1. Todd Beamer
Profession: Passenger on United Airlines Flight 93
Nationality: American
Born: November 24, 1968 Died: September 11, 2001 (aged 32)
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Todd Beamer was one of the passengers aboard United Airlines
Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001. He is known for his heroic actions during the hijacking, which
contributed to preventing the plane from reaching its intended target.
Beamer, along with several other passengers including Mark
Bingham and Jeremy Glick, decided to try to retake control of the plane from
the hijackers after learning about the attacks on the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon. He and the other passengers stormed the cockpit, leading to the
plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania, rather than hitting a probable
target in Washington D.C., and so potentially saving many lives.
Beamer's last known words, "Let's roll," were
heard by an operator during a phone call made from the plane. These words have
since become a rallying cry, symbolizing courage and resilience in the face of
adversity. Beamer's bravery and leadership in those terrifying moments have
made him a national hero.
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2. Amelia Earhart
Profession: Aviator
Nationality: American
Born: July 24, 1897 Died: January 5, 1939 (aged 41)
Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas, USA
Cause of Death: Declared dead after disappearing over the
Pacific Ocean in 1937 in a presumed plane crash
Amelia Mary Earhart
was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, Earhart disappeared
over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to
circumnavigate the world. During her life, Earhart embraced celebrity culture
and women's rights, and since her disappearance, she has become a cultural
icon.
Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and she set many other records;she was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.
In 1937, during an attempt to become the first woman to
complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in a Lockheed Model 10-E
Electra airplane, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared near
Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean. It is generally presumed they ran
out of fuel, crashed into the ocean and died near Howland Island. Nearly one
year and six months after she and Noonan disappeared, Earhart was officially
declared dead.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Kobe Bryant
Profession: NBA Guard
Nationality: American
Born: August 23, 1978 Died: January 26, 2020 (aged 41)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Cause of Death: Helicopter crash while flying in foggy
conditions in the hills above Calabasas, southern California
Kobe Bean Bryant was
an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his
entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball
Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the
history of the sport, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time
All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the
All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA
Finals MVP. He also led the NBA in scoring twice and ranks fourth in league
all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into
the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th
Anniversary Team in 2021.
In 2020, Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven
others, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.[5] A number of
tributes and memorials were issued, and the All-Star MVP Award was renamed in
Bryant's honor
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Buddy Holly
Profession: Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: September 7, 1936 Died: February 3, 1959 (aged 22)
Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3,
1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a
central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a
musical family in Lubbock, Texas, during the Great Depression, and learned to
play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. Holly's style was influenced by
gospel music, country music, and rhythm and blues acts, which he performed in
Lubbock with his friends from high school.
Holly made his first appearance on local television in 1952,
and the following year he formed the group Buddy and Bob with his friend Bob
Montgomery. In 1955, after opening for Elvis Presley, Holly decided to pursue a
career in music. The album The "Chirping" Crickets, released in
November 1957, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart.
After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered an
airplane to travel to his next show in Moorhead, Minnesota. Soon after takeoff,
the plane crashed, killing Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot
Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as "The Day
the Music Died" in his song "American Pie".
Holly was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its
list of 100 Greatest Artists in 2010.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Rocky Marciano
Profession: Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Nationality: American
Born: September 1, 1923 Died: August 31, 1969 (aged 45)
Birthplace: Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Rocco Francis Marchegiano
better known as Rocky Marciano ,
was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955. He
held the world heavyweight championship from 1952 to 1956, and remains the only
heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated. His six title defenses
were against Jersey Joe Walcott (from whom he had taken the title), Roland La
Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell and Archie Moore.
Marciano remains the only fighter to have stopped every
opponent he ever faced for the world heavyweight title, and shares, with Joe
Louis, the highest knockout-to-win percentage in world heavyweight title fights
at 85.71%. His career knockout-to-win percentage of 87.8% remains one of the
highest in heavyweight boxing history. Marciano is ranked #14 in The Ring
magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time
Marciano was a passenger in a small private plane, a Cessna
172 heading to Des Moines, Iowa from Chicago Midway. It was night and bad
weather had set in. The pilot, Glenn Belz, had only 231 total hours of flying
time, 35 of them at night, and had no instrument rating. Belz tried to land the
plane at a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa but the aircraft hit a tree two
miles short of the runway.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Yuri Gagarin
Profession: Cosmonaut
Nationality: Russian, Soviet
Born: March 9 1934, Died: March 27 1968 (aged 34)
Birthplace: Klushino, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of Death: Air crash in a MiG-15
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed
spaceflight, became the first human to journey into outer space. Travelling on
Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961, with his
flight taking 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet
Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and was
awarded many medals and titles, including the nation's highest distinction:
Hero of the Soviet Union.
He was also elected as a deputy of the Soviet of the Union
in 1962 and then to the Soviet of Nationalities, respectively the lower and
upper chambers of the Supreme Soviet.
Vostok 1 was Gagarin's only spaceflight, but he served as
the backup crew to Soyuz 1, which ended in a fatal crash, killing his friend
and fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Fearful that a high-level national hero
might be killed, Soviet officials banned Gagarin from participating in further
spaceflights. After completing training at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering
Academy in February 1968, he was again allowed to fly regular aircraft.
However, Gagarin died five weeks later, when the MiG-15 that he was piloting
with flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin crashed near the town of Kirzhach.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Will Rogers
Profession: Humorist and Actor
Nationality: Native American
Born: November 4, 1879 Died: August 15, 1935 (aged 55)
Birthplace: Oologah, Oklahoma, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15,
1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social
commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian
Territory (now part of Oklahoma), and is known as "Oklahoma's Favorite
Son".
As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world
three times, made 71 films (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and
wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the
mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular in the United States for his leading
political wit and was the highest paid of Hollywood film stars. He died in 1935
with aviator Wiley Post when their small airplane crashed in northern Alaska.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Joseph A. Walker
Profession: Experimental Physicist, Astronaut and NASA Test
Pilot
Nationality: American
Born: February 20, 1921 Died: June 8, 1966 (aged 45)
Birthplace: Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
Cause of Death: Aircraft collision when his F-104
Starfighter chase aircraft collided with a XB-70 Valkyrie at an altitude of
about 25,000 ft (7.6 km).
Joseph Albert Walker (February 20, 1921 – June 8, 1966)
(Capt, USAF) was an American World War II pilot, experimental physicist, NASA
test pilot, and astronaut who was the first person to fly an airplane to space.
He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental
spaceplane jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.
In 1961, Walker became the first human in the mesosphere
when piloting Flight 35, and in 1963, Walker made three flights above 50 miles,
thereby qualifying as an astronaut according to the United States definition of
the boundary of space. The latter two, X-15 Flights 90 and 91, also surpassed
the Kármán line, the internationally accepted boundary of 100 kilometers (62.14
miles). Making the latter flights immediately after the completion of the
Mercury and Vostok programs, Walker became the first person to fly to space
twice. He was the only X-15 pilot to fly above 100 km during the program.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Frederick Banting
Profession: Medical Scientist and Physician
Nationality: Canadian
Born: November 14, 1891 Died: February 21, 1941 (aged 49)
Birthplace: Alliston, Ontario, Canada
Sir Frederick Grant Banting
was a Canadian pharmacologist, orthopaedist, and field surgeon. For his
co-discovery of insulin and its therapeutic potential, Banting was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with John Macleod.
Banting and his student, Charles Best, isolated insulin at
the University of Toronto in the lab of Scottish physiologist John Macleod.
When he and Macleod received the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,
Banting shared the honours and award money with Best. That same year, the
government of Canada granted Banting a lifetime annuity to continue his work.
To this day, Frederick Banting, who received the Nobel Prize at age 32, remains
the youngest Nobel laureate for Physiology/Medicine.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Otis Redding
Profession: Singer-Songwriter and Producer
Nationality: American
Born: September 9, 1941 Died: December 10, 1967 (aged 26)
Birthplace: Dawson, Georgia, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Nicknamed the "King of Soul", Redding's style of singing gained inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s.
Shortly before his death in a plane crash, Redding wrote and
recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve
Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the
Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. It was the first posthumous album to
reach number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Redding received many posthumous accolades, including two
Grammy Awards, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame,
and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Roald Amundsen
Profession: Polar Explorer
Nationality: Norwegian
Born: July 16, 1872 Died: June 18, 1928 (aged 55)
Birthplace: Borge, Østfold, Norway
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He
was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic
Exploration.
Amundsen began his career as a polar explorer as first mate
on Adrien de Gerlache's Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–1899. From 1903 to
1906, he led the first expedition to successfully traverse the Northwest
Passage on the sloop Gjøa. In 1909, Amundsen began planning for a South Pole
expedition. He left Norway in June 1910 on the ship Fram and reached Antarctica
in January 1911. His party established a camp at the Bay of Whales and a series
of supply depots on the Barrier (now known as the Ross Ice Shelf) before
setting out for the pole in October. The party of five, led by Amundsen, became
the first to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911.
Following a failed attempt in 1918 to reach the North Pole
by traversing the Northeast Passage on the ship Maud, Amundsen began planning
for an aerial expedition instead. On 12 May 1926, Amundsen and 15 other men in
the airship Norge became the first explorers verified to have reached the North
Pole. Amundsen disappeared in June 1928 while flying on a rescue mission for
the airship Italia in the Arctic. The search for his remains, which have not
been found, was called off in September of that year.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Ramon Magsaysay
Profession: 7th President of the Philippines
Nationality: Filipino
Born: August 31, 1907 Died: March 17, 1957 (aged 49)
Birthplace: Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay was a Filipino statesman who
served as the seventh President of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953,
until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automobile
mechanic by profession, Magsaysay was appointed military governor of Zambales
after his outstanding service as a guerrilla leader during the Pacific War. He
then served two terms as Liberal Party congressman for Zambales's at-large
district before being appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Elpidio
Quirino. He was elected president under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.
He was the youngest to be elected as president, and second youngest to be
president (after Emilio Aguinaldo). He was the first Philippine president born
in the 20th century and the first to be born after the Spanish colonial era.
He boarded the presidential plane "Mt. Pinatubo",
a C-47, heading back to Manila. In the early morning hours of March 17, the
plane was reported missing. By late afternoon, newspapers had reported the
airplane had crashed on Mount Manunggal in Cebu, and that 36 of the 56 aboard
were killed. The actual number on board was 25, including Magsaysay. Only
newspaperman Nestor Mata survived.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Bessie Coleman
Profession: Aviator
Nationality: American
Born: January 26, 1892 Died: April 30, 1926 (aged 34)
Birthplace: Atlanta, Texas, USA
Cause of Death: A plane crash caused by a loose wrench
lodged into her plane's engine controls. The plane went into a spin and then a
dive from which she was unable to recover control.
Bessie Coleman was an early American civil aviator. She was
the first African-American woman and first self-identified Native American to
hold a pilot license, and is the earliest known Black person to earn an
international pilot's license. She earned her license from the Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921
She was popularly known as "Queen Bess" and
"Brave Bessie", and hoped to start a school for African-American
fliers. Coleman died in a plane crash in 1926. Her pioneering role was an
inspiration to early pilots and to the African-American and Native American
communities
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Stevie Ray Vaughan
Profession: Musician and Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: October 3, 1954 Died: August 27, 1990 (aged 35)
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA
Cause of Death: Helicopter crash
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a highly influential electric
guitarists and blues musician. He bridged the gap between blues and rock, and
was one of the foremost figures in the blues resurgence of the 1980s.His music
has roots in blues, rock, and jazz. His style is known for its loud volume,
heavy strings, use of tremolo picking and vibrato, and his Fender Stratocasters
guitars.
Vaughan was the first white musician to receive both
Entertainer of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year by the National
Blues Foundation. He also earned six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards,
he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Musicians Hall of
Fame in 2014.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Harriet Quimby
Profession: Aviator
Nationality: American
Born: May 11, 1875 Died: July 1, 1912 (aged 37)
Birthplace: Arcadia, Michigan, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash after her brand-new two-seat
Bleriot biplane unexpectedly pitched forward and threw her and her passenger to
their deaths, while the plane "glided down and lodged itself in the
mud".
Harriet Quimby was an American aviator, journalist, and
screenwriter. She is best known for being the first woman in the United States
to receive a pilot's license and the first woman to fly across the English
Channel. Despite dying young at 37 in a flying accident, Quimby significantly
impacted women's roles in aviation.
Quimby's interest in aviation started at the 1910
International Aviation Meet. There she met aviator John Moisant and his sister
Matilde. She soon went on to become the first licensed American female pilot in
1911.
Quimby wrote about her flying adventures and saw aviation as
a sport suitable for women. She joined the Moisant International Aviators and
made a healthy living through her performances at airshows. Quimby wrote
screenplays and briefly acted in movie, as well as serving as spokesperson for
Vin Fiz soda.
In April of 1912, she flew over the English Channel, being
the first woman to do so, although her achievement was somewhat overshadowed by
the Titanic disaster. Many had expected her to fail, whereas she herself had
expected someone else to beat her to this feat and so had planned it all in
secrecy.
Quimby died in a flying accident at an aviation meet in
Massachusetts. Her life and achievements are honored by several memorials and
she was posthumously inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and other
organizations.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Ricky Nelson
Profession: Rock Star and Actor
Nationality: American
Born: May 8, 1940 Died: December 31, 1985 (aged 45)
Birthplace: Teaneck, New Jersey, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Eric Hilliard Nelson was an American musician and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist.
He placed 54 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and its
predecessors between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in
1958, which was the first number one song on Billboard magazine's then-newly
created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional top ten hits and was inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996 Nelson was ranked No. 49 on TV
Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
On December 31, 1985, Nelson died when the Douglas DC-3 on
which he was a passenger crashed into trees, poles, and electrical wires, when
it attempted to make an emergency landing while in flight between Guntersville,
Alabama, and Dallas, Texas, where he was to perform a New Year's Eve concert.
Nelson's DC-3 seemed constantly beset by mechanical problems
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17. John Denver
Profession: Country Singer
Nationality: American
Born: December 31, 1943 Died: October 12, 1997 (aged 53)
Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Henry John Deutschendorf known professionally as John
Denver, was an American singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular
acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the bestselling artists in that
decade. All Music has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers
of his era".
Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about
200 of which he wrote himself. He had 33 albums and singles that were certified
Gold and Platinum in the U.S by the RIAA, with estimated sales of more than 33
million units
Denver appeared in several films and television specials
during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1977 hit Oh, God!, in which he
starred alongside George Burns. An avid pilot, Denver was killed in a
single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane in 1997
at age 53.
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18. Charles Rolls
Profession: Motoring and Aviation Pioneer
Nationality: British, Welsh
Born: August 27, 1877 Died: July 12, 1910 (aged 32)
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Cause of Death: Plane crash, the 1st British person to die
in an air accident involving a powered airplane
Charles Stewart Rolls was a British motoring and aviation
pioneer. With Henry Royce, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing
firm. Rolls was introduced to Henry
Royce by a friend at the Royal Automobile Club, Henry Edmunds, who was also a
director of Royce Ltd. Edmunds showed him Royce's car and arranged the historic
meeting between Rolls and Royce at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, on 4 May
1904. In spite of his preference for three or four cylinder cars, Rolls was
impressed with the two-cylinder Royce 10 and in a subsequent agreement of 23
December 1904 agreed to take all the cars Royce could make. These would be of
two, three, four and six cylinders and would be badged as Rolls-Royces.
The first Rolls-Royce car, the Rolls-Royce 10 hp, was
unveiled at the Paris Salon in December 1904, although in the early advertising
it was the name of Rolls that was emphasised over that of Royce. In 1906 Rolls
and Royce formalised their partnership by creating Rolls-Royce Limited, with
Rolls appointed Technical Managing Director on a salary of £750 per annum plus
4% of the profits in excess of £10,000.
Rolls provided the financial backing and business acumen to
complement Royce's technical expertise. In 1907 Rolls-Royce Limited bought out
C. S. Rolls & Co. Rolls was a pioneer aviator and initially,
balloonist, making over 170 balloon
ascents. In 1903 he won the Gordon Bennett Gold Medal for the longest single
flight time.
By 1907 Rolls' interest turned increasingly to flying and he
tried to persuade Royce to design an aero engine. He became the second Briton
to go up in an aeroplane. Rolls became the first man to make a non-stop double
crossing of the English Channel by plane, taking 95 minutes on 2 June 1910
Rolls was killed in an air crash at Hengistbury Airfield,
Southbourne, Bournemouth when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a
flying display. He was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical
accident with a powered aircraft, and the eleventh person internationally. His
was also the first powered aviation fatality in the United Kingdom
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
19. Glenn Miller
Profession: Big Band Leader and Jazz Composer
Nationality: American
Born: March 1, 1904Died: December 15, 1944 (aged 40)
Birthplace: Clarinda, Iowa, USA
Cause of Death: Probable plane crash over the English
Channel
Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (disappeared December
15, 1944; declared dead December 16, 1945) was an American big band conductor,
arranger, composer, trombone player, and recording artist before and during
World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forces. His civilian
band, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra were one of the most popular and
successful bands of the 20th century and the big band era. His military group,
the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra, was also popular and
successful.
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was the best-selling
recording band from 1939 to 1942.
First gold record award for "Chattanooga Choo
Choo" presented to Miller by W. Wallace Early of RCA Victor with announcer Paul Douglas
on far left, February 10, 1942
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20. Roberto Clemente
Profession: Baseball Player
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Born: August 18, 1934 Died: December 31, 1972 (aged 38)
Birthplace: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican
professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball
(MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. After his early
and sudden death, the National Baseball Hall of Fame changed its rules so that
a player who had been dead for at least six months would be eligible for entry.
In 1973, Clemente was posthumously inducted, becoming the first Caribbean and
the first Latin-American player to be honored in the Hall of Fame.
The airplane which he chartered for the New Year's Eve flight, a Douglas DC-7 cargo plane, had a history of mechanical problems and it also had an insufficient number of flight personnel (the flight was missing a flight engineer and a copilot), and it was also overloaded by 4,200 pounds (1,900 kg). It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on December 31, 1972, due to engine failure.
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21. Francis Gary Powers
Profession: Pilot and Spy
Nationality: American
Born: August 17, 1929 Died: August 1, 1977 (aged 47)
Birthplace: Jenkins, Kentucky, USA
Cause of Death: Helicopter crash
Powers is best known as the pilot of the CIA U-2 spy plane
that was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. His plane was equipped with a
state-of-the-art camera intended to take high-resolution photographs of
military installations and other sensitive sites from an extremely high
altitude. As the U-2 spy plane flew and took photographs from the stratosphere,
the Soviet Union initially lacked any effective way to respond.
Then in 1960, when Powers was on a mission already deemed
risky, the Soviet Union launched a total of 14 S-75 Dvina surface-to-air
missiles. One missile hit Powers' aircraft and he crashed. Unfortunately for
the United States, Powers failed to activate the plane's self-destruct
mechanism and the advanced aircraft was captured intact.
This proved awkward when the United States sought to inquire
under cover, claiming that a weather plane had ended up off course. Powers was
convicted by a Soviet court and imprisoned, admitting his guilt and apologising
for violating Soviet airspace. As a result, the American media who initially
portrayed him as a hero now implied cowardice.
Meanwhile, Powers' wife in the United States was up to all
sorts of shenanigans and, indirectly as a result of this, President John F.
Kennedy approved a prison swap: Powers for KGB Colonel William Fisher.
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22. John F. Kennedy Jr.
Profession: Publisher and Lawyer
Nationality: American
Born: November 25, 1960 Died: July 16, 1999 (aged 38)
Birthplace: NYC, New York, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Son of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy, and a nephew of Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
He died in a plane crash along with his wife Carolyn Jeanne
Bessette and her elder sister Lauren on July 16, 1999.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
23. Yevgeny Prigozhin
Full Name: Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, sometimes called
"Putin's Chef"
Profession: Oligarch and Mercenary Leader
Nationality: Russian
Born: June 1, 1961 Died: August 23, 2023 (aged 62)
Birthplace: Leningrad, Russia, Soviet Union
Cause of Death: Plane crash likely caused by a surface to
air missile attack on his corporate jet as revenge for his aborted anti-Putin
coup attempt exactly 2 months earlier.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was a Russian mercenary leader and former
restaurateur. While he started his career in restaurants and catering, and
before that as a convict in the Soviet Union, he ultimately became known as the
founder the Wagner Group. This was a group of pro-Russian mercenaries that
served as a paramilitary force in Syria, Africa, and Ukraine.
Prigozhin and Wagner initially had a close relationship with
Vladimir Putin and worked with Russian state security and military forces.
During the invasion of Ukraine, he was initially a key part of the Russian
efforts but eventually he came to criticize the military leadership, alleging
corruption and negligence in their handling of the war effort.
In 2023, Prigozhin launched an apparent rebellion in which
the Wagner forces took the city of Rostov-on-Don and even marched towards
Moscow. The rebellion was called off the next day, but the situation remained
tense. Prigozhin agreed to relocate with his forces to Belarus, and the charges
against him were dropped.
In August of 2023, a plane carrying Prigozhin crashed north of Moscow and killed him along with nine other people. The United States alleged that this was the result of a bomb placed on the plane or some such form of sabotage, presumably by the Russian government as revenge for his rebellion.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24. Dag Hammarskjöld
Profession: Secretary-General of the United Nations
Nationality: Swedish
Born: July 29, 1905 Died: September 18, 1961 (aged 56)
Birthplace: Jönköping, Sweden
Cause of Death: An airplane crash while on a diplomatic
mission in Africa
Dag Hammarskjöld was a Swedish economist and diplomat who
served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 until
his death in 1961. He is best known for his strong commitment to peacekeeping
operations and for shaping the role of the Secretary-General as an active force
in global politics.
Under Hammarskjöld's leadership, the role of the
Secretary-General was significantly expanded. He utilized the position to
intervene directly in conflicts, mediate disputes, and draw attention to global
issues. This proactive approach transformed the Secretary-General's role from a
largely administrative position to one of global leadership.
In 1961, Hammarskjöld died in a plane crash under mysterious
circumstances while enroute to negotiate a ceasefire during the Congo Crisis.
Hammarskjöld was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize later that year, in
recognition of his work for peace and for his contributions to the United
Nations.
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25. Patsy Cline
Profession: Country Music Singer
Nationality: American
Born: September 8, 1932 Died: March 5, 1963 (aged 30)
Birthplace: Winchester, Virginia, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
As a country music legend and leading Nashville vocalist,
Cline was a pioneer of the genre. Her success promoted female headline
performers and helped break down gender barriers in the male dominated
industry.
She shot to fame in 1955 after appearing on the Arthur
Godfrey's Talent Scouts show when she wowed audiences with her performance of
"Walkin' After Midnight". Her other hits include "Crazy",
"I Fall to Pieces", and "She's Got You." Cline was the
first female solo artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.
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26. Payne Stewart
Profession: Golfer
Nationality: American
Born: January 30, 1957 Died: October 25, 1999 (aged 42)
Birthplace: Springfield, Missouri, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Won 11 PGA Tour events, including three major championships:
the 1989 PGA Championship, the 1991 U.S. Open, and the 1999 U.S. Open.
A popular golfer with spectators, Payne was known for his
distinctive clothing.
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27. Jim Croce
Profession: Folk and Rock Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: January 10, 1943 Died: September 20, 1973 (aged 30)
Birthplace: South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Jim Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter,
best known for dying in a plane crash at the very peak of his popularity.
Despite his early death, Croce's music remained listed on top charts for years
after. His legacy was continued by his wife, Ingrid Croce, and their son, A. J.
Croce.
Croce released a number of albums and singles between 1966 and 1973, mostly while working small jobs to pay the bills so that he could continue to record.
He finally found his feet through a musical partnership with
Maury Muehleisen, and he eventually came to popular appeal with his third album
You Don't Mess Around with Jim (1972).
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
28. Sebastián Piñera
Profession: Businessman and President of Chile
Nationality: Chilean
Born: December 1, 1949 Died: February 6, 2024 (aged 74)
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Cause of Death: Helicopter crash
Sebastián Piñera is a Chilean businessman and politician who
served as the President of Chile twice, from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018
to 2022. As a member of the right-wing National Renewal party, he was the first
conservative leader to be elected in Chile since its return to democracy in
1990.
Before entering politics, Piñera had a successful career in
business. He made a fortune in the credit card industry with his company
Bancard and later invested in various sectors including media, airlines, and
football. These investments made him one of the wealthiest individuals in
Chile.
Piñera's first term as president was marked by the 2010
Chilean miners' rescue, a successful operation that drew international
attention and boosted his popularity. His administration focused on economic
growth, education reform, and reducing poverty. However, it was also marked by
large-scale protests over issues such as education reform and environmental
policies.
His second term saw a period of intense civil unrest in
2019, triggered by a rise in subway fares in Santiago but quickly escalating to
nationwide protests over inequality and other social issues. The crisis led to
a process to draft a new constitution, aiming to address some of the
protesters' demands.
On 6 February 2024, a few minutes after take-off,The
helicopter crashed about 40 m from the southern shore of the lake at Ilihue,
east of the town of Lago Ranco. According to La Nación, he survived the crash
itself but the impact left him unconscious and unable to remove his safety
belt, resulting in his drowning. His body was subsequently retrieved by the
Chilean Navy from a depth of 28 m (92 ft)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
29. Graham Hill
Profession: Auto Racer
Nationality: England
Born: February 15, 1929
Died: November 29, 1975 (aged 46)
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Cause of Death: Plane crash after the plane he was piloting
crashed in the fog near London
Often referred to as "Mr. Monaco" due to his five
wins at the Monaco Gran Prix (1963-65, 1968 & 1969).
He was also a two time Formula One World Champion (1962 and
1968), and winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1966), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
(1971)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
30. Jenni Rivera
Profession: Singer
Nationality: American,Mexican
Born: July 2, 1969 Died: December 9, 2012 (aged 43)
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, USA
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Began recording music in 1998, and incorporated themes of
social issues, infidelity, and relationships into her songs.
Her tenth studio album, Jenni (2008), became her first #1
record in the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
31. Carlos Gardel
Profession: Singer
Nationality: Argentine
Born: December 11, 1890 Died: June 24, 1935 (aged 44)
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Carlos Gardel is the most prominent figure in tango history.
He is credited with creating the tango-canción, a new form of tango that
combined music with lyrics.
Gardel began his singing career in bars and private parties
in Buenos Aires. He later formed a musical trio with Francisco Martino and José
Razzano. In 1917, Gardel released "Mi noche triste," which became a
hit throughout Latin America and sold 10,000 copies.
As his popularity grew, Gardel toured extensively in Latin
America and Europe. During a 1928 visit to Paris, he sold 70,000 records in
just three months. Gardel also appeared in several films produced by Paramount
in France and the United States, showcasing his singing talents and charismatic
presence.
Throughout his career, Gardel maintained a secret
relationship with Isabel del Valle. He met her when she was 14 years old, and
their relationship lasted for many years. Gardel never married, however, and
cultivated a public image as a bachelor.
On June 24, 1935, Gardel died in a plane crash in Medellín,
Colombia. His death sparked widespread mourning across Latin America. Thousands
of fans paid their respects as his body was transported back to Buenos Aires
for burial.
He was posthumously inducted into the International Latin
Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. In
Argentina, a common saying is that "Gardel sings better every day."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
32. Wiley Post
Profession: Aviator
Nationality: American
Born: November 22, 1898 Died: August 15, 1935 (aged 36)
Birthplace: Corinth, Van Zandt County, Texas, USA
Wiley Hardeman Post
was an American aviator during the interwar period and the first pilot
to fly solo around the world. Known for his work in high-altitude flying, he
helped develop one of the first pressure suits and discovered the jet stream.
On August 15, 1935, he and American humourist Will Rogers were killed when his aircraft crashed on take-off from a lagoon near Point Barrow in the Territory of Alaska.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
33. Hansie Cronje
Profession: Cricketer
Nationality: South African
Born: September 25, 1969 Died: June 1, 2002 (aged 32)
Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South Africa
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South
African international cricketer and captain of the South Africa national
cricket team in the 1990s. A right-handed all-rounder, as captain Cronje led
his team to victory in 27 Test matches and 99 One Day Internationals. Cronje
also led South Africa to win the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy, the only major ICC
title the country has won till date.
He received a life ban for match-fixing in 2000 and retired
in disgrace.
Cronje's scheduled flight home from Johannesburg to George
was grounded. He then hitched a ride as the only passenger aboard a Hawker
Siddeley HS 748 turboprop aircraft. Near George airport, the pilots lost
visibility in clouds and were unable to land, partly due to unusable
navigational equipment. While circling, the plane crashed into Cradock Peak, in
the Outeniqua Mountains northeast of the airport. Cronje and the two pilots were killed instantly.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
34. Maribel Vinson
Profession: Figure Skater
Nationality: American
Born: October 12, 1911 Died: February 15, 1961 (aged 49)
Birthplace: Winchester, Massachusetts, USA
Maribel Vinson's parents were both figure skaters, and
Vinson herself began skating at an early age. She would go to be the U.S.
women's champion nine time and the U.S. pairs champion four times with George
Hill.
Vinson married Canadian skater Guy Owen, with whom she had two daughters. Their daughters, Laurence and Maribel, were accomplished figure skaters in their own rights.
Tragically Vinson-Owen died with her two daughters in the
1961 Sabena Flight 548 plane crash. The entire U.S. figure skating team also
died in this crash.
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35. Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr
Profession: Astronaut
Nationality: American
Born: October 2, 1935 Died: December 8, 1967 (aged 32)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Cause of Death: Killed during training in a plane crash of
an F-104 Starfighter
Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. was an American astronaut and
military officer. He was the first African-American to be selected as an
astronaut.
Lawrence joined the United States Air Force and became a
pilot. He flew over 2,500 hours, with 2,000 of those hours in jets. Finally in
June of 1967 he was selected as an astronaut in the Air Force's Manned Orbital
Laboratory (MOL) program.
Sadly Lawrence died in a plane crash at Edwards Air Force
Base in 1967 at the age of 32. He was flying as an instructor pilot when the
accident occurred.
He was posthumously honored with the inscription of his name
on the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In 2020, NASA named an asteroid after Lawrence as part of a
group of 27 pioneering African-American, Hispanic, and Native American
astronauts. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, launched in the same year,
was also named in his honor.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
36. William George Barker
Profession: First World War Flying Ace
Nationality: Canadian
Born: November 3 1894, Died: March 12 1930 (aged 35)
Birthplace: Manitoba Canada
Cause of Death: Plane crash after he lost control of his
Fairchild KR-21 biplane trainer during a demonstration flight.
He was a Canadian First World War fighter ace and Victoria
Cross recipient. The most decorated serviceman in the history of Canada, and in
the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
37. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Profession: Writer and Pilot
Nationality: French
Born: June 29 1900, Died: July 31 1944 (aged 44)
Birthplace: Lyon France
Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry is best known for his novella "The Little Prince" 1943
and for his lyrical aviation writings, including "Wind, Sand and
Stars" 1939 and "Night Flight" 1931.
In 1935, Saint-Exupéry crashed in the Libyan desert and
survived for four days with little food and water before being rescued, an
experience which influenced his later writing. He flew reconnaissance missions
for France during World War II until France signed an armistice with Germany in
1940.
Saint-Exupéry then travelled to the United States where he
wrote several more books, including "Flight to Arras" 1942 and
"Letter to a Hostage" 1943. His most famous work, the poetic fable
"The Little Prince," was also written and published during his time
in the United States.
Despite being older than most pilots, Saint-Exupéry returned
to flying with the Free French Air Force in North Africa in 1943. He
disappeared during a mission over the Mediterranean in July of 1944 and is
believed to have died then. The wreckage of his plane was found off the coast
of Marseille in 2000.
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https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/31-musicians-and-actors-who-died-from.html - 30 Most DISTURBING Celebrity Car Crashes EVER
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https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/19-billionaires-who-refuse-to-stay-poor.html
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