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Michael Jackson was one of the most famous entertainers that ever lived.  People know many things about him, but there are also some little known facts about him.

I wanted to do a special tribute for Michael in honor of his upcoming birthday (August 29th) and I wanted to give you some positive facts about Michael. We’ve all seen more than we need to of negative articles and I wanted to do a positive one. Michael was my favorite singer and I will NEVER write anything negative about him.  I still miss him everyday!  With that said, here is the trivia about Michael Jackson. 

TRIVIA:

Michael Jackson wanted to become a singer because his mom used to sing to him as a child.  He believed he got his talent from his mother Katherine and God.

When Michael and his brothers were signed to Motown as the Jackson 5, he and his brother Marlon lived with Diana Ross until their father Joseph bought their house in Los Angeles.  I always thought it was just Michael that lived with Diana.  I didn’t realize that Marlon lived with her too.

Michael and his siblings used to dance around the house in their socks when they were kids.  I think that is cute that they were able to do that together.

Despite how great a dancer Michael was, he never had a formal training.  He was naturally able to dance.  It took Michael a short period of time to learn the dance steps he performed in his video “Thriller”. 

Speaking of Michael’s dancing, he learned the moonwalk from breakdancer Michael “Boogaloo Shrimp” Chambers from the 80s movies Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2:  Electric Boogaloo.  Michael learned the dances he performed on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special in less than a year.

Did you know that Michael used to love to read?  I have that in common with Michael because I love to read too. He and his mother used to go to bookstores all of the time and pick up books to read.

Michael wasn’t the first artist to write “We Are The World”.  Quincy Jones wanted Stevie Wonder to write the song, but Stevie ended up not doing the song.  Michael was Quincy’s second choice to write it. That was a good decision because the song is one of the biggest singles of all time.

Have you heard that Michael was the closest to his sister Janet Jackson?  When he was growing up, he was closest to his brother Marlon.  When they got older, Michael was closest to Janet.  I think that might be because she didn’t need anything from him the way his other siblings did. They had things in common since they were both successful.

Michael thought that Janet was a fierce performer. He knew that they had similar styles, but he really enjoyed her work.

Speaking of Janet, Michael wanted to do another track with her before they did “Scream”.  She turned him down because she didn’t want people to think that she was riding on his coattails.  She did do backing vocals for him on his “Thriller” cd.  She sings in “P.Y.T.”

If you can believe it, Michael considered his cd “Bad” a flop.  It didn’t sell as many copies as “Thriller” which is why he considered the cd a flop.  It wasn’t a flop by any means.  The cd sold over 25 million copies in the United States alone.  Singers can’t sell that many cds now.  He was only competing against himself for record sales.

Michael’s cd “Dangerous” was his second highest selling cd.

Michael considered “Childhood” his most honest song.  I’m not surprised since he was robbed of a childhood thanks to Joe Jackson.

In case you didn’t hear, “Billie Jean” was allegedly written about Paula Abdul’s relationship with his older brother Jackie.  There were reports that Paula and Jackie were having an affair and she was pregnant.  Jackie was married to his first wife at the time that he was allegedly having an affair with Paula.  In related trivia: Michael wrote “Billie Jean” in five minutes. He also wrote the song in his car while he was traveling with his brother Marlon.

Paul McCartney wrote “Girlfriend” from the “Off The Wall” cd specifically for Michael.  They went on to do two other songs together.  I knew that they did “The Girl is Mine” and “Say, Say, Say”, but I didn’t know he wrote “Girlfriend”.

In the movie The Wiz, Michael was originally only supposed to sing in one song, but another song was added in for him to sing.

That’s all the trivia I have for now. 

• Bob Hope once pursued a career as an amateur boxer.  He was known then as Packy Ease.
• Rock Hudson was born Roy Fitzgerald.  His agent said “I named him after the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River.”
• At the time when Lucille Ball was under contract with the MGM Studio, she was loaned to Paramount for a role in the movie The Greatest Show on Earth.  However she became pregnant.  When Cecil B. De Mille learned of the impending arrival, he told her husband, Desi Arnaz “Congratulations.  You’re the only man who’s ever screwed his wife, Cecil B. De Mille, Paramount Pictures and Harry Cohn – all at the same time.”
• Horror movie stars Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee share the same birthday – May 27th.
• Rudolph Valentino’s owned a cat’s eye ring, which was purchased in a San Francisco novelty store.  It was dubbed the “destiny ring” because Valentino died while wearing it.  Then a major hollywood studio’s chosen successor to Valentino, Russ Columbo, who was heir to the ring, died in a car crash while wearing it.  The ring then went to Columbo’s friend Joe Casino, who died shortly afterward when a truck hit him.
• Humphry Bogart was quoted as saying “In my first twenty nine pictures, I was shot in twelve, electrocuted or hanged in eight, and was a jailbird in nine….Is that a record to be proud of?”
• James Dean’s voice had to be dubbed into the banquet scene for his drunken mumblings.  His voice was inaudable but when it came time to redub the lines Dean has already died.  The voice you hear is that of Nick Adams.
• Natalie Wood’s appearances in the last scenes of the movie Brainstorm had to be edited in from earlier footage because she died in a boating mishap before completion of the film.
• We all know Pablo Picasso because of his artistic genius.  However, he once wrote a play called Desire Caught by the Tail.  Characters included Big Foot, Fat Anxiety and Thin Anguish.  One disappointed critic wrote in his review that it had “the features of medieval morality plays with twentieth century smut”.  Needless to say, it was a complete flop and has only been performed three times since it was first produced in 1941.
• W.C Fields was so paranoid about losing track of his loose cash that he continually opened bank accounts.  What is fascinating is that he used fictious names such as Figley E. Whitesides, Aristotle Hoop, Ludovic Fishpond and Cholmondley Frampton-Blythe.  Talk about eccentric.

Bogie was a Christmas present. He was born on Christmas Day in 1899. His father was a wealthy doctor and his mother was quite a famous illustrator. As a baby, he was often used as a model for her magazine and ad illustrations. He grew to be an intelligent young man and joined the Navy. He fought in World War I in 1917. While in battle, shrapnel hit him and that his how he got his scar and famous lisp. In 1926, he married actress Helen Menken, but the marriage ended in 1929. He began acting in Broadway plays. His big break came when he played the role of Duke Mantee in “Petrified Forest”. He went to Hollywood and successfully recreated the character for the film version. He signed a contract with Warner Brothers. He married and remarried again. His third marriage came in 1938 when he wed Mayo Methot, which may have been the biggest mistake of his life. She had an extremely violent temper and was a heavy drinker. They fought so often they became known as the Battling Bogarts. That is when he really began to drink heavily and chain-smoked.

He starred in “Casablanca” in 1943. In 1944, he starred in “To Have and Have Not”. This is where he met Lauren Bacall, who became the true love of his life. Bogie divorced Mayo in 1945. He married Bacall eleven days later. They had two children. He went on to make many popular films, of which he starred in “The African Queen” with Katherine Hepburn and won his only Oscar award. His final film was in 1956. He went through a nine hour surgery to remove a malignant growth from his throat. Cancer eventually won. With Bacall at his side at his home in Hollywood, he died on January 14, 1957. His last word’s were “I should have never switched from Scotch to martinis.”

John Barrymore

John Barrymore was born on February 15, 1882. He was an American actor often called the greatest of his generation. He received fame as a stage actor, especially in Shakespeare plays. He was the brother of Lionel and Ethel Barrymore and the grandfather of Drew Barrymore. He attended Georgetown college, but was expelled after getting caught in a Bordello. He would go on many a drinking spree, but always showed up for his plays and silent movie roles. His greatest success came with his portrayal of Hamlet in 1922, which lasted for 101 consecutive performances. He got more into silent films and became most famous for “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), “Sherlock Holmes” (1922) and “Don Juan” (1926).

Barrymore collapsed while appearing on the Rudy Vallee radio show and died a few days later in a hospital room. His last words were “Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him”.

Sir Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874. What can you say about the greatest Prime Minister and leader of Britain the world has ever known. He saw combat in India and the Sudan, was famous for becoming a war correspondent and wrote about his exploits. He held many cabinet positions and following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His speeches are legendary and so inspirational to the British troops. After the outbreak of WW II on September 3, 1939, Britain declared war on Germany. He realized the growing threat of Hitler long before the war began, but very few listened. Finally, he was recognized as the great leader he was to become. His most famous quote from one of his speeches was “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour”.

Churchill went on to become great friends with Franklin D. Roosevelt and between the two, secured vital shipping routes for food, oil and munitions. He became known as the “British Bulldog”, but his health was fragile. He had a mild heart attack in 1941. He contracted pneumonia in 1943. Amazingly, he continued in many political affairs and after a series of strokes, he died on January 15, 1965 at the age of 90. His final words were “I’m bored with it all”.

Eugene O’Neill

Eugene O’Neill was born on October 16, 1886. He was born in a hotel room in Times Square. He was sent to a Catholic boarding school and found refuge in reading books. He spent several years at sea, where he began suffering from depression and alcoholism. He developed tuberculosis in and sought respite at a sanatorium, where he decided to devote his life to writing plays. His first published play “Beyond The Horizon” was very well received when it opened on Broadway in 1920 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His most famous works are “Anna Christie” (Pulitzer Prize 1922), Desire Under The Elms” in 1924, “Strange Interlude” (Pulitzer Prize 1928, “Mourning Becomes Electra in 1931 and his only comedy, “Ah, Wilderness!”. After a ten year pause he wrote perhaps his most famous work “The Iceman Cometh” in 1946.

He still suffered from depression and alcoholism and got severe Parkinson’s disease, which made his hand tremor and unable to write. He died in room 401 of a Sheraton Hotel in Boston on November 27, 1953. He was sixty-five years old. His final words were “I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room, and damn it, died in a hotel room”.

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford was actually born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas on March 23, 1905. She was only five months old when her father took off and left a family behind. As a child, she loved watching vaudeville and when she became of age, began dancing in a chorus line in New York City. She made quite an impression in a few forgettable films and eventually made the movie “Paris” which gained her even more fame. She continued to appear in flapper-themed movies and became somewhat famous for her role in “Our Dancing Daughters”. She starred with Clark Gable in “Possessed” (1931), which led to a brief affair. She was then cast in “Grand Hotel” where she received even more acclaim. She continued to star in many films. She eventually signed with Warner Brothers. She worked extremely hard in her new performance and it paid off with her winning an Academy Award for “Mildred Pierce”. She made many movies in her career, but is perhaps best remembered for starring as “Blanche Hudson” in the suspenseful thriller “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?” (1962). She insisted Bette Davis for the role of Jane and the rest is history. If you have never seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it. For my money, it is one of the greatest movies ever made. She went on to make a few more films and several television appearances.

In 1973, she made her last public appearance at a party honoring her old friend Rosalind Russell. Russell had breast cancer and died two years later. On May 8, 1977, Joan gave away her beloved Shih Tzu “Princess Lotus Blossom”, which was a signal to her friends that death was near. She died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also ill with pancreatic cancer. Her housekeeper began to pray out loud, and Joan’s final words were “Damn it…Don’t you dare ask God to help me”.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858 in New York City. The Roosevelt’s were very wealthy. Roosevelt was very sickly as a child and asthmatic. Despite the illnesses, he was hyperactive and mischievous. He started taking boxing lessons to deal with bullies. He eventually attended Harvard and was quite active in sports. He was even a runner-up in the Harvard boxing championship. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1880. His interest in politics led to becoming a New York State Legislator. He finally left New York as he became disillusioned by New York politics. He bought a ranch in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory while on a buffalo hunting expedition. He built another ranch, named Elk Horn. He learned to ride, rope and hunt He became a deputy sheriff and was relentless in his pursuit of outlaws. The severe winter of 1886-87 wiped out his herd of cattle and he returned east.

Forever known to everyone as “Teddy”, he decided to get back into politics and ran as a Republican candidate for New York City. He came in third. In 1888, he campaigned for Benjamin Harrison and Harrison appointed him to the United States Civil Service Commission. Later he became president of the board of New York City’s Police Commission. There he established new disciplinary rules, created a bicycle squad and standardized the use of pistols for officers. Later, Teddy found volunteers from cowboys from the Western territories and formed the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, which became the famous Rough Riders. They fought in the 1898 Spanish-American war and under his leadership became famous for the charge up San Juan Hill. He was nominated for the Medal Of Honor.

After leaving the army, he was elected governor of New York. President McKinley appointed him as Vice-President. After McKinley was shot, he became President of the United States. He constructed the now famous West Wing. In 1909, after his second term, he left for an African safari became famous for his reputation as a big-game hunter. He died on January 6, 1919. His final words, just before death were “Put out the light.”

Douglas Fairbanks

Douglas Fairbanks was born on May 23, 1883 in Denver, Colorado. He began acting on the Denver stages at an early age. He became a sensation in his teens. He moved to New York to pursue an acting career. He made his Broadway debut in 1902. In 1907, he married Anna Beth Sully, daughter of a wealthy industrialist. He signed a contract with Triangle Pictures in 1915 and began working under D.W. Griffith. His first film, “The Lamb” showed off his remarkable athletic abilities, which brought him much attention. In 1916, he established his own company and soon got a job at Paramount. By 1918, Fairbanks was Hollywood’s most popular actor.

At a party, he met Mary Pickford and they began having an affair. In December of 1918, Anna had had enough and won a decree of divorce from Fairbanks. Fairbanks, Pickford, Charles Chaplin and D. W. Griffith formed United Artists in 1919. Fairbanks was determined to marry Pickford, but she was still married to actor Owen Moore. He grew tired of her not getting a divorce and she quickly divorced Moore. Fairbanks and Pickford were married in 1920.

By 1920, Fairbanks had completed 29 films, but it was his performance in “The Mark Of Zorro” which showcased all his unique talents as an actor and swashbuckler. He became a superstar. His last silent film was “The Iron Mask” in 1929. He and Pickford made their first talkie in “The Taming Of The Shrew”, but it was poorly received. His last film was “The Private Life Of Don Juan” in 1934, after which he retired from acting.

He soon began an affair with Lady Sylvia Ashley and he and Pickford separated in 1936. In Mach of 1936, he and Ashley were married. His health began to decline and in December of 1939, at the age of 56, Fairbanks suffered a heart attack. He died a day later at his home in Santa Monica. His last words were “I’ve never felt better.”

Doc Holliday

John Henry “Doc” Holliday on August 14, 1852. His mother died of tuberculosis in 1866, when he was 15 years old. He later attended Valdosta Institute where he received classical education in rhetoric, grammar, mathematics, history and several languages. In 1870, 19 year old Holliday began dental school in Philadelphia. He received a degree of dentistry and later opened a dental office. Shortly after beginning his practice, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, possibly contracted from his mother. He was given only a few months to live. He figured moving to a drier and warmer climate would help his condition. In 1873, he moved to Dallas, Texas where he opened another dental office. But he soon began gambling and found a greater source of income. He got into trouble with the law and decided to leave the state.

In the following years, fueled by a hot temper and an attitude that death by gun would be better than death by his disease, he started drinking heavily. He referred to a drink as “I’m Your Daisy”. He continued traveling all over the west and eventually ended up in Deadwood, where he became fast friends with Wyatt Earp. They moved to Dodge City, but it was too civilized for them. He became friends with all the Earp brothers and they eventually made their way to the silver-mining boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona. Everyone knows the story of the famous shootout with the Clanton boys. After the famous gun battle, things grew worse for the Earp brothers. Virgil Earp was ambushed and permanently injured in 1881. Morgan Earp was ambushed and killed in 1882. They all left Tombstone. The Earp brothers left for different parts of Colorado.

Doc spent the rest of his life there. He deteriorated badly and in 1887 was prematurely graying and in terrible physical condition. He made his way to Glenwood, where he hoped the hot springs would help, but it was too late. As he lay dying, he asked for a drink of whiskey. Amused by his bootless feet – no one ever thought he would die in bed with his boots off – his final words were “Well I’ll be damned. This is funny.”

Note: Most of the bio information and photos were obtained from Wickopedia.

One day, they asked him to play “Partita in D minor for solo violin” by Johann Sebastian Bach. This man had never played the piece because he avoided music that had anything to do with Germany or the Nazi’s. They told him if he didn’t play it, they would shoot him.
This man picked up his violin and by the glory and grace of God’s hand “as he said”, he played the piece without even remembering it took place.

So you see, some of the most awe inspiring individuals in the world will never get their chance to tell their story. I am here to share with you a few that have inspired me.

Big things do come in small packages as you shall soon see.

The Next Mozart? 6-Year Old Piano Prodigy

Even at 6 years old, Emily Bear has astonished audiences from the White House to her own siblings who are also gifted. Emily has played the piano since the age of 3 and she even composed her first piece of music at age 2.

Paul Potts sings Nessun Dorma at “Britain’s Got Talent”

A mobile phone salesman who works at Car phone Warehouse brings out the beauty of “Nessun Dorma”, an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, made famous by Luciano Pavarotti.

Esref Armagan: Artist Born without Eyes:

Born with a defect of the eyes, this painting visionary is imaging shapes in his mind and transcribes them and translates the final picture in his psyche to a canvas.

Ruediger Gamm: The Human Calculator

At 35 years old, Rudiger Gamm can instantly solve complex mathematical formulas inside his head. He is also able to multiply higher powers and divide two prime numbers to 60 decimals He is also a calendar calculator and he can determine within seconds the day of the week of any date in history.

Kim Peek: The Real Rain Man

Kim Peek has a photographic or eidetic memory and developmental disabilities, perhaps resulting from congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbit, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the movie Rain Man.

Daniel Tammet: The Boy with the Incredible Brain

Daniel Paul Tammet is a British high-functioning autistic savant gifted with a facility for mathematical and natural language learning. “In his memoir, Born on a Blue Day, he talks of how having epilepsy, synaesthesia, and Asperger Syndrome all deeply affected his childhood.”

Stephen Wiltshire: The Human Camera

Stephen Wiltshire MBE is an architectural artist who has been diagnosed with autism. He is recognized for being able to illustrate an entire landscape just by seeing it once.

Check out some of these related articles:

• Wacky World Record Holders
• Humanitarians that Left a Mark On History

The idea of using papyrus, lint, grass, sea sponge and other materials as an internal device for the menstruating woman was noted by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, Hippocrates wrote about its use, he described how the Greeks used small lengths of wood and material somewhat like lint as an internal plug.

Many ideas and takes on the earlier findings of the menstrual plug were used by women over the years, and in the 20Th century styles of plugs with string were on public sale. The more modern style plug as we see advertised today was invented by Dr Earle Haas of America in 1929, he put forward his idea for patenting in 1931 and he then used a play on the words, pack and the French word for towel, Tampon, to get his trade name Tampax, this product was ready for the public market in 1936.

Dental Floss

Using pieces of bark, blades of grass and small twigs was how man has removed the remains of his meal from the gaps in his teeth, an American dentist named Levi Parmly noted patients were hurting their gums and looked to a different method of getting them to remove debris in a much gentler manner, he took to using the silk thread used for surgical techniques, it was called floss, the material taken from around a silkworms’ cocoon, this method worked but the thread was prone to breaking. Modern versions are used daily and come in a variety of stronger materials.

Toilet Paper

Neanderthal man would have used his hands, water and grass at first, later the ancient Chinese Emperors were treated to the luxury of using paper for the daily cleansing of their rear end, far nicer than using grass, leaves and any other item you could lay your hands on at the time. The idea caught on and people used a variety of paper materials that could be disposed of hygienically. In 1857 an American Joseph Gayetty marketed a toilet tissue packaged for the smallest room. In 1890 a paper company, The Scott Paper Company produced the first rolled up toilet paper and the idea is still with us in many colour shades and depths of softness today.

The Condom

The first recorded item later known as a condom was invented by Gabriel Fallopius in the 1500’s. He studied the reproductive system but as it was the role of a woman to not get pregnant, Fallopius’s condom was used for protection against disease, mainly the dreaded syphilis; his design fitted the tip of the penis. He went on to design a condom to fit the circumcised penis, in order to make it more attractive it was held on by a pink ribbon. Condoms were later redeveloped as a method of birth control and they now come in various materials, colours and flavours.

The Disposable Nappy/Diaper

Having already designed and produced a baby pant out of her old shower curtain, that became a popular garment in the baby departments, Marion Donovan went one step further and designed a disposable nappy/diaper. She was determined to keep pushing her idea but despite having a finished product no one would take it on. It was later marketed out as the brand Pampers®.

False Eye Lashes

In 1916 American film director, David Wark Griffith experimented with photographic equipment and when he wanted more from a facial shot of his leading ladies he needed a way of highlighting their eyes, he thought of an idea, a wigmaker who was known for using human hair was found, and after it was explained what Griffith wanted, the false eye lash was produced by hair being threaded and woven onto very fine, lightweight material and the end result was then stuck onto the edge of the natural lashes. They were a huge hit with the ladies and are still popular today.

But then something happened. Weeks later, as the frenzy continued and shares kept being bid up during the spring and summer, Newton went back into the market and bought further shares-this time for a larger amount than he had spent before. But this time his foray came at what proved to be the top of the market. When the bubble burst on the stock of the South Sea Company, Newton found himself losing £120,000.

It is said that the experience so unnerved him that for the rest of his life Newton could not bear to hear the words South Sea.

Below is a collection of interesting facts and trivia, about the deaths of modern and past celebrities.

A Winning Death

Frank Hayes, jockey (b. ? d. 1923)

Hayes died of a massive heart attack during a race at Belmont, New York. His horse, “Sweet Kiss”, finished and won the race, making Hayes the only jockey ever, to win a race while dead.

Death by Stupidity

Terry Kath, guitarist and founder, rock group Chicago (b. 1946 – d. 1978)

Kath shot and killed himself with a semi-automatic 9mm pistol, while playing a game of mock Russian roulette. His famous last words: “Don’t worry, it’s not loaded”.

Joan Vollmer Adams Burroughs (b. 1924 – d. 1951)

Famed Beat poet William Burroughs shot his wife to death in 1951. At a party, Joan balanced a glass of water atop her head. Burroughs, a crack shot, wanted to try a William Tell stunt. He took out his gun, aimed at the glass and fired. He missed and shot Joan in the head, killing her instantly.

Jon-Erik Hexum, model-turned-actor (b. 1957 – d.1984)

According to his co-stars, Hexum liked to joke around with guns. While on set for a TV series, “Cover Up”, the actor held a gun loaded with blanks to his head, and fired. A crew member allegedly said:

“Jon smiled and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang and a bright flash, then black smoke. Jon screamed in agony, then looked kind of amazed as he slumped back onto the bed with blood streaming from a severe head wound. It was horrible.”

Blanks use wadding to seal gunpowder into the shell. Unknown to Hexum, a gun fires the wadding with enough force to cause severe injury or death at close range. The paper wadding in the blank struck him in the temple, shattered a piece of his skull, and propelled the pieces into his brain. He died six days later.

Kevin Smith, actor (b. 1963 – d. 2002)

Smith was best-known for his role as Ares, on the television series “Hercules”. After shooting a film in China, Smith decided to climb a prop tower on the set of another film. He fell three stories, and died nine days later of massive head injuries.

Death by Wild Animal

Timothy Treadwell (b. 1957 – d. 2003) and Amie Huguenard (b. 1965 – d. 2003)

Environmentalist Timothy Treadwell spent thirteen seasons in Alaska, studying and befriending grizzly bears. He and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, extended their final visit by a week, as Treadwell wanted to bond with a new bear in the area.

A day before departure, the grizzly attacked Treadwell. Huguenard screamed and beat the bear with a frying pan. The grizzly ran away, but returned and attacked Treadwell again. As it dragged him away, Amie was screaming hysterically. The bear dropped Treadwell and went after her, mauling her to death as well. A six-minute audio tape of the attack remains.

Historical Deaths

Pope Johann XII (aka Pope John XII) c. 937 – d. 14 May 964

Elected at the age of eighteen, Johann was the second-youngest pope in history. He led a life of debauchery and died at the age of twenty-seven. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that he died “eight days after he had been … stricken by paralysis in the act of adultery. … On that occasion the devil dealt him a blow on the temple in consequence of which he died.”

Others attribute Johann’s death to a beating by a jealous husband.

The most expensive funeral in history was that of Alexander the Great (d. 323BC)

In modern terms, it would cost about $600,000,000. A road of 1,400 kilometers (900 miles) was built, to move his body from Babylon to Alexandria. His funeral procession included a jewel-studded hearse the size of a small building, pulled by sixty-four horses.

Death by Kink?

Albert Dekker, actor and legislator (California) b. 1905 – d. 1968

Albert Dekker died in the bathroom of his Hollywood home. His hands and feet were tied, and a cord wound around his neck to the showerhead. Depending on sources, he was either naked, or wearing women’s lingerie. He had a hypodermic needle jammed into each arm, and someone had scrawled obscenities all over his corpse.

At first, examiners thought Dekker had committed suicide, or had died during kinky sex. Robbery might also have been a motive, since items were missing from the house. Authorities finally ruled that Albert Dekker had died of accidental asphyxiation, but the case remains unsolved.

First Televised Suicide

Christine Chubbuck, newscaster (b. 1944 – d. 1974)

During a live morning broadcast, Florida newscaster Chris Chubbuck looked at the camera and said, “And now, in keeping with Channel 40’s policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you’re about to see another first – an attempted suicide.”

She then put a gun behind her right ear, and shot herself. She died 14 hours later. Chubbuck had been struggling with depression, and producers had recently cut a story of hers, in favor of one with more “blood and guts”.

The Final Frontier

1997: Gene Roddenbury, creator of Star Trek; and LSD guru Timothy Leary were the first celebrities to have their ashes sent into space.

Lipstick-sized capsules of their ashes, along with those of twenty-two others, hitched a ride on a larger project (to launch Spain’s first satellite). The price was $4,800 per ash capsule. The tiny capsules orbited Earth for six years, and eventually burned up in the atmosphere.

According to the CIA Wold Factbook, about 155,000 people die each day. A few die famous, and others are famous because they die. Surrounded by trivia and interesting facts, celebrity deaths live on.