Josephine Baker was one of the most remarkable stars of the 20th century. We remember Baker’s life today as well as the lives of other notable people who died this day April 12 in history.
2021: Joseph Siravo, actor known for roles including Giovanni “Johnny Boy” Soprano on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” dies at 66.
2020: Tavaris Jackson, former Minnesota, Seattle, and Buffalo quarterback, dies at 36.
2017: Charlie Murphy, comedian known for his work on “Chappelle’s Show” and who was Eddie Murphy’s older brother, dies at 57.
2016: Anne Jackson, U.S. actress who was nominated for a Tony Award and was the widow of actor Eli Wallach, dies at 90.
2013: Michael France, U.S. screenwriter remembered best for writing the screenplays for the movies “The Punisher” and “Fantastic Four,” dies at 51.
2012: Linda Cook, U.S. actress known best for her role as Egypt Jones Masters on the soap opera “Loving,” dies at 63.
2006: Puggy Pearson, U.S. professional poker player who won the 1973 World Series of Poker, dies at 77.
2003: Sydney Lassick, U.S. actor known best for his role as Charlie Cheswick in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” dies at 80.
2001: Harvey Ball, U.S. commercial artist who is recognized as the earliest known designer of the smiley face logo, dies at 79.
Ball came up with a smiley face on a bright yellow background. The original design consisted only of a grinning mouth but Ball, realizing the button could easily be inverted to send the wrong (i.e., “frowny”) message, decided to add eyeballs. The left eye was deliberately created slightly smaller than the right in order to humanize the drawing through its imperfection. Read more
1999: Boxcar Willie, U.S. country music singer who sold millions of records, dies at 67.
1989: Sugar Ray Robinson, U.S. professional boxer who was considered one of the great boxers in history who was the world welterweight and world middleweight champion, dies at 67.
After winning the middleweight title, Robinson went on a European tour. Known as the first fighter to have his own entourage, Robinson traveled in a pink Cadillac and brought some 13 people along with him, including his personal masseuse, his hairdresser, and a friend Robinson hired to whistle while he trained. Read more
1989: Abbie Hoffman, U.S. political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party, whose members were called Yippies, dies by suicide at 52.
Twenty-five years ago, counterculture icon Abbie Hoffman took his own life, closing the book on a man on whom the FBI had compiled a file of more than 13,000 pages. Through years of protests, activism, political stunts, and organized opposition to the status quo, Hoffman built a reputation as a visionary leader or a criminal mastermind, depending on one’s point of view.
1987: Mike Von Erich, U.S. professional wrestler who was a member of the famous Von Erich wrestling family, dies at 23.
1984: Ruth Taylor, U.S. actress who performed in silent movies and early talkies and starred in the silent version of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” dies at 79.
1981: Joe Louis, U.S. professional boxer who was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1937 until 1949 and is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, dies at 66.
1976: Paul Ford, U.S. character actor known best for his role as Colonel John T. Hall of “The Phil Silvers Show,” dies at 74.
1975: Josephine Baker, U.S. dancer, singer, and actress who was the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, dies at 68.
Baker was one of the most remarkable stars of the 20th century. Born poor, she was abused by authority figures and became a school dropout and homeless by 13. She joined a vaudeville show at 15 after a recruiter noticed her dancing on the street. She rose to great heights of fame and influence, touring the world, becoming the first Black woman to star in a movie (1927’s “Siren of the Tropics”), working with the French resistance in World War II, and fighting for civil rights in the U.S.
1973: Arthur Freed, U.S. songwriter and movie producer who co-wrote “Singin’ in the Rain” and produced movies including “Showboat,” dies at 78.
1971: Wynton Kelly, U.S. jazz pianist who was known for his work with singer Dinah Washington and who played with Miles Davis on his classic album “Kind of Blue,” dies at 39.
1945: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until 1945, dies while in office at 63.
1912: Clara Barton, U.S. nurse who founded the American Red Cross, dies at 90.
This “Battlefield Angel” worked on the front lines of the Civil War to tend injured soldiers and maintain Army hospitals. She went on to found the American Red Cross, now one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the U.S. Read more
Discover notable people born this day April 12 in history including teen idol David Cassidy.
