In this week: 26th April – 2nd May

I have to apologise for the somewhat maudlin tone of this week’s post, but the week in history seems to have brought up the anniversaries of quite a few deaths (especially as the 75^th anniversary of the end of World War II is impending).

26^th April

Gypsy Rose Lee

50 years ago: in 1970, Gypsy Rose Lee, the legendary American striptease artist and actress died of lung cancer, aged 59.

40 years ago: Dame Cicely Courtneidge, Australian born British actress and comedian died, aged 87.

                

Birthdays

Duane Eddy, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, 82.

Koo Stark, American actress, photographer and former girlfriend of Prince Andrew, 64.

Caro Emerald, Dutch jazz/pop singer, 39.

27^th April

200 years ago: in 1820, Herbert Spencer, British sociologist, philosopher and political theorist was born. An early advocate of the theory of evolution, he coined the term “survival of the fittest.”

15 years ago: in 2005, the world’s largest passenger airliner, the Airbus A380, made its first flight. It entered commercial service with Singapore Airlines in October 2007.

Birthdays

Michael Fish, former BBC TV weatherman, 76.

Sheena Easton, Scottish-American singer, 61.

28^th April

75 years ago: in 1945, Benito Mussolini, Prime Minister/fascist dictator of Italy (1922–43) died. He was executed by partisans, along with his mistress, Clara Petacci, at the small Italian village of Giulino di Mezzegra.

Birthdays

Mike Brearley, former England cricket captain, 78.

Vernon Kay, UK TV/radio presenter, 46.

29^th April

75 years ago: in 1945, Dachau concentration camp in Germany was liberated by U.S. forces.

40 years ago: in 1980, Alfred Hitchcock, British born American film director and producer (The Thirty Nine Steps, Rear Window, Vertigo, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, Psycho, and many more) died in California at the age of 80.

Birthdays

David Icke, English sports presenter and conspiracy theorist, 68.

Kate Mulgrew, American actress – Captain Janeway in Star Trek – Voyager, 65.

30^th April

75 years ago: in 1945, Adolf Hitler, Austrian-born German Nazi Party leader, Chancellor (1933–45) and dictator (1934–45) commited suicide, (along with his wife Eva Braun.) He was ultimately succeeded as President of Germany by Karl Dönitz.

Queen Juliana

40 years ago: in 1980, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands abdicated. She was succeeded by her daughter, Beatrix, who in turn abdicated the crown in 2013.

Birthdays

Merrill Osmond, US singer and bass guitar player of The Osmonds, 67.

Kirsten Dunst, US actress, 38.

1^st May

75 years ago: in 1945, Joseph Goebbels, German politician and Nazi Minister of Propaganda (1933–45) died. He was deeply anti-Semitic and responsible for presenting a positive image of the Nazi regime to the German people. He served as Chancellor of Germany for 1 day following Hitler’s death, then he and his wife killed their children and committed suicide.

Gary Powers

60 years ago: in 1960, The Soviet Union shot down an American U‐2 spy plane near the Russian city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) and captured pilot Gary Powers, sparking a diplomatic crisis. In the following August, Powers was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but was released in 1962 following an exchange for a Soviet spy. Powers died in a helicopter crash in 1977, aged 47.

Birthdays

Una Stubbs, English actress, 83.

Joanna Lumley, English actress and TV presenter, 74.

2^nd May

Bormann

75 years ago: In 1945, Martin Bormann, prominent German Nazi official, Hitler’s private secretary died. For many years after WWII he was rumoured to have survived and fled to South America, where there were several unconfirmed sightings. But his remains were found in Berlin in 1972 and positively identified by DNA testing in 1998.

25 years ago: in 1995, British actor Sir Michael Hordern died of kidney disease aged 83. Known predominantly for Shakespearian roles, he was knighted for services to drama in 1983.

Birthdays

Engelbert Humperdinck, English singer, 84,

Alan Titchmarsh, English gardener, author and TV presenter, 71.

Jimmy White, English snooker player, 58.