Famous People Who Died On Christmas Day

Dying is just like taxes in the respect that it is going to happen to you and me. Over history, we realize it doesn't matter who you are, you are going to face death. Famous people have no secret weapon against death. They are just like you and I. They will die. We will die. Death is a part of life. However, many of us look forward to eternal life in Heaven. After we all pass from this world, I hope to meet each one of you in a better place called Heaven.

We Live And We Die

Nobody Lives Forever

See You In Heaven

What Happened on Christmas Day in History?

337- Earliest possible date that Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25^th

352- 1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25^th

1643- Christmas Island founded and named by Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary.

1651- Massachusetts General Court ordered a fine (five shillings) for "observing any such day as Christmas"

1831- Louisiana & Arkansas are the 1st states to observe Christmas as holiday

1958- Alan Freed's Christmas Rock & Roll Spectacular opens

1983- 1st live telecast of Christmas Parade

Some of the Famous People Who Died on Christmas Day

1567-1635 - Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer and founder of Quebec City in 1608

1797-1868 - Linus Yale was the developer of cylinder lock, was an American inventor and manufacturer of locks

1879-1926 - Yoshihito was the 123rd Emperor of Japan (1912-26)

1880-1946 - W C Fields was a writer/comedian who died on Christmas Day

1905-1951 - Harry T Moore was a Florida NAACP official, founder of the first branch of the NAACP, killed by bomb at his home on Christmas night along with his wife, his wife died nine days later

1929-1954 - Johnny Ace was a Memphis rocker, was a star of American Rhythm and Blues, accidently shot himself in the head with a .22 pistol on Christmas Day playing around.

1873-1961 - Otto Loewi was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for medical therapy, the father of Neuroscience

1889-1977 - Charlie Chaplin was a famous actor and film director of Silent Films

1989 - Billy Martin was a NY Yankee manager, killed in a car accident on Christmas Day, won five World
Series Championships, four as a player on the NY Yankees and one as the Manager of the NY Yankees.

1904-1992 - Garrison H Davidson US Lt. General commandant (West Point), football coach and educator at West Point

1990-1996 - Jon Benet Ramsey was a Colorado child beauty queen, murdered at 6 on Christmas Day, the police thought Jon Benet Ramsey may have been murdered by her parents, but the case is still unsolved

1920-1997 - Denver Pyle, actor who played Uncle Jesse on the Dukes of Hazzard, died from lung cancer on Christmas Day

1933-2006 - James Brown was a very famous rhythm & blues, gospel, jazz, soul and funk singer or simply the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was called the hardest working man in show business, was known for both his singing and dancing, James Brown dies at 73 from heart failure on Christmas Day

Today is Christmas Day, Merry Christmas

This is series of famous people who died was inspired by Faye Farley who writes about famous people who were born on the same dates. Each day I will make a list of the famous people who died on the particular day with a link to her story about who was born on a particular day. Today's famous deaths will be linked to her September 27 story because she has not made it to October yet. Click here to check out Faye's writing

Sources

Historyorb.com