Welcome to Today In History for Wednesday, May 14, 2008.
Famous Deaths on this Day in History ...
0347 - Pachomius, Egyptian monastery founder/abbot (Coenobieten), dies 0649 - Theodore, Greek Pope (642-49) (excommunicated by Paul II), dies 0964 - John XII, [Octavianus], Pope (955-64), dies 1565 - Nicolaus von Amsdorf, German reform theologist, dies 1610 - Henry IV, 1st Bourbon-king of France (1572, 89-1610), murdered at 56 1643 - Louis XIII, king of France (1610-43), dies at 41 1667 - Georges de Scud‚ry, French writer (Alaric ou Rome Vaincue), dies at 65 1726 - John B Wellekens, poet/painter (Wedding Guests), dies 1726 - Moshe Darshan, Rabbi/author (Torat Ahsam), dies 1742 - Dominique Marie Valet, French RC/old-catholic bishop, dies at 64 1761 - Thomas Simpson, English mathematician (rule of Simpson), dies at 50 1801 - Johann Ernst Altenburg, composer, dies at 66 1820 - Paul Friedrich Struck, composer, dies at 43 1832 - John van Speijk, Dutch heroic sailor, buried 1833 - Johann Wilhelm Cornelius von Konigslow, composer, dies at 88 1847 - Fanny Cacilia Mendelssohn Hensel, composer, dies at 41 1863 - Emile Racine Gauthier Prudent, composer, dies at 46 1864 - William N Green Jr, Union brig-general, dies 1870 - Ramon Vilanova y Barrera, composer, dies at 69 1877 - John Roberts, composer, dies at 54 1893 - Earnest E Kummer, German mathematician (surface of Kummer), dies at 83 1893 - Johan T Buys, Dutch lawyer, dies at 65 1904 - Richard Hol, Dutch composer/organist/conductor, dies at 78 1912 - August Strindberg, Swedish writer (Deaddans), dies at 63 1912 - Frederik VIII C W K, King of Denmark (1906-12), dies at 68 1925 - Henry Rider Haggard, English writer (Dawn, She), dies 1936 - Samuel Pl'h Naber, spy/librarian, dies at 71 1936 - Edmond HH Allenby, English fieldmarshal in Egypt, dies at 74 1938 - Jacobus C J "Jacques" Hermans, actor (Ghetto), dies at 81 1940 - Eddy [Charles E] du Platform, writer/poet, dies 1940 - Emma Goldman, US anarchists/feminist/author (Living My Life), dies 1940 - Jacob van Gelderen, economist/sociologist/SDAP-2nd-Chamber, dies at 49 1940 - Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (Forum, New Elite), suicide at 38 1947 - John Ray Sinnock, US chief engraver (1925-47), dies at 59 1953 - Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Japans/US painter/etcher, dies at 59 1955 - Betty Ann Davies, dies at 44 1959 - Sidney Bechet, US jazz clarinetist/saxophonist/bandleader, dies at 62 1965 - Frances Perkins, US 1st female minister of Labor (1933-45), dies at 83 1966 - Georgia BD Camp Johnson, US poet/playwright, dies at 88 1966 - Megan Lloyd George, English politician, dies at 64 1968 - Husband Edward Kimmel, commandant US Ocean fleet WW II, dies at 86 1969 - Enid Bennett, silent film actress (Skippy, Hairpins), dies at 75 1970 - Billie Burke, comedienne (Glinda-Wizard of Oz), dies at 84 1976 - Keith Relf, rock vocalist (Yardbirds), electrocuted at 33 1979 - Paul van 't Veeer, Dutch journalist/writer (Vrije Volk), dies at 57 1980 - Hugh Griffith, actor (Passover Plot, Ben Hur, Tom Jones), dies at 67 1980 - Wilhelm Weismann, composer, dies at 79 1982 - Hugh Beaumont, actor (Ward-Leave it to Beaver), dies at 73 1982 - Baron Mariel-Henri Jaspar, Belgian minister/ambassador, dies 1983 - Miguel Aleman Valdes, attorney/pres of Mexico (1946-52), dies at 80 1984 - Larry Stock, songwriter (Blueberry Hill), dies 1985 - Mohammed Munir, Indonesian worker's union leader, executed 1987 - Rita Hayworth, actress (Gilda), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 68 1988 - Willem Drees, PM of Netherland (1948-58), dies at 101 1990 - Andre Ameller, composer, dies at 78 1991 - Shintaro Abe, minister of Exterior of Japan (1982-86), dies 1991 - John Edward Craven, dies 1991 - Jiang Qing, widow of Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung, commits suicide 1991 - Herman Niels, Flemish radio director, dies 1991 - Ast Fonteyne, Flemish lecture artist, dies 1992 - Lyle Alzado, NFL defense linesman (Raiders), dies of cancer at 43 1993 - Patrick Haemers, Belgian criminal, commits suicide at 40 1993 - William Randolph Hearst, US newspaper magnate (Pulitzer), dies at 85 1994 - Leonard Teale, Australian actor/reciter (Homicide), dies 1995 - Maezumi Hakuyu Taizan Koun, teacher (Zen Buddhism), dies at 64 1996 - Vera Chapman, writer, dies at 98 1996 - Sritharan Jeganathan, cricketer, 1st Sri Lankan Test player to die 1996 - Qazaleh Alizadeh, writer, dies at 48 1996 - Edqard John Gurney, politician, dies at 82 1997 - Harry Blackstone Jr, magician, dies of cancer at 62 1997 - Laurie Lee, writer, dies at 42 1997 - Princess Caradja-Kretzulesco, descendant of Dracula, dies at 76 1997 - Thelma Carpenter, singer, dies at 76
