Louis Braille

popular name: Malcolm X

date_of_death: February 21, 1965

age: 39

cause_of_death: Assassination - 15 gunshot wounds

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and controversial human rights activist who was a popular figure during the civil rights movement. He is best known for his time spent as a vocal spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X was also a widely celebrated figure within African-American and popular during the civil rights era. A year before his murder, Malcolm X had split with the Nation of Islam, and began getting death threats from Nation of Islam followers. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated in front of his wife and children at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. Three Nation members were charged with the murder and given indeterminate life sentences. Speculation about the assassination and whether it was conceived or aided by leading or additional members of the Nation, or with law enforcement agencies, have persisted for decades after the shooting.

popular name: Voltaire

date_of_death: May 30, 1778

age: 83

cause_of_death: Exact cause unknown - experienced severe lower abdominal pain shortly before death

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Voltaire was a French writer and philosopher who produced prolific works that challenged the 18th century's ideas about religion and civil rights. Voltaire is most famously known for his satirical novel Candide, which was very popular and controversial. He was one of the first authors to become renowned and commercially successful internationally. He was an outspoken advocate of civil liberties, and he was at constant risk from the strict censorship laws of the Catholic French monarchy. His polemics witheringly satirized intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.

popular name: Toots Shor

date_of_death: January 23, 1977

age: 73

cause_of_death: Cancer

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Until recently, Toots Shor was long forgotten by most –– now a whole new generation is discovering NYC’s legendary “saloon” thanks to Mad Men. The Mad Men design team even built a virtual Toots Shor set (where Don and Betty drank martinis and ate their famous Caesar Salad prepared at tableside) and sparked a renewed interest in the style of the period. The original was a bar/restaurant in NYC that thrived in the 40s and 50s –– a place where actors, writers, singers, journalists and sports figures came to play. In its heyday, it was the place to go, located at 51 w 51st Street from 1940 to 1959 (after that it moved around the corner to 52nd Street). The ringmaster was Toots Shor - one of New York's most famous restaurateurs and one of the country's foremost patrons of artists, actors, musicians and sports figures.