Born October 14

Héctor Ortiz (1969–2024), coach with the Texas Rangers 

Héctor Ortiz was a former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and a coach with the Texas Rangers.

Frank Wycheck (1971–2023), Music City Miracle tight end 

Frank Wycheck was an 11-year veteran of the National Football League (NFL) who threw the pass that led to the Music City Miracle, one of the most iconic moments in modern football history.

Arleen Sorkin (1955–2023), soap star & Batman’s original Harley Quinn

Arleen Sorkin played fan favorite Calliope Jones on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” and her personality was the inspiration behind the popular Batman villain Harley Quinn; she was also the first actress to voice the role. 

Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023), sensory-focused Finnish composer

Kaija Saariaho was a Finnish composer who saw music as an art for all the senses, suggesting color, texture, and more for a richer sensory palate.

Joyce Bryant (1927–2022), singer called “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell”

Joyce Bryant was a singer of the 1940s and ‘50s known as “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell” and “The Black Marilyn Monroe.”

Dan McCafferty (1946–2022), original Nazareth lead singer 

Dan McCafferty was the original and longtime lead singer for the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth.  

Lee Lawson (1941–2022), played Bea Reardon on “Guiding Light”

Lee Lawson was an actress best known for her performance on the soap opera “Guiding Light.”

Jack "Blackjack" Lanza (1935–2021), WWE Hall of Fame wrestler

Jack "Blackjack" Lanza was a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who was one half of the legendary tag team The Blackjacks.

Greg Tate (1957–2021), The Village Voice cultural critic

Greg Tate was a longtime cultural critic for The Village Voice as well as the founder of the band Burnt Sugar.

George Floyd (1973–2020), whose death in Minneapolis sparked U.S. protests

George Floyd, a resident of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, died Monday, May 25, 2020 at the age of 46 while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, which sparked nationwide protests against police brutality. He was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and grew up in Houston, Texas, where he graduated from Jack Yates High School in 1992. He was a member of the basketball team and the state title-winning football team there. At the time of his death, he worked as a security guard at Conga Latin Bistro.

Edward Feightner (1919–2020), World War II flying ace and Blue Angels pilot

Edward “Whitey” Feightner was a U.S. Navy officer who was a flying ace in World War II, with nine enemy aircraft shot down. He was also a test pilot, and he flew with the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron.

Jason Davis (1984–2020), voice of Mikey Blumberg on “Recess”

Jason Davis was an actor best known for providing the voice of Mikey Blumberg on the Disney Channel’s “Recess” from 1997 to 2001, as well as in the show’s spinoff movies. He had roles in movies including “Beverly Hills Ninja” (1997) and “Rush Hour” (1998), and made TV appearances on shows including “Roseanne” and “7th Heaven.” At the time of his death, Davis was working on a TV show called “The Two Jasons.”

James “Radio” Kennedy (1946–2019), inspiration for the film “Radio”

James “Radio” Kennedy was the mentally disabled man who inspired the 2003 hit movie “Radio.” He was an inspirational figure for the T.L. Hanna High School football team in Anderson, South Carolina. Kennedy was nicknamed “Radio” when he started showing up at the team’s football practices holding a transistor radio to his head. T.L. Hanna’s football coach Harold Jones formed a bond withKennedyand he became an inspirational figure on the sidelines at the teame28099s games for many years. The town embracedKennedyand he took classes at the high school though he could not read orwriteand he was given permanent status as a junior at the school so he would not have to graduate and leave.

Obituary for AJ Freund: "His giggle and laugh will never be forgotten"

The family of AJ Freund, the 5-year-old Illinois boy whose death made headlines in April, published a loving obituary for him in the Northwest Herald this week.

Nikolai Volkoff (1947–2018), Soviet wrestling villain

Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Harry Anderson (1952 – 2018), “Night Court” star

Played the quirky Judge Harry T. Stone on the popular sitcom…

Robert Yancy (1977 - 2017), Natalie Cole's only child

Musician was legendary singer Natalie Cole's only child...

Roger Moore (1927–2017), James Bond star

British actor Roger Moore played James Bond in 7 films.

Lillian Gish: First Lady of American Cinema

Lillian Gish had a legendary acting career. From her first silent film in 1912 to her final movie performance in 1987 at age 93, Gish worked for an amazing 75 years.