Willie N. Rogers (1915–2016), Tuskegee Airman

Willie N. Rogers, the oldest surviving member of the original Tuskegee Airmen who became legendary for their service in World War II, died Nov. 18, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 101. A longtime resident of St. Petersburg, Rogers died of stroke complications, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The brave military men known as the Tuskegee Airmen became legendary for their service in World War II. The first African-American aviators in the U.S. armed forces, they fought valiantly for their country at a time when segregation still limited their lives and their rights.

Denton Cooley (1920 - 2016), pioneer in open heart surgery

Dr. Denton A. Cooley, the surgeon who performed the world's first artificial heart implant, died Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. He was 96.