On this day in 1675, artist Johannes Vermeer died after a short illness in Delft, Dutch Republic, at the age of 43. Baptized On 31 October 1632 in the Reformed Church in Delft. Perhaps best known for his painting, Meisje met de parel (Girl with a Peal Earring) (1665), Vermeer specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. He was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. Vermeer apparently worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for lapis lazuli and Indian yellow. He is particularly renowned for his use of light. Recognized during his lifetime in Delft and The Hague, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity after his death and was omitted from surveys of Dutch art for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century, Vermeer was rediscovered by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time, Vermeer’s reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Vermeer married Catharina Bolenes (Bolnes).
The Final Footprint – Vermeer is entombed in the Oude Kerk (Old Church), nicknamed Oude Jan (“Old John”), a Gothic Protestant church in the old city center of Delft. Its most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower that leans about two meters from the vertical. Tracy Chevalier‘s novel Girl with a Pearl Earring and the film of the same name (2003) are named after the painting; they present a fictional account of its creation by Vermeer and his relationship with the (equally fictional) model. The film was nominated for Oscars in cinematography, art direction, and costume design
Gallery
Lady Seated at a Virginal (c. 1672)
The Milkmaid (c. 1658)
The Astronomer (c. 1668)
The Girl with the Wine Glass (c. 1659)
Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665)
The Music Lesson or A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman, c. 1662–65
Art of Painting or The Allegory of Painting (c. 1666-68)
On this day in 1890, a Hunkpapa Lakota holy man, tribal chief, Sitting Bull was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota, during an attempt to arrest him, at a time when authorities feared that he would join the Ghost Dance movement, at the age of 58 or 59. Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake in Standard Lakota Orthography Jumping Badger, also nicknamed Slon-he or “Slow”, in the Dakota Territory c. 1831. In 2007, Sitting Bull’s great-grandson asserted from family oral tradition that Sitting Bull was born along the Yellowstone River, south of present-day Miles City, Montana. Sitting Bull led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies. Before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had a vision in which he saw the defeat of the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer on 25 June 25 1876. Sitting Bull’s leadership inspired his people to a major victory. Months after their victory at the battle, Sitting Bull and his group left the United States for Wood Mountain, North-West Territories (now Saskatchewan), where he remained until 1881, at which time he and most of his band returned to US territory and surrendered to U.S. forces. After working as a performer with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Agency in South Dakota.
The Final Footprint – His body was taken to nearby Fort Yates for burial. In 1953, his Lakota family exhumed what were believed to be his remains, reburying them near Mobridge, South Dakota near his birthplace.
On this day in 1943, influential jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, Fats Waller died from pneumonia on a cross-country train trip near Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 39. Born Thomas Wright Waller in New York City on 21 May 1904. Waller’s innovations to the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano, and his best-known compositions, “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and “Honeysuckle Rose”, were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame posthumously, in 1984 and 1999.
The Final Footprint – At the time of his death, Waller was returning to New York City from Los Angeles, after the smash success of Stormy Weather, and after a successful engagement at the Zanzibar Room, during which he had fallen ill. Reportedly, as the train with the body of Waller stopped in Kansas City, so stopped a train with his friend Louis Armstrong on board. More than 4,000 people attended his funeral in Harlem, which prompted Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who delivered the eulogy, to say that Fats Waller “always played to a packed house.” Afterwards he was cremated and his ashes were scattered, from an airplane piloted by an unidentified World War I black aviator, over Harlem.
On this day in 1944, big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader, US Army Air Forces Major, Glenn Miller died in a plane crash over the English Channel at the age of 40. Born Alton Glenn Miller on March 1, 1904 Clarinda, Iowa. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller’s recordings include “In the Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “A String of Pearls”, “At Last”, “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo”, “American Patrol”, “Tuxedo Junction”, “Elmer’s Tune”, and “Little Brown Jug”. In just four years Glenn Miller scored 16 number-one records and 69 top ten hits.
In 1942, Miller volunteered to join the U.S. military to entertain troops during World War II, ending up with the U.S. Army Air Forces.
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U.S. Army Air Force UC-64
Monument in Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut
Miller was due to fly from the town of Bedford in the United Kingdom to Paris on December 15, 1944, to make arrangements to move his entire band there in the near future. His plane, a single-engine UC-64 Norseman, departed from RAF Twinwood Farm in Clapham, on the outskirts of Bedford, and disappeared while flying over the English Channel. Two other U.S. military officers were on board the plane, Lieutenant Colonel Norman Baessell and the pilot, John Morgan. Miller spent the last night before his disappearance at Milton Ernest Hall, near Bedford. Miller’s disappearance was not made public until December 24, 1944, when the Associated Press announced Miller would not be conducting the scheduled BBC-broadcast “AEF Christmas Show” the following day. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.
On this day in 1966, film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, philanthropist, co-founder (with his brother Roy) of Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney, died in Burbank, California at the age of 65. Born Walter Elias Disney on 5 December 1901 in Hermosa, Chicago, Illinois. His father, Elias, was of Irish-Canadian descent. His mother, Flora Call, was of German-American descent. Disney married once, Lillian Bounds (1925 – 1966 his death). Disney holds the record for most Academy Award nominations (with 59) and most Oscars awarded (with 22). The first movie I remember watching was Disney’s animated production of The Jungle Book (1967) based on the book by Rudyard Kipling.
The Final Footprint – Disney was cremated and his cremated remains reside in the Disney Family Private Garden, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. Shortly before his death, he apparently wrote down the name of actor Kurt Russell. No one seems to know why. Before Disney died he made a short film for the Disney Company executive board in which he addressed each board member and ended the film by saying, “I’ll be seeing you.” In 2009, the Walt Disney Family Museum opened in the Presidio of San Francisco. Disney has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies and one for television. Other notable Final Footprints at Forest Lawn Glendale include; L. Frank Baum, Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis, Jr., Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Jones, Carole Lombard, Tom Mix, Casey Stengel, Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Spencer Tracy.
O
n this day in 1978 actor Chill Wills died from cancer in Encino, California, aged 76. Born Theodore Childress Wills in Seagoville, Texas, on July 18, 1902.
Wills was cast in numerous serious film roles, including as “the city of Chicago” as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and that of Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956), which also features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Davy Crockett’s companion Beekeeper in the film The Alamo (1960).
Wills was a poker player and a close friend of Benny Binion, the founder of the World Series of Poker and former owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wills participated in the first World Series, held in 1970, and is seated in the center of the famous picture with a number of legendary players.
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Cremated remains interred in Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
On this day in 2010 actor, film director, producer and screenwriter, Blake Edwards died of complications of pneumonia at the Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, aged 88. Born William Blake Crump July 22, 1922, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts before turning to producing and directing in television and films. His best-known films include Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The Great Race (1965), 10 (1979), Victor/Victoria (1982), and the hugely successful Pink Panther film series with British actor Peter Sellers. Often thought of as primarily a director of comedies, he also directed several drama, musical, and detective films. Late in his career, he took up writing, producing and directing for theater.
In 2004, he received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of his writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen.
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Cremation
On this day in 2011 author and journalist who wrote or edited over 30 books (including five essay collections) on culture, politics, and literature, Christopher Hitchens died of complications from esophageal cancer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, aged 62. Born Christopher Eric Hitchens in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 13 April 1949.
Hitchens political views evolved greatly throughout his life. Originally describing himself as a democratic socialist, he was a member of various socialist organisations in his early life, including the International Socialists. Hitchens eventually no longer regarded himself as socialist, but continued to admire aspects of Marxism. He was critical of aspects of American foreign policy, including its involvement in Vietnam, Chile, and East Timor. However, he also supported the United States in the Kosovo War. After Hitchens disenchantment with Marxism, he emphasized the centrality of the American Revolution and Constitution to his political philosophy. Hitchens held complex views on abortion; being ethically opposed to it in most instances, and believing that a fetus was entitled to personhood, while holding ambigious, changing views on its legality. He supported gun rights and LGBT rights while opposing the War on Drugs. Beginning in the 1990s, and particularly after 9/11, his politics were widely viewed as drifting to the right. During the 2000s, he argued for the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, endorsed the re-election campaign of George W. Bush in 2004, and viewed Islamism as the principal threat to the Western World.
Hitchens described himself as an anti-theist and saw all religions as false, harmful and authoritarian. He argued for free expression, scientific discovery, and the separation of church and state, arguing that they were superior to religion as an ethical code of conduct for human civilisation. The dictum “What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence” has become known as Hitchens’s razor. Hitchens notably wrote critical biographies of Catholic nun Mother Teresa in The Missionary Position, President Bill Clinton in No One Left To Lie To, and American diplomat Henry Kissinger in The Trial of Henry Kissinger.
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Body donated to medical research
#RIP #OTD in 2013 actress (Rebecca, Suspicion, The Constant Nymph, Letter from an Unknown Woman) Joan Fontaine died in her sleep of natural causes in her Carmel Highlands, California home, aged 96. Cremation
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On this day in 1944, 
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On this day in 1963, singer, pianist, Grammy winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer inductee, Queen of the Blues, Dinah Washington died in Detroit, Michigan from a combination of secobarbital and amobarbital, at the age of 39. Born Ruth Lee Jones was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on 29 August 1924. She and her family moved to Chicago as a child. In my opinion, on of the best recording artists of the ’50s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music. Washington married seven times, including NFL Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane.
The Final Footprint – Washington is interred in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. In 1964, Aretha Franklin recorded a tribute album, Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington. In 1993, the U.S. Post Office issued a Dinah Washington 29 cent commemorative postage stamp. In 2005, the Board of Commissioners renamed a park, near where Washington had lived in Chicago in the 1950s, Dinah Washington Park in her honor. In 2008, the city of Tuscaloosa renamed the section of 30th Avenue between 15th Street and Kaulton Park “Dinah Washington Avenue.” On 29 August 2013, the city of Tuscaloosa dedicated the old Allen Jemison Hardware building, on the northwest corner of Greensboro Avenue and 7th Street (620 Greensboro Avenue) as the newly renovated Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. Other notable final footprints at Burr Oak Cemetery include Willie Dixon and Emmett Till.
On this day in 1985, 7 time All-Star, 3 time World Series Champion, 2 time AL MVP, Gold Glove winner, 
New York Yankee and single season home run king, Roger Maris, died from 
The Final Footprint – Maris is interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, Fargo, North Dakota. His grave is marked by a large upright granite marker in the shape of a baseball diamond. The Yankees placed a plaque in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium in honor of Maris. 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; Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, George Steinbrenner, Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin, Mel Allen, Bob Sheppard, and Casey Stengel.
On this day in 1993 dancer, film, television and stage actress Myrna Loy died at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, aged 88. Born Myrna Adele Williams in Helena, Montana on 2 August 1905.
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On this day in 2013, stage and film actor Peter O’Toole died from stomach cancer at Wellington Hospital in St John’s Wood, London, aged 81. Born Peter Seamus O’Toole on 2 August 1932 
On this day in 1466, acclaimed Italian sculptor, Donatello, died in Florence, Italy at the age of 80. Born Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi c. 1386 in Florence, Italy. One of the most important Renaissance sculptors, known for his work in bas-relief, a form of shallow relief sculpture that, in Donatello’s case, incorporated significant 15th century developments in perspectival illusionism. His main works include:
The Final Footprint – Donatello is entombed next to Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder in the Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence), one of the largest churches of Florence, Italy, situated at the centre of the city’s main market district, and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III.
On this day in 1784, poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer, Dr. Johnson, Samuel Johnson died at a friends house in Islington, London at the age of 75. Possibly the most distinguished man of letters in English history. He is also the subject of one of the most famous single works of biographical art in the whole of literature: James Boswell‘s Life of Samuel Johnson. Johnson married Elizabeth “Tetty” or “Testsey” Jervis Porter (1735 – 1752 her death). They married on 9 July 1735 at St. Werburgh’s Church, Derby, where the event is reenacted annually. Johnson called the marriage “a love-match on both sides,” and always recalled her affectionately and with grief, especially on the anniversary of her death. Born on 18 September 1709 in the family home above his father’s bookshop in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The Final Footprint – Johnson was buried on 20 December 1784 at Westminster Abbey. Other notable Final Footprints at Westminster include; Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Geoffrey Chaucer, Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Edward The Confessor, Elizabeth I, George II, George Friederic Handel, Stephen Hawking, James I (James VI of Scotland), Ben Jonson, Charles II, Edward III, Edward VI, Henry III, Henry V, Henry VII, Richard II, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Milton, Sir Isaac Newton, Laurence Olivier, Henry Purcell, Mary I, Mary II, Mary Queen of Scots, Thomas Shadwell, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Dylan Thomas, and William III.
On this day in 1944 painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, aged 77. Born Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky in Moscow on 16 December 1866.
On this day in 1961 folk artist Grandma Moses died at the Health Center in Hoosick Falls, New York, aged 101. Born Anna Mary Robertson in Greenwich, New York on September 7, 1860.
On this day in 2007, Sioux musician, political activist, and actor, Kanghi Duta (Red Crow in Dakota), Floyd Westerman died from complications of leukemia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with his family, at the age of 71. Born on August 17, 1936 on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, home of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, one of the tribes of the Eastern Dakota subgroup of the Great Sioux Nation, living within South Dakota. After establishing a career as a country music singer, he became a leading actor depicting Native Americans in American films and television. He worked as a political activist for Native American causes.
On this day in 1889, poet and playwright, one of the foremost Victorian poets, Robert Browning died at his son’s home Ca’ Rezzonico in Venice at the age of 77. Born on 7 May 1812 in Camberwell, a district now forming part of the borough of Southwark in South London, England. Perhaps as well known for his poetry as for his famously romantic marriage to the poet Elizabeth Barrett. Their love letters to each other are among the most romantic letters ever written.
The Final Footprint – Browning was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey; his grave now lies immediately adjacent to that of Alfred Tennyson. Other notable Final Footprints at Westminster include; Lord Byron, Geoffrey Chaucer, Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Edward The Confessor, Elizabeth I, George II, George Friederic Handel, Stephen Hawking, James I (James VI of Scotland), Samuel Johnson, Ben Jonson, Charles II, Edward III, Edward VI, Henry III, Henry V, Henry VII, Richard II, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Milton, Sir Isaac Newton, Laurence Olivier, Henry Purcell, Mary I, Mary II, Mary Queen of Scots, Thomas Shadwell, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Dylan Thomas, and William III.
On this day in 1929, Texas Ranger, cattle rancher, The Father of the Texas Panhandle, Charles Goodnight, died in Tucson, Arizona at the age of 93. Born on 5 March 1836 in Macoupin County, Illinois. In 1846 his family moved to Texas. At the age of 20, Goodnight began cowboyin’ and joined the Texas Rangers a year later in 1857. Following the Civil War, he became involved in the herding of feral Texas Longhorn cattle, “making the gather”, a wide ranging round-up of cattle that had roamed near state-wide during the four years of war, northward from West Texas to railroads. In 1866, he and Oliver Loving drove their first herd of cattle northward along what would become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Goodnight invented the chuckwagon, which was first used on the initial cattle drive. Upon arriving in New Mexico, they formed a partnership with New Mexico cattleman John Chisum for future contracts to supply the United States Army with cattle. After Loving’s death, Goodnight and Chisum extended the trail from New Mexico to Colorado, and eventually to Wyoming. Goodnight is reported to have kept a photograph of Loving in his pocket for a long time after his death. As requested by the dying Loving, Goodnight carried the body from New Mexico to Weatherford, the seat of Parker County, Texas, for burial. I have crossed and recrossed and walked and hiked various stretches of the Goodnight-Loving Trail in New Mexico and Colorado.
The Final Footprint – Goodnight and his first wife Molly are interred next to each other in Goodnight Cemetery, Goodnight, Texas. Their graves are marked by a large upright granite marker inscribed with their names and the following: “TOGETHER THEY CONQUERED A NEW LAND AND PERFORMED A DUTY TO MAN AND GOD. HE WAS A TRAIL BLAZER AND INDIAN SCOUT. SHE WAS A QUIET HOME-LOVING WOMAN. TOGETHER THEY BUILT A HOME IN THE PALO DURO CANYON IN 1876. THEY DEVELOPED THE CATTLE INDUSTRY. THEY FATHERED HIGHER EDUCATION AND CIVIC ENTERPRISES. TO THEM THE PANHANDLE PAYS REVERENT AND GRATEFUL TRIBUTE.
On this day in 2006, actor Peter Boyle died from multiple myeloma and heart disease in New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City , at the age of 71. Born Peter Lawrence Boyle on October 18, 1935 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Primarily known as a character actor, he played the comical monster in Mel Brooks’ film spoof Young Frankenstein (1974). He also starred in The Candidate. Boyle, who won an Emmy Award in 1996 for a guest-starring role on the science-fiction drama The X-Files, won praise in both comedic and dramatic parts following his breakthrough performance in the 1970 film Joe.
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On this day in 1964, gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, a pioneer and founder of soul music, The King of Soul, Sam Cooke, died at the Hacienda Motel at 9137 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, California at the age of 33, from a gunshot wound to the torso. The motel’s manager said that she shot Cooke in self-defense after he broke into her office residence and attacked her. However, the details of the case involving Cooke’s death are still in dispute. Born Samuel Cook on 22 January 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. In my opinion, his contribution in pioneering Soul music helped pave the way for others. He had 30 U.S. top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964, plus three more posthumously. Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the Civil Rights Movement. My favorite songs of his are “You Send Me”, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, “Chain Gang”, “Wonderful World”, and “Bring It on Home to Me”.
The Final Footprint – Cooke’s funeral was held in Chicago at A.R. Leak Funeral Home, where thousands of fans had lined up for over four city blocks to view his body. Cooke is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. His grave is marked with a bronze individual marker with his name, year of birth and death, the phrase “I LOVE YOU” and the inscription “UNTIL THE DAY BREAK, AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY”. Other notable Final Footprints at Forest Lawn Glendale include; L. Frank Baum, Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis, Jr., Walt Disney, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Michael Jackson, Carole Lombard, Tom Mix, Casey Stengel, Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Spencer Tracy.
On this day in 2008, model, the Queen of Pinups, Bettie Page died in Los Angeles at the age of 85. Born Bettie Mae Page on April 22, 1923 in Nashville. She gained a significant profile in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Her jet-black hair, blue eyes, and trademark fringe outfits have influenced artists for generations.
On this day in 2021 author of gothic fiction and erotic literature, Anne Rice died from complications of a stroke at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, aged 80. Born in New Orleans on 4 October 1941.
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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’.
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 
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.
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.” 
The Final Footprint – Pryor was cremated. His cremated remains were later spread in 2019 by his widow, Jennifer, in Hana, Hawaii.
The Final Footprint – Rickey is interred in Rushtown Cemetery, Rushtown, Ohio. His wife, Jane Moulton, is interred next to him. Their graves are marked by a large upright granite marker.
On this day in 2002, husband of Anne Rice, painter and poet Stan Rice died of brain cancer at the age of 60 in New Orleans. Born on 7 November 1942 in Dallas. He met his future wife in a high school journalism class in Richardson, Texas, and they married in Denton, Texas on October 14, 1961. It was the death of his and Anne’s first child, daughter Michele (1966–1972), at age six of leukemia, which sparked Rice’s becoming a published author. His first book of poems, based on his daughter’s illness and death, was titled Some Lamb, and was published in 1975. Rice encouraged his wife to quit her work as a waitress, cook and theater usher in order to devote herself full-time to her writing. Rice, his wife and their son Christopher moved to Garden District, New Orleans in 1988, where he eventually opened the Stan Rice Gallery.
The Final Footprint – Rice is entombed in the Rice Family private mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. Other notable final footprints at Metairie include; Jim Garrison, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, and Louis Prima.
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 – Lennon was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Ono scattered his cremated remains in New York’s Central Park, where the Strawberry Field’s memorial was later created. On what would have been Lennon’s 70th birthday 9 October 2010, the John Lennon Peace Monument was unveiled in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, by Cynthia and Julian Lennon. The sculpture entitled ‘Peace & Harmony’ exhibits peace symbols and carries the inscription “Peace on Earth for the Conservation of Life · In Honour of John Lennon 1940–1980”. On one of the benches in John Lennon Park in Havana, Cuba, there is a sculpture of Lennon, sculpted by Cuban artist José Villa Soberón, seated on the bench’s right half. On a marble tile at the foot of the bench there is an inscription reading: “Dirás que soy un soñador pero no soy el único” John Lennon, which is a Spanish translation of the English lyrics, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,” from the song Imagine. On 16 January 1997, a bronze sculpture of Lennon was unveiled outside The Cavern Club in Liverpool. Nelson Rockefeller was cremated at Ferncliff as well.
On this day in 1982, United States Navy veteran, singer, songwriter, musician, race car driver Marty Robbins died from complications after cardiac surgery in Nashville at the age of 57. Born Martin David Robinson on 26 September 1925 in Glendale, Arizona. In my opinion, one of the most popular and successful country and Western singers of all time. During his nearly four-decade career, Robbins often topped the country music charts, and several of his songs also became pop hits. My favorite songs are his cowboy and outlaw songs including; “Big Iron” and “El Paso”. Robbins married Marizona Baldwin (1948 – 1982 his death).
The Final Footprint – Robbins is interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. The city of El Paso, Texas, later honored Robbins by naming a park and a recreational center after him. Other notable final footprints at Woodlawn include; Other notable final footprints at Woodlawn include: Lynn Anderson, Eddy Arnold, Otis Blackwell, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, Dobie Gray, Red Foley, D. J. Fontana, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Webb Pierce, Jerry Reed, Dan Seals, Red Sovine, Porter Wagoner, and Tammy Wynette..
On this day in 1983, rodeo performer and film and television actor Slim Pickens died after surgery for a brain tumor in Modesto, California, at the age of 64. Born Louis Burton Lindley Jr. on June 29, 1919 in Kingsburg, California. Perhaps best known for his roles in Dr. Strangelove and Blazing Saddles.
On this day in 2004, guitarist and songwriter Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed by a deranged fan while on stage with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, at the age of 38. Born Darrell Lance Abbott on August 20, 1966 in Ennis, Texas. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his brother Vinnie Paul. As one of the driving forces behind the development of groove metal, he is considered among the most influential guitarists in heavy metal history.
On this day in 43 BC, Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero was executed by soldiers operating on behalf of Marc Antony and the Second Triumvirate, leaving his villa in Formiae, at the age of 63. Born on 3 January 106 BC in Arpinum, a hill town 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Rome. He served as consul in the year 63 BC. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order. In my opinion, he is one of Rome’s greatest orators and prose stylists.
On this day in 1941, Japanese imperial forces attacked Pearl Harbor and the island of O’ahu. Four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and four other battleships were damaged. Also sunk or damaged were three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, one mine-layer and 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed. Casualties included 2,402 military personnel killed and 57 civilians killed. The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the United States entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for isolationism, which had been strong, disappeared. Clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance and full participation in the European Theater. Subsequent operations by the U.S., as well as the Axis alliance, prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed 7 December 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”.
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.
On this day in 1988, singer and songwriter, The Caruso of Rock, Roy Orbison died of a heart attack at the age of 52 at his mother’s home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Born Roy Kelton Orbison on 23 April 1936 in Vernon, Texas. Perhaps best known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country and western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis. His greatest success came with Monument Records between 1960 and 1964, when 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty, including “Only the Lonely”, “Crying”, and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. In 1988, he joined the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne and released a new solo album. His life was marred by tragedy, including the death of his first wife and his two eldest sons in separate accidents. Orbison was a natural baritone, but music scholars have suggested that he had a three or four octave range. Elvis reportedly stated that his voice was the greatest he had ever heard. Orbison was known for performing while standing still and solitary, wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses which lent an air of mystery to his persona.
The Final Footprint – Orbison’s death was an international news event. The Nashville Banner put it on the front page across six columns; it also made the front page of the New York Times. A memorial was held in Nashville, and another in Los Angeles. He interred in an unmarked grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. In January 1989, Orbison became the first musician since Elvis to have two albums in the Top Five at the same time. Orbison was initiated into the second class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by longtime admirer Bruce Springsteen. The same year he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later. 
On this day in 1994 actor Gian Maria Volonté died from a heart attack in Florina, Greece, aged 61. Born in Milan 9 April 1933.
On this day in 2011, singer and songwriter Dobie Gray died 
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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.
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