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Pictures | Mon Dec 9, 2019 | 1:30pm EST

Notable deaths in 2019

Haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld, artistic director at Chanel and an icon of the fashion industry with his extravagant outfits and striking catwalks, died February 19 aged 85. The German designer was best known for his association with France's Chanel, dating back to 1983. The brand, the legend now goes, risked becoming the preserve of monied grannies before he arrived, slashing hemlines and adding glitz to the prim tweed suits of what is now one of the world's most valuable couture houses. A craftsman who combined artistic instinct, business acumen and commensurate ego, Lagerfeld was known for his strikingly visual fashion show displays. But Lagerfeld, who simultaneously churned out collections for LVMH's Fendi and his eponymous label was almost a brand in his own right. Sporting dark suits, white, ponytailed hair and tinted sunglasses that made him instantly recognizable, an irreverent wit was also part of a carefully crafted persona. "I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," runs one legendary quote attributed to him, and often recycled to convey the person he liked to play. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long." REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

Haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld, artistic director at Chanel and an icon of the fashion industry with his extravagant outfits and striking catwalks, died February 19 aged 85. The German designer was best known for his association with France's...more

Reuters / Sunday, May 24, 2009
Haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld, artistic director at Chanel and an icon of the fashion industry with his extravagant outfits and striking catwalks, died February 19 aged 85. The German designer was best known for his association with France's Chanel, dating back to 1983. The brand, the legend now goes, risked becoming the preserve of monied grannies before he arrived, slashing hemlines and adding glitz to the prim tweed suits of what is now one of the world's most valuable couture houses. A craftsman who combined artistic instinct, business acumen and commensurate ego, Lagerfeld was known for his strikingly visual fashion show displays. But Lagerfeld, who simultaneously churned out collections for LVMH's Fendi and his eponymous label was almost a brand in his own right. Sporting dark suits, white, ponytailed hair and tinted sunglasses that made him instantly recognizable, an irreverent wit was also part of a carefully crafted persona. "I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," runs one legendary quote attributed to him, and often recycled to convey the person he liked to play. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long." REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
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U.S. author Toni Morrison, whose 1987 novel "Beloved" about a runaway slave won a Pulitzer Prize and contributed to a body of work that made her the first black woman to be presented the Nobel Prize in Literature, died on August 5 at the age of 88. Morrison was a commercial as well as critical success, drawing praise for writing in a vivid, lyrical style while assessing issues of race, gender and love in American society. "Beloved" was set during the U.S. Civil War and based on the true story of Sethe, a woman who killed her 2-year-old daughter to spare her from slavery. The woman was captured before she could kill herself and the child's ghost visits her mother. Morrison told NEA Arts magazine in 2015 that she had already written a third of the book before deciding to bring in the ghost to address the morality of whether the mother was right to kill the child. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

U.S. author Toni Morrison, whose 1987 novel "Beloved" about a runaway slave won a Pulitzer Prize and contributed to a body of work that made her the first black woman to be presented the Nobel Prize in Literature, died on August 5 at the age of 88....more

Reuters / Wednesday, November 03, 2010
U.S. author Toni Morrison, whose 1987 novel "Beloved" about a runaway slave won a Pulitzer Prize and contributed to a body of work that made her the first black woman to be presented the Nobel Prize in Literature, died on August 5 at the age of 88. Morrison was a commercial as well as critical success, drawing praise for writing in a vivid, lyrical style while assessing issues of race, gender and love in American society. "Beloved" was set during the U.S. Civil War and based on the true story of Sethe, a woman who killed her 2-year-old daughter to spare her from slavery. The woman was captured before she could kill herself and the child's ghost visits her mother. Morrison told NEA Arts magazine in 2015 that she had already written a third of the book before deciding to bring in the ghost to address the morality of whether the mother was right to kill the child. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
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Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State, died October 26 in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria. The Islamic State or caliphate that Baghdadi declared in July 2014 over a quarter of Iraq and Syria was notable for atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of a version of an ultra-fanatic Islam that horrified mainstream Muslims. At the height of its power in 2016, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through towns and villages along the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys to the outskirts of Baghdad. The group claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in dozens of cities including Paris, Nice, Orlando, Manchester, London and Berlin, and in nearby Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State, died October 26 in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria. The Islamic State or caliphate that...more

Reuters / Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State, died October 26 in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria. The Islamic State or caliphate that Baghdadi declared in July 2014 over a quarter of Iraq and Syria was notable for atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of a version of an ultra-fanatic Islam that horrified mainstream Muslims. At the height of its power in 2016, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through towns and villages along the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys to the outskirts of Baghdad. The group claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in dozens of cities including Paris, Nice, Orlando, Manchester, London and Berlin, and in nearby Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS
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U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, a civil rights champion who over the last quarter century became one of the most influential Democrats in Congress and a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, died on October 17 at age 68. A powerful speaker with a formidable presence, Cummings had clashed with Trump on subjects ranging from congressional oversight of the White House to Trump's attacks on Cummings' native city of Baltimore, which the president called "rat-infested." Cummings said that high-level government officials should "stop invoking fear, using racist language and encouraging reprehensible behavior." He was the son of African-American sharecroppers and was a trial lawyer before entering politics. He rose to lead the powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee, one of three congressional panels leading an impeachment inquiry that was launched on Sept. 24, after Trump asked Ukraine to investigate 2020 Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert

U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, a civil rights champion who over the last quarter century became one of the most influential Democrats in Congress and a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, died on October 17 at age...more

Reuters / Wednesday, August 07, 2019
U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, a civil rights champion who over the last quarter century became one of the most influential Democrats in Congress and a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, died on October 17 at age 68. A powerful speaker with a formidable presence, Cummings had clashed with Trump on subjects ranging from congressional oversight of the White House to Trump's attacks on Cummings' native city of Baltimore, which the president called "rat-infested." Cummings said that high-level government officials should "stop invoking fear, using racist language and encouraging reprehensible behavior." He was the son of African-American sharecroppers and was a trial lawyer before entering politics. He rose to lead the powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee, one of three congressional panels leading an impeachment inquiry that was launched on Sept. 24, after Trump asked Ukraine to investigate 2020 Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert
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Lee Radziwill (pictured 2nd R with daughter Anna Christina Radziwill), the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (L) who was witness to history in the "Camelot" White House, married a prince and counted Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Rudolf Nureyev as friends in a star-studded life, died February 15 at the age of 85. Radziwill's world was inhabited by doyennes of high society, artistic celebrities, fashion moguls and wealthy, prominent husbands - including one whose royal status made her a real-life princess. She was an actress, interior decorator, author, fashion public relations executive and television interviewer, although some of those careers were short-lived. Radziwill was a portrait of sophistication and words such as "enchanting" and "adored" seasoned her conversations. For years she was a perennial entry on international best-dressed lists. The Bouvier sisters were close but there was an undercurrent of competition between them. One biographer said the girls' father, the dashing John "Black Jack" Bouvier, favored Jackie and Lee felt she could not live up to his expectations. Both girls idolized their father but Lee said she had a difficult relationship with their mother, Janet, who called her fat. Radziwill recoiled at suggestions of resentment toward her sister, telling People magazine in 1976, "It's just the most ludicrous talk in the world that we're rivals. We're exceptionally close and always have been." Courtesy Cecil Stoughton/JFK Library/Handout via REUTERS

Lee Radziwill (pictured 2nd R with daughter Anna Christina Radziwill), the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (L) who was witness to history in the "Camelot" White House, married a prince and counted Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Rudolf...more

Reuters / Tuesday, May 08, 2018
Lee Radziwill (pictured 2nd R with daughter Anna Christina Radziwill), the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (L) who was witness to history in the "Camelot" White House, married a prince and counted Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Rudolf Nureyev as friends in a star-studded life, died February 15 at the age of 85. Radziwill's world was inhabited by doyennes of high society, artistic celebrities, fashion moguls and wealthy, prominent husbands - including one whose royal status made her a real-life princess. She was an actress, interior decorator, author, fashion public relations executive and television interviewer, although some of those careers were short-lived. Radziwill was a portrait of sophistication and words such as "enchanting" and "adored" seasoned her conversations. For years she was a perennial entry on international best-dressed lists. The Bouvier sisters were close but there was an undercurrent of competition between them. One biographer said the girls' father, the dashing John "Black Jack" Bouvier, favored Jackie and Lee felt she could not live up to his expectations. Both girls idolized their father but Lee said she had a difficult relationship with their mother, Janet, who called her fat. Radziwill recoiled at suggestions of resentment toward her sister, telling People magazine in 1976, "It's just the most ludicrous talk in the world that we're rivals. We're exceptionally close and always have been." Courtesy Cecil Stoughton/JFK Library/Handout via REUTERS
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Two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda, who became a counterculture icon when he co-wrote, produced and starred in seminal 1969 road movie "Easy Rider," died on August 16 at age 79. Fonda co-wrote the script for "Easy Rider" and played the wanderer Wyatt in "Easy Rider," opposite the late Dennis Hopper who co-starred as fellow biker Billy and directed the film. In the movie, Wyatt and Billy set out on their motorbikes to discover America and have a number of misadventures, befriending an attorney played by Jack Nicholson, before meeting violent deaths. The film helped usher in a period known as the "New Hollywood" era of filmmaking, which often avoided happy endings and other conventions of the Hollywood studio system. Fonda was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the script of "Easy Rider" and went on to act in movies and television shows at a steady pace in the decades after, achieving a second career highlight when he was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role as a beekeeper in the 1997 drama "Ulee's Gold." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda, who became a counterculture icon when he co-wrote, produced and starred in seminal 1969 road movie "Easy Rider," died on August 16 at age 79. Fonda co-wrote the script for "Easy Rider" and played the wanderer Wyatt...more

Reuters / Friday, October 23, 2009
Two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda, who became a counterculture icon when he co-wrote, produced and starred in seminal 1969 road movie "Easy Rider," died on August 16 at age 79. Fonda co-wrote the script for "Easy Rider" and played the wanderer Wyatt in "Easy Rider," opposite the late Dennis Hopper who co-starred as fellow biker Billy and directed the film. In the movie, Wyatt and Billy set out on their motorbikes to discover America and have a number of misadventures, befriending an attorney played by Jack Nicholson, before meeting violent deaths. The film helped usher in a period known as the "New Hollywood" era of filmmaking, which often avoided happy endings and other conventions of the Hollywood studio system. Fonda was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the script of "Easy Rider" and went on to act in movies and television shows at a steady pace in the decades after, achieving a second career highlight when he was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role as a beekeeper in the 1997 drama "Ulee's Gold." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought boyish vulnerability to Big Bird during 50 years on the groundbreaking children's television show "Sesame Street" and even made garbage-loving Oscar the Grouch loveable, died December 8 at the age of 85. Big Bird, Oscar and Spinney were part of "Sesame Street" when it made its debut in 1969, with the goal of entertaining and educating young children, especially those in low-income families. The beloved Big Bird was a fluffy pear-shaped mass of yellow-dyed turkey feathers set atop spindly legs and standing more than 8 feet tall. At first he was a dim-witted goof but Spinney developed him into a character whom children could relate to - an excitable naif with the sensibilities of a 6-year-old who was learning letters and numbers just like the young viewers who adored him. "Through Big Bird I've learned things that have changed my life, lessons that have stayed with me even when I'm not in the puppet," Spinney said in his book, "The Wisdom of Big Bird (and Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)." "I'm certain that being a bird has made me a better person." REUTERS/Fred Prouser

Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought boyish vulnerability to Big Bird during 50 years on the groundbreaking children's television show "Sesame Street" and even made garbage-loving Oscar the Grouch loveable, died December 8 at the age of 85. Big...more

Reuters / Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought boyish vulnerability to Big Bird during 50 years on the groundbreaking children's television show "Sesame Street" and even made garbage-loving Oscar the Grouch loveable, died December 8 at the age of 85. Big Bird, Oscar and Spinney were part of "Sesame Street" when it made its debut in 1969, with the goal of entertaining and educating young children, especially those in low-income families. The beloved Big Bird was a fluffy pear-shaped mass of yellow-dyed turkey feathers set atop spindly legs and standing more than 8 feet tall. At first he was a dim-witted goof but Spinney developed him into a character whom children could relate to - an excitable naif with the sensibilities of a 6-year-old who was learning letters and numbers just like the young viewers who adored him. "Through Big Bird I've learned things that have changed my life, lessons that have stayed with me even when I'm not in the puppet," Spinney said in his book, "The Wisdom of Big Bird (and Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)." "I'm certain that being a bird has made me a better person." REUTERS/Fred Prouser
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Actor Luke Perry, who rose to superstardom on the teen-oriented 1990s U.S. television drama "Beverly Hills 90210" and then aged into a fatherly role on comic-based "Riverdale," died March 4 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke a week earlier. Since 2016, Perry had played Fred Andrews, father of Archie Andrews, in the television series "Riverdale," a dark twist on the Archie comic books, but more than 20 years earlier the actor had been a heartthrob who adorned the cover of scores of magazines aimed at adolescent girls, thanks to "Beverly Hills 90210." The series was about a group of attractive high school students living the sweet life amid Southern California affluence while dealing with teen angst, as well as a raft of more serious issues such as date rape, AIDS and teen pregnancy. Perry was in his mid-20s when he started playing high schooler Dylan McKay, a brooding loner on a motorcycle with prominent sideburns and bad-boy tendencies. An avalanche of comparisons to the late James Dean soon followed. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Actor Luke Perry, who rose to superstardom on the teen-oriented 1990s U.S. television drama "Beverly Hills 90210" and then aged into a fatherly role on comic-based "Riverdale," died March 4 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke a week earlier....more

Reuters / Monday, May 25, 2009
Actor Luke Perry, who rose to superstardom on the teen-oriented 1990s U.S. television drama "Beverly Hills 90210" and then aged into a fatherly role on comic-based "Riverdale," died March 4 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke a week earlier. Since 2016, Perry had played Fred Andrews, father of Archie Andrews, in the television series "Riverdale," a dark twist on the Archie comic books, but more than 20 years earlier the actor had been a heartthrob who adorned the cover of scores of magazines aimed at adolescent girls, thanks to "Beverly Hills 90210." The series was about a group of attractive high school students living the sweet life amid Southern California affluence while dealing with teen angst, as well as a raft of more serious issues such as date rape, AIDS and teen pregnancy. Perry was in his mid-20s when he started playing high schooler Dylan McKay, a brooding loner on a motorcycle with prominent sideburns and bad-boy tendencies. An avalanche of comparisons to the late James Dean soon followed. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Actress Doris Day, who became one of the greatest box-office attractions of her time as the cheery, freckle-faced personification of wholesomeness, died May 13 at the age of 97. Day co-starred with 1950s and '60s superstars such as Rock Hudson and Cary Grant. Her shiny girl-next-door image was built on a series of innocent romantic comedies, including "Pillow Talk," for which Day received an Oscar nomination, "That Touch of Mink" and "The Thrill of It All." Day also had hit records, most notably "Que Sera, Sera" from the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much." It became her theme song, even though she had initially been reluctant to record it. Day's life was not always as sunny as her movie roles. She married four times, was divorced three times and widowed once, suffered a nervous breakdown and had severe financial trouble after one husband squandered her money. "My public image is unshakably that of America's wholesome virgin, the girl next door, carefree and brimming with happiness," she said in a memoir, "an image, I can assure you, more make-believe than any film part I ever played. But I am Miss Chastity Belt and that's all there is to it." Courtesy William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress/Handout via REUTERS

Actress Doris Day, who became one of the greatest box-office attractions of her time as the cheery, freckle-faced personification of wholesomeness, died May 13 at the age of 97. Day co-starred with 1950s and '60s superstars such as Rock Hudson and...more

Reuters / Monday, May 13, 2019
Actress Doris Day, who became one of the greatest box-office attractions of her time as the cheery, freckle-faced personification of wholesomeness, died May 13 at the age of 97. Day co-starred with 1950s and '60s superstars such as Rock Hudson and Cary Grant. Her shiny girl-next-door image was built on a series of innocent romantic comedies, including "Pillow Talk," for which Day received an Oscar nomination, "That Touch of Mink" and "The Thrill of It All." Day also had hit records, most notably "Que Sera, Sera" from the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much." It became her theme song, even though she had initially been reluctant to record it. Day's life was not always as sunny as her movie roles. She married four times, was divorced three times and widowed once, suffered a nervous breakdown and had severe financial trouble after one husband squandered her money. "My public image is unshakably that of America's wholesome virgin, the girl next door, carefree and brimming with happiness," she said in a memoir, "an image, I can assure you, more make-believe than any film part I ever played. But I am Miss Chastity Belt and that's all there is to it." Courtesy William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress/Handout via REUTERS
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Former President Jacques Chirac, a political chameleon who dominated French politics for decades and strived to make France's voice heard in Europe and beyond, died September 26 at the age of 86. Chirac, who served as president from 1995 to 2007, was feted by many French people for asserting their country's role as a global player, a stance that put him at odds with Washington over the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Chirac was from his earliest years a member of the French establishment, but he also had a knack for connecting with ordinary people outside the urban elite. A court conviction after he left office for misusing public funds did little to tarnish his image. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Former President Jacques Chirac, a political chameleon who dominated French politics for decades and strived to make France's voice heard in Europe and beyond, died September 26 at the age of 86. Chirac, who served as president from 1995 to 2007, was...more

Reuters / Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Former President Jacques Chirac, a political chameleon who dominated French politics for decades and strived to make France's voice heard in Europe and beyond, died September 26 at the age of 86. Chirac, who served as president from 1995 to 2007, was feted by many French people for asserting their country's role as a global player, a stance that put him at odds with Washington over the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Chirac was from his earliest years a member of the French establishment, but he also had a knack for connecting with ordinary people outside the urban elite. A court conviction after he left office for misusing public funds did little to tarnish his image. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
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Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe was feted as an African liberation hero and champion of racial reconciliation when he first came to power in a nation divided by nearly a century of white colonial rule. Nearly four decades later, many at home and abroad denounced him as a power-obsessed autocrat willing to unleash death squads, rig elections and trash the economy in the relentless pursuit of control. Mugabe, who died on September 6 aged 95, was ultimately ousted by his own armed forces in November 2017. He demonstrated his tenacity - some might say stubbornness - to the last, refusing to accept his expulsion from his own ZANU-PF party and clinging on for a week until parliament started to impeach him after the de facto coup. His resignation triggered wild celebrations across the country of 13 million. For Mugabe, it was an "unconstitutional and humiliating" act of betrayal by his party and people, and left him a broken man. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe was feted as an African liberation hero and champion of racial reconciliation when he first came to power in a nation divided by nearly a century of white colonial rule. Nearly four decades later, many at...more

Reuters / Sunday, August 17, 2008
Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe was feted as an African liberation hero and champion of racial reconciliation when he first came to power in a nation divided by nearly a century of white colonial rule. Nearly four decades later, many at home and abroad denounced him as a power-obsessed autocrat willing to unleash death squads, rig elections and trash the economy in the relentless pursuit of control. Mugabe, who died on September 6 aged 95, was ultimately ousted by his own armed forces in November 2017. He demonstrated his tenacity - some might say stubbornness - to the last, refusing to accept his expulsion from his own ZANU-PF party and clinging on for a week until parliament started to impeach him after the de facto coup. His resignation triggered wild celebrations across the country of 13 million. For Mugabe, it was an "unconstitutional and humiliating" act of betrayal by his party and people, and left him a broken man. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
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Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead August 10 after hanging himself in the New York jail cell where he was being held without bail on sex-trafficking charges. The 66-year-old, who once counted Republican President Donald Trump, Democratic former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14, from at least 2002 to 2005. The indictment accused Epstein of knowingly recruiting underage women to engage in sex acts with him, sometimes over a period of years while paying the women for each encounter. The charges were announced more than a decade after he pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of solicitation of prostitution from a minor in a deal with prosecutors that has been widely criticized as too lenient. His estimated $577 million estate is now the target of civil lawsuits by more than a dozen women who say he sexually abused them in his homes in New York, Florida and elsewhere. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead August 10 after hanging himself in the New York jail cell where he was being held without bail on sex-trafficking charges. The 66-year-old, who once counted Republican President Donald Trump,...more

Reuters / Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead August 10 after hanging himself in the New York jail cell where he was being held without bail on sex-trafficking charges. The 66-year-old, who once counted Republican President Donald Trump, Democratic former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14, from at least 2002 to 2005. The indictment accused Epstein of knowingly recruiting underage women to engage in sex acts with him, sometimes over a period of years while paying the women for each encounter. The charges were announced more than a decade after he pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of solicitation of prostitution from a minor in a deal with prosecutors that has been widely criticized as too lenient. His estimated $577 million estate is now the target of civil lawsuits by more than a dozen women who say he sexually abused them in his homes in New York, Florida and elsewhere. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS
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Former Chinese Premier Li Peng, reviled by rights activists and many in the Chinese capital as the "Butcher of Beijing" for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests, died on July 22 at the age of 90. Along with then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, Li was seen as an unapologetic hard-liner responsible for ordering the assault that crushed weeks of demonstrations in central Beijing. His declaration of martial law over parts of Beijing on national television made him one of the most prominent faces of a crackdown that continues to color global perception of China's Communist Party leadership. The death toll given by officials days after the crackdown was about 300, most of them soldiers, with only 23 students confirmed killed. China has never provided a full accounting of the violence, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into the thousands. A hydropower engineer by training, Li was a champion of the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze river, a massive feat of engineering that became part of his legacy. But the 607-foot dam also has been one of China's most expensive and controversial projects, submerging villages, displacing millions and disrupting ecosystems. The project became a lightning rod for what critics saw as China's growth-at-all-costs economic model, coming in billions of dollars over budget, and was later linked to embezzlement and nepotism scandals, according to the national audit office. REUTERS/David Gray

Former Chinese Premier Li Peng, reviled by rights activists and many in the Chinese capital as the "Butcher of Beijing" for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests, died on July 22 at the age of 90. Along...more

Reuters / Friday, May 22, 2009
Former Chinese Premier Li Peng, reviled by rights activists and many in the Chinese capital as the "Butcher of Beijing" for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests, died on July 22 at the age of 90. Along with then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, Li was seen as an unapologetic hard-liner responsible for ordering the assault that crushed weeks of demonstrations in central Beijing. His declaration of martial law over parts of Beijing on national television made him one of the most prominent faces of a crackdown that continues to color global perception of China's Communist Party leadership. The death toll given by officials days after the crackdown was about 300, most of them soldiers, with only 23 students confirmed killed. China has never provided a full accounting of the violence, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into the thousands. A hydropower engineer by training, Li was a champion of the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze river, a massive feat of engineering that became part of his legacy. But the 607-foot dam also has been one of China's most expensive and controversial projects, submerging villages, displacing millions and disrupting ecosystems. The project became a lightning rod for what critics saw as China's growth-at-all-costs economic model, coming in billions of dollars over budget, and was later linked to embezzlement and nepotism scandals, according to the national audit office. REUTERS/David Gray
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Former Justice John Paul Stevens, a Republican appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court who later became an outspoken leader of the liberal wing as the court moved to the right, died July 16 at age 99. He was appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975 and became one of the longest-serving justices in U.S. history. He carved out a new role as a critic of some of his former colleagues on issues such as voting rights, campaign finance and the death penalty. The idiosyncratic Stevens initially built a record as a maverick with a reputation as a non-partisan, highly independent jurist. His views evolved during his time on the bench, not least on the death penalty, which he initially supported. He announced in 2008 that he believed it was unconstitutional. Stevens, once at the ideological center of the court and one of its sharpest thinkers and best writers, often wrote separate concurring or dissenting opinions that reflected his hard-to-label judicial philosophy. He was also widely known for his polite demeanor when questioning the lawyers before him, in contrast to some of his more combative colleagues. As the court moved to the right in the early 1990s under Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Stevens became the leader of the liberal faction on the nine-justice court that included three other justices. He embraced other liberal positions by supporting abortion and gay rights, gun restrictions, limits on government aid for religion and legalization of marijuana. REUTERS/Jim Young

Former Justice John Paul Stevens, a Republican appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court who later became an outspoken leader of the liberal wing as the court moved to the right, died July 16 at age 99. He was appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975 and...more

Reuters / Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Former Justice John Paul Stevens, a Republican appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court who later became an outspoken leader of the liberal wing as the court moved to the right, died July 16 at age 99. He was appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975 and became one of the longest-serving justices in U.S. history. He carved out a new role as a critic of some of his former colleagues on issues such as voting rights, campaign finance and the death penalty. The idiosyncratic Stevens initially built a record as a maverick with a reputation as a non-partisan, highly independent jurist. His views evolved during his time on the bench, not least on the death penalty, which he initially supported. He announced in 2008 that he believed it was unconstitutional. Stevens, once at the ideological center of the court and one of its sharpest thinkers and best writers, often wrote separate concurring or dissenting opinions that reflected his hard-to-label judicial philosophy. He was also widely known for his polite demeanor when questioning the lawyers before him, in contrast to some of his more combative colleagues. As the court moved to the right in the early 1990s under Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Stevens became the leader of the liberal faction on the nine-justice court that included three other justices. He embraced other liberal positions by supporting abortion and gay rights, gun restrictions, limits on government aid for religion and legalization of marijuana. REUTERS/Jim Young
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Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, the first democratically elected head of state in Egypt's modern history, died June 17 at the age of 67 after collapsing in a Cairo court while on trial on espionage charges. Mursi, a top figure in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, had been in jail since being toppled by the military in 2013 after barely a year in power, following mass protests against his rule. Mursi was elected to power in 2012 in Egypt's first free presidential election, having been thrown into the race at the last moment by the disqualification of millionaire businessman Khairat al-Shater, the Brotherhood's preferred choice. His victory marked a radical break with the military men who had provided every Egyptian leader since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952. Mursi promised a moderate Islamist agenda to steer Egypt into a new democratic era in which autocracy would be replaced by transparent government that respected human rights and revived the fortunes of the Arab state. The stocky, bespectacled engineer told Egyptians he would deliver an "Egyptian renaissance with an Islamic foundation." Instead, he alienated millions who accused him of usurping unlimited powers, imposing the Brotherhood's conservative brand of Islam and mismanaging the economy, all of which he denied. Mursi was serving a 20-year prison sentence for a conviction arising from the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012, and a life sentence for espionage in a case related to the Gulf state of Qatar. He had denied the charges. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, the first democratically elected head of state in Egypt's modern history, died June 17 at the age of 67 after collapsing in a Cairo court while on trial on espionage charges. Mursi, a top figure in the...more

Reuters / Thursday, May 16, 2013
Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, the first democratically elected head of state in Egypt's modern history, died June 17 at the age of 67 after collapsing in a Cairo court while on trial on espionage charges. Mursi, a top figure in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, had been in jail since being toppled by the military in 2013 after barely a year in power, following mass protests against his rule. Mursi was elected to power in 2012 in Egypt's first free presidential election, having been thrown into the race at the last moment by the disqualification of millionaire businessman Khairat al-Shater, the Brotherhood's preferred choice. His victory marked a radical break with the military men who had provided every Egyptian leader since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952. Mursi promised a moderate Islamist agenda to steer Egypt into a new democratic era in which autocracy would be replaced by transparent government that respected human rights and revived the fortunes of the Arab state. The stocky, bespectacled engineer told Egyptians he would deliver an "Egyptian renaissance with an Islamic foundation." Instead, he alienated millions who accused him of usurping unlimited powers, imposing the Brotherhood's conservative brand of Islam and mismanaging the economy, all of which he denied. Mursi was serving a 20-year prison sentence for a conviction arising from the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012, and a life sentence for espionage in a case related to the Gulf state of Qatar. He had denied the charges. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Carol Channing, who won over audiences with a giddy, guileless charm in trademark roles in Broadway's "Hello Dolly" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," died January 15 at the age of 97, according to her publicist. In a career that spanned seven decades, the saucer-eyed, raspy-voiced musical-comedy star never shook her associations with matchmaker Dolly Levi from the 1964 Broadway musical "Hello Dolly!" or gold digger Lorelei Lee in Anita Loos's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Still, unlike many stars who dislike being linked strongly to the characters they have played, Channing was pleased to be identified with Lorelei, as well as Dolly, a role that won her a Tony Award. "Audiences expect and demand I sing these songs," she once told a reporter of her signature tunes, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Hello Dolly." "I'm lucky to be so closely associated with both 'Diamonds' and 'Dolly.' ... I'm luckier than most - I have two identity songs." REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Carol Channing, who won over audiences with a giddy, guileless charm in trademark roles in Broadway's "Hello Dolly" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," died January 15 at the age of 97, according to her publicist. In a career that spanned seven decades,...more

Reuters / Saturday, January 03, 2015
Carol Channing, who won over audiences with a giddy, guileless charm in trademark roles in Broadway's "Hello Dolly" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," died January 15 at the age of 97, according to her publicist. In a career that spanned seven decades, the saucer-eyed, raspy-voiced musical-comedy star never shook her associations with matchmaker Dolly Levi from the 1964 Broadway musical "Hello Dolly!" or gold digger Lorelei Lee in Anita Loos's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Still, unlike many stars who dislike being linked strongly to the characters they have played, Channing was pleased to be identified with Lorelei, as well as Dolly, a role that won her a Tony Award. "Audiences expect and demand I sing these songs," she once told a reporter of her signature tunes, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Hello Dolly." "I'm lucky to be so closely associated with both 'Diamonds' and 'Dolly.' ... I'm luckier than most - I have two identity songs." REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
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British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, died on April 30 at age 74. Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the films, made his first appearance as the beloved, bleating co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon in the 1977 sci-fi action-thriller "Star Wars," and went on to co-star in four more films in the series. He retired from playing Chewbacca for health reasons, although his family recalled that for Mayhew's final turn as the heroic Wookiee in "The Force Awakens," he "fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall" once more as the wooly character in the 2015 film. Deprived of recognizable speech and with facial expressions limited by the Wookiee mask he wore, Mayhew relied on body language to portray the emotional range of a character who could be both fearsome and sensitive. REUTERS/Paul Hackett

British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, died on April 30 at age 74. Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the films, made his first...more

Reuters / Wednesday, December 16, 2015
British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, died on April 30 at age 74. Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the films, made his first appearance as the beloved, bleating co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon in the 1977 sci-fi action-thriller "Star Wars," and went on to co-star in four more films in the series. He retired from playing Chewbacca for health reasons, although his family recalled that for Mayhew's final turn as the heroic Wookiee in "The Force Awakens," he "fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall" once more as the wooly character in the 2015 film. Deprived of recognizable speech and with facial expressions limited by the Wookiee mask he wore, Mayhew relied on body language to portray the emotional range of a character who could be both fearsome and sensitive. REUTERS/Paul Hackett
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Legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who achieved global acclaim in the 1940s and went on to run the internationally renowned National Ballet of Cuba for decades, died October 17 at age 98, state-run media said. One of the greatest 20th century ballerinas, Alonso used her star power to make a sometimes elitist art form popular on her Caribbean island, forging the world's largest ballet school with a unique bravura style. She immediately identified herself with the 1959 revolution and, with her dance partner of many years, the Russian Igor Youskevich who died in 1994, performed for the guerrillas of Fidel Castro's rebel army after they took power in Havana. She remained closely associated with the Communist government until the end. So revered is Alonso in Cuba - where a perfume carries her name and the Coppelia ice cream parlor is named after one of her signature roles - that she carried the rare title of prima ballerina assoluta, reserved for only the most exceptional of dancers. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

Legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who achieved global acclaim in the 1940s and went on to run the internationally renowned National Ballet of Cuba for decades, died October 17 at age 98, state-run media said. One of the greatest 20th century...more

Reuters / Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who achieved global acclaim in the 1940s and went on to run the internationally renowned National Ballet of Cuba for decades, died October 17 at age 98, state-run media said. One of the greatest 20th century ballerinas, Alonso used her star power to make a sometimes elitist art form popular on her Caribbean island, forging the world's largest ballet school with a unique bravura style. She immediately identified herself with the 1959 revolution and, with her dance partner of many years, the Russian Igor Youskevich who died in 1994, performed for the guerrillas of Fidel Castro's rebel army after they took power in Havana. She remained closely associated with the Communist government until the end. So revered is Alonso in Cuba - where a perfume carries her name and the Coppelia ice cream parlor is named after one of her signature roles - that she carried the rare title of prima ballerina assoluta, reserved for only the most exceptional of dancers. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan
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H. Ross Perot, the feisty Texas technology billionaire who rattled U.S. politics with two independent presidential campaigns in the 1990s that struck a chord with disgruntled voters, died July 9 at the age of 89. Perot, who first learned about computers during his naval service, joined IBM as a computer salesman in 1957. Disenchanted that his bosses did not like his ideas, Perot started his own company, Electronic Data Systems Inc in Dallas, a move that would make him a billionaire by age 38 by handling data processing for customers such as the Medicare system, NASA and other government entities. He leaped into the 1992 presidential race as an independent and quickly found a lode of Americans turned off by the Republican and Democratic parties. His overarching issue was curbing the government's deficit spending - an issue he referred to as the "crazy aunt in the basement" who no one wanted to talk about. Perot finished with a respectable 19 percent of the vote in the presidential election, trailing Clinton's 43 percent and Bush's 37.5 percent. Perot stayed active in politics by speaking out against the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it would create a "giant sucking sound" of American jobs going to Mexico. For his 1996 White House run, Perot started the Reform Party but captured little more than 8 percent of the popular vote, as well as causing a rift in the political movement he founded. Courtesy Russell Klika/U.S. Army/John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School/Handout via REUTERS

H. Ross Perot, the feisty Texas technology billionaire who rattled U.S. politics with two independent presidential campaigns in the 1990s that struck a chord with disgruntled voters, died July 9 at the age of 89. Perot, who first learned about...more

Reuters / Tuesday, July 09, 2019
H. Ross Perot, the feisty Texas technology billionaire who rattled U.S. politics with two independent presidential campaigns in the 1990s that struck a chord with disgruntled voters, died July 9 at the age of 89. Perot, who first learned about computers during his naval service, joined IBM as a computer salesman in 1957. Disenchanted that his bosses did not like his ideas, Perot started his own company, Electronic Data Systems Inc in Dallas, a move that would make him a billionaire by age 38 by handling data processing for customers such as the Medicare system, NASA and other government entities. He leaped into the 1992 presidential race as an independent and quickly found a lode of Americans turned off by the Republican and Democratic parties. His overarching issue was curbing the government's deficit spending - an issue he referred to as the "crazy aunt in the basement" who no one wanted to talk about. Perot finished with a respectable 19 percent of the vote in the presidential election, trailing Clinton's 43 percent and Bush's 37.5 percent. Perot stayed active in politics by speaking out against the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it would create a "giant sucking sound" of American jobs going to Mexico. For his 1996 White House run, Perot started the Reform Party but captured little more than 8 percent of the popular vote, as well as causing a rift in the political movement he founded. Courtesy Russell Klika/U.S. Army/John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School/Handout via REUTERS
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Lee Iacocca, the charismatic U.S. auto industry executive who gave America the Ford Mustang and was celebrated for saving Chrysler from going out of business, died July 2 at the age of 94. During a nearly five-decade career in Detroit that began in 1946 at Ford Motor Co, the proud son of Italian immigrants made the covers of Time, Newsweek and the New York Times Sunday Magazine in stories portraying him as the avatar of the American Auto Age. He encouraged his design teams to be bold, and they responded with sports cars that appealed to baby boomers in the 1960s, fuel-efficient models when gasoline prices soared in the 1970s, and the first-ever, family-oriented minivan in the 1980s that led its segment in sales for 25 years. Iacocca also had some duds, such as the Ford Pinto, an economy car that became notorious for exploding fuel tanks. "You don't win 'em all," he said of the Pinto. He won a place in business history when he pulled Chrysler, now part of Fiat Chrysler, from the brink of collapse in 1980, rallying support in U.S. Congress for $1.2 billion in federally guaranteed loans and persuading suppliers, dealers and union workers to make sacrifices. He cut his salary to $1 a year. REUTERS/Gary Caskey

Lee Iacocca, the charismatic U.S. auto industry executive who gave America the Ford Mustang and was celebrated for saving Chrysler from going out of business, died July 2 at the age of 94. During a nearly five-decade career in Detroit that began in...more

Reuters / Sunday, February 05, 2006
Lee Iacocca, the charismatic U.S. auto industry executive who gave America the Ford Mustang and was celebrated for saving Chrysler from going out of business, died July 2 at the age of 94. During a nearly five-decade career in Detroit that began in 1946 at Ford Motor Co, the proud son of Italian immigrants made the covers of Time, Newsweek and the New York Times Sunday Magazine in stories portraying him as the avatar of the American Auto Age. He encouraged his design teams to be bold, and they responded with sports cars that appealed to baby boomers in the 1960s, fuel-efficient models when gasoline prices soared in the 1970s, and the first-ever, family-oriented minivan in the 1980s that led its segment in sales for 25 years. Iacocca also had some duds, such as the Ford Pinto, an economy car that became notorious for exploding fuel tanks. "You don't win 'em all," he said of the Pinto. He won a place in business history when he pulled Chrysler, now part of Fiat Chrysler, from the brink of collapse in 1980, rallying support in U.S. Congress for $1.2 billion in federally guaranteed loans and persuading suppliers, dealers and union workers to make sacrifices. He cut his salary to $1 a year. REUTERS/Gary Caskey
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Billionaire industrialist David Koch, a driving force behind conglomerate Koch Industries who as one of the world's richest people became a major financier of conservative causes and political candidates, died August 23 at age 79. Koch, a philanthropist and patron of cultural and medical institutions, amassed his vast wealth with a large ownership stake in Koch Industries, the Wichita, Kansas-based company he ran with his older brother Charles. Koch Industries - one of the world's largest privately held businesses - aggressively expanded beyond the oil refining business their father created into an array of new ventures. He and his brother Charles, both Massachusetts Institute of Technology-trained engineers, spent hundreds of millions of dollars to back conservative causes and Republican political candidates. The brothers funded groups like Americans for Prosperity that spread their libertarian vision of conservatism advocating lower taxes and fewer regulations on businesses, and donated heavily to Republican candidates. Critics said the brothers used their riches to buy political influence and peddle positions that would benefit them financially. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Billionaire industrialist David Koch, a driving force behind conglomerate Koch Industries who as one of the world's richest people became a major financier of conservative causes and political candidates, died August 23 at age 79. Koch, a...more

Reuters / Monday, May 04, 2015
Billionaire industrialist David Koch, a driving force behind conglomerate Koch Industries who as one of the world's richest people became a major financier of conservative causes and political candidates, died August 23 at age 79. Koch, a philanthropist and patron of cultural and medical institutions, amassed his vast wealth with a large ownership stake in Koch Industries, the Wichita, Kansas-based company he ran with his older brother Charles. Koch Industries - one of the world's largest privately held businesses - aggressively expanded beyond the oil refining business their father created into an array of new ventures. He and his brother Charles, both Massachusetts Institute of Technology-trained engineers, spent hundreds of millions of dollars to back conservative causes and Republican political candidates. The brothers funded groups like Americans for Prosperity that spread their libertarian vision of conservatism advocating lower taxes and fewer regulations on businesses, and donated heavily to Republican candidates. Critics said the brothers used their riches to buy political influence and peddle positions that would benefit them financially. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
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T. Boone Pickens, a celebrated corporate raider and energy industry magnate who made an empire out of an initial $2,500 investment, died September 11 at age 91. The Oklahoma-born tycoon, known for his folksy speech and ruthless business acumen, ran energy firms, hedge funds and wind farms, offering forecasts on oil prices. In 2008, he announced the Pickens Plan for an energy independent United States, bemoaning reliance on foreign oil and pushing the potential of wind energy. Pickens gained notoriety in the 1980s as a dealmaker who launched audacious bids to take over giant oil companies including Phillips Petroleum, Gulf Oil and Unocal. He failed on all the big takeover bids but made millions of dollars in the process. With Gulf Oil, his bid drove the nation's fifth largest oil company into a record $13.2 billion merger with Chevron. Dubbed the "oracle of oil" in media outlets, Pickens portrayed himself as a tireless campaigner for shareholder rights and repeatedly argued that America's managers had become more concerned with the four P's - pay, perks, power and prestige - than with making money for the company's real owners. REUTERS/David McNew

T. Boone Pickens, a celebrated corporate raider and energy industry magnate who made an empire out of an initial $2,500 investment, died September 11 at age 91. The Oklahoma-born tycoon, known for his folksy speech and ruthless business acumen, ran...more

Reuters / Tuesday, April 30, 2013
T. Boone Pickens, a celebrated corporate raider and energy industry magnate who made an empire out of an initial $2,500 investment, died September 11 at age 91. The Oklahoma-born tycoon, known for his folksy speech and ruthless business acumen, ran energy firms, hedge funds and wind farms, offering forecasts on oil prices. In 2008, he announced the Pickens Plan for an energy independent United States, bemoaning reliance on foreign oil and pushing the potential of wind energy. Pickens gained notoriety in the 1980s as a dealmaker who launched audacious bids to take over giant oil companies including Phillips Petroleum, Gulf Oil and Unocal. He failed on all the big takeover bids but made millions of dollars in the process. With Gulf Oil, his bid drove the nation's fifth largest oil company into a record $13.2 billion merger with Chevron. Dubbed the "oracle of oil" in media outlets, Pickens portrayed himself as a tireless campaigner for shareholder rights and repeatedly argued that America's managers had become more concerned with the four P's - pay, perks, power and prestige - than with making money for the company's real owners. REUTERS/David McNew
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Gloria Vanderbilt, the "poor little rich girl" who lived a life at the highest levels of fashion, society and wealth as an heir to one of the greatest family fortunes in U.S. history, died June 17 at the age of 95. Vanderbilt became a fashion icon in the 1970s with an eponymous line of tight-fitting blue jeans that bore her signature and trademark swan logo. She was born into wealth, the great-great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the 19th century railroad and shipping magnate. She was not yet 2 years old when her father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, died and she spent many of the following years living in Europe with her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, on her trust fund, which was estimated at $2.5 million - the equivalent of at least $33 million today. Gloria's aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the Whitney Museum of American Art, said Gloria's mother was misusing the trust fund on a free-wheeling lifestyle that included a female lover, and went to court. Whitney won custody of the child in an acrimonious, sensationalized case that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Vanderbilt said being taken from her mother started her on a lifelong quest for love and approval. She married four times, and had four children, including CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Gloria Vanderbilt, the "poor little rich girl" who lived a life at the highest levels of fashion, society and wealth as an heir to one of the greatest family fortunes in U.S. history, died June 17 at the age of 95. Vanderbilt became a fashion icon in...more

Reuters / Thursday, January 07, 2016
Gloria Vanderbilt, the "poor little rich girl" who lived a life at the highest levels of fashion, society and wealth as an heir to one of the greatest family fortunes in U.S. history, died June 17 at the age of 95. Vanderbilt became a fashion icon in the 1970s with an eponymous line of tight-fitting blue jeans that bore her signature and trademark swan logo. She was born into wealth, the great-great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the 19th century railroad and shipping magnate. She was not yet 2 years old when her father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, died and she spent many of the following years living in Europe with her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, on her trust fund, which was estimated at $2.5 million - the equivalent of at least $33 million today. Gloria's aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the Whitney Museum of American Art, said Gloria's mother was misusing the trust fund on a free-wheeling lifestyle that included a female lover, and went to court. Whitney won custody of the child in an acrimonious, sensationalized case that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Vanderbilt said being taken from her mother started her on a lifelong quest for love and approval. She married four times, and had four children, including CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Agnes Varda, the Belgian-born grande dame of French cinema and an influential force behind the New Wave movement, died on March 29 at age 90. A close contemporary of cinema legends such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Varda won an honorary Oscar in 2017 and the Berlin Film Festival's Berlinale Camera lifetime achievement award in February. Varda began her career as a stills photographer before becoming one of the leading voices and maverick of the Left Bank Cinema and French New Wave. Her films focused on the issues faced by ordinary people, such as harvesters (The Gleaners and I, 2000), drifters (Vagabond, 1985) and on women in particular (Cleo from 5 to 7, 1962). A rare female voice in the New Wave movement, Varda's works are often considered feminist because of her use of female protagonists. "Women have to make jokes about themselves, laugh about themselves, because they have nothing to lose," she once said. Varda was making movies until the end. At the age of 89, she partnered with the French photographer and muralist known as JR on "Faces Places," a film that featured the two meandering through rural France, encountering the locals and forming their own friendship. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Agnes Varda, the Belgian-born grande dame of French cinema and an influential force behind the New Wave movement, died on March 29 at age 90. A close contemporary of cinema legends such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Varda won an honorary...more

Reuters / Sunday, May 24, 2015
Agnes Varda, the Belgian-born grande dame of French cinema and an influential force behind the New Wave movement, died on March 29 at age 90. A close contemporary of cinema legends such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Varda won an honorary Oscar in 2017 and the Berlin Film Festival's Berlinale Camera lifetime achievement award in February. Varda began her career as a stills photographer before becoming one of the leading voices and maverick of the Left Bank Cinema and French New Wave. Her films focused on the issues faced by ordinary people, such as harvesters (The Gleaners and I, 2000), drifters (Vagabond, 1985) and on women in particular (Cleo from 5 to 7, 1962). A rare female voice in the New Wave movement, Varda's works are often considered feminist because of her use of female protagonists. "Women have to make jokes about themselves, laugh about themselves, because they have nothing to lose," she once said. Varda was making movies until the end. At the age of 89, she partnered with the French photographer and muralist known as JR on "Faces Places," a film that featured the two meandering through rural France, encountering the locals and forming their own friendship. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Actress Valerie Harper, who won four Emmy awards playing budding feminist Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic 1970s TV series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and her own spinoff sitcom, died August 30 at the age of 80. Harper was still relatively inexperienced as an actress in 1970 when she was cast on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" - one of the most honored U.S. television shows of the 1970s - as Rhoda Morgenstern, the best friend and neighbor of Moore's Mary Richards character in Minneapolis. Rhoda was a Bronx-born career girl who was constantly trying to lose weight, find a boyfriend and dodge her meddling Jewish mother. She had a brassy Bohemian streak, as exemplified by her trademark headscarves, and a grasp of emerging feminist concepts but her self-deprecating wisecracks showed her vulnerabilities. Asked why the character was so popular with viewers, Harper told the New Yorker: "They recognized her as real. She had a weight problem and she was insecure. She was a New Yorker. But she also had this victorious streak. She could be belligerent and she could stand on her own." REUTERS/Sam Mircovich

Actress Valerie Harper, who won four Emmy awards playing budding feminist Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic 1970s TV series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and her own spinoff sitcom, died August 30 at the age of 80. Harper was still relatively...more

Reuters / Sunday, January 08, 2012
Actress Valerie Harper, who won four Emmy awards playing budding feminist Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic 1970s TV series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and her own spinoff sitcom, died August 30 at the age of 80. Harper was still relatively inexperienced as an actress in 1970 when she was cast on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" - one of the most honored U.S. television shows of the 1970s - as Rhoda Morgenstern, the best friend and neighbor of Moore's Mary Richards character in Minneapolis. Rhoda was a Bronx-born career girl who was constantly trying to lose weight, find a boyfriend and dodge her meddling Jewish mother. She had a brassy Bohemian streak, as exemplified by her trademark headscarves, and a grasp of emerging feminist concepts but her self-deprecating wisecracks showed her vulnerabilities. Asked why the character was so popular with viewers, Harper told the New Yorker: "They recognized her as real. She had a weight problem and she was insecure. She was a New Yorker. But she also had this victorious streak. She could be belligerent and she could stand on her own." REUTERS/Sam Mircovich
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The fast-rising young rapper Juice Wrld died on December 8 at the age of 21 shortly after suffering a seizure at Chicago's Midway Airport, Variety reported. Jarad A. Higgins had enjoyed a rapid ascent since he first began posting his songs to SoundCloud as a teenager in 2015, working in a style that blended elements of emo and rock with hip-hop. His independently released 2017 track "Lucid Dreams" proved to be a career-maker, rising steadily until an official single release in 2018 broke him onto the pop charts, where the song would peak at No. 2. His lyrics often dealt with themes of depression, death and substance abuse. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

The fast-rising young rapper Juice Wrld died on December 8 at the age of 21 shortly after suffering a seizure at Chicago's Midway Airport, Variety reported. Jarad A. Higgins had enjoyed a rapid ascent since he first began posting his songs to...more

Reuters / Wednesday, May 01, 2019
The fast-rising young rapper Juice Wrld died on December 8 at the age of 21 shortly after suffering a seizure at Chicago's Midway Airport, Variety reported. Jarad A. Higgins had enjoyed a rapid ascent since he first began posting his songs to SoundCloud as a teenager in 2015, working in a style that blended elements of emo and rock with hip-hop. His independently released 2017 track "Lucid Dreams" proved to be a career-maker, rising steadily until an official single release in 2018 broke him onto the pop charts, where the song would peak at No. 2. His lyrics often dealt with themes of depression, death and substance abuse. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
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William Ruckelshaus, picked by Richard Nixon as the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as deputy attorney general before being fired for defying the president in the Watergate scandal, died November 27 at the age of 87. Ruckelshaus was a moderate Republican highly regarded for his integrity and seen as a white knight by the environmental community. In what was known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" in October 1973, Ruckelshaus, then deputy attorney general, and his boss, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, resigned rather than carry out Nixon's order to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was pursuing recordings of conversations that eventually brought down Nixon's presidency. Cox was fired by the solicitor general, Robert Bork, igniting an outcry over the Watergate scandal that eventually forced Nixon to resign in August 1974 rather than face removal from office by Congress. Courtesy EPA/Handout via REUTERS

William Ruckelshaus, picked by Richard Nixon as the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as deputy attorney general before being fired for defying the president in the Watergate scandal, died November 27 at the age of 87....more

Reuters / Thursday, May 03, 2018
William Ruckelshaus, picked by Richard Nixon as the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as deputy attorney general before being fired for defying the president in the Watergate scandal, died November 27 at the age of 87. Ruckelshaus was a moderate Republican highly regarded for his integrity and seen as a white knight by the environmental community. In what was known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" in October 1973, Ruckelshaus, then deputy attorney general, and his boss, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, resigned rather than carry out Nixon's order to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was pursuing recordings of conversations that eventually brought down Nixon's presidency. Cox was fired by the solicitor general, Robert Bork, igniting an outcry over the Watergate scandal that eventually forced Nixon to resign in August 1974 rather than face removal from office by Congress. Courtesy EPA/Handout via REUTERS
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Jim Leavelle, the Dallas police detective who handcuffed himself to Lee Harvey Oswald in a vain attempt to protect him two days after Oswald had assassinated President John Kennedy, died August 29 at age 99. Leavelle became a part of history with Oswald and Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby as they were all captured in a dramatic Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph snapped by Bob Jackson of the Dallas Times Herald as Ruby fatally shot Oswald on Nov. 24, 1963. Leavelle, who as a young sailor had survived Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, was a 13-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department when he was put in charge of moving Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, from police headquarters to the county jail as the nation grieved for Kennedy. Leavelle had no qualms about protecting the man accused of killing the president but before Leavelle could get him to his armored transport vehicle, Ruby fatally shot Oswald. The slaying was broadcast live to stunned television viewers. "He died, didn't he?" Leavelle said of Oswald in a 2013 interview with NBC News. "So, I ... so yeah, I failed." REUTERS/Jon Herskovitz

Jim Leavelle, the Dallas police detective who handcuffed himself to Lee Harvey Oswald in a vain attempt to protect him two days after Oswald had assassinated President John Kennedy, died August 29 at age 99. Leavelle became a part of history with...more

Reuters / Monday, February 06, 2006
Jim Leavelle, the Dallas police detective who handcuffed himself to Lee Harvey Oswald in a vain attempt to protect him two days after Oswald had assassinated President John Kennedy, died August 29 at age 99. Leavelle became a part of history with Oswald and Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby as they were all captured in a dramatic Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph snapped by Bob Jackson of the Dallas Times Herald as Ruby fatally shot Oswald on Nov. 24, 1963. Leavelle, who as a young sailor had survived Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, was a 13-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department when he was put in charge of moving Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, from police headquarters to the county jail as the nation grieved for Kennedy. Leavelle had no qualms about protecting the man accused of killing the president but before Leavelle could get him to his armored transport vehicle, Ruby fatally shot Oswald. The slaying was broadcast live to stunned television viewers. "He died, didn't he?" Leavelle said of Oswald in a 2013 interview with NBC News. "So, I ... so yeah, I failed." REUTERS/Jon Herskovitz
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Diahann Carroll, a versatile singer and stage actress who quietly blazed a trail for black women on American television in the late 1960s by playing a widowed nurse and single mother in "Julia," died October 4 at age 84. With a handful of movie roles and an award-winning Broadway career already under her belt, Carroll landed the title role in the 1968 television show "Julia." She played Julia Baker, a nurse struggling to raise a young son by herself after her husband was killed in the Vietnam war. The show, which ran for three seasons and earned her a Golden Globe Award, was a breakthrough for African-American women who were only beginning to make inroads on the small screen at the time. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Diahann Carroll, a versatile singer and stage actress who quietly blazed a trail for black women on American television in the late 1960s by playing a widowed nurse and single mother in "Julia," died October 4 at age 84. With a handful of movie roles...more

Reuters / Sunday, January 08, 2012
Diahann Carroll, a versatile singer and stage actress who quietly blazed a trail for black women on American television in the late 1960s by playing a widowed nurse and single mother in "Julia," died October 4 at age 84. With a handful of movie roles and an award-winning Broadway career already under her belt, Carroll landed the title role in the 1968 television show "Julia." She played Julia Baker, a nurse struggling to raise a young son by herself after her husband was killed in the Vietnam war. The show, which ran for three seasons and earned her a Golden Globe Award, was a breakthrough for African-American women who were only beginning to make inroads on the small screen at the time. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
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Keith Flint, the Prodigy lead singer who captured the hedonistic spirit of 1990s British rave culture, was found dead March 4 aged 49 in what the band's founder described as a suicide. Flint was one of the best known faces of British electronic music, performing apparently random dance moves often with eccentric hair cuts, sometimes styled as devil's horns, and heavy makeup around his eyes. "I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter," Flint sang in the 1996 hit which introduced the blistering sounds of Britain's underground rave generation to the mainstream. "I'm the self inflicted, mind detonator, yeah." Will Hodgkinson, rock critic for The Times, said Flint personified the British rave culture of the early 1990s. "After meeting (founder Liam) Howlett at a rave in 1989, Flint helped to turn the Prodigy into a band that captured the spirit of young Britain at the time: hedonistic, semi-legal, and definitely interested in doing some freaky dancing at a rave at three in the morning, ideally on ecstasy," Hodgkinson said. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico

Keith Flint, the Prodigy lead singer who captured the hedonistic spirit of 1990s British rave culture, was found dead March 4 aged 49 in what the band's founder described as a suicide. Flint was one of the best known faces of British electronic...more

Reuters / Friday, June 09, 2006
Keith Flint, the Prodigy lead singer who captured the hedonistic spirit of 1990s British rave culture, was found dead March 4 aged 49 in what the band's founder described as a suicide. Flint was one of the best known faces of British electronic music, performing apparently random dance moves often with eccentric hair cuts, sometimes styled as devil's horns, and heavy makeup around his eyes. "I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter," Flint sang in the 1996 hit which introduced the blistering sounds of Britain's underground rave generation to the mainstream. "I'm the self inflicted, mind detonator, yeah." Will Hodgkinson, rock critic for The Times, said Flint personified the British rave culture of the early 1990s. "After meeting (founder Liam) Howlett at a rave in 1989, Flint helped to turn the Prodigy into a band that captured the spirit of young Britain at the time: hedonistic, semi-legal, and definitely interested in doing some freaky dancing at a rave at three in the morning, ideally on ecstasy," Hodgkinson said. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico
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Emmy winner Rip Torn, whose tempestuous nature made him a compelling character actor on the screen and stage but sometimes caused him trouble on the set and in private life, died July 9 at the age of 88. Torn had a late-career resurgence including a key role on television's "The Larry Sanders Show" and in the movies "Men in Black" and "Dodgeball." Torn showed great range in his career but with a crooked grin, gruff voice and devilish glint in his eyes, he was especially well suited to playing bad boys and unpredictable characters. He often made headlines because of his volatility. He blamed his dismissal from a production of "Macbeth" on "friends" of the administration of President Richard Nixon, who Torn would later portray in the television mini-series "Blind Ambition." Later in life came alcohol-related incidents, including an arrest in 2010 for breaking into a closed bank that he had mistaken for his home in Salisbury, Connecticut. "I have certain flaws in my makeup. Something called rise-ability," Torn told writer Studs Terkel for "Working," a 1974 book about people and their jobs. "I get angry easily. I get saddened by things easily." Torn said he went into acting as a way to use those emotions to his benefit. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

Emmy winner Rip Torn, whose tempestuous nature made him a compelling character actor on the screen and stage but sometimes caused him trouble on the set and in private life, died July 9 at the age of 88. Torn had a late-career resurgence including a...more

Reuters / Saturday, October 14, 2006
Emmy winner Rip Torn, whose tempestuous nature made him a compelling character actor on the screen and stage but sometimes caused him trouble on the set and in private life, died July 9 at the age of 88. Torn had a late-career resurgence including a key role on television's "The Larry Sanders Show" and in the movies "Men in Black" and "Dodgeball." Torn showed great range in his career but with a crooked grin, gruff voice and devilish glint in his eyes, he was especially well suited to playing bad boys and unpredictable characters. He often made headlines because of his volatility. He blamed his dismissal from a production of "Macbeth" on "friends" of the administration of President Richard Nixon, who Torn would later portray in the television mini-series "Blind Ambition." Later in life came alcohol-related incidents, including an arrest in 2010 for breaking into a closed bank that he had mistaken for his home in Salisbury, Connecticut. "I have certain flaws in my makeup. Something called rise-ability," Torn told writer Studs Terkel for "Working," a 1974 book about people and their jobs. "I get angry easily. I get saddened by things easily." Torn said he went into acting as a way to use those emotions to his benefit. REUTERS/Eric Thayer
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John Singleton, who made his movie directorial debut with the acclaimed "Boyz n the Hood" about young men struggling in a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood, died April 29 at the age of 51. Singleton was a native of South Central Los Angeles, the community that was the setting for "Boyz n the Hood," a drama about friendship amid the peril of gang violence. He became the first African-American and the youngest person to be nominated for an Academy award for best director, at age 24, for the movie. Singleton later directed movies such as action film "2 Fast 2 Furious" and historical drama "Rosewood." His family said Singleton "is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

John Singleton, who made his movie directorial debut with the acclaimed "Boyz n the Hood" about young men struggling in a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood, died April 29 at the age of 51. Singleton was a native of South Central Los Angeles, the...more

Reuters / Saturday, April 01, 2006
John Singleton, who made his movie directorial debut with the acclaimed "Boyz n the Hood" about young men struggling in a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood, died April 29 at the age of 51. Singleton was a native of South Central Los Angeles, the community that was the setting for "Boyz n the Hood," a drama about friendship amid the peril of gang violence. He became the first African-American and the youngest person to be nominated for an Academy award for best director, at age 24, for the movie. Singleton later directed movies such as action film "2 Fast 2 Furious" and historical drama "Rosewood." His family said Singleton "is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Three-times Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, regarded as one of the finest racers of all time and who later became a successful airline entrepreneur, died at age 70 on May 20. Lauda won two world championships in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari and a third in 1984 with McLaren. He had a near-fatal crash in 1976 when racing at the Nuerburgring but despite suffering horrific burns, he was soon back in his Ferrari with a modified helmet and went on to claim his second world title. His rivalry with British driver James Hunt, the 1976 champion for McLaren, was intense and became the subject of the acclaimed 2013 film "Rush". After two less successful years at rival outfit Brabham and then a two-year hiatus, Lauda returned to F1 for another four seasons at McLaren and won the 1984 title by a half-point over teammate Alain Prost. While taking his first break after Brabham, Lauda set up a charter airline and returned to his aviation business full-time after bowing out of racing. Through the 1980s and 1990s, he grew 'Lauda Air' into an international carrier with long-haul flights out of Austria across the globe before it was merged into Austrian Airlines in 2012. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

Three-times Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, regarded as one of the finest racers of all time and who later became a successful airline entrepreneur, died at age 70 on May 20. Lauda won two world championships in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari and...more

Reuters / Friday, March 16, 2018
Three-times Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, regarded as one of the finest racers of all time and who later became a successful airline entrepreneur, died at age 70 on May 20. Lauda won two world championships in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari and a third in 1984 with McLaren. He had a near-fatal crash in 1976 when racing at the Nuerburgring but despite suffering horrific burns, he was soon back in his Ferrari with a modified helmet and went on to claim his second world title. His rivalry with British driver James Hunt, the 1976 champion for McLaren, was intense and became the subject of the acclaimed 2013 film "Rush". After two less successful years at rival outfit Brabham and then a two-year hiatus, Lauda returned to F1 for another four seasons at McLaren and won the 1984 title by a half-point over teammate Alain Prost. While taking his first break after Brabham, Lauda set up a charter airline and returned to his aviation business full-time after bowing out of racing. Through the 1980s and 1990s, he grew 'Lauda Air' into an international carrier with long-haul flights out of Austria across the globe before it was merged into Austrian Airlines in 2012. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
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K-pop singer Koo Hara, a former member of top South Korean girl group Kara, was found dead in her home on November 24 at the age of 28. Police said they found a handwritten note despairing about her life. Better known as Hara in other parts of Asia, Koo had spoken out against cyber bullying. In June, a month after she was found unconscious at her home and hospitalized, she said on social media that it was difficult to fight depression and vowed to respond sternly to malicious online comment. Koo debuted with five-member band Kara in 2008. They helped fan the global K-pop wave, building large fan bases in Japan, China and other countries. REUTERS/Truth Leem

K-pop singer Koo Hara, a former member of top South Korean girl group Kara, was found dead in her home on November 24 at the age of 28. Police said they found a handwritten note despairing about her life. Better known as Hara in other parts of Asia,...more

Reuters / Saturday, October 23, 2010
K-pop singer Koo Hara, a former member of top South Korean girl group Kara, was found dead in her home on November 24 at the age of 28. Police said they found a handwritten note despairing about her life. Better known as Hara in other parts of Asia, Koo had spoken out against cyber bullying. In June, a month after she was found unconscious at her home and hospitalized, she said on social media that it was difficult to fight depression and vowed to respond sternly to malicious online comment. Koo debuted with five-member band Kara in 2008. They helped fan the global K-pop wave, building large fan bases in Japan, China and other countries. REUTERS/Truth Leem
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British rock music drummer Ginger Baker, a co-founder of the 1960s supergroup Cream with bass player Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton, died October 6 aged 80. Baker, who was born in south London in 1939, first came to prominence as a member of blues group The Graham Bond Organisation before founding Cream in 1966. The band released four groundbreaking albums that brought together blues, psychedelic rock and hard rock before disbanding in 1968. Baker went on to work with Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and joined English rock band Hawkwind for a period in the 1980s. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

British rock music drummer Ginger Baker, a co-founder of the 1960s supergroup Cream with bass player Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton, died October 6 aged 80. Baker, who was born in south London in 1939, first came to prominence as a member of...more

Reuters / Sunday, February 05, 2006
British rock music drummer Ginger Baker, a co-founder of the 1960s supergroup Cream with bass player Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton, died October 6 aged 80. Baker, who was born in south London in 1939, first came to prominence as a member of blues group The Graham Bond Organisation before founding Cream in 1966. The band released four groundbreaking albums that brought together blues, psychedelic rock and hard rock before disbanding in 1968. Baker went on to work with Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and joined English rock band Hawkwind for a period in the 1980s. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
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Bob Einstein, an offbeat comedian and writer whose career stretched from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," died January 2 at age 76. Einstein was known most recently for playing Marty Funkhouser, the aggravating old friend of Larry David on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Einstein also created the character of Super Dave Osborne, a fearless but accident-prone daredevil who made appearances on "Smothers Brothers" and other comedy-variety shows starting in the late 1960s. Einstein won an Emmy as part of the writing staff of "Smothers Brothers" in 1969. He also earned a writing Emmy in 1977 for his work on Dick Van Dyke's "Van Dyke and Company" series. REUTERS/Phil McCarten

Bob Einstein, an offbeat comedian and writer whose career stretched from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," died January 2 at age 76. Einstein was known most recently for playing Marty Funkhouser, the aggravating old...more

Reuters / Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Bob Einstein, an offbeat comedian and writer whose career stretched from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," died January 2 at age 76. Einstein was known most recently for playing Marty Funkhouser, the aggravating old friend of Larry David on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Einstein also created the character of Super Dave Osborne, a fearless but accident-prone daredevil who made appearances on "Smothers Brothers" and other comedy-variety shows starting in the late 1960s. Einstein won an Emmy as part of the writing staff of "Smothers Brothers" in 1969. He also earned a writing Emmy in 1977 for his work on Dick Van Dyke's "Van Dyke and Company" series. REUTERS/Phil McCarten
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Dr. John, a six-time Grammy winner who in his incarnation as the "Night Tripper" brought the New Orleans voodoo vibe to America's music scene and became one of the most venerated pianists in the city's rich musical history, died on June 6 at age 77. The New Orleans native was born Malcolm John Rebennack into a family of amateur musicians, including an aunt who taught him to play piano. In grade school he began hanging around clubs, and by the time he was a teenager, Rebennack was playing in rough bars and strip clubs. Along the way, he absorbed a blend of rhythm and blues, cowboy songs, gospel and jazz, as well as New Orleans' Mardi Gras music, boogie, barrelhouse piano and funk - or "fonk," as he pronounced it. He created the stage character of Dr. John the Night Tripper, a shaman-like figure draped in furs and feathers, beads and Mardi Gras Indian-style headdresses who would make his entrance in a cloud of smoke. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

Dr. John, a six-time Grammy winner who in his incarnation as the "Night Tripper" brought the New Orleans voodoo vibe to America's music scene and became one of the most venerated pianists in the city's rich musical history, died on June 6 at age 77....more

Reuters / Friday, April 26, 2013
Dr. John, a six-time Grammy winner who in his incarnation as the "Night Tripper" brought the New Orleans voodoo vibe to America's music scene and became one of the most venerated pianists in the city's rich musical history, died on June 6 at age 77. The New Orleans native was born Malcolm John Rebennack into a family of amateur musicians, including an aunt who taught him to play piano. In grade school he began hanging around clubs, and by the time he was a teenager, Rebennack was playing in rough bars and strip clubs. Along the way, he absorbed a blend of rhythm and blues, cowboy songs, gospel and jazz, as well as New Orleans' Mardi Gras music, boogie, barrelhouse piano and funk - or "fonk," as he pronounced it. He created the stage character of Dr. John the Night Tripper, a shaman-like figure draped in furs and feathers, beads and Mardi Gras Indian-style headdresses who would make his entrance in a cloud of smoke. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman
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Bill Buckner, the 1980 National League batting champion who registered more than 2,700 hits during a career that touched four decades, died May 27 at age 69. Buckner debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969, became an All-Star, won a batting title with the Chicago Cubs, and committed the infamous error at first base for the Boston Red Sox during the 1986 World Series. Buckner batted better than .300 in seven seasons. He retired after the 1990 season with a .289 lifetime average and 2,715 hits, 174 homers, 498 doubles, 1,077 runs and 1,208 RBIs in 2,517 games. Despite those numbers, Buckner was forever linked to his defensive gaffe in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. Seeking their first title since 1918, the Red Sox were up 3-2 in the series and leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. After the Mets scored two runs to tie it, a ground ball by Mookie Wilson passed through Buckner's legs and allowed Ray Knight to score the winning run. New York went on to win Game 7. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Bill Buckner, the 1980 National League batting champion who registered more than 2,700 hits during a career that touched four decades, died May 27 at age 69. Buckner debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969, became an All-Star, won a batting...more

Reuters / Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Bill Buckner, the 1980 National League batting champion who registered more than 2,700 hits during a career that touched four decades, died May 27 at age 69. Buckner debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969, became an All-Star, won a batting title with the Chicago Cubs, and committed the infamous error at first base for the Boston Red Sox during the 1986 World Series. Buckner batted better than .300 in seven seasons. He retired after the 1990 season with a .289 lifetime average and 2,715 hits, 174 homers, 498 doubles, 1,077 runs and 1,208 RBIs in 2,517 games. Despite those numbers, Buckner was forever linked to his defensive gaffe in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. Seeking their first title since 1918, the Red Sox were up 3-2 in the series and leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. After the Mets scored two runs to tie it, a ground ball by Mookie Wilson passed through Buckner's legs and allowed Ray Knight to score the winning run. New York went on to win Game 7. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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Paul Volcker, the towering former Federal Reserve chairman who tamed U.S. inflation in the 1980s and decades later inspired tough Wall Street reforms in the wake of the global financial crisis, died December 9 at the age of 92. In 2009, Volcker began serving as a key financial adviser to President Barack Obama and faced a maelstrom of financial turmoil, government bailouts and fallout from the deepest recession since the 1930s Great Depression. In working to help the U.S. economy recover from the 2008 crisis, he proposed what became known as the Volcker rule that restricted banks from making high-risk investments with depositors' cash. Since Donald Trump, who favors fewer regulations, became president in 2017, the rule has been under review. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Paul Volcker, the towering former Federal Reserve chairman who tamed U.S. inflation in the 1980s and decades later inspired tough Wall Street reforms in the wake of the global financial crisis, died December 9 at the age of 92. In 2009, Volcker began...more

Reuters / Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Paul Volcker, the towering former Federal Reserve chairman who tamed U.S. inflation in the 1980s and decades later inspired tough Wall Street reforms in the wake of the global financial crisis, died December 9 at the age of 92. In 2009, Volcker began serving as a key financial adviser to President Barack Obama and faced a maelstrom of financial turmoil, government bailouts and fallout from the deepest recession since the 1930s Great Depression. In working to help the U.S. economy recover from the 2008 crisis, he proposed what became known as the Volcker rule that restricted banks from making high-risk investments with depositors' cash. Since Donald Trump, who favors fewer regulations, became president in 2017, the rule has been under review. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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John Conyers, a liberal Democrat who was the longest-serving African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving for more than half a century, died October 27 at the age of 90. Conyers joined the House in 1965 and stepped down in 2017, after his reputation was sullied by sexual harassment accusations. The Detroit-area congressman was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Just days after King was assassinated in 1968, Conyers introduced legislation to create a holiday honoring the civil rights leader. Conyers pursued the matter for 15 years until President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1983. Conyers had been doggedly critical of the U.S. drive to launch the Iraq war, calling in 2005 for Congress to censure President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for misleading lawmakers and the American people. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

John Conyers, a liberal Democrat who was the longest-serving African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving for more than half a century, died October 27 at the age of 90. Conyers joined the House in 1965 and stepped down in...more

Reuters / Monday, November 27, 2017
John Conyers, a liberal Democrat who was the longest-serving African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving for more than half a century, died October 27 at the age of 90. Conyers joined the House in 1965 and stepped down in 2017, after his reputation was sullied by sexual harassment accusations. The Detroit-area congressman was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Just days after King was assassinated in 1968, Conyers introduced legislation to create a holiday honoring the civil rights leader. Conyers pursued the matter for 15 years until President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1983. Conyers had been doggedly critical of the U.S. drive to launch the Iraq war, calling in 2005 for Congress to censure President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for misleading lawmakers and the American people. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Nuon Chea, the chief ideologist and 'Brother Number Two' of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, whose brutal rule in the 1970s led to the deaths of some 2 million people, died August 4 at the age of 93. A U.N.-backed court found Chea guilty of genocide and sentenced him to life in prison last year, almost four decades after the Maoist regime which oversaw Cambodia's "Killing Fields" was overthrown. Chea was among a small clique -- led by 'Brother Number One', Pol Pot -- of mostly French-educated communists who rose to lead a bloody revolution against a U.S.-backed government after their country was engulfed by the Vietnam War. The extremist ideology of the 1975-79 regime sought to turn Cambodia back to "year zero" in its quest for a peasant utopia. Between 1.7 and 2.2 million people, almost a quarter of the Southeast Asian country's population, died during its four year rule, of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labor camps, or bludgeoned to death during mass executions. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Nuon Chea, the chief ideologist and 'Brother Number Two' of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, whose brutal rule in the 1970s led to the deaths of some 2 million people, died August 4 at the age of 93. A U.N.-backed court found Chea guilty of genocide and...more

Reuters / Thursday, March 20, 2008
Nuon Chea, the chief ideologist and 'Brother Number Two' of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, whose brutal rule in the 1970s led to the deaths of some 2 million people, died August 4 at the age of 93. A U.N.-backed court found Chea guilty of genocide and sentenced him to life in prison last year, almost four decades after the Maoist regime which oversaw Cambodia's "Killing Fields" was overthrown. Chea was among a small clique -- led by 'Brother Number One', Pol Pot -- of mostly French-educated communists who rose to lead a bloody revolution against a U.S.-backed government after their country was engulfed by the Vietnam War. The extremist ideology of the 1975-79 regime sought to turn Cambodia back to "year zero" in its quest for a peasant utopia. Between 1.7 and 2.2 million people, almost a quarter of the Southeast Asian country's population, died during its four year rule, of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labor camps, or bludgeoned to death during mass executions. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
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Robert Morgenthau, who became the scourge of New York's white-collar criminals over three decades as the longest-serving Manhattan district attorney, died July 21 at the age of 99. He became Manhattan's chief prosecutor in 1975 and finally chose not to run for re-election in 2009 at age 90, ending a 35-year run during which he told The New York Times he oversaw 3.5 million cases. His approach to the job was summed up as pursuing crime in the suites, as well as the streets. In the early 1990s, Morgenthau went after the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in a scandal with global implications. He indicted the bank and two foreign business figures on a variety of charges that he said constituted "the largest bank fraud in world financial history." The Middle East-backed bank was eventually shut down around the world as some $20 billion disappeared from its books. Other notable cases included the conviction of former Tyco International Chief Executive Dennis Kozlowski, the murder of ex-Beatle John Lennon by Mark David Chapman and the conviction of "Subway Vigilante" Bernard Goetz. Among the failures of his office were the 1990 convictions of the "Central Park 5" - young black and Latino men wrongly convicted of raping a jogger. Twelve years later, the convictions were vacated when another man confessed to the crime. REUTERS/Chip East

Robert Morgenthau, who became the scourge of New York's white-collar criminals over three decades as the longest-serving Manhattan district attorney, died July 21 at the age of 99. He became Manhattan's chief prosecutor in 1975 and finally chose not...more

Reuters / Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Robert Morgenthau, who became the scourge of New York's white-collar criminals over three decades as the longest-serving Manhattan district attorney, died July 21 at the age of 99. He became Manhattan's chief prosecutor in 1975 and finally chose not to run for re-election in 2009 at age 90, ending a 35-year run during which he told The New York Times he oversaw 3.5 million cases. His approach to the job was summed up as pursuing crime in the suites, as well as the streets. In the early 1990s, Morgenthau went after the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in a scandal with global implications. He indicted the bank and two foreign business figures on a variety of charges that he said constituted "the largest bank fraud in world financial history." The Middle East-backed bank was eventually shut down around the world as some $20 billion disappeared from its books. Other notable cases included the conviction of former Tyco International Chief Executive Dennis Kozlowski, the murder of ex-Beatle John Lennon by Mark David Chapman and the conviction of "Subway Vigilante" Bernard Goetz. Among the failures of his office were the 1990 convictions of the "Central Park 5" - young black and Latino men wrongly convicted of raping a jogger. Twelve years later, the convictions were vacated when another man confessed to the crime. REUTERS/Chip East
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Ric Ocasek, the idiosyncratic lead singer and chief songwriter of the 1970s and 80s hook-heavy hitmakers The Cars, died September 15 at the age of 75. Ocasek met bass player and future band mate Benjamin Orr after moving to Cleveland for high school. The pair joined with guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboard player Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson to form the Cars in mid-1970s Boston. Ocasek was the main songwriter, sang lead vocals on most songs and played rhythm guitar. The band's self-titled debut album, featuring the singles "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll," reached Number 18 on the Billboard album charts and put them on the leading edge of pop rock. The Cars scored their first top-20 single, "Let's Go," in 1979 and launched a succession of hits throughout the 1980s such as "Shake It Up" and "Drive," always identifiable through Ocasek's distinctive vocals. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk

Ric Ocasek, the idiosyncratic lead singer and chief songwriter of the 1970s and 80s hook-heavy hitmakers The Cars, died September 15 at the age of 75. Ocasek met bass player and future band mate Benjamin Orr after moving to Cleveland for high school....more

Reuters / Saturday, April 14, 2018
Ric Ocasek, the idiosyncratic lead singer and chief songwriter of the 1970s and 80s hook-heavy hitmakers The Cars, died September 15 at the age of 75. Ocasek met bass player and future band mate Benjamin Orr after moving to Cleveland for high school. The pair joined with guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboard player Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson to form the Cars in mid-1970s Boston. Ocasek was the main songwriter, sang lead vocals on most songs and played rhythm guitar. The band's self-titled debut album, featuring the singles "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll," reached Number 18 on the Billboard album charts and put them on the leading edge of pop rock. The Cars scored their first top-20 single, "Let's Go," in 1979 and launched a succession of hits throughout the 1980s such as "Shake It Up" and "Drive," always identifiable through Ocasek's distinctive vocals. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk
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Emmy-winning actor Tim Conway, who brought an endearing, free-wheeling goofiness to skits on "The Carol Burnett Show" that cracked up his castmates as well as the audience, died May 14 at the age of 85. Conway first found television fame on the 1960s comedy "McHale's Navy" playing Ensign Parker, a befuddled by-the-book officer in a group of unconventional sailors in the Pacific during World War Two. He would find greater success in the comedy sketches on Burnett's show starting in 1968. He was at his best with characters that were a little naive, clumsy or slow-witted, and especially when teamed with straight man Harvey Korman and given the chance to show off his improvisational and slapstick skills. Conway won three Emmy awards for acting on the Burnett show and a fourth as a writer in the 1960s and '70s. He also won guest actor Emmys for a 1996 appearance on "Coach" and another in 2008 for "30 Rock." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Emmy-winning actor Tim Conway, who brought an endearing, free-wheeling goofiness to skits on "The Carol Burnett Show" that cracked up his castmates as well as the audience, died May 14 at the age of 85. Conway first found television fame on the 1960s...more

Reuters / Saturday, September 13, 2008
Emmy-winning actor Tim Conway, who brought an endearing, free-wheeling goofiness to skits on "The Carol Burnett Show" that cracked up his castmates as well as the audience, died May 14 at the age of 85. Conway first found television fame on the 1960s comedy "McHale's Navy" playing Ensign Parker, a befuddled by-the-book officer in a group of unconventional sailors in the Pacific during World War Two. He would find greater success in the comedy sketches on Burnett's show starting in 1968. He was at his best with characters that were a little naive, clumsy or slow-witted, and especially when teamed with straight man Harvey Korman and given the chance to show off his improvisational and slapstick skills. Conway won three Emmy awards for acting on the Burnett show and a fourth as a writer in the 1960s and '70s. He also won guest actor Emmys for a 1996 appearance on "Coach" and another in 2008 for "30 Rock." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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American opera singer Jessye Norman died September 30 at the age of 74. Norman, a soprano, was born in the state of Georgia and spent much of her early career in Europe before making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1983. As one of the most popular opera singers of the 1980s and 1990s, she sang at the presidential inaugurations of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, as well as the 60th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

American opera singer Jessye Norman died September 30 at the age of 74. Norman, a soprano, was born in the state of Georgia and spent much of her early career in Europe before making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1983. As one of...more

Reuters / Sunday, July 04, 2010
American opera singer Jessye Norman died September 30 at the age of 74. Norman, a soprano, was born in the state of Georgia and spent much of her early career in Europe before making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1983. As one of the most popular opera singers of the 1980s and 1990s, she sang at the presidential inaugurations of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, as well as the 60th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
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Hall of Famer and trailblazing baseball legend Frank Robinson passed away February 7 at the age of 83. Robinson ranks 10th in baseball history with 586 career homers and won MVP awards in both the National and American Leagues. He also became the first African-American manager when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians in October of 1974. Robinson was National League Rookie of the Year for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. He was named NL MVP in 1961 and hit 30 or homers in seven of his 10 seasons with Cincinnati before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson played six seasons in Baltimore before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972), California Angels (1973-74) and the Indians (1974-76). Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame, along with Henry Aaron, on the first ballot in 1982 with 89.2 percent of the vote. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

Hall of Famer and trailblazing baseball legend Frank Robinson passed away February 7 at the age of 83. Robinson ranks 10th in baseball history with 586 career homers and won MVP awards in both the National and American Leagues. He also became the...more

Reuters / Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Hall of Famer and trailblazing baseball legend Frank Robinson passed away February 7 at the age of 83. Robinson ranks 10th in baseball history with 586 career homers and won MVP awards in both the National and American Leagues. He also became the first African-American manager when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians in October of 1974. Robinson was National League Rookie of the Year for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. He was named NL MVP in 1961 and hit 30 or homers in seven of his 10 seasons with Cincinnati before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson played six seasons in Baltimore before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972), California Angels (1973-74) and the Indians (1974-76). Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame, along with Henry Aaron, on the first ballot in 1982 with 89.2 percent of the vote. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
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British actor Albert Finney, who rose to fame on a post-war wave of gritty, working-class dramas and became an Oscar-nominated international star, died February 7 at the age of 82. Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1936, he began his career as a Shakespearean theater actor. He made his name in 1960 with "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," one of a new generation of down-to-earth British films dubbed kitchen-sink dramas in which he played an angry young factory worker. His fame spread further when he was cast as the lead in bawdy historical romp "Tom Jones" in 1963, which won four Oscars including Best Picture and brought Finney the first of his four nominations for best actor. Finney, who twice refused official honors including a knighthood, also starred as Hercule Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and appeared in Erin Brockovich (2000) - for which he was nominated as best supporting actor - and the James Bond film "Skyfall" (2012). He also continued to grace the stage, tackling meaty Shakespearean roles including King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty

British actor Albert Finney, who rose to fame on a post-war wave of gritty, working-class dramas and became an Oscar-nominated international star, died February 7 at the age of 82. Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1936, he began his career as...more

Reuters / Wednesday, May 20, 2009
British actor Albert Finney, who rose to fame on a post-war wave of gritty, working-class dramas and became an Oscar-nominated international star, died February 7 at the age of 82. Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1936, he began his career as a Shakespearean theater actor. He made his name in 1960 with "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," one of a new generation of down-to-earth British films dubbed kitchen-sink dramas in which he played an angry young factory worker. His fame spread further when he was cast as the lead in bawdy historical romp "Tom Jones" in 1963, which won four Oscars including Best Picture and brought Finney the first of his four nominations for best actor. Finney, who twice refused official honors including a knighthood, also starred as Hercule Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and appeared in Erin Brockovich (2000) - for which he was nominated as best supporting actor - and the James Bond film "Skyfall" (2012). He also continued to grace the stage, tackling meaty Shakespearean roles including King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty
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I.M. Pei (pictured L presenting the German Historical Museum in Berlin in January 1997), whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, died May 16 at the age of 102, the New York Times reported. Pei's portfolio included a controversial renovation of Paris' Louvre Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Ieoh Ming Pei, the son of a prominent banker in China, left his homeland in 1935, moving to the United States and studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. After teaching and working for the U.S. government, he went to work for a New York developer in 1948 and started his own firm in 1955. The museums, municipal buildings, hotels, schools and other structures that Pei built around the world showed precision geometry and an abstract quality with a reverence for light. They were composed of stone, steel and glass and, as with the Louvre, he often worked glass pyramids into his projects. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

I.M. Pei (pictured L presenting the German Historical Museum in Berlin in January 1997), whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, died May 16 at the age of 102,...more

Reuters / Saturday, May 16, 2009
I.M. Pei (pictured L presenting the German Historical Museum in Berlin in January 1997), whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, died May 16 at the age of 102, the New York Times reported. Pei's portfolio included a controversial renovation of Paris' Louvre Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Ieoh Ming Pei, the son of a prominent banker in China, left his homeland in 1935, moving to the United States and studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. After teaching and working for the U.S. government, he went to work for a New York developer in 1948 and started his own firm in 1955. The museums, municipal buildings, hotels, schools and other structures that Pei built around the world showed precision geometry and an abstract quality with a reverence for light. They were composed of stone, steel and glass and, as with the Louvre, he often worked glass pyramids into his projects. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
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Indonesia's former president B.J. Habibie, who came to power as the nation endured a turbulent transition to democracy after former strongman Suharto stepped down in 1998, died September 11 at the age of 83. An engineer by training, Habibie succeeded Suharto as third president of the world's fourth-largest nation just months after becoming his deputy, as the country sank into spasms of rioting and economic upheaval following the Asian financial crisis. Taking over from Suharto, who had ruled the world's most populous Muslim majority country with an iron fist for 32 years, Habibie held power for just 17 months. It fell to Habibie to oversee unpopular economic reforms prescribed by the International Monetary Fund at the height of the financial crisis, that were needed to bring inflation down from more than 80% and stabilize a rupiah currency after its value had crashed. REUTERS/Garry Lotulung

Indonesia's former president B.J. Habibie, who came to power as the nation endured a turbulent transition to democracy after former strongman Suharto stepped down in 1998, died September 11 at the age of 83. An engineer by training, Habibie succeeded...more

Reuters / Monday, March 21, 2016
Indonesia's former president B.J. Habibie, who came to power as the nation endured a turbulent transition to democracy after former strongman Suharto stepped down in 1998, died September 11 at the age of 83. An engineer by training, Habibie succeeded Suharto as third president of the world's fourth-largest nation just months after becoming his deputy, as the country sank into spasms of rioting and economic upheaval following the Asian financial crisis. Taking over from Suharto, who had ruled the world's most populous Muslim majority country with an iron fist for 32 years, Habibie held power for just 17 months. It fell to Habibie to oversee unpopular economic reforms prescribed by the International Monetary Fund at the height of the financial crisis, that were needed to bring inflation down from more than 80% and stabilize a rupiah currency after its value had crashed. REUTERS/Garry Lotulung
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Sadako Ogata, a former top United Nations official who was the first and only woman to serve as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and became known for donning a helmet and flak jacket on trips into the field, died October 22 aged 92. Her tenure as U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees during the 1990s coincided with a genocide in Rwanda and ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The great-grand daughter of a pre-World War Two prime minister, Tsuyoshi Inukai, Ogata earned a doctoral degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and later served as Japan's special representative on Afghan reconstruction. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Sadako Ogata, a former top United Nations official who was the first and only woman to serve as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and became known for donning a helmet and flak jacket on trips into the field, died October 22 aged 92. Her tenure...more

Reuters / Thursday, October 29, 2015
Sadako Ogata, a former top United Nations official who was the first and only woman to serve as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and became known for donning a helmet and flak jacket on trips into the field, died October 22 aged 92. Her tenure as U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees during the 1990s coincided with a genocide in Rwanda and ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The great-grand daughter of a pre-World War Two prime minister, Tsuyoshi Inukai, Ogata earned a doctoral degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and later served as Japan's special representative on Afghan reconstruction. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
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Francisco Toledo, who shook up the 1960s Mexican art scene with his fresh approach to painting, sculpting, printing, tapestry weaving and preserving the cultural heritage that inspired him, died September 5 at the age of 79. Toledo's work, full of monkeys, insects and skeletons in earthy tones, reflected his indigenous background and love of nature. It also marked a departure from the muralists who were heavily inspired by civil conflicts that dominated the scene for most of the first half of the 20th century. With his messy hair, scruffy clothes and penchant for huaraches, or leather sandals, Toledo was a fierce defender of the culture of his home state, Oaxaca, the heartland of the indigenous Zapotec people and where he died. His paintings often featured amate, a pre-Hispanic paper made of tree bark, and elements of Oaxaca's heritage, which incorporates grasshoppers into everyday meals. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Francisco Toledo, who shook up the 1960s Mexican art scene with his fresh approach to painting, sculpting, printing, tapestry weaving and preserving the cultural heritage that inspired him, died September 5 at the age of 79. Toledo's work, full of...more

Reuters / Friday, July 18, 2008
Francisco Toledo, who shook up the 1960s Mexican art scene with his fresh approach to painting, sculpting, printing, tapestry weaving and preserving the cultural heritage that inspired him, died September 5 at the age of 79. Toledo's work, full of monkeys, insects and skeletons in earthy tones, reflected his indigenous background and love of nature. It also marked a departure from the muralists who were heavily inspired by civil conflicts that dominated the scene for most of the first half of the 20th century. With his messy hair, scruffy clothes and penchant for huaraches, or leather sandals, Toledo was a fierce defender of the culture of his home state, Oaxaca, the heartland of the indigenous Zapotec people and where he died. His paintings often featured amate, a pre-Hispanic paper made of tree bark, and elements of Oaxaca's heritage, which incorporates grasshoppers into everyday meals. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo
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Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan's longest reigning premiers and known for his friendship with Ronald Reagan, died November 29 at the age of 101. Nakasone, prime minister from 1982 to 1987, hobnobbed on the world stage with Reagan and Margaret Thatcher while battling with bureaucrats over domestic reforms. He himself said he failed to achieve a dream of revising the country's pacifist, post-war constitution to clarify the ambiguous status of the military. Known for his "Ron and Yasu" friendship with Reagan, Nakasone made headlines after taking office when he said that in event of a war, he would make Japan an unsinkable "aircraft carrier" for U.S. forces and bottle up the Soviet navy. Nakasone also broke an unwritten rule on limiting the annual defense budget to 1% of gross national product. In 1983, he became the first Japanese premier to officially visit South Korea, mending fences with a country that Japan had brutally colonized from 1910 to 1945. REUTERS/Michael Caronna

Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan's longest reigning premiers and known for his friendship with Ronald Reagan, died November 29 at the age of 101. Nakasone, prime minister from 1982 to 1987, hobnobbed on the world stage with Reagan and Margaret...more

Reuters / Monday, January 25, 2010
Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan's longest reigning premiers and known for his friendship with Ronald Reagan, died November 29 at the age of 101. Nakasone, prime minister from 1982 to 1987, hobnobbed on the world stage with Reagan and Margaret Thatcher while battling with bureaucrats over domestic reforms. He himself said he failed to achieve a dream of revising the country's pacifist, post-war constitution to clarify the ambiguous status of the military. Known for his "Ron and Yasu" friendship with Reagan, Nakasone made headlines after taking office when he said that in event of a war, he would make Japan an unsinkable "aircraft carrier" for U.S. forces and bottle up the Soviet navy. Nakasone also broke an unwritten rule on limiting the annual defense budget to 1% of gross national product. In 1983, he became the first Japanese premier to officially visit South Korea, mending fences with a country that Japan had brutally colonized from 1910 to 1945. REUTERS/Michael Caronna
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Peru's former president Alan Garcia, 69, shot himself in the head on April 27 to avoid arrest in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, taking his own life, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America's largest graft scandal. Garcia was a towering and charismatic figure who played a central role in Peruvian politics for more than three decades. Garcia's death shocked the Andean country that had watched his transition from a fiery leftist who was elected president at age 36 to a free-market crusader who won a second term in 2006. A pugnacious politician considered one of Latin America's best orators, Garcia had long been dogged by graft allegations that he brushed off as baseless political smears. But prosecutors investigating Odebrecht gathered enough evidence to secure a judicial order this week to hold Garcia in pre-trial detention while they prepared charges against him, arguing that he might flee or obstruct their work. Odebrecht, a family-owned construction conglomerate, spurred probes across Latin America after it admitted publicly in late 2016 that it had secured lucrative contracts in the region by bribing politicians. Former Odebrecht executives are now cooperating with prosecutors as informants. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo

Peru's former president Alan Garcia, 69, shot himself in the head on April 27 to avoid arrest in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, taking his own life, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America's largest graft...more

Reuters / Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Peru's former president Alan Garcia, 69, shot himself in the head on April 27 to avoid arrest in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, taking his own life, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America's largest graft scandal. Garcia was a towering and charismatic figure who played a central role in Peruvian politics for more than three decades. Garcia's death shocked the Andean country that had watched his transition from a fiery leftist who was elected president at age 36 to a free-market crusader who won a second term in 2006. A pugnacious politician considered one of Latin America's best orators, Garcia had long been dogged by graft allegations that he brushed off as baseless political smears. But prosecutors investigating Odebrecht gathered enough evidence to secure a judicial order this week to hold Garcia in pre-trial detention while they prepared charges against him, arguing that he might flee or obstruct their work. Odebrecht, a family-owned construction conglomerate, spurred probes across Latin America after it admitted publicly in late 2016 that it had secured lucrative contracts in the region by bribing politicians. Former Odebrecht executives are now cooperating with prosecutors as informants. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo
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Stanley Donen, the former dancer who directed some of Hollywood's greatest musicals including Gene Kelly's landmark "Singin' in the Rain," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "On the Town," died February 21 at age 94. The former Broadway dancer brought hugely imaginative dance sequences to film - Fred Astaire danced up a wall and across a ceiling in "Royal Wedding" (1951) - during a career that established him as one of the masters of the movie musical. But Donen also excelled in other genres, directing the witty Faustian comedy "Bedazzled" (1967) with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, the romance-thriller "Charade" (1963) with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, and the romantic comedy "Indiscreet" (1958) with Grant and Ingrid Bergman. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), which Donen co-directed with Kelly, is a song-and-dance classic hailed by the American Film Institute in 2006 as the greatest movie musical ever made. REUTERS/Sam Mircovich

Stanley Donen, the former dancer who directed some of Hollywood's greatest musicals including Gene Kelly's landmark "Singin' in the Rain," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "On the Town," died February 21 at age 94. The former Broadway dancer...more

Reuters / Sunday, May 17, 2009
Stanley Donen, the former dancer who directed some of Hollywood's greatest musicals including Gene Kelly's landmark "Singin' in the Rain," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "On the Town," died February 21 at age 94. The former Broadway dancer brought hugely imaginative dance sequences to film - Fred Astaire danced up a wall and across a ceiling in "Royal Wedding" (1951) - during a career that established him as one of the masters of the movie musical. But Donen also excelled in other genres, directing the witty Faustian comedy "Bedazzled" (1967) with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, the romance-thriller "Charade" (1963) with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, and the romantic comedy "Indiscreet" (1958) with Grant and Ingrid Bergman. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), which Donen co-directed with Kelly, is a song-and-dance classic hailed by the American Film Institute in 2006 as the greatest movie musical ever made. REUTERS/Sam Mircovich
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German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, credited with inventing the concept of the supermodel in the 1980s, died September 3 at age 74. Born in 1944 in German-occupied Poland, he is seen as the creator of a style of naturalistic fashion photography which showed women without heavy make-up and is known for famous images of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. German daily Bild quoted him as having told the newspaper in May: "Nothing is more beautiful than photographing the women you love. I was really in love with each of my supermodels." On his website he said he was inspired by Vincent van Gogh and, like the Dutch artist, lived in Arles in France as a young man before traveling through Spain and northern Africa. In the 1970s he turned to photography and pioneered a form that became known as new realism which rejected retouching. "This should be the responsibility of photographers today to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection," he is quoted as saying on his website. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, credited with inventing the concept of the supermodel in the 1980s, died September 3 at age 74. Born in 1944 in German-occupied Poland, he is seen as the creator of a style of naturalistic fashion...more

Reuters / Monday, May 16, 2011
German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, credited with inventing the concept of the supermodel in the 1980s, died September 3 at age 74. Born in 1944 in German-occupied Poland, he is seen as the creator of a style of naturalistic fashion photography which showed women without heavy make-up and is known for famous images of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. German daily Bild quoted him as having told the newspaper in May: "Nothing is more beautiful than photographing the women you love. I was really in love with each of my supermodels." On his website he said he was inspired by Vincent van Gogh and, like the Dutch artist, lived in Arles in France as a young man before traveling through Spain and northern Africa. In the 1970s he turned to photography and pioneered a form that became known as new realism which rejected retouching. "This should be the responsibility of photographers today to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection," he is quoted as saying on his website. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler
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Yannis Behrakis, one of Reuters' most decorated and best-loved photographers, died March 2 at age 58. After joining the news wire 30 years ago, Behrakis covered many of the most tumultuous events around the world, including conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya, a huge earthquake in Kashmir and the Egyptian uprising of 2011. In the process, he won the respect of both peers and rivals for his skill and bravery. He also led a team to a Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for coverage of the refugee crisis. What underpinned everything Behrakis did in his professional life was a determination to show the world what was happening in conflict zones and countries in crisis. "My mission is to tell you the story and then you decide what you want to do," he said. "My mission is to make sure that nobody can say: 'I didn't know'." REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Yannis Behrakis, one of Reuters' most decorated and best-loved photographers, died March 2 at age 58. After joining the news wire 30 years ago, Behrakis covered many of the most tumultuous events around the world, including conflicts in Afghanistan...more

Reuters / Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Yannis Behrakis, one of Reuters' most decorated and best-loved photographers, died March 2 at age 58. After joining the news wire 30 years ago, Behrakis covered many of the most tumultuous events around the world, including conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya, a huge earthquake in Kashmir and the Egyptian uprising of 2011. In the process, he won the respect of both peers and rivals for his skill and bravery. He also led a team to a Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for coverage of the refugee crisis. What underpinned everything Behrakis did in his professional life was a determination to show the world what was happening in conflict zones and countries in crisis. "My mission is to tell you the story and then you decide what you want to do," he said. "My mission is to make sure that nobody can say: 'I didn't know'." REUTERS/Adrees Latif
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Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside his clothing store in south Los Angeles on March 31 at age 33. Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, grew up in south Los Angeles and often talked about being in a street gang during his teenage years. He had since become a community organizer, according to media reports. His debut studio album, "Victory Lap" was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year's Grammy Awards. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Livepic

Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside his clothing store in south Los Angeles on March 31 at age 33. Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, grew up in south Los Angeles and often talked about being in a street gang...more

Reuters / Saturday, June 20, 2015
Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside his clothing store in south Los Angeles on March 31 at age 33. Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, grew up in south Los Angeles and often talked about being in a street gang during his teenage years. He had since become a community organizer, according to media reports. His debut studio album, "Victory Lap" was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year's Grammy Awards. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Livepic
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Acclaimed conductor, composer and pianist Andre Previn, a versatile musician who won four Academy Awards for film scores and led some of the world's great orchestras while mastering a rainbow of musical forms, died on February 28 at age 89. Previn, who won numerous awards for his musical accomplishments, was composing new music until only a few days before he passed away, IMG Artists said. The German-born musical prodigy who fled Nazi persecution with his Jewish family in 1938 to Paris and then Los Angeles, Previn made his name as a jazz musician and writing scores for movies. By the end of his career, he had become one of the prominent music figures in the second half of the 20th century. Previn was a conductor of major orchestras in Europe and America including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and others. He also composed numerous classical works including two operas, "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Brief Encounter." His hundreds of recordings led to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and 10 other Grammys. Previn was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 1996. His personal life was controversial, with five marriages, including one to actress Mia Farrow (seen here with Previn at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 1998). REUTERS/Larry Downing

Acclaimed conductor, composer and pianist Andre Previn, a versatile musician who won four Academy Awards for film scores and led some of the world's great orchestras while mastering a rainbow of musical forms, died on February 28 at age 89. Previn,...more

Reuters / Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Acclaimed conductor, composer and pianist Andre Previn, a versatile musician who won four Academy Awards for film scores and led some of the world's great orchestras while mastering a rainbow of musical forms, died on February 28 at age 89. Previn, who won numerous awards for his musical accomplishments, was composing new music until only a few days before he passed away, IMG Artists said. The German-born musical prodigy who fled Nazi persecution with his Jewish family in 1938 to Paris and then Los Angeles, Previn made his name as a jazz musician and writing scores for movies. By the end of his career, he had become one of the prominent music figures in the second half of the 20th century. Previn was a conductor of major orchestras in Europe and America including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and others. He also composed numerous classical works including two operas, "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Brief Encounter." His hundreds of recordings led to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and 10 other Grammys. Previn was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 1996. His personal life was controversial, with five marriages, including one to actress Mia Farrow (seen here with Previn at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 1998). REUTERS/Larry Downing
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Cardiff City's Argentina-born soccer player Emiliano Sala, 28, had been flying from his previous club Nantes in western France to Wales on January 21 to make his debut for the Premier League team when the single-engined Piper Malibu aircraft disappeared over the English Channel. A body retrieved from the wreckage was formally identified as Sala on February 7. Sala had agreed to join relegation-threatened Cardiff for a club-record fee of 15 million pounds ($19.43 million) from French Ligue 1 club Nantes. The plane had been cruising at 5,000 feet (1,525 m) when the pilot requested to descend to a lower altitude on passing Guernsey. It then lost radar contact at 2,300 feet. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Cardiff City's Argentina-born soccer player Emiliano Sala, 28, had been flying from his previous club Nantes in western France to Wales on January 21 to make his debut for the Premier League team when the single-engined Piper Malibu aircraft...more

Reuters / Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Cardiff City's Argentina-born soccer player Emiliano Sala, 28, had been flying from his previous club Nantes in western France to Wales on January 21 to make his debut for the Premier League team when the single-engined Piper Malibu aircraft disappeared over the English Channel. A body retrieved from the wreckage was formally identified as Sala on February 7. Sala had agreed to join relegation-threatened Cardiff for a club-record fee of 15 million pounds ($19.43 million) from French Ligue 1 club Nantes. The plane had been cruising at 5,000 feet (1,525 m) when the pilot requested to descend to a lower altitude on passing Guernsey. It then lost radar contact at 2,300 feet. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
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French composer and pianist Michel Legrand died February 26 at 86 after a career in which he stood out for soundtracks in screen musicals with Catherine Deneuve and that won him three Oscars. Born in 1932 in Paris and son of conductor and composer Raymond Legrand, he trained at a music conservatory in the French capital before starting his career as a musician and songwriter with popular singers like Maurice Chevalier. He rose to fame in the 1960s by turning to film scores, notably teaming up with director Jacques Demy for a series of musicals, including "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" ("Les Parapluies de Cherbourg") that was awarded the top-prize Palme d'or at the Cannes festival in 1964. Legrand described the skepticism surrounding the future Cannes winner, in which a cast led by a young Catherine Deneuve sing their dialog rather than songs in the traditional style of musicals. Legrand worked with Demy and Deneuve in more screen musicals, while also collaborating with other rising stars of French cinema like Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Lellouch. He soon established his name in the United States by working with jazz stars like Miles Davis and Stan Getz, and penning music for Hollywood films. He was feted with three Oscars. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

French composer and pianist Michel Legrand died February 26 at 86 after a career in which he stood out for soundtracks in screen musicals with Catherine Deneuve and that won him three Oscars. Born in 1932 in Paris and son of conductor and composer...more

Reuters / Wednesday, May 17, 2017
French composer and pianist Michel Legrand died February 26 at 86 after a career in which he stood out for soundtracks in screen musicals with Catherine Deneuve and that won him three Oscars. Born in 1932 in Paris and son of conductor and composer Raymond Legrand, he trained at a music conservatory in the French capital before starting his career as a musician and songwriter with popular singers like Maurice Chevalier. He rose to fame in the 1960s by turning to film scores, notably teaming up with director Jacques Demy for a series of musicals, including "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" ("Les Parapluies de Cherbourg") that was awarded the top-prize Palme d'or at the Cannes festival in 1964. Legrand described the skepticism surrounding the future Cannes winner, in which a cast led by a young Catherine Deneuve sing their dialog rather than songs in the traditional style of musicals. Legrand worked with Demy and Deneuve in more screen musicals, while also collaborating with other rising stars of French cinema like Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Lellouch. He soon established his name in the United States by working with jazz stars like Miles Davis and Stan Getz, and penning music for Hollywood films. He was feted with three Oscars. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
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Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England's 1966 World Cup-winning team, died February 12 at the age of 81. Banks won 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972 and made nearly 200 appearances for Stoke before his playing career was brought to an end in a car crash that cost him his sight in one eye. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to have played the game, Banks will probably be best remembered for the diving stop he made to deny Brazil's Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which later became known as the "save of the century." Banks played every game in the 1966 World Cup including the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley -- the only time England has won the world title. Four years later though, in Mexico, he produced one of the most outstanding saves in the history of the tournament in a group game in which Brazil beat England 1-0. Pele rose to head a cross from the byline by right-winger Jairzinho, thundering the header down towards Banks' right hand post. The ball appeared to be past Banks, but his agility and strength saw him get down and palm it high and wide to safety. Action Images via Reuters/Alex Morton/Livepic

Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England's 1966 World Cup-winning team, died February 12 at the age of 81. Banks won 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972 and made nearly 200 appearances for Stoke before his playing career was brought to an end in...more

Reuters / Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England's 1966 World Cup-winning team, died February 12 at the age of 81. Banks won 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972 and made nearly 200 appearances for Stoke before his playing career was brought to an end in a car crash that cost him his sight in one eye. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to have played the game, Banks will probably be best remembered for the diving stop he made to deny Brazil's Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which later became known as the "save of the century." Banks played every game in the 1966 World Cup including the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley -- the only time England has won the world title. Four years later though, in Mexico, he produced one of the most outstanding saves in the history of the tournament in a group game in which Brazil beat England 1-0. Pele rose to head a cross from the byline by right-winger Jairzinho, thundering the header down towards Banks' right hand post. The ball appeared to be past Banks, but his agility and strength saw him get down and palm it high and wide to safety. Action Images via Reuters/Alex Morton/Livepic
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Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor who portrayed Adolf Hitler in Oscar-nominated film "Downfall" and the kindly grandfather in "Heidi," died on February 16 aged 77. Ganz had been active in German language theater, film and television for more than 50 years and was the holder of the Iffland-Ring, the most important award for German-speaking actors. In the early 1960s Ganz left Switzerland to work in theater in Germany, and from the 1970s onwards he acted at the Berlin-based Schaubuehne theater. He earned praise for his performances, while also branching out into cinema, where he worked with renowned German directors like Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog and Volker Schloendorff. In 1987 Ganz played an angel called Damiel in Wenders's film "Wings of Desire," entitled "Sky Over Berlin" in German, who becomes mortal so he can experience earthly pleasures. One of his most famous roles came when he played Hitler in the 2004 film "Downfall," which dramatized the last days of the Nazi dictator in his Berlin bunker, one of Germany's first attempts to characterize the Fuehrer in film. Ganz portrayed Hitler as a ranting and delusional madman, but also as a fatherly figure suffering from Parkinson's disease who fussed about the welfare of his secretaries. Scenes of him ranting furiously at his staff spawned a wave of internet parodies and memes. Immersing himself in that role affected the actor, who later admitted he had been haunted by his portrayal for a very long time. "I tend to identify with my roles to such an extent that I appear to be totally convinced about certain statements that, in real life, I would never believe in," Ganz said. He also continued to work on the stage, playing classic roles like "Faust" and "Hamlet," as well as appearing in films including "The Reader," "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Tree of Life." REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor who portrayed Adolf Hitler in Oscar-nominated film "Downfall" and the kindly grandfather in "Heidi," died on February 16 aged 77. Ganz had been active in German language theater, film and television for more than 50 years...more

Reuters / Thursday, September 10, 2015
Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor who portrayed Adolf Hitler in Oscar-nominated film "Downfall" and the kindly grandfather in "Heidi," died on February 16 aged 77. Ganz had been active in German language theater, film and television for more than 50 years and was the holder of the Iffland-Ring, the most important award for German-speaking actors. In the early 1960s Ganz left Switzerland to work in theater in Germany, and from the 1970s onwards he acted at the Berlin-based Schaubuehne theater. He earned praise for his performances, while also branching out into cinema, where he worked with renowned German directors like Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog and Volker Schloendorff. In 1987 Ganz played an angel called Damiel in Wenders's film "Wings of Desire," entitled "Sky Over Berlin" in German, who becomes mortal so he can experience earthly pleasures. One of his most famous roles came when he played Hitler in the 2004 film "Downfall," which dramatized the last days of the Nazi dictator in his Berlin bunker, one of Germany's first attempts to characterize the Fuehrer in film. Ganz portrayed Hitler as a ranting and delusional madman, but also as a fatherly figure suffering from Parkinson's disease who fussed about the welfare of his secretaries. Scenes of him ranting furiously at his staff spawned a wave of internet parodies and memes. Immersing himself in that role affected the actor, who later admitted he had been haunted by his portrayal for a very long time. "I tend to identify with my roles to such an extent that I appear to be totally convinced about certain statements that, in real life, I would never believe in," Ganz said. He also continued to work on the stage, playing classic roles like "Faust" and "Hamlet," as well as appearing in films including "The Reader," "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Tree of Life." REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
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Mirjana Markovic, the widow of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic who played a key role in her husband's policies during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, died in Russia on April 14 aged 76. Markovic, seen by critics as a Lady Macbeth figure goading her husband on to crush his enemies and defy the West, died in Moscow, where she had lived in exile since fleeing Serbia in 2003 to evade prosecution on abuse of office charges. Markovic, a former sociology professor at Belgrade University, was a close political confidante of her husband, who swept to power on a wave of Serbia nationalism in 1990. She stood by him during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia and NATO's 1999 aerial bombing campaign that aimed to end Serbian forces' crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in the Serbian province of Kosovo. Milosevic lost power in 2000 in a popular uprising and was extradited to The Hague a year later to face war crimes charges. He was found dead in his cell in The Hague on March 11, 2006. Markovic and Milosevic were childhood sweethearts and became inseparable. Though she owed her political influence to her role as his closest adviser and confidante, she also built up her own power base in the neo-communist Yugoslav United Left. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic

Mirjana Markovic, the widow of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic who played a key role in her husband's policies during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, died in Russia on April 14 aged 76. Markovic, seen by critics as a Lady Macbeth...more

Reuters / Sunday, February 05, 2006
Mirjana Markovic, the widow of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic who played a key role in her husband's policies during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, died in Russia on April 14 aged 76. Markovic, seen by critics as a Lady Macbeth figure goading her husband on to crush his enemies and defy the West, died in Moscow, where she had lived in exile since fleeing Serbia in 2003 to evade prosecution on abuse of office charges. Markovic, a former sociology professor at Belgrade University, was a close political confidante of her husband, who swept to power on a wave of Serbia nationalism in 1990. She stood by him during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia and NATO's 1999 aerial bombing campaign that aimed to end Serbian forces' crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in the Serbian province of Kosovo. Milosevic lost power in 2000 in a popular uprising and was extradited to The Hague a year later to face war crimes charges. He was found dead in his cell in The Hague on March 11, 2006. Markovic and Milosevic were childhood sweethearts and became inseparable. Though she owed her political influence to her role as his closest adviser and confidante, she also built up her own power base in the neo-communist Yugoslav United Left. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic
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Former U.S. pairs skating champion John Coughlin died January 18 at age 33. Coughlin had been a coach and TV commentator and had been active with both the U.S. Figure Skating and International Skating Union organizations in recent years. His death came the day after SafeSport and USFS suspended him from participating in sanctioned skating events. While no reason was given for the suspension, SafeSport is charged with ending abuse in sports. Coughlin and partner Caitlin Yankowskas won the U.S. pairs title in 2011, and he won the following year with Caydee Denney. He finished in sixth place in 2011 in the world championships and eighth in 2012. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Former U.S. pairs skating champion John Coughlin died January 18 at age 33. Coughlin had been a coach and TV commentator and had been active with both the U.S. Figure Skating and International Skating Union organizations in recent years. His death...more

Reuters / Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Former U.S. pairs skating champion John Coughlin died January 18 at age 33. Coughlin had been a coach and TV commentator and had been active with both the U.S. Figure Skating and International Skating Union organizations in recent years. His death came the day after SafeSport and USFS suspended him from participating in sanctioned skating events. While no reason was given for the suspension, SafeSport is charged with ending abuse in sports. Coughlin and partner Caitlin Yankowskas won the U.S. pairs title in 2011, and he won the following year with Caydee Denney. He finished in sixth place in 2011 in the world championships and eighth in 2012. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
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