Icon of Hollywood’s Golden Age dies at 103 |
Feb 5, 2020 –
Hollywood Reporter – The actor who starred in such films as ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,’ ‘Spartacus,’ ‘Champion,’ ‘The Bad and the Beautiful,’ and ‘Lust for Life,’ to name just a few, has passed.
Kirk Douglas, the son of a ragman who channeled a deep, personal anger through a chiseled jaw and steely blue eyes to forge one of the most indelible and indefatigable careers in Hollywood history, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 103.
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” son Michael Douglas wrote on his Instagram account.
Douglas walked away from a helicopter crash in 1991 and suffered a severe stroke in 1996 but, ever the battler, he refused to give in. With a passionate will to survive, he was the last man standing of all the great stars of another time.
Nominated three times for best actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Lust for Life (1956) — Douglas (left) was the recipient of an honorary Oscar in 1996. Arguably the top male star of the post-World War II era, he acted in more than 80 movies before retiring from films in 2004.
Steven Spielberg said in a statement:
“Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life, and I’m honored to have been a small part of his last 45 years. I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage — even beyond such a breathtaking body of work — are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine.”
The father of two-time Oscar-winning actor-director-producer Michael Douglas, the Amsterdam, New York, native first achieved stardom as a ruthless and cynical boxer in Champion … Read more.
Daniel Arap Moi, Kenya’s Longtime Strongman, Dies At 95
Feb 4, 2020
Morning Edition – Daniel arap Moi, who ruled Kenya for nearly a quarter century marked by repression and widespread corruption before he eventually yielded to multiparty democracy and allowed a peaceful transfer of power, has died at age 95.
His death was announced by current President Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the country’s founding father and first president, Jomo Kenyatta, whose death in office in 1978 paved the way for Moi’s rise.
“Our nation and our continent were immensely blessed by the dedication and service of the Late Mzee Moi; who spent almost his entire adult life serving Kenya and Africa,” Kenyatta said in a statement, using a Swahili term of respect.
Kenyatta announced that flags would be flown at half-staff until Moi’s funeral.
“Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (left) ran a good race, kept the faith, and now he is enjoying his reward in heaven,” he said.
There was no immediate word on the cause of death, but Moi had reportedly been in and out of the hospital in recent months with breathing difficulties.
Moi, a schoolteacher-turned-politician, served as home affairs minister before being appointed vice president in 1967.
After assuming the presidency in 1978, he soon dominated not only politics, but all aspects of Kenyan life.
He was a retail politician who sought support by doling out favors to supporters. Moi’s ubiquitous ivory walking stick became a symbol of his one-man rule. Despite his intolerance of dissent, he long remained popular … Read more.
CELEBRITY DEATH LIST
In addition to surviving a helicopter crash and a stroke, Kirk Douglas survived seventeen years on the Celebrity Death Watch, published annually by DeathList.net.
Daniel arap Moi appeared on the list for the first time in 2020, joining at #5. He lasted five weeks.
Douglas held the #1 spot on the list for three full years, only to slip a notch to #2 due to the latest health challenges faced by Prince Phillip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Monty Python’s Terry Jones (left) was #45 on the list when he passed on February 1.
With passing of Douglas and Moi, two names move on the Top Ten list, including a once-robust pro athlete is now ailing at only 67 years of age.
The top ten spots now belong to …
- Prince Phillip, age 99
- Olivia de Haviland, 104
- Vera Lynn, 103
- Dick Van Dyke, 95
- Javier Perez de Cuellar, former UN Sec. Gen., 100
- Emporor Akito of Japan, 87
- Pierre Cardin, 98
- Bob Dole, 97
- Murray Walker, English motorsport commentator, 97
- Leon Spinx, 67
Several more well-known celebrities in their 90s find themselves in the Top 20 including Betty White, Angela Lansbury, Bob Barker, Alan Greenspan, Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and Honor Blackman.
Other notables rounding out the list, which includes 50 names in all, are: Willie Nelson, Alex Trebek, Dick Cheney, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Crosby, and Jean-Marie Le Pen, described byDeathList.net as a French Neo Nazi.
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