Louis Braille

popular name: George Armstrong Custer

date_of_death: June 25, 1876

age: 36

cause_of_death: Bullet wounds to the chest and head

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876) was a U.S. Army officer and cavalry commander during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Born in New Rumley, Ohio, Custer attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating last in his class in 1861. Despite his poor academic standing, he quickly rose to fame for his boldness and bravery during the Civil War, earning rapid promotions and leading cavalry units in key battles such as Gettysburg and Appomattox. After the Civil War, Custer was assigned to the western frontier, where he became involved in the Indian Wars. He is most famous for his role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, where his forces faced a large combined force of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. Custer and his 210 men were killed in the battle, a disastrous defeat for the U.S. Army. Custer's death cemented his legacy as a controversial figure, admired by some for his bravery and criticized by others for his recklessness and stupidity. Despite his tragic end, he became a symbol of the American frontier, and his life continues to be a subject of debate. Upon his death, he was interred at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery.

popular name: Rose Kennedy

date_of_death: January 22, 1995

age: 104

cause_of_death: Pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was the mother of President John F. Kennedy and of two United States Senators, the long-suffering wife of a fabulously wealthy businessman-ambassador and the matriarch of a family whose political triumphs and personal tragedies she carried with quiet dignity until her dying days. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy will be best remembered as an American philanthropist, socialite, and matriarch of the Kennedy family. She was deeply embedded in the "lace curtain" Irish American community in Boston. Her father, John F. Fitzgerald, served in the Massachusetts State Senate (1892–1894), in the U.S. House of Representatives (1895–1901, 1919), and as Mayor of Boston (1906–1908, 1910–1914). Her husband, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934–1935) and the U.S. Maritime Commission (1937–1938), and served as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1938–1940). Their nine children included United States President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith.

popular name: Diana, Princess of Wales

date_of_death: August 31, 1997

age: 36

cause_of_death: Fatal chest injures from car crash

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales and was the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. She was international icon and earned her enduring popularity as well as unprecedented public scrutiny, exacerbated by her tumultuous private life. Her marriage to Prince Charles was unhappy and broken as he continued on an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. She used her popularity to promote charity work centered on children, but she later became known for her involvement with AIDS patients and campaign for the removal of landmines. She also raised awareness and advocated ways to help people affected with cancer and mental illness. Diana died from injures sustained in a car crash in Paris in 1997, while trying to escape paparazzi. This led to extensive public mourning and media attention worldwide.