On this day in 1896, chemist, engineer, innovator, the inventor of dynamite and armaments manufacturer, Alfred Nobel, died in San Remo, Italy at the age of 63. Born Alfred Bernhard Nobel on 21 October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1888 Alfred’s brother Ludvig died while visiting Cannes and a French newspaper erroneously published Alfred’s obituary. It condemned him for his invention of dynamite. The obituary stated Le marchand de la mort est mort (“The merchant of death is dead”) and went on to say, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.” Nobel was disappointed with what he read and concerned with how he would be remembered. On 27 November 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and testament and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes, to be awarded annually without distinction of nationality. Since 1901, the prize has honored men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and for work in peace. Though Nobel remained unmarried, his biographers note that he had at least three loves. Nobel’s first love was in Russia with a girl named Alexandra, who rejected his proposal. In 1876 Austro-Bohemian Countess Bertha Kinsky became Alfred Nobel’s secretary. But after only a brief stay she left him to marry her previous lover, Baron Arthur Gundaccar von Suttner. Though her personal contact with Alfred Nobel had been brief, she corresponded with him until his death in 1896, and it is believed that she was a major influence in his decision to include a peace prize among those prizes provided in his will. Nobel’s third and long-lasting love was with a flower girl named Sofie Hess from Vienna. This liaison lasted for 18 years and in many of the exchanged letters, Nobel addressed his love as ‘Madame Sofie Nobel’.
The Final Footprint – Nobel is interred in Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm. His grave is marked by a large upright monument. Another notable final footprint at Norra begravningsplatsen is that of Ingrid Bergman.
On this day in 1909, war leader and a chief of the Oglala Lakota, Red Cloud died at the age of 88 on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. Born Maȟpíya Lúta close to the forks of the Platte River, near the modern-day city of North Platte, Nebraska. His mother, Walks As She Thinks, was an Oglala Lakota and his father, Lone Man, was a Brulé Lakota chief. He led as a chief from 1868 to 1909. One of the most capable Native American opponents the United States Army faced, he led a successful campaign in 1866–1868 known as Red Cloud’s War over control of the Powder River Country in northeastern Wyoming and southern Montana. After signing the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), he led his people in the important transition to reservation life. He is quoted as saying, “They made us many promises, more than I can remember. But they kept but one–They promised to take our land…and they took it.”
The Final Footprint – Red Cloud was interred on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 2000, he was selected for induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. He has been honored by the United States Postal Service with a 10¢ Great Americans series postage stamp.
#RIP #OTD in 1936 dramatist (Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore, Ciascuno a suo modo, Questa sera si recita a soggetto), novelist, poet, and short story writer Luigi Pirandello died alone in his home at Via Bosio, Rome, aged 69. Casa Natale di Luigi Pirandello, Agrigento, Sicilia
On this day in 1965, singer and songwriter, record producer, arranger, The King of Soul, The Big O, The Mad Man from Macon, Rockhouse Redding, Otis Redding died at the age of 26 when his twin engine Beechcraft Model 18 plane crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. In my opinion, he is one of the major figures in soul music and rhythm and blues, and one of the greatest singers in the history of music. Among the songs he wrote or co-wrote are; “Respect” and “Dock of the Bay”. Born Otis Ray Redding, Jr. on 9 September 1941 in Dawson, Georgia.
The Final Footprint – Redding was entombed at his ranch, The Big O, in Round Oak, about 20 miles north of Macon. On 8 November 1987, a memorial plaque was placed on the lakeside deck of the Madison convention center, Monona Terrace.
#RIP #OTD in 1978 filmmaker (Glen or Glenda, Jail Bait, Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Night of the Ghouls, The Sinister Urge), actor, and author Ed Wood died from a heart attack in North Hollywood, aged 54. Cremated remains scattered at sea
#RIP #OTD in 1988 actor (Lovers and Other Strangers, Peter Clemenza in The Godfather) Richard S. Castellano died from a heart attack at his home in North Bergen, New Jersey, aged 55. Cremation. “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.
#RIP #OTD in 1991 artist, White House artist during the Truman administration, Greta Kempton died in New York City from heart failure aged 88. Cremated remains inurned, columbarium in the Church of the Transfiguration, Manhattan
#RIP #OTD in 1996 singer (“If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)”, “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young”, “Hello Walls”, “It’s Four in the Morning”) Faron Young died from a gunshot wound in Nashville, aged 64. Cremated remains scattered, Old Hickory Lake at Johnny Cash’s house
On this day in 2005, stand-up comedian, actor, and social critic Richard Pryor died from a heart attack in Encino, Los Angeles at the age of 65. Born Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor on December 1, 1940 in Peoria, Illinois. Perhaps best known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities and profanity, as well as racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his observations and storytelling style. In my opinion, he is one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time: Jerry Seinfeld called Pryor “The Picasso of our profession” and Bob Newhart heralded Pryor as “the seminal comedian of the last 50 years”. Dave Chappelle said of Pryor, “You know those, like, evolution charts of man? He was the dude walking upright. Richard was the highest evolution of comedy.” This legacy can be attributed, in part, to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. As Bill Cosby reportedly once said, “Richard Pryor drew the line between comedy and tragedy as thin as one could possibly paint it.”
Pryor’s body of work includes the concert movies and recordings: Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin’ (1971), (1975), Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979), Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), and Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983). As an actor, he starred mainly in comedies such as Silver Streak (1976), but occasionally in dramas, such as Paul Schrader’s Blue Collar (1978), or action films, such as Superman III (1983). He collaborated on many projects with actor Gene Wilder. Another frequent collaborator was actor/comedian/writer Paul Mooney.
Pryor won an Emmy Award (1973) and five Grammy Awards (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, and 1982). In 1974, he also won two American Academy of Humor awards and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first-ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998.
Pryor was married seven times to five women. His wives were:
- Patricia Price, whom he married in 1960 and divorced the following year.
- Shelley Bonus, whom he married in 1967 and divorced in 1969.
- Deborah McGuire, whom he married on September 22, 1977; they divorced the following year.
- Jennifer Lee, whom he married in August 1981. They divorced in October 1982, but later remarried on June 29, 2001, and remained married until Pryor’s death.
- Flynn Belaine, whom he married in October 1986. They were divorced in July 1987, but later remarried on April 1, 1990. They divorced again in July 1991.
The Final Footprint – Pryor was cremated. His cremated remains were later spread in 2019 by his widow, Jennifer, in Hana, Hawaii.
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On this day in 1980, Grammy award-winning musician and singer-songwriter John Lennon, was shot to death in front of his apartment The Dakota in New York City, at the age of 40. Born John Winston Lennon on 9 October 1940 in Liverpool, England. Founding member along with Paul McCartney of The Beatles. The Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful in music history. Lennon was married twice; Cynthia Powell (1962 – 1968 divorce) and Yoko Ono (1969 – 1980 his death). I learned of his death, as did many others, while watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell made the live announcement. The game was between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. Word had been passed to Cosell and Frank Gifford by Roone Arledge, who was president of ABC’s news and sports divisions at the time, near the end of the game and Cosell’s announcement was prefaced by Gifford saying, “And I don’t care what’s on the line, Howard, you have got to say what we know in the booth.” Cosell then announced:
The Final Footprint – The USS Arizona Memorial marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the USS Arizona during the Attack on Pearl Harbor and commemorates the events of that day. Elvis staged a benefit concert to raise money for the construction. The memorial, dedicated in 1962 spans the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it. Historical information about the attack, boat access to the memorial, and general visitor services are available at the associated USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, opened in 1980 and operated by the National Park Service. The sunken remains of the battleship were declared a National Historic Landmark on 5 May 1989. The shrine at the far end is a marble wall that bears the names of all those killed on the USS Arizona, protected behind velvet ropes. The inscription reads; “To the Memory of the Gallant Men Here Entombed and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941, on the U.S.S. Arizona.” Contrary to popular belief, the USS Arizona is no longer in commission. She is, however, an active U.S. military cemetery. As a special tribute to the ship and her lost crew, the United States flag flies from the flagpole, which is attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship. The USS Arizona Memorial has come to commemorate all military personnel killed in the Pearl Harbor attack. To this day, oil can still be seen rising from the wreckage to the surface of the water. The oil seeping is sometimes referred to as “the tears of the Arizona” or “black tears.”
On this day in 1949, iconic folk and blues musician, King of the 12-String Guitar, Lead Belly, died in New York City at the age of 61. Born Huddie William Ledbetter in January 1888 on the Jeter Plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana. He was incarcerated in 1918 for killing one of his relatives in a fight over a woman, and in 1930 for attempted homicide. Lead Belly’s vast songbook, much of which he adapted from previous sources, has provided material for numerous folk, country, pop and rock acts since his time including: The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Jr., Creedence Clearwater Revival, Harry Belafonte, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Ram Jam, Tom Petty, Dr John, Ry Cooder, Odetta, Tom Waits, Rod Stewart, Ernest Tubb, The Doors, and Meat Loaf.
On this day in 1983, French diseuse and singer Lucienne Boyer, died in Paris, aged 82. Perhaps best known for her song “Parlez-moi d’amour”. Born Émilienne-Henriette Boyer in Montparnasse, Paris on 18 August 1901.
And on this day in 2017, singer and actor Johnny Hallyday died from lung cancer in Marnes-la-Coquette, near Paris, at the age of 74. Born Jean-Philippe Léo Smet on 15 June 1943 in Paris.
On this day in 1784, author considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry, Phillis Wheatley Peters, died at the approximate age of 31 in Boston. Born in West Africa c. 1753, she was kidnapped and subsequently sold into enslavement at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America, where she was bought by the Wheatley family of Boston. After she learned to read and write, they encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent.
The Final Footprint – Dumas was cremated and his cremains were originally interred at his birthplace of Villers-Cotterêts in the department of Aisne. In 2002 for the bicentennial of Dumas’ birth, the French President, Jacques Chirac, had a ceremony honouring the author by having his cremains inurned at the mausoleum of the Panthéon of Paris, where many French luminaries were buried. The proceedings were televised: the new coffin was draped in a blue velvet cloth and carried on a caisson flanked by four mounted Republican Guards costumed as the four Musketeers. It was transported through Paris to the Panthéon. In his speech, President Chirac said:
Le déjeuner sur l’herbe, (right section), with Gustave Courbet, 1865–1866, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
On this day in 1131 polymath, mathematician, astronomer, historian, philosopher, and poet Omar Khayyam died in his hometown of Nishapur, Persia (now Iran) aged 83. Born 18 May 1048 in Nishapur, the initial capital of the Seljuk Empire.
The Final Footprint – William was interred before the high altar in Arbroath Abbey in Arbroath, Scotland. The Abbey is cared for by Historic Scotland and is open to the public throughout the year. The distinctive red sandstone ruins stand at the top of the High Street in Arbroath. In My Defens, God Me Defend!
The Final Footprint – Drummond was buried in his parish church of Lasswade.
