Southwick, Alfred
The Odd and the Interesting
Age 72
May 18, 1826 - June 11, 1898
Forest Lawn Cemetery / Buffalo / New York / USA / North America
In 1881 Alfred Southwick heard a story about an intoxicated man who touched a live electric generator. Given that the man died so quickly, Southwick concluded that electricity could be used as an alternative to hanging for executi...
Fleming, Ian
Writers and Poets
Age 56
May 28, 1908 - August 12, 1964
St. James' Churchyard / Swindon / Wiltshire / England / Europe
Ian Fleming was a British writer and naval intelligence officer who is best known for his iconic James Bond series of spy novels. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over...
Littieri, Al
Show Business
Age 47
February 24, 1928 - October 18, 1975
St. John Cemetery / Middle Village / New York / USA / North America
If you liked watching films in the 1970s, you'll know who Al Lettieri was, even if you can't put a face to the name. He played Solozzo in The Godfather. (Michael played by Al Pacino shot him dead with the Police Chief in the resta...
Miranda, Ernesto
Crime and their Victims
Age 34
March 9, 1941 - January 31, 1976
Mesa Cemetery / Mesa / Arizona / USA / North America
If you have ever been on the wrong side of a conversation with local police and were read your rights (You have the right to remain silent ...) then you have Ernesto Miranda (actually his attorney) to thank. Ernesto Miranda was a ...
Dee, Ruby
Historical Figure
Age 91
October 27, 1922 - June 11, 2014
Ferncliff Cemetery / Hartsdale / New York / USA / North America
Ruby Dee was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun (1961). Her other notable fil...
Ross, Bob
Artists
Age 52
October 29, 1942 - July 4, 1995
Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home / Gotha / Florida / USA / North America
Bob Ross, with his distinctive hair style and quiet demeanor, was a popular American painter, art instructor, and television host. The painter who gave us “happy little trees” was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, a...
Jolson, Al
Show Business
Age 64
June 9, 1886 - October 23, 1950
Hillside Memorial Park / Culver City / California / USA / North America
Jolson rose through the ranks of vaudeville as a comedian and a blackface “Mammy” singer. By 1920, he had become the biggest star on Broadway, but he is probably best remembered for his film career. He starred in "The Jazz Sin...
Malcolm X
Historical Figure
Age 39
May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965
Ferncliff Cemetery / Hartsdale / New York / USA / North America
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 als...
Doyle, Arthur Conan
Writers and Poets
Age 71
May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930
All Saints Church - Minstead Village / Minstead, Lyndhurst / United Kingdom / Europe
Over 125 years after his creation, Sherlock Holmes remains the most popular fictional detective in history. Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for the 60 stories he wrote about Sherlock Holmes. His body of work includes nearly 200 n...
Cassidy, Eva
Music
Age 33
February 2, 1963 - November 2, 1996
Cremated / North America
Eva Cassidy was a powerful, soulful singer and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, folk, and blues music whose meteoric rise to fame happened only after her passing from melanoma cancer at the young age of 33.
Lancaster, Burt
Show Business
Age 80
November 2, 1913 - October 20, 1994
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
Burt Lancaster was a failed circus performer when in 1945 (according to the sort of Hollywood legend of which one should probably believe only half) he chanced to share an elevator ride with a theatrical producer who assumed that ...
Davies, Marion
Show Business
Age 64
January 3, 1897 - September 22, 1961
Hollywood Forever Cemetery / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
In the Roaring Twenties, Marion Davies was a superstar. By 1923, Davies was the #1 female box office star in Hollywood due to the popularity of "When Knighthood Was in Flower" and "Little Old New York", which were among the bigges...
Holly, Buddy
Music
Age 22
September 7, 1936 - February 3, 1959
City of Lubbock Cemetery / Lubbock / Texas / USA / North America
Buddy Holly was an American singer-songwriter who was a key figure and pioneer of mid-1950s rock and roll music. Some of his best hits include "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue", "Everyday", and "It's So Easy". He is often regarded...
Bashung, Alain
Music
Age 61
December 1, 1947 - March 14, 2009
Cimetière du Père Lachaise / Paris / France / Europe
Alain Bashung was a French singer, songwriter and actor credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil" and was one of the most influential and admired French singer/songwriters of the last 40 years...
Cleveland, Frances
Historical Figure
Age 83
July 21, 1864 - October 29, 1947
Princeton Cemetery / Princeton / New Jersey / USA / North America
Frances Cleveland was First Lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897 as the wife of President Grover Cleveland. Becoming First Lady at age 21, she remains the youngest wife of a sitting president.