004.
Peter Jennings (TV news anchor) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died August 7, 2005. Born July 29, 1938. ABC World News Tonight anchor, narrated many documentaries.
Robert Moog (inventor/musician) -- Dead. Brain Tumor. Died August 21, 2005. Born May 23, 1934. Experimented with theremins, later developed synthesizers in the '60s, launching a wave of electronic music.
Bob Denver (Little Buddy) -- Dead. Cancer. Died September 2, 2005. Born January 9, 1935. Gilligan on Gilligan's Island, Maynard on Dobie Gillis.
Gordon Gould (inventor) -- Dead. Died September 16, 2005. Born July 17, 1920. Another American who independently developed the laser (and invented its name) in 1957, sparking a long legal battle over patents.
Charles Rocket (actor) -- Dead. Suicide. Died October 7, 2005. Born August 24, 1949. Former SNL comic who may have been the first to say "f*ck" on network TV, co-starred as Geena Davis' fiance Ted in Earth Girls Are Easy.
Rosa Parks (long-time civil rights activist) -- Dead. Died October 24, 2005. Born February 4, 1913. Woman who defied the segregation laws in Montgomery Alabama by refusing to sit in the back of the bus, the first woman to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda.
Moustapha Akkad (producer) -- Dead. Murdered by terrorists (Jordan 2005). Died November 11, 2005. Born circa 1933. Produced all of the Halloween movies, his daughter also died in the terrorist blast.
Stan Berenstain (cartoonist) -- Dead. Died November 26, 2005. Born September 29, 1923. With his wife Jan, he wrote and illustrated over 200 Berenstain Bears books.
Richard Pryor (comedian) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 10, 2005. Born December 1, 1940. Great stand-up comic and writer, starred in Uptown Saturday Night and many TV specials, struggled with addictions and multiple sclerosis.