On this day in 1519, daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Lady of Pesaro and Gradara, Duchess of Bisceglie and Princess of Salerno, Duchess of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia Borgia died in Ferrara, Italy at the age of 39 from complications after giving birth to her eighth child, having had a lifelong history of complicated pregnancies and miscarriages. Born in Subiaco, near Rome on 18 April 1480. Her mother was Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of the mistresses of Lucrezia’s father, Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI). Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia. Lucrezia’s family later came to epitomize the ruthless Machiavellian politics and sexual corruption characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. Lucrezia was cast as a femme fatale, a role she has been portrayed as in many artworks, novels, films and an opera. Very little is known of Lucrezia, and the extent of her complicity in the political machinations of her father and brothers is unclear. They certainly arranged several marriages for her to important or powerful men in order to advance their own political ambitions. Lucrezia was married to Giovanni Sforza (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie), and Alfonso I d’Este (Duke of Ferrara). Tradition has it that Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples and that Lucrezia’s brother Cesare may have had him murdered after his political value waned.
The Final Footprint – Lucrezia was entombed in the convent of Corpus Domini. On 15 October 1816, the Romantic poet Lord Byron visited the Ambrosian Library of Milan. He was delighted by the letters between Borgia and her one-time lover, poet Pietro Bembo (“The prettiest love letters in the world”) and claimed to have managed to steal a lock of her hair (“the prettiest and fairest imaginable”) held on display. Victor Hugo’s 1833 stage play Lucrèce Borgia, loosely based on the stories of Lucrezia, was transformed into a libretto by Felice Romani for Donizetti’s opera, Lucrezia Borgia (1834), first performed at La Scala, Milan, 26 December 1834.
#RIP #OTD in 1909 novelist, short story writer (The Country of the Pointed Firs), poet, Sarah Orne Jewett died in her South Berwick, Maine from a stroke aged 59. Portland Street Cemetery, South Berwick, Maine
#RIP #OTD in 1933 soprano, called “The Black Patti” in reference to Italian opera singer Adelina Patti, Sissieretta
Jones died from cancer at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island aged 64-65. Grace Church Cemetery, Providence
#OTD #RIP in 1935 French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, the most prominent figure in the history of tango, «El Zorzal”, “The King of Tango” Carlos Gardel died in an airplane crash in Medellín, Columbia, aged 44. La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires
On this day in 1987 comedian, actor and musician Jackie Gleason died at his home in Lauderhill, Florida at the age of 71. Born Herbert Walton Gleason, Jr. on 26 February 1916 in either Bushwick or Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Perhaps best known for his role on television as Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners and for The Jackie Gleason Show (1952-1970). His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The Hustler (1961) starring Paul Newman, and as Buford T. Justice in the Smokey and the Bandit movie series. Gleason married three times; Genevieve Halford (1936-1970 divorce), Beverly McKittrick (1970-1975 divorce) and Marilyn Taylor (1975-1987 his death). His trademark phrases were “And away we go!” and “How sweet it is!”. In my opinion, The Honymooners is, without question, the “Bang, Zoom” funniest show that ever aired on television. And I will stand on Jerry Seinfeld’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that. I remember watching The Jackie Gleason Show as a kid. Gleason was hilarious in Smokey and the Bandit.
The Final Footprint – Gleason is entombed in a private mausoleum in Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Miami, Florida. Engraved at the base of the mausoleum is his epitaph; “AND AWAY WE GO”. A life-size statue of Gleason, in full uniform as bus driver Ralph Kramden, stands outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. Another statue stands at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in North Hollywood, California, showing Gleason in his famous “And away we go!” pose. Local signs on the Brooklyn Bridge, which indicate to drivers that they are entering Brooklyn, have the Gleason phrase “How Sweet It Is!” as part of the sign.
On this day in 2014, actor, graduate of the University of Texas, Eli Wallach died of natural causes at the age of 98 in Manhattan. Born Eli Herschel Wallach on 7 December 1915 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Wallach’s career spanned more than six decades, beginning in the late 1940s. On stage, he often co-starred with his wife, Anne Jackson, becoming one of the best-known acting couples in the American theater. Wallach initially studied method acting under Sanford Meisner, and later became a founding member of the Actors Studio, where he studied under Lee Strasberg. His versatility gave him the ability to play a wide variety of different roles throughout his career, primarily as a supporting actor.
For his debut screen performance in Baby Doll, he won a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Among his other most famous roles are; Calvera in The Magnificent Seven (1960), Guido in The Misfits (1961), and Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Don Altobello in The Godfather Part III, Cotton Weinberger in The Two Jakes (both 1990), and Arthur Abbott in The Holiday (2006). One of America’s most prolific screen actors, Wallach remained active well into his nineties, with roles as recently as 2010 in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Ghost Writer.
Wallach received BAFTA Awards, Tony Awards and Emmy Awards for his work, and received an Academy Honorary Award at the second annual Governors Awards, presented on November 13, 2010. Wallach and Jackson were married from 1948 until his death.
The Final Footprint – Wallach was cremated.
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On this day in 1892, influential Quaker poet, ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States, , John Greenleaf Whittier died at the age of 84 at a friend’s home in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Born near Haverhill, Massachusetts, on 17 December 1807. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets along with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant, James Russell Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Whittier appears to have been strongly influenced by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Perhaps best remembered for his poem Snow-Bound, and the words of the hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, from his poem “The Brewing of Soma”, sung to music by Hubert Parry.
The Final Footprint – Whittier is interred in Union Cemetery in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Whittier’s family farm, known as the John Greenleaf Whittier Homestead or simply “Whittier’s Birthplace”, is now a historic site open to the public. His later residence in Amesbury, where he lived for 56 years, is also open to the public, now known as the John Greenleaf Whittier Home. Whittier’s hometown of Haverhill has named many buildings and landmarks in his honor including J.G. Whittier Middle School, Greenleaf Elementary, and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. Numerous other schools around the country also bear his name.
On this day in 1962, author Karen Blixen, Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, died at Rungstedlund, her family’s estate in Denmark, at the age of 77. Born Karen Christenze Dinesen on 17 April 1885 in Rungsted, Denmark. Best known for her book Out of Africa, which was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford as the English big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton. In 1913 Karen Dinesen became engaged to her second-cousin, the Swedish Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke, after a failed love affair with his brother. The couple moved to Kenya, where in early 1914 they used family money to establish a coffee plantation, hiring African workers, predominantly the Kikuyu tribes people who lived on the farmlands at the time of their arrival. The Blixens separated in 1921, and were divorced in 1925. During her early years in Kenya, Blixen met Hatton and after her separation she and Hatton developed a close friendship which eventually became a long-term love affair.
The Final Footprint – Blixen was buried at Rungstedlund under a large beech tree. Her full ledger flat marker simply states her name – Karen Blixen. In addition, the family estate has been turned into a museum and is open to the public.
On this day in 1978, musician, drummer, member of The Who, Keith Moon died at the age of 32 from an overdose of prescription medication in Harry Nilsson’s flat, No.12 at 9 Curzon Place (now called Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair. Perhaps the greatest drummer in the history of rock. The Who emerged in 1964 with singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and Moon. They combined popular singles, such as “My Generation” (1965), “Substitute” (1966), “I Can See for Miles” (1967), “Pinball Wizard” (1969), and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971), with critically acclaimed albums such as the rock operas Tommy (1969), and Quadrophenia (1973). They are known for energetic live performances which, since a performance at the Railway Hotel in Wealdstone in June 1964 when Townshend smashed his guitar in anger and frustration, often include smashing their instruments. For much of their career they have been regarded as the third most important British rock act after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Moon died shortly after the release of Who Are You. On the album cover, he is seated on a chair back-to-front. The words “NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY” appear on the back of the chair. Born Keith John Moon on 23 August 1946 in Wembley, Middlesex, London.
The Final Footprint – Moon was cremated on 13 September 1978, at Golders Green Crematorium in London and his ashes scattered in its Gardens of Remembrance. GGC was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The crematorium, the Philipson Family mausoleum, designed by Edwin Lutyens, the wall, along with memorials and gates, the Martin Smith Mausoleum, and Into The Silent Land statue are all Grade II listed buildings. The gardens are included in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. GGC is in Hoop Lane, off Finchley Road, Golders Green, London NW11, ten minutes’ walk from Golders Green tube station. It is directly opposite the Golders Green Jewish Cemetery. The crematorium is secular, accepts all faiths and non-believers; clients may arrange their own type of service or remembrance event and choose whatever music they wish. Other notable cremations at GGC include; Kingsley Amis, Marc Bolan, Neville Chamberlain, T. S. Eliot, Sigmund Freud, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, Vivien Leigh, Peter Sellers, Bram Stoker, H. G. Wells, and Amy Winehouse.
On this day in 2003, singer, songwriter, musician Warren Zevon died, aged 56, at his home in Los Angeles, California from cancer. Born Warren William Zevon on 24 January 1947 in Chicago. Perhaps his best-known compositions include “Werewolves of London”, “Excitable Boy”, “Lawyers, Guns and Money”, “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” and “Johnny Strikes Up the Band”, all of which are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978). Other well-known songs written by Zevon have been recorded by other artists, including “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” (a top 40 hit by Linda Ronstadt), “Accidentally Like a Martyr”, “Mohammed’s Radio”, “Carmelita”, and “Hasten Down the Wind”. Along with his own compositions, Zevon recorded or performed occasional covers, including Allen Toussaint’s A Certain Girl, Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and Leonard Cohen’s “First We Take Manhattan”. He was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman later performed guest vocals on “Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)” with Paul Shaffer and members of the CBS Orchestra on Zevon’s My Ride’s Here album.
The Final Footprint – Tubb was buried at Hermitage Memorial Gardens, a 
The Final Footprint – He is interred in a communal grave in the Grande Tombe de Villeroy, Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France, France. Péguy wrote: “There will be things that I do that no one will be left to understand.”
The Final Footprint – He is interred in the Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in Coachella, California. His grave is marked by a flat granite marker.
On this day in 1910, post-impressionist painter Henri Rousseau died in Paris at the age of 66. Born Henri Julien Félix Rousseau on May 21, 1844 in Laval, Mavenne. He was also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. He started painting seriously in his early forties; by age 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time.
On this day in 1973 writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, J.R.R. Tolkien died in Bournemouth, England at the age of 81. Born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State (now Free State Province, part of South Africa). Best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. He was at one time a close friend of C. S. Lewis, both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972. After his father’s death, Tolkien’s son Christopher published a series of works based on his father’s extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including The Silmarillion. These, together with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about a fantasy world called Arda, and Middle-earth within it. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term legendarium to the larger part of these writings. While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the “father” of modern fantasy literature or, more precisely, of high fantasy. Tolkien was married to Edith Mary Bratt (1916 – 1971 her death).
The Final Footprint – Tolkien is interred with his wife Edith in Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, England. Their graves are marked by an upright companion granite marker.
The Final Footprint – The Connally’s are buried together at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Texans widely regard her as a beloved daughter of the great state of Texas. Other notable final footprints at Texas State Cemetery include; Stephen F. Austin, J. Frank Dobie, Barbara Jordan, Tom Landry (cenotaph), James A. Michener (cenotaph), Ann Richards, Edwin “Bud” Shrake, Big Foot Wallace, and Walter Prescott Webb. What are your thoughts on the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s assassination?
On this day in 1867, French poet, essayist, art critic, translator, Charles Baudelaire died in Paris at the age of 46. Born Charles Pierre Baudelaire on 9 April 1821 in Paris. Produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the 19th century. Baudelaire’s highly original style of prose-poetry influenced a whole generation of poets. He is credited with coining the term “modernity” (modernité) to designate the fleeting, ephemeral experience of life in an urban metropolis, and the responsibility art has to capture that experience. In my opinion, he is one of the major innovators of French literature. For 20 years, Jeanne Duval was the muse of Baudelaire. They met in 1842, when Duval left Haiti for France, and the two remained together, albeit stormily, for the next two decades. Duval is said to have been the woman whom Baudelaire loved most, in his life, after his mother. She was born in Haiti on an unknown date, sometime around 1820. Poems of Baudelaire’s which are dedicated to Duval or pay her homage are: Le balcon, Parfum exotique, La chevelure, Sed non satiata, Le serpent qui danse, and Une charogne. Baudelaire called her “mistress of mistresses” and his “Vénus Noire” (“Black Venus”), and it is believed that, to him, Duval symbolized the dangerous beauty, sexuality, and mystery of a Creole woman in mid-nineteenth century France. He is perhaps my favorite poet.
The Final Footprint – Baudelaire is buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse, Paris. Other notable Final Footprints at Montparnasse include; Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, Emmanuel Chabrier, Guy de Maupassant, Adah Isaacs Menken, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jean-Paul Sartre, 
On this day in 1969 Italian-American boxing heavyweight champion of the world, The Brockton Blockbuster, The Rock of Brockton, Rocky Marciano died when the small private plane he was a passenger on crashed near Newton, Iowa, the day before his 46th birthday. Born Rocco Francis Marchegiano on 1 September 1923 in Brockton, Massachusetts. Marciano is the only person to hold the heavyweight title and go untied and undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times, against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland LaStarza, Ezzard Charles (2x), Don Cockell and Archie Moore.
The Final Footprint – Marciano is entombed in the mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Central in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
On this day in 1973, United States Navy veteran, film director, 4x Academy Award winner for Best Director (which is a record), John Ford died in Palm Desert, California at the age of 79. Born John Martin Feeney on 1 February 1894 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Ford was famous for his Westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford’s films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues. In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain. Ford was instrumental in launching the career of his friend, John Wayne.
The Final Footprint – Ford’s funeral was held on 5 September at Hollywood’s Church of the Blessed Sacrament. He was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Other notable final footprints at Holy Cross include; John Candy, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Chick Hearn, Rita Hayworth, Bela Lugosi, Al Martino, Audrey Meadows, Ricardo Montalbán, Chris Penn, Jo Stafford, and Sharon Tate.
On this day in 1997, the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales, Diana died in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris along with her then boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul, at the age of 36. Born Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England into the Spencer family, a British noble family descended in the male line from Henry Spencer (died c. 1478), male-line ancestor of the Earls of Sunderland, the later Dukes of Marlborough, and the Earls Spencer. Sir Winston Churchill was a grandson of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. Diana became Lady Diana Spencer when her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. She became a public figure with the announcement of her engagement. Her wedding to Charles on 29 July 1981 was held at St Paul’s Cathedral and seen by a global television audience of over 750 million. While married she bore the titles Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester and Baroness of Renfrew. The marriage produced two sons, the princes William and Harry, who were respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne throughout her lifetime. After her marriage, she undertook a variety of public engagements. She was well known for her fund-raising work for international charities and as an eminent celebrity of the late 20th century. She also received recognition for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. From 1989, she was the president of Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, in addition to dozens of other charities. Diana remained the object of worldwide media scrutiny during and after her marriage, which ended in divorce on 28 August 1996.
The Final Footprint – The sudden and unexpected death of an extraordinarily popular royal figure brought statements from senior figures worldwide and many tributes by members of the public. People left public offerings of flowers, candles, cards and personal messages outside Kensington Palace for many months. Her coffin, draped with royal flag, was brought to London from Paris by Prince Charles and her two sisters on 31 August 1997. After being taken to a private mortuary it was put at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace. Diana’s funeral took place in Westminster Abbey on 6 September. The previous day Queen Elizabeth II had paid tribute to her in a live television broadcast. Her sons walked in the funeral procession behind her coffin, along with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh, and with Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. Lord Spencer said of his sister, “She proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.” Princess Diana is entombed in a private mausoleum on the Island on the lake Oval on the grounds of the Spencer Estate in Althorp. Permanent memorials include:
On this day in 2002 jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor, Gates, Hamp, Mad Lionel, Lionel Hampton died from congestive heart failure at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, at the age of 94. Born Lionel Leo Hampton on 20 April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. Hampton was one of the first jazz vibraphone players and ranks among the great names in jazz history. Hampton married Gladys Riddle (1936-1971 her death).
The Final Footprint – His funeral was held on 7 September 2002 and featured a performance by Wynton Marsalis and David Ostwald’s Gully Low Jazz Band at Riverside Church in Manhattan; the procession began at The Cotton Club in Harlem. Hampton is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. His grave is marked by a large upright companion granite marker and a granite foot marker. His epitaph is, “Flying Home.” Other notable Final Footprints at Woodlawn include; Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Fiorello La Guardia, Rowland Macy, Bat Masterson, Herman Melville, J. C. Penney, and Joseph Pulitzer.
On this day in 1979, actress Jean Seberg died at the age of 40 from an apparent intentional overdose of barbiturates in the back seat of her Renault, which was parked close to her Paris apartment in the 16th arrondissement. Born Jean Dorothy Seberg on 13 November 1938 in Marshalltown, Iowa. She starred in 37 films in Hollywood and in Europe, including Bonjour Tristesse (1958), À bout de soufflé (Breathless) (1960), the musical Paint Your Wagon (1969), and the disaster film Airport (1970). Seberg is also one of the best-known targets of the FBI COINTELPRO project. Her victimization was rendered as a well-documented retaliation for her support of civil rights and activist groups in the 1960s. Seberg married François Moreuil (1958 – 1960 divorce), Romain Gary (1963 – 1970 divorce) and Dennis Berry (1972 – 1979 separated, her death).
The Final Footprint – Seberg was interred in the Cimetière du Montparnasse, Paris. Montparnasse Cemetery is the eternal home of many of France’s intellectual and artistic elite as well as publishers and others who promoted the works of authors and artists. There are also monuments to police and firefighters killed in the line of duty in the city of Paris. There are also many graves of foreigners who have made France their home. The cemetery is divided by Rue Émile Richard. The small section is usually referred to as the small cemetery (petit cimetière) and the large section as the big cemetery (grand cimetière). Other notable Final Footprints at Montparnasse include; Charles Baudelaire, Simone de Beauvoir, Samuel Beckett, Emmanuel Chabrier, Alfred Dreyfus, Marguerite Duras, Henri Fantin-Latour, César Franck, André Lhote, Guy de Maupassant, Adah Isaacs Menken, Man Ray, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Susan Sontag.
On this day in 2003 actor Charles Bronson died of pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 81. Born Charles Dennis Buchinski 3 November 1921 in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania. My favorite Bronson movies inlcude: John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven (1960) with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn and Eli Wallach and filmscore by Elmer Bernstein; The Dirty Dozen (1967) with Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas, and Jim Brown; Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) with Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda and Jason Robards; as Wild Bill Hickok in The White Buffalo (1977) with Kim Novak, Jack Warden, Slim Pickens and Will Sampson; as Albert Johnson in Death Hunt (1981) with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Carl Weathers. Bronson was married three times; Harriet Tendler (1949-1967 divorce), actress Jill Ireland (1968-1990 her death) and Kim Weeks (1998-2003 his death).
The Final Footprint – Bronson is buried in Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont. His grave is marked with a full ledger engraved granite marker. It is engraved with the term of endearment, Cherished Husband and Father and with the following popular bereavement poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye:
n this day in 2006 actor (Gilda, The Big Heat, Blackboard Jungle, 3:10 to Yuma, Superman) Glenn Ford died in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 90. He often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood’s Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, who had a career that lasted more than 50 years. Although he played in many genres of movies, some of his most significant roles were in the film noirs Gilda (1946) and The Big Heat (1953), and the high school angst film Blackboard Jungle (1955). However, it was for comedies or westerns which he received acting laurels, including three Golden Globe Nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy movie, winning for Pocketful of Miracles (1961). He also played a supporting role as Clark Kent’s adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, in Superman (1978). Five of his films have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant: Gilda (1946), The Big Heat (1953), Blackboard Jungle (1955), 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and Superman (1978).
The Final Footprint– Entombed in Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica, California. Other notable Final Footprints at Woodlawn include; Barbara Billingsley, Harvey Korman, Doug McClure, Bess Myerson, Sally Ride, and Irene Ryan.
On this day in 2013, poet, playwright Seamus Heaney died in the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin, aged 74. Born Seamus Justin Heaney on 13 April 1939 in the townland of Tamniaran between Castledawson and Toomebridge, Northern Ireland. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Perhaps best known for his work Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume. Robert Lowell described him as “the most important Irish poet since Yeats”.
The Final Footprint
On this day in 2015 
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The Final Footprint – Marvin is interred in Arlington National Cemetery. His grave is marked by an upright VA marble marker. Other notable Final Footprints at Arlington include; the Space Shuttle Columbia, the Space Shuttle Challenger, Medgar Evers, JFK, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, RFK, Edward Kennedy, Audie Murphy, and Malcolm Kilduff, Jr.
On this day in 1982, Academy, Emmy and Tony Award winning actress, Ingrid Bergman died on her 67th birthday in London, from breast cancer. Born on 29 August 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. Bergman starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. Perhaps best remembered for her roles as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942), a World War II drama co-starring Humphrey Bogart, and as Alicia Huberman in Notorious (1946), an Alfred Hitchcock thriller co-starring Cary Grant. Before becoming a star in American films, she had been a leading actress in Swedish films. A few of her other starring roles, included For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Gaslight (1944), The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945), Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945), and Under Capricorn (1949), and the independent production, Joan of Arc (1948). In 1950, after a decade of stardom in American films, she starred in the Italian film Stromboli, which led to a love affair with director Roberto Rossellini while they were both already married. The affair and then marriage with Rossellini created a scandal that forced her to remain in Europe until 1956, when she made a successful Hollywood return in Anastasia, for which she won her second Academy Award. She and Rossellini are the parents of actress Isabella Rossellini. Bergman married three times; Petter Aron Lindström (1937 – 1950 divorce), Rossellini (1950 – 1957 divorce), and Lars Schmidt (1958 – 1975 divorce).
The Final Footprint – Her body was cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, London and her ashes taken to Sweden. Most of them were scattered in the sea around the islet of Dannholmen off the fishing village of Fjällbacka in Bohuslän, on the west coast of Sweden, where she spent most summers from 1958 to her death in 1982. The rest were placed next to her parents’ ashes in Norra begravningsplatsen (Northern Cemetery), Stockholm, Sweden. Another notable cremation at Kensal Green was that of Freddie Mercury. Another notable final footprint at Norra begravninsplatsen is that of Alfred Nobel.
On this day in 2016 actor, screenwriter, director, producer, singer-songwriter, and author Gene Wilder died from Alzheimer’s complications in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 83. Born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
