Friday, July 06, 2007

United In Death - July 6th

Herewith the Clog Almanac revives a personal favorite, the Friday Mashup. Below are an eclectic juxtaposition of notables who left this world on a July 6th.

1998 Roy Rogers - American cowboy star
Known to his friends as Leonard Slye, Rogers' life is a story of success. He progressed from a Grapes of Wrath existence picking fruits and living in worker camps during the Great Depression to his status as a great Western-American music/film idol. Roy's famous golden palomino horse Trigger (stuffed), is the prime exhibit at the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans museum in Branson, Missouri.

1971 Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong - Legendary American jazz trumpeter and singer
I remember my dad cried when Satchmo died and the strains of "What a Wonderful World" were aired. A boy remembers the times his father weeps. Next time you're in Queens, you might visit Satchmo's house.

1962 William Faulkner - One of the America's greatest Southern authors
Here's an essay on Faulkner your cheating high-school student might be submitting. See a photograph of Faulkner as a baby here. In case you were wondering, Yes, there is/was a Faulkner Society of Japan, and they publish/ed a journal. Like so few of us who are disenchanted with their family names, Faulkner added a "u" to his name, after the "a".


July 6, it seems, was also a bad day for high nobility:

1762 Pyotr III Fyodorovitch - Peter III, Tsar of Russia
Unfortunately, he only reigned for half a year. According to the 1911 Encyclopaedia Brittanica, "Nature had made him mean, the smallpox had made him hideous, and his degraded habits made him loathsome." Sounds like some folks you've hung out with in your time, right? Don't lie.

1553 Edward VI Tudor - King of England
King at the age of ten. Associated Lord Protectors, Lord Admirals, and the convulsions of the riff-raff grownups surrounding him. Dead just 6 years later. Grown-ups had other holy plans for the throne and its successors.

1189 Henry II - King of England
First Angevin King. He was a Frenchie, but most definitely not this one. His last name was Curtmantle, which really doesn't translate to "miniskirt" [not work safe], despite the rumors, even though it really might help him in the legacy department.


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