On this day in 1536, Princess of Wales as the wife of Prince Arthur, as the wife of King Henry VII, Queen of England from 1509 until 1533, Catherine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle at the age of 50. Born at the Archbishop’s Palace in Alcalá de Henares near Madrid, on the night of 16 December 1485. She was the youngest surviving child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed to Prince Arthur, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, and Arthur died five months later. In 1507, she held the position of ambassador for the Spanish Court in England, becoming the first female ambassador in European history. Catherine subsequently married Arthur’s younger brother, the recently succeeded Henry VIII, in 1509. For six months in 1513, she served as regent of England while Henry VIII was in France. During that time the English won the Battle of Flodden, an event in which Catherine played an important part. By 1525, Henry VIII was infatuated with his mistress, Anne Boleyn, and dissatisfied that his marriage to Catherine had produced no surviving sons, leaving their daughter, the future Mary I of England, as heiress presumptive at a time when there was no established precedent for a woman on the throne. He sought to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion a chain of events that led to England’s schism with the Catholic Church. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry defied him by assuming supremacy over religious matters. In 1533 their marriage was declared invalid and Henry married Anne on the judgement of clergy in England, without reference to the Pope. Catherine refused to accept Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and considered herself the King’s rightful wife and queen, attracting much popular sympathy. Despite this, she was acknowledged only as Dowager Princess of Wales by Henry.
The Final Footprint – Catherine was entombed in Peterborough Cathedral with the ceremony due to a Dowager Princess of Wales, not a queen. Henry did not attend the funeral and forbade Mary to attend. Catherine’s English subjects held her in high esteem, and her death set off tremendous mourning among the English people. The controversial book The Education of Christian Women by Juan Luis Vives, which claimed women have the right to an education, was commissioned by and dedicated to her. Such was Catherine’s impression on people that even her enemy, Thomas Cromwell, said of her, “If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of History.”
On this day in 1899, Texas Ranger, Big Foot Wallace, died in Big Foot, Texas at the age of 82. Born William Alexander Anderson Wallace on 3 April 1817 in Lexington, Virginia. Wallace was a famous Texas Ranger who took part in many of the military conflicts of the Republic of Texas and the United States in the 1840s, including the Mexican-American War. Reportedly a descendant of Scottish hero William Wallace. Larry McMurtry included a fictionalized version of Wallace in his Lonesome Dove prequel, Dead Man’s Walk. In this book, Wallace is one of the Rangers who signs on with Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call to go on the Texas Santa Fe Expedition. My Heroes have always been Cowboys.
T
he Final Footprint – Wallace was originally interred in Devine, Texas, but the Texas legislature appropriated the necessary funds to have him disinterred and reinterred in a place of honor in the Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas. His grave is marked by a large granite marker inscribed with his name and birth and death dates and the following; HERE LIES HE WHO SPENT HIS MANHOOD DEFENDING THE HOMES OF TEXAS. BRAVE HONEST AND FAITHFUL. Other notable final footprints at Texas State Cemetery include; Stephen F. Austin, John B. Connally, Nellie Connally, J. Frank Dobie, Barbara Jordan, Tom Landry (cenotaph), James A. Michener (cenotaph), Ann Richards, Edwin “Bud” Shrake, and Walter Prescott Webb.
#RIP #OTD in 2015 actor (The Time Machine, Giant, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Birds, Darker than Amber, The Train Robbers, Inglourious Basterds), Rod Taylor died from a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills, aged 81. Cremation
On this day in 2018, French yé-yé singer France Gall died from cancer at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at the age of 70. Born Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall on 9 October 1947 in . In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest. Between 1973 and 1992, she collaborated with singer-songwriter Michel Berger.
Gall married Berger, on 22 June 1976. He died of a heart attack in 1992, at age 44.
As a farewell to her career, a documentary movie was shot in 2001, France Gall par France Gall and millions watched the documentary when it was broadcast on French television that year. Gall staged and appeared in the 2007 France 2 documentary, Tous pour la musique, marking the 15th anniversary of Berger’s death.
The Final Footprint
Gall is entombed in Cimetière de Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Other notable final footprints at Montmartre include; Hector Berlioz, Dalida, Edgar Degas, Alexandre Dumas, fils, Marie Duplessis, Théophile Gautier, Gustave Moreau, Jeanne Moreau, Henri Murger, Jacques Offenbach, Stendhal, François Truffaut, Horace Vernet, and Alfred de Vigny.
On this day in 2020, musician, songwriter, author, drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush, The Professor, Neil Peart died of glioblastoma in Santa Monica, California at the age of 67. Born Neil Ellwood Peart on September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina.
Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he joined Rush, a Toronto band, in mid-1974, six years after its formation. They released nineteen studio albums, with ten exceeding a million copies sold in the United States. He drew his early inspiration from drummers Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. As time passed, he began to emulate jazz and big band musicians Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. In 1994, Peart became a friend and pupil of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber. It was during this time that Peart decided to revamp his playing style by incorporating jazz and swing components.
In addition to serving as Rush’s primary lyricist, Peart published several memoirs about his travels. His lyrics for Rush addressed universal themes and diverse subjects including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian, and libertarian themes. Peart wrote a total of seven nonfiction books focused on his travels and personal stories.
The Final Footprint
He had been diagnosed three and a half years earlier, and his illness was a closely guarded secret in Peart’s inner circle until his death. His family made the announcement on January 10.
From the official Rush website:
It is with broken hearts and the deepest sadness that we must share the terrible news that on Tuesday our friend, soul brother and band mate of over 45 years, Neil, has lost his incredibly brave three and a half year battle with brain cancer (Glioblastoma). We ask that friends, fans and media alike understandably respect the family’s need for privacy and peace at this extremely painful and difficult time. Those wishing to express their condolences can choose a cancer research group or charity of their choice and make a donation in Neil’s name.
Peart was cremated.
#RIP #OTD in 2021 film director (Coal Miner’s Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, Nell, James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, Enigma, Amazing Grace, Gorky Park) Michael Apted died at his home in Los Angeles aged 79.
#RIP #OTD in 2021 professional baseball pitcher and Hall of Fame manager (2x World Series Champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers) Tommy Lasorda died from a heart attack in Fullerton, California, aged 93. Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California next to his son
Have you planned yours yet?
Follow TFF on twitter @RIPTFF
