On this day in 1943, French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist, Simone Weil died after a lifetime of battling illness and frailty in a sanatorium in Ashford, Kent, England, from cardiac failure at the age of 34. Born 3 February 1903 in Paris. Weil wrote throughout her life, though most of her writings did not attract much attention until after her death. In the 1950s and 1960s, her work became famous on continental Europe and throughout the English-speaking world. Her fame began to decline in the late 1960s and she is now rarely taught at universities. Yet her thought has continued to be the subject of extensive scholarship across a wide range of fields. A meta study from the University of Calgary found that between 1995 and 2012 over 2,500 new scholarly works had been published about her. Although sometimes described as odd, humourless, and irritating, she inspired great affection in many of those who knew her. Albert Camus described her as “the only great spirit of our times”.
The Final Footprint – Weil is interred in the Catholic Section of the Bybrook Cemetery Ashford Kent, England Plot.
On this day in 1978 Sicilian-American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter, Grammy Award winner, “The King of the Swing” Louis Prima died from a cerebral hemorrhage in New Orleans at the age of 67. Born on 7 December 1910 in New Orleans. Known for his voice performance of the orangutan King Louie in the Walt Disney film, The Jungle Book (1967) and for singing the song “I Wanna be like You”. Also known for his arrangement and recording of the medley “Just a Gigolo”/”I Ain’t Got Nobody”, which was later covered by David Lee Roth. Prima wrote the swing standard “Jump Jive and Wail”.
The Final Footprint – Prima is entombed in the Prima family private mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. The gray marble crypt is topped by a figure of Gabriel, the trumpeter-angel, sculpted in 1997 by Russian-born sculptor Alexei Kazantsev. The inscription on the crypt’s door is: A LEGEND “WHEN THE END COMES, I KNOW, THEY’LL SAY, “JUST A GIGOLO” AS LIFE GOES ON WITHOUT ME, LOVINGLY, YOUR LITTLE FAMILY…” Other notable final footprints at Metairie include; Pete Fountain, Jim Garrison, Al Hirt, and Anne and Stan Rice.
#RIP #OTD in 1987 political activist, prominent leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights, subject of the movie Rustin, Bayard Rustin died of a perforated appendix in Manhattan aged 75. Cremated remains interred in upstate New York
#RIP #OTD 2013 stage, film actress (Member of the Wedding, East of Eden, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Haunting, Reflections in a Golden Eye) Julie Harris died of congestive heart failure at her home in West Chatham, Massachusetts, aged 87. Cremation
#RIP #OTD in 2014 actor (Brighton Rock (1948), I’m All Right Jack (1959), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), 10 Rillington Place (1971), Jurassic Park (1993), Miracle on 34th Street), filmmaker (Gandhi), entrepreneur Richard Attenborough died at Denville Hall, London aged 90. Cremated remains in a vault at St Mary Magdalene church in Richmond, London
#RIP #OTD in 2021 musician, the drummer of the Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts died at a London hospital at age 80, with his family. Laid to rest in Devon, England
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On this day in 1305 Scottish Knight, Guardian of Scotland, William Wallace was hung, drawn, and quartered emasculated, eviscerated and his bowels burned before him, beheaded, then cut into four parts for high treason and crimes against English civilians at the Elms, Smithfield, London, at the approximate age of 35. Born circa 1270 at Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Little is known of the details of Wallace’s life. Most of what we know of him comes from the fifteenth-century ballad “The Wallace” by the anti-English bard Blind Harry. From the year 1296 Wallace fought valiantly for Scotland’s freedom. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. In July 1298, however, Wallace lost to Edward I’s, Longshanks, forces at Falkirk. In the years that followed, Wallace would try to rally support for the Scottish cause; but these efforts met with little success. He was captured in 1305 and executed in London in August of that year.
The Final Footprint – Wallace was beheaded and his body quartered and the parts were scattered across England and Scotland. The left upper quarter of his body is entombed in the wall of Saint Machars Cathedral in Aberdeen. In 1869 the Wallace Monument was erected, very close to the site of his victory at Stirling Bridge. In 1995, actor/director Mel Gibson made the Academy Award winning film Braveheart, which was inspired by Wallace’s story. Though some of the movie is fabrication, Braveheart renewed interest in Wallace and stimulated resurgent Scottish separatist sentiment. A placque was erected in a wall of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital near the site of his execution that reads: “To the immortal memory of Sir William Wallace, Scottish Patriot born at Elderslie. Renfrewshire circa 1270 A.D who from 1296 fought dauntlessly in defence of his country’s liberty and independence in the face of fearful odds and great hardship being eventually betrayed and captured brought to London and put to death near this spot on 23 August 1305. His example heroism and devotion inspired those who came after him to win victory from defeat and his memory remains for all time a source of pride honour and inspiration to his countrymen. Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum nunquam servili sub nexu vivito fili. Bas agus Buaidh. (Death and Victory)”
On this day in 1926, actor, “The Latin Lover”, Rudolph Valentino died in New York City from peritonitis and pleuresy at the age of 31. Born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina D’Antonguolla on 6 May 1895 in Castellaneta, Puglia, Kingdom of Italy. He starred in several well known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik. His sudden death at age 31 caused mass hysteria among his female fans, propelling him into icon status. Though his films are not as well known today, his name is still widely known. Valentino was married twice; Jean Acker (1919-1923 divorce) and Natacha Rambova (1923-1926 his death).
The Final Footprint – Valentino is entombed in the Cathedral Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, a 
On this day in 1960 Tony and Academy Award-winning lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II died of stomach cancer at his home Highland Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania at the age of 65. 
And on this day in 2005 actor Brock Peters died in Los Angeles from pancreatic cancer at the age of 78. Born George Fisher on 2 July 1927 in New York City. Perhaps best known for playing the role of Tom Robinson in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and for his role as the villainous “Crown” in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess. In later years, he gained recognition among Star Trek fans for his portrayals of Fleet Admiral Cartwright in two of the Star Trek feature films and Joseph Sisko, father of Benjamin Sisko, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He was also notable for his role as Hatcher in Soylent Green. Peters was once romantically involved with actress Ja’net Dubois. Peters was married to Dolores ‘DiDi’ Daniels from 1961 until her death in 1989. Peters delivered the eulogy at Gregory Peck’s funeral in 2003.
On this day in 1922, Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins was shot and killed during the Irish Civil War in Béal na mBláth, County Cork, Ireland at the age of 31. Most Irish political parties recognise his contribution to the foundation of the modern Irish state. The supporters of Fine Gael hold his memory in particular esteem, regarding him as their movement’s founding father, through his link to their precursor Cumann na nGaedheal. Born on 16 October 1890 in Sam’s Cross, County Cork, Ireland. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Kitty Kiernan.
The Final Footprint– Collins is interred in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. His grave is marked by a large upright stone cross. His body lay in state for three days in Dublin City Hall where tens of thousands of mourners filed past his coffin to pay their respects. His funeral mass took place at Dublin’s Pro Cathedral. An estimated 500,000 people attended his funeral, almost one fifth of the country’s population. An annual commemoration ceremony takes place each year in August at the ambush site at Béal na mBláth, Cork. There is also a remembrance ceremony in Glasnevin at Collins’ graveside. The Collins 22 Society established in 2002 is an international organisation dedicated to keeping the name and legacy of Collins in living memory. Collins was portrayed by Liam Neeson in the film Michael Collins (1996) featuring Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman and Julia Roberts. Maude Gonne is also interred at Glasnevin.
On this day in 2009, graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, journalist and writer, known particularly for his Western novels, Elmer Kelton died of natural causes in San Angelo, Texas at the age of 83. Born on 29 April 1926 at a place called Horse Camp on the Five Wells Ranch, owned by the Scharbauer Cattle Company, in Andrews County, Texas, just east of the city of Andrews.
The Final Footprint – His funeral was held on 27 August 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in San Angelo. A life-size statue of Kelton by Raul Ruiz displayed at the Stevens Central Library in San Angelo. His final resting place is Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, a 
On this day in 1947, Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer, founder of the Bugatti automobile company, Ettore Bugatti died in Paris at the age of 65. Born Ettore Isidoro Arco Bugatti on 15 September 1881 in Milan, Italy. Bugatti cars are well-known for their high-performance and the beauty of their designs.
The Final Footprint – Bugatti is entombed with his wife in the family plot in Cimetière Dorlisheim near Molsheim in the Bas-Rhin département of the Alsace region of France.
On this day in 1887, innovative Franco-Uruguayan poet, often referred to as a Symbolist poet, Jules Laforgue died in Paris of tuberulosis at the age of 27. Born on 16 August 1860 in Montevideo, Uruguay, to French parents. In 1885, he wrote L’Imitation de Notre-Dame la Lune, in my opinion, his masterpiece. Laforgue was a model for Pierre-Auguste Renoir, including for Renoir’s 1881 painting Luncheon of the Boating Party. In 1886, he married Leah Lee, an Englishwoman. That year, his poetry was published in La Vogue alongside the work of Arthur Rimbaud. His poem “L’Hiver Qui Vient” (“The Coming Winter”) was one of these poems, which he believed set the tone for his work to come. His most creative and original work, at least as he saw it, was not published during his lifetime.
The Final Footprint – His final resting place is the Cimètiere de Bagneux, Hauts-de-Seine Ile-de-France Region, France. Another notable final footprint at Bagneux in Henri Rousseau.
On this day in 2006, photographer, war correspondant and Pulitzer Prize recipient, honorary Marine, Joe Rosenthal died of natural causes in his sleep at a center for assisted living in Novato, a suburb of San Francisco at the age of 94. Born Joseph John Rosenthal on 9 October 1911 in Washington, D.C. His parents were Russian immigrants. Best known for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Of the six men depicted in the picture, three (Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, and Michael Strank) were killed during the battle; the three survivors (John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes) became celebrities upon their identification in the photo. The picture was later used by Felix de Weldon to sculpt the Marine Corps War Memorial, located adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, D.C. Clint Eastwood’s film Flags of Our Fathers(2006) depicts the life stories of the flag raisers and the events that led to the photograph.
On this day in 2012, 
On this day in 2017 comedian, actor, singer, director, producer, screenwriter, humanitarian, The King of Comedy, Jerry Lewis died at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 91. Born Joseph Levitch on March 16, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey. He was known widely for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio.
On this day in 1895, outlaw, gambler and gunfighter John Wesley Hardin died in El Paso, Texas at the age of 42. He was shot in the back of the head by John Selman. Born on 26 May 1853 in Bonham, Texas. Hardin was apparently acquainted with Wild Bill Hickok. Hardin married twice; Jane Bowen and Carolyn Jane “Callie” Lewis.
The Final Footprint – Hardin is interred in Concordia Cemetery in El Paso. His grave is enclosed by a wrought iron fence and marked by a flat granite marker and a Texas state historical marker. Hardin’s legacy as an outlaw has made him a colorful character and subject in books, films and music including: in Larry McMurty’s novel Streets of Laredo (1993); as portrayed by Rock Hudson in The Lawless Breed (1953); as portrayed by Randy Quaid in the television mini-series adaptation of McMurtry’s Streets of Laredo (1995); Johnny Cash wrote and recorded a song called “Hardin Wouldn’t Run”; Bob Dylan recorded an album called John Wesley Harding (1967) with a title track of the same name, both misspelled; and Hardin is mentioned in Michael Martin Murphey’s song “Rhymes of the Renegades”.
On this day in 1936 poet, playwright and theatre director 
Close to the olive tree indicated by some as marking the location of the grave, there is a stone memorial to Federico García Lorca and all other victims of the Civil War, 1936–39. Flowers are laid at the memorial every year on the anniversary of his death, and a commemorative event including music and readings of the poet’s works is held every year in the park to mark the anniversary. On 17 August 2011, to remember the 75th anniversary of Lorca’s assassination and to celebrate his life and legacy, this event included dance, song, poetry and dramatic readings and attracted hundreds of spectators.
The Final Footprint – Balzac is interred at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise in Paris. Victor Hugo served as a pallbearer and eulogist and Alexandre Dumas attended the funeral. His grave is marked by a large stone monument topped by a bronze bust of Balzac. He became the subject of a monumental statue by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, which stands near the intersection of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Montparnasse. Other notable Final Footprints at Père Lachaise include; Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Bizet, Jean-Dominique Bauby, Maria Callas, Frédéric Chopin, Colette, Auguste Comte, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Eugène Delacroix, Max Ernst, Molière, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Camille Pissarro, Marcel Proust, Sully Prudhomme, Gioachino Rossini, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Gertrude Stein, Dorothea Tanning, Alice B. Toklas, Oscar Wilde, and Richard Wright.
The Final Footprint
On this day in 1838, Venetian opera librettist and poet Lorenzo Da Ponte died in New York at the age of 89. Born Emanuele Conegliano in Ceneda, in the Republic of Venice (now Vittorio Veneto, Italy) on 10 March 1749. He was Jewish by birth, the eldest of three sons. In 1764, his father, the widower Geronimo Conegliano, converted himself and his family to Roman Catholicism in order to remarry. Emanuele, as was the custom, took the name of Lorenzo Da Ponte from the Bishop of Ceneda who baptised him. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart’s greatest operas, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.
The Final Footprint – An enormous funeral ceremony was held in New York’s old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mulberry Street. Some sources state that Da Ponte is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, but that cemetery did not exist before 1848. Other sources say Da Ponte was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, as a rural cemetery in Kings County, New York. Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, New York does contain a stone marker to serve as a memorial to Da Ponte. Other notable final footprints at Green-Wood include; Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ebbets, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
On this day in 1973 novelist and poet, Pulitzer Prize recipient, Poet Laureate, Conrad Aiken died in Savannah, Georgia at the age of 84. Born Conrad Potter Aiken on 5 August 1889 in Savannah. A good source for information on Aiken’s life is his autobiographical novel Ushant (1952). In this book he writes of his various affairs and marriages, his attempted suicide and fear of insanity, and his friendships with T.S. Eliot (who appears in the book as The Tsetse), Ezra Pound (Rabbi Ben Ezra), and others. He was a graduate of Harvard. Aiken married three times; Jessie McDonald (1912-1929 divorce), Clarissa Lorenz (1930) and Mary Hoover (1937-1973 his death).
The Final Footprint – Aiken is interred in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. His wife Mary was interred next to him upon her death in 1992. Their graves are marked with an engraved granite bench with two epitaphs; GIVE MY LOVE TO THE WORLD and COSMOS MARINER DESTINATION UNKNOWN. The grave was made famous by its mention in John Berendt’s non-fiction book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994), one of my favorite books. The book was subsequently made into a 1997 movie, directed by Clint Eastwood and based loosely on Berendt’s story. Johnny Mercer is also interred in Bonaventure.
On this day in 1983, lyricist, Academy Award nominee, Pulitzer Prize recipient, Ira Gershwin died in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 86. Born Israel Gershowitz on 6 December 1896 in New York City. He collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century.
The Final Footprint – He is entombed in the George Gershwin Private Mausoleum at Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York with his brother George. Notable songs he wrote lyrics for include:
On this day in 1990, actress and singer Pearl Bailey died 
The Final Footprint
On this day in 2015, ballet dancer and actress (Batgirl, Marta on Star Trek) Yvonne Craig died from breast cancer 
The Final Footprint
The Final Footprint – Jonson is interred in an upright vault in the north aisle of the Nave in Westminster Abbey. The inscription over his grave says; O Rare Ben Johnson. Other notable Final Footprints at Westminster include; Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles II, Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Edward III, Edward IV, Edward The Confessor, Elizabeth I, George II, Stephen Hawking, George Friederic Handel, Henry III, Henry V, Henry VII, James VI and I, Samuel Johnson, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mary I, Mary II, Mary Queen of Scots, John Milton, Isaac Newton, Laurence Olivier, Henry Purcell, Richard II, Thomas Shadwell, Edmund Spenser, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Dylan Thomas, and William III.
On this day in 1977, singer, actor, American icon, the King of Rock and Roll, the King, Elvis Presley died from a heart attack, that may have been brought on by prescription drug abuse, at his Graceland home in Memphis at the age of 42. Or if you prefer, he went away on that day. One of my daughters likes to quote a line from the film Men in Black (1997), starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith; “No, Elivs is not dead, he just went home.” Born Elvis Aaron Presley on 8 January 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. What can be said that has not already been said? Certainly he is one of my favorite singers. In my opinion, Elvis has to be considered as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. My favorite songs sung by Elvis include; “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Hard Headed Woman”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Way Down”, “Guitar Man”, “A Little Less Conversation”, “Burning Love”, “Viva Las Vegas”, and “Promised Land”. My favorite movies featuring Elvis inlcude; Love Me Tender (1956) and King Creole (1958). Elvis married Priscilla Ann Beaulieu on 1 May 1967 in the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Their divorce was finalized on 9 October 1973. Questions surround Elvis: Did Colonel Tom Parker’s tight control derail Elvis’ acting career? Was Elvis his own worst enemy? Did those around him enable and encourage his destructive tendencies? Did he really die that day or was the whole thing staged so he could finally get away? Upon learning of Elvis’ death, did Parker really say. “This changes nothing!”
The Final Footprint – Elvis was initially entombed in a private room, in a crypt next to his mother, in the mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Memphis. Following an attempt to steal the singer’s body, the remains of both Elvis and his mother were reburied in Graceland’s Meditation Garden. His grave is marked by a full ledger flat bronze on granite marker. The inscriptions reads: HE WAS A PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD WE CHERISHED AND LOVED DEARLY. HE HAD A GOD-GIVEN TALENT THAT HE SHARED WITH THE WORLD AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, MOST WIDELY ACCLAIMED, CAPTURING THE HEARTS OF YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. HE WAS ADMIRED NOT ONLY AS AN ENTERTAINER BUT AS THE GREAT HUMANITARIAN THAT HE WAS, FOR HIS GENEROSITY AND HIS KIND FEELINGS FOR HIS FELLOW MAN. HE REVOLUTIONIZED THE THE FIELD OF MUSIC AND RECEIVED ITS’ HIGHEST AWARDS. HE BECAME A LIVING LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME, EARNING THE RESPECT AND LOVE OF MILLIONS. GOD SAW THAT HE NEEDED SOME REST AND CALLED HIM HOME TO BE WITH HIM. WE MISS YOU, SON AND DADDY. I THANK GOD HE GAVE US YOU AS OUR SON. His father and his paternal grandmother were interred at Graceland upon their deaths. Elvis has inspired many artistic and cultural works. He has been portrayed in films by many including: Kurt Russell as the voice of Elvis in the film Forrest Gump (1994) based on the Winston Groom novel and featuring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise; and Val Kilmer as the Ghost of Elvis, the mentor, in Quentin Tarrantino’s True Romance (1993) with Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini and Brad Pitt.
On this day in 1938, blues singer, songwriter and musician, Robert Johnson died near Greenwood, Mississippi of an unknown cause at the age of 27, thus becoming a member of the 27 Club or Forever 27 Club, a term used to refer to popular musicians who have died at the age of 27 and includes, Rolling Stone Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse. Born Robert Leroy Johnson in Hazlehurst, Mississippi possibly on 8 May 1911. His landmark recordings from 1936–37 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson’s shadowy, poorly documented life and untimely death have given rise to much legend, including the Faustian myth that he sold his soul at a crossroads to achieve success. As an itinerant performer who played mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime and his records sold poorly during his lifetime. It was only after the reissue of his recordings in 1961 on the LP King of the Delta Blues Singers that his work reached a wider audience. Johnson is now recognized as a master of the blues, particularly of the Mississippi Delta blues style. He is credited by many rock musicians as an important influence; Eric Clapton has called Johnson “the most important blues singer that ever lived.” Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an “Early Influence” in their first induction ceremony in 1986.
The Final Footprint – The exact location of his grave is officially unknown. Johnson may have been buried in the graveyard of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church near Morgan City, not far from Greenwood, in an unmarked grave. A one-ton cenotaph in the shape of an obelisk, listing all of Johnson’s song titles, with a central inscription by Peter Guralnick, was placed at this location in 1990, paid for by Columbia Records and numerous smaller contributions made through the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. In 1990 a small marker with the epitaph “Resting in the Blues” was placed in the cemetery of Payne Chapel near Quito by an Atlanta rock group named the Tombstones, after they saw a photograph in Living Blues magazine of an unmarked spot alleged by one of Johnson’s ex-girlfriends to be Johnson’s burial site. More recent research by Stephen LaVere (including statements from Rosie Eskridge, the wife of the supposed gravedigger) indicates that the actual grave site is under a big pecan tree in the cemetery of the Little Zion Church, north of Greenwood along Money Road. Sony Music has placed a marker at this site.
On this day in 1948, baseball player, 2x All-Star, 7x World Series Champion, AL MVP, New York Yankees #3 retired, home run king, baseball Hall of Famer, the Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, American Icon, Babe Ruth died in New York City at age 53 from cancer. Born George Herman Ruth on 6 February 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and outfielder who played for 22 seasons on three teams, from 1914 through 1935. He was known for his hitting brilliance setting career records in his time for home runs (714, since broken), slugging percentage (.690), runs batted in (RBI) (2,213, since broken), bases on balls (2,062, since broken), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.164). Ruth originally entered the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder. He subsequently became one of the American League’s most prolific hitters and with his home run hitting prowess, he helped the Yankees win seven pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves, and the following year, he became one of the first five players to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ruth was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), a mark not surpassed until another Yankee right fielder, Roger Maris, hit 61 in 1961. Ruth’s lifetime record of 714 home runs stood until 1974, when it was surpassed by Hank Aaron. Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for a high batting average: his .342 lifetime average is the tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season (1923) he batted .393, a Yankee record. Ruth dominated the era in which he played. He led the league in home runs during a season twelve times, slugging percentage and OPS thirteen times each, runs scored eight times, and RBIs six times. Ruth is credited with changing baseball itself. The popularity of the game exploded in the 1920s, largely due to his influence. Ruth ushered in the “live-ball era”, as his big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only excited fans, but helped baseball evolve from a low-scoring, speed-dominated game to a high-scoring power game. He has since become regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture. Ruth’s legendary power and charismatic personality made him a larger than life figure in the “Roaring Twenties” and one of the first sports celebrity superstars whose fame transcended sports. Off the field, he was famous for his charity contributions which included helping children to learn and play baseball, and for his often reckless lifestyle. Perhaps the greatest baseball player and hitter of all time. Ruth married two times; Margaret Helen Woodford (1914 – 1929 her death) and Clara Mae “Claire” Merritt Hodgson (1928 – 1948 his death).
The Final Footprint – His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium. An estimated 77,000 people filed past to pay him tribute. His funeral was two days later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, outside of which a crowd estimated at 75,000 waited. Ruth was then buried in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. At his death, the New York Times called Babe Ruth, “a figure unprecedented in American life. A born showman off the field and a marvelous performer on it, he had an amazing flair for doing the spectacular at the most dramatic moment.” The Yankees added a monument to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium to honor Ruth. Monument Park is an open-air museum containing a collection of monuments, plaques, and retired numbers honoring distinguished members of the Yankees. Other notable Yankees whose final footprints include memorialization in Monument Park; Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, George Steinbrenner, Casey Stengel, Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin, Mel Allen, and Bob Sheppard. Other notable final footprints at Gate of Heaven include; James Cagney, Billy Martin, Sal Mineo, and Dutch Schultz.
On this day in 1949, author of Gone with the Wind (1936), Pulitzer Prize recipient, Margaret Mitchell died at Grady Hospital five days after being struck by a speeding automobile as she crossed Peachtree Street at 13th Street in Atlanta with her husband, John Marsh, while on her way to see a movie. She was 48. Born Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell on 8 November 1900 in Atlanta. Mitchell began writing Gone with the Wind in 1926 to pass the time while recovering from an auto-crash injury that refused to heal. In April 1935, Harold Latham of Macmillan, an editor who was looking for new fiction, read what she had written and saw that it could be a best-seller. After Latham agreed to publish the book, Mitchell worked for another six months checking the historical references, and rewrote the opening chapter several times. Mitchell and her husband John Marsh, a copy editor by trade, edited the final version of the novel. Mitchell wrote the book’s final moments first, and then wrote the events that led up to it. The story is set in Clayton County, Georgia, and Atlanta during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. It depicts the experiences of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, Gerald O’Hara, who must use every means at her disposal to come out of the poverty she finds herself in after the war. On 15 December 1939 an estimated one million people came to Atlanta for the premiere of David O. Selznick’s epic film based on Mitchell’s novel. The film was immensely popular, becoming the highest-earning film made up to that point and has become ingrained in popular culture. It has placed in the top ten of the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 American films since the list’s inception in 1998, and in 1989, Gone with the Wind was selected to be preserved by the National Film Registry.
The Final Footprint – Mitchell is interred in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. GWTW ranked as the second most favorite book by American readers, just behind the Bible, according to a 2008 Harris Poll. As of 2010, more than 30 million copies have been printed in the United States and abroad. The book routinely appears on best English-Language novels lists. Another notable final footprint at Oakland is that of Bobby Jones.
On this day in 1956, actor Béla Lugosi died of a heart attack while lying on a couch in his Los Angeles home, at the age of 73. Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó in Lugos, Kingdom of Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania) on 20 October 1882. Lugosi is famous for starring in the first talking film version of Dracula and for his roles in various other horror films. He had been playing small parts on the stage in his native Hungary before making his first film in 1917, but had to leave the country after the failed Hungarian Revolution, and arrived in America as a seaman on a merchant ship. In 1927, he appeared as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. He would appear in the classic 1931 Dracula film by Universal Pictures. Lugosi married five times; Ilona Szmick (1917 – 1920 divorce), Ilona von Montagh (1921 – 1924 divorce), Beatrice Weeks (1929 – 1929 divorce), Lillian Arch (1933 – 1953 divorce), Hope Lininger (1955 – 1956 his death).
The Final Footprint – Lugosi was interred wearing one of the Dracula Cape costumes in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Other notable final footprints at Holy Cross include; John Candy, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, John Ford, Rita Hayworth, Mario Lanza, Al Martino, Audrey Meadows, Ricardo Montalbán, Hermes Pan, Chris Penn, Jean Peters, Jo Stafford, and Sharon Tate.
On this day in 2019, actor, director, and screenwriter Peter Fonda died from respiratory failure caused by lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 79. Born Peter Henry Fonda on February 23, 1940 in New York City. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a part of the counterculture of the 1960s. Fonda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Easy Rider (1969), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Ulee’s Gold (1997). For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Fonda also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999).
King, MacBeth, King of Scotland was mortally wounded or killed by the future Malcolm III on the north side of the Mounth after retreating with his men over the Cairnamounth Pass to take his last stand at the battle at Lumphanan; or perhaps he was wounded and died at Scone, sixty miles to the south. MacBeth was born possibly in 1005, the son of Findláech mac Ruaidrí, Mormaer, or King, of Moray, a high lordship in High Medieval Scotland. MacBeth became king in 1040 when Duncan, King of Scotland led an army into Moray, where he was killed by Macbeth on 15 August 1040 at Pitgaveny (then called Bothnagowan) near Elgin. MacBeth is perhaps best known as the subject of Shakespeare’s play MacBeth. One of my very favorite plays. One of my sons has MacBeth as one of his middle names.
The Final Footprint – MacBeth is interred in Saint Orans Chapel Cemetery Iona Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The play MacBeth served as inspiration for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera MacBeth (1847). Numerous films have been made based on MacBeth and the play is often in production throughout the world. In My Defens God Me Defend!
On this day in 1935, cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator and motion picture actor, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son, Will Rogers died at the age of 55 with aviator Wiley Post, when their small airplane crashed in Point Barrow, Alaska. Born William Penn Adair Rogers on the Dog Iron Ranch in “White House on the Verdigris River”, in Indian Territory, near present-day Oologah, Oklahoma on 4 November 1879. He was one of the world’s best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s. He traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 “talkies”), wrote more than 4,000 nationally-syndicated newspaper columns, and became a world-famous figure. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was adored by the American people. He was the leading political wit of the Progressive Era, and was the top-paid Hollywood movie star at the time. His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed him to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition, politicians, government programs, and a host of other controversial topics in a way that was readily appreciated by a national audience, with no one offended. His aphorisms, couched in humorous terms, were widely quoted: “I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat.” Another widely quoted Will Rogers comment was “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” Rogers even provided an epitaph on his most famous epigram:
The Final Footprint – Rogers is entombed at the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma.
On this day in 1936, Italian writer whose works won her the Nobel Prize for Literature for 1926, Grazia Deledda died in Rome at the age of 64.
The Final Footprint – Her final resting place is in the Cimitero Comunale Monumentale Campo Verano in Rome.
