A surprisingly pointless week, I thought some of you had George Foreman listed, but alas  nobody did. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Wings Hauser, 77, American actor (Tough Guys Don’t Dance, The Siege of Firebase Gloria, Vice Squad). 
• Émilie Dequenne, 43, Belgian actress (Rosetta, Our Children, Not My Type), adrenocortical carcinoma. 
• Jack Lilley, 91, American actor (Little House on the Prairie) and stuntman.
• Oleg Gordievsky, 86, Russian-British double agent.
• Eddie James, 63, American convicted murderer and rapist, execution by lethal injection. 
• Eddie Jordan, 76, Irish Formula One team owner (Jordan Grand Prix), prostate and bladder cancer. 
• George Foreman, 76, American boxer (The Rumble in the Jungle), Olympic champion (1968) and businessman (George Foreman Grill). 
• Andy Peebles, 76, British radio DJ, television presenter and cricket commentator.

In Other News

Frank Bruno is recovering after falling ill while on a plane and being rushed to hospital. The 63-year-old former world heavyweight champion spent nearly two weeks in a hospital in Doha, Qatar after becoming unwell on a flight that took off from Heathrow on March 3rd, according to the Flying Monkeys, he’s contracted a viral infection. A post from Bruno on  Twitter included a picture showing him smiling, while sat on a plane. That was accompanied by the message: “Morning so the Frank Bruno World tour continues up early for a plane I don’t sleep well on planes but trying to catch up on some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.” Bruno’s manager Dave Davies explained: “Frank was flying out to work in Thailand when he was taken ill on the plane at Doha. Medical crew attended Frank on the plane and at hospital. He’s now recovering and hopes to be back at work as soon as possible.” Bruno, who was accompanied by his PA Paul Hunter, is said to have fallen ill shortly after the flight took off and after initially suspecting food poisoning, they realised it was something more serious. A source said to the Flying Monkeys: “Frank was fine when he boarded the plane – but quickly went downhill during the flight. He was in a really bad way and they were unsure what the problem was. Frank was in a bad way and was sweating profusely and had fever-like symptoms. Paul was worried but was doing his best to keep him calm. He was treated on the flight at Doha, in the airport and then at the hospital. Doctors were really worried and carried out all sorts of tests, including for meningitis. They then diagnosed him with a viral infection, which at least meant they could start treating him.” An ‘Evening with Frank Bruno’ event that was scheduled for this Sunday in Manchester has been postponed.  

Bulgarian club Arda Kardzhali have apologised for holding a minute’s silence for a former player who is still alive. Petko Ganchev was mourned ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 league draw with Levski Sofia, with both teams lining up on the centre circle and bowing their heads. However, the club then announced it had been misinformed in a Facebook post shared before the top-flight match finished. “The management of PFC Arda would like to express a huge apology to the former Arda player Petko Ganchev and his relatives after the club received wrong information about his death,” read the statement. “We wish Petko Ganchev many more years of good health and to enjoy the success of Arda.”  

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway has died, aged 105. The Royal Air Force said he passed away peacefully on Monday. Paddy Hemingway – one of “The Few” and a revered figure in British aviation history – played a key role in defending the skies over the United Kingdom against the Nazis in the summer of 1940, when he was just 19. “The Few” refers to a speech by Sir Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in August that year as the Battle of Britain reached its peak. Praising the efforts of RAF fighter pilots, the wartime prime minister said that “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. In an online tribute, the RAF said Mr Hemingway’s squadron shot down 90 enemy aircraft during an 11-day period in May 1940. In August, he was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricane fighter plane – and the following year, he broke his hand in another bailing out, this time at 600ft after his plane’s instruments failed in bad weather. His parachute failed to open properly – but luckily it caught on the branches of a tree, sparing him further injury. Near the end of World War Two, while serving in the Mediterranean, he was forced to bail out a fourth time near Ravenna in Italy after his Spitfire was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire. Dropping into enemy territory, he contacted Italian partisans, who helped him return to his squadron. Mr Hemingway never saw his role in the Battle of Britain as anything other than doing the job he was trained to do, the RAF said. The force described him as always having a “twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the fun times with colleagues in France and London – his courage in the face of overwhelming odds demonstrated his sense of duty and the importance of British resilience”. Mr Hemingway, the RAF said, was a “quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual” who “embodied the spirit of all those who flew sorties over this green and pleasant land”. In July 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and in September of that year, he was Mentioned in Dispatches.

On This Day

• 1801 – Tsar Paul I of Russia is struck with a sword, then strangled, and finally trampled to death inside his bedroom at St. Michael’s Castle.
• 2014 – The World Health Organisation reports cases of Ebola in the forested rural region of southeastern Guinea, marking the beginning of the largest Ebola outbreak in history.
• 2020 – Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the United Kingdom into its first national lockdown in response to COVID-19.

Deaths

• 1964 – Peter Lorre, American actor (b. 1904). 
• 2011 – Elizabeth Taylor, American-British actress, socialite and humanitarian (b. 1932).
• 2021 – George Segal, American actor (b. 1934).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Michelle Monaghan (49), Amanda Plummer (68), Joanna Page (48), Reese Witherspoon (49), Matthew Modine (66),  William Shatner (94), Lena Olin (70), Carter Wong (78), Gary Oldman (67), Rosie O’Donnell (63), Timothy Dalton (79)), Matthew Broderick (63), Sonequa Martin-Green (40), Holly Hunter (67), Ruby Rose (39), David Thewlis (62), Freema Agyeman (46), John de Lancie (77), Theresa Russell (68), Bruce Willis (70), Glenn Close (78), Ursula Andress (89), Harvey Weinstein (73), Brad Dourif (75), Queen Latifah (55), Kurt Russell (74), Rob Lowe (61), Morfydd Clark (36), Gary Sinise (70), John Boyega (33), and Patrick Duffy (76).

A couple of unexpected deaths last week, sadly, no points to be awarded either. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Eileen Bennett, 105, British actress (Thursday’s Child, Much Too Shy, Trunk Crime). 
• Simon Fisher-Becker, 63, British actor (Puppy Love, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Doctor Who). 
• Carl Lundström, 64, Swedish businessman and political activist, plane crash. 
• Stedman Pearson, 60, British singer (Five Star), complications from diabetes. 
• Dave Mallow, 76, American voice actor (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Digimon, World of Warcraft). 

In Other News

Britain’s oldest drag queen and a beloved Brighton entertainer has died. David Raven, better known by the stage name Maisie Trollette, has died aged 91 in the early hours of the morning (Wednesday, March 12th) in Brighton.  David had been performing for more than five decades and had been a fixture of Brighton Pride since 1973 when the event was first held in the city.  David was revered within the LGBTQI+ community as drag royalty. He was known for his generosity, razor sharp wit, dynamic singing voice and lovable, cantankerous personality. Tributes to David and Maisie have been flooding in, with people from near and far sharing their fond memories of David’s performances over the last fifty years. Drag queens, both locally and internationally, have paid tribute to Maisie. David’s alter ego Maisie started out as one half of the legendary “Trollettes” drag duo with fellow performer Jimmy Court. The Trollettes performed at historic LGBTQ+ London venues like The Black Cap and The Vauxhall Tavern David regularly starred in pantomimes with many A-list celebrities, whom he was proud to call his close friends. In 2023 David celebrated his 90th birthday with a special birthday gala event – David at 90 – at the Brighton Dome. The show featured music from all nine decades of David’s life and was his last public performance.  David had chosen for all the funds to be donated to the Brighton Rainbow Fund, a charity which which distributes funds to Brighton and Hove LGBTQ+ and HIV organisations.  The LGBT+ trailblazer worked tirelessly to support good causes and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Aids charities. In 2022 Maisie became the subject of the award-winning documentary Maisie: Britain’s Oldest Performing Drag Artiste. The documentary covers important themes within David’s life. David opened up about his experiences being a gay man before it became ‘legal’ in the UK. Within the film, he also talks about performing at Brighton Pride the day after the death of his beloved life partner Don whom he dedicated many of his songs to. 

Popular YouTuber and potential Maverick Alysha Burney has died while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a day before her 25th birthday. She died after suffering an asthma attack while she was asleep, according to her brother, Charles Burney. Following online speculation about how she died, he told the Flying Monkeys that she did ‘not do drugs’ and was a ‘self-loving and happy individual who cherished her life and was looking forward to the upcoming year’s plans.’ ‘She was in Mexico to celebrate her birthday. She was a very classy young woman,’ he said. ‘There’s a spread of misinformation online, stating different things based on speculation. These sources lack credibility and should not be believed. My sister did not engage in environments that would lead to such situations.’ Charles also praised his sister for never being ‘selfish with her knowledge’ and living life as a ‘very open book.’ ‘Alysha was very goal-oriented, creative, and passionate about giving back. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Digital Media Production and was working towards her graduate degree,’ he noted.  

Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for the legendary rock group ZZ top, has stepped away from the current tour due to a “health issue,” according to reports. No further details were provided about what that issue might be. The band released the following statement on social media. “Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend to a health issue requiring his focus in the near term. Beard, along with ZZ Top members Billy F. Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5th, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim. Mr. Douglas has maintained a close relationship with Beard and the bandmates, having served with the group in the past.” Beard, 75, has been a member of ZZ Top for more than 55 years and has played on all of the band’s albums. The band noted in its statement that Beard is “looking forward to a speedy recovery.”

On This Day

• 1872 – The Wanderers F.C. win the first FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, beating Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London. 1
• 1988 – The Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people. 
• 1988 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. Three persons, one of them a member of PIRA are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded.

Deaths

• 1485 – Anne Neville, queen of Richard III of England (b. 1456).
• 2013 – Frank Thornton, English actor (b. 1921). 
• 2016 – Frank Sinatra Jr., American singer and actor (b. 1944). 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Alexandra Daddario (39), Alan Tudyk (54), Jerome Flynn (62), Aisling Bea (41), Erik Estrada (76), Jimmy Nail (71), David Cronenberg (82), Eva Longoria (50), Michael Caine (92), Billy Crystal (77), William H. Macy (75), Titus Welliver (63), Aaron Eckhart (57), Lesley Manville (69), Jaimie Alexander (41), Liza Minnelli (79), Jodie Comer (32), Alex Kingston (62), Johnny Knoxville (54), John Barrowman (58), Olivia Wilde (41), Jon Hamm (54), Sharon Stone (67), and Chuck Norris (85). 

No points this week, so the Flying Monkeys have been flown, watch this space next week! Big thanks to everyone who shares news stories and deaths, keep ‘em coming! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Tim Kruger, 44, German pornographic film actor and director, domestic accident. 
• Angie Stone, 63, American singer (“No More Rain (In This Cloud)“, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You“) and rapper (The Sequence), traffic collision. 
• Jack Vettriano, 73, Scottish painter (The Singing Butler). 
• George Lowe, 67, American voice actor (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Robot Chicken). 
• Kathryn Apanowicz, 64, British actress (Angels, EastEnders) and television presenter (Calendar).  
• Carl Dean, 82, American businessman, husband of Dolly Parton. 
• Roy Ayers, 84, American musician and composer (Everybody Loves the Sunshine). 
• Pamela Bach, 61, American actress (Baywatch), suicide by gunshot.  
• Brian James, 70, English punk rock guitarist (The Damned, The Lords of the New Church) and songwriter (“New Rose”). 
• Brad Sigmon, 67, American convicted murderer, execution by firing squad.

In Other News

Prominent adventurer Andrew Cross has died aged 36 after being taken off life support a month after he was involved in a ‘severe’ car accident in Colorado. Andrew, known as ‘Desert Drifter’ to half a million fans on YouTube, died peacefully on Tuesday, having sustained a serious brain injury in the January 31st crash. ‘Andrew’s spirit is free, surrounded by light and love,’ the explorer’s sister, Jenna Spooner, announced on the CaringBridge website. She told how those with Andrew before his passing put him on a mobile ventilator and walked a loop around the ICU with him, staff lining the hallway to ‘honour him’. Then in the room, friends and family read scripture, prayed, and sang during the process of removing life support and for over an hour afterwards.’ The family said earlier this week they had made the ‘difficult decision’ to remove Andrew from life support, after acknowledging his discomfort in late February. Andrew described his vlogging as ‘exploration and adventure with a historical twist’, documenting desert tours and mountain climbs for hundreds of thousands of viewers. The Virginia-born adventurer was tragically involved in a two-car accident at the end of January, when he was rear-ended at high speed while stopped. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office in Colorado confirmed to the Flying Monkeys on Wednesday that Andrew had died from injuries sustained in the crash.  

The autopsy of Gene Hackman revealed that the 95-year-old Oscar winner died of a combination of “advanced Alzheimer’s disease” and severe heart disease, the New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner announced last week. “It is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman died on February 18th,” Dr. Heather Jarrell said in a press conference with Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza and other county officials. “He was in very poor health,” Dr. Jarrell also noted of Hackman, adding that there was evidence that he hadn’t eaten for a number of days. His wife, Ms. Arakawa is assumed to have died on or around February 11th, officials estimated. “The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor,” Dr. Jarrell explained in greater detail. “Autopsy examination and a full body post mortem CT examination demonstrated no acute findings of internal or external trauma, and showed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.” Hackman’s heart issues were well-known and the actor had spoken about them on numerous occasions before retiring from public life in the early 2000s. Last week it was unveiled by Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department that Hackman’s pacemaker appeared to cease functioning around February 17th, a timeline that tracks with the details offered Friday. New Mexico health authorities also said that Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa seems to have passed away from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. A rare-ish disease, Hantavirus is spread mainly by rodents’ faeces, and is not spread from person-to-person, according to the CDC. Hackman did not have Hantavirus all tests have shown.

On This Day

• 1959 – The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.  
• 1961 – Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight. 
• 1976 – Forty-two people die in the Cavalese cable car disaster, the deadliest cable car accident in history. 

Deaths

• 1847 – Mary Anning, English paleontologist (b. 1799). 
• 1996 – George Burns, American comedian, actor, and writer (b. 1896). 
• 1997 – Terry Nation, Welsh author and screenwriter (b. 1930). 
• 1997 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper, songwriter, and actor (b. 1972). 
• 2006 – John Profumo, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for War (b. 1915). 
• 2023 – Chaim Topol, Israeli actor (b. 1935). 

Last Meals 

Brad Sigmon was an American convicted murderer who was executed for the 2001 double murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents in South Carolina. Sigmon was convicted of battering David and Gladys Larke, aged 62 and 59, respectively, to death with a baseball bat on 27th  April 2001, a week after he and his former girlfriend had broken up.

Subsequently, Sigmon was found guilty and given two death sentences for the double murder. He was also given a 30-year jail term for first-degree burglary for stealing from the Larkes on the day of the murders. Sigmon was executed by firing squad on 7th March 2025, becoming the first person in almost fifteen years to be executed by this method as well as the oldest person executed in the state. 

Sigmon was put to death by firing squad in the Broad River Correctional Institution. The firing squad fired at 6:05 pm, and Sigmon flexed his arms and heaved in the chair for a few seconds before he fell motionless, and he was pronounced dead at 6:08 pm.

Sigmon became the fourth person in the United States to be executed by firing squad since 1976, and the first since the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah in June 2010. As a result of Sigmon’s execution, South Carolina became the second state in the United States to carry out a firing squad execution; the country’s first three firing squad executions (including Gardner’s) were all conducted by Utah since 1976. 

For his last meal, Sigmon ordered a KFC, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake and sweet tea. Sigmon originally asked for three buckets of the fried chicken and wanted to share them with the other inmates, but his request was denied by the prison department.

In his final statement, Sigmon hoped for the end of the death penalty and found it unjustified under the New Testament for him to pay with his life for the murders of David and Gladys Larke, stating that they were no longer living under the Old Testament and no one had the authority to take lives except for God. Reportedly, Sigmon’s lawyers, the family members of the Larkes, the prosecution, religious counsellors and three reporters were present to witness the execution

Last Week’s Birthdays

Oscar Isaac (46), Juliette Binoche (61), Cynthia Rothrock (68), Bryan Cranston (69), Rachel Weisz (55), Alan Davies (59), Shaquille O’Neal (53), Eva Mendes (51), Jolene Blalock (50), Matt Lucas (51), Paul Blackthorne (56), Fred Williamson (87), Patsy Kensit (57), Catherine O’Hara (71), Charlie Brooker (54), Miranda Richardson (67), Jessica Biel (43), and Julie Bowen (55).

A busy week for celebrity deaths! Let’s dish out the points! 62 points to Martin for correctly  guessing Roberta Flack was going to pass in 2025! Not only that, I can award 55 points to Fiona, Paula, Dave, Lee A, and Julie for predicting Gene Hackmans demise. Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Roberta Flack, 88, American singer (“Killing Me Softly with His Song“, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face“, “Feel Like Makin’ Love“), complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 
• Rose Girone, 113, American supercentenarian and Holocaust survivor. 
• Henry Kelly, 78, Irish television presenter (Going for Gold, Game for a Laugh).  
• Roberto Orci, 51, Mexican-born American screenwriter (Star Trek, Transformers) and television producer (Fringe), kidney disease. 
• Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, American actress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl). 
• Christopher Hughes, 77, English professional quizzer (Eggheads). 
• Boris Spassky, 88, Russian chess grandmaster, world champion (1969–1972). 
• Gene Hackman, 95, American actor (The French Connection, Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven). 
• Nico Hidalgo, 32, Spanish footballer (Recreativo Granada, Cádiz, Racing de Santander), lung cancer. 

In Other News

Pope Francis, who has been battling pneumonia for two weeks, has had an “isolated” breathing crisis in hospital, the Vatican has said. It led to an episode of vomiting and a “sudden worsening of his respiratory condition” on Friday following the coughing “bronchospasm”. The 88-year-old received gas through a face mask to help him breathe. In an update on Saturday, the Vatican said the Pope had a “peaceful night and is resting”. Referring to the Pope’s peaceful night, a Vatican official added: “I think he had coffee this morning.” Earlier, Vatican sources said the Pope’s doctors needed 24 to 48 hours to determine whether there had been any damage or setback to his condition. They were not giving any prognosis, but said the Pope remained alert and “in good spirits”. In a statement on Friday, the Vatican said: “In the early afternoon of today, after a morning spent alternating respiratory physiotherapy with prayer in the chapel, the Holy Father presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which, however, led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and sudden worsening of the respiratory condition. The Holy Father was promptly bronchoaspirated and began non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with a good response to gas exchange.” Vatican sources said the latest crisis happened at about 14:00 local time on Friday, but did not say how long it lasted. The latest episode comes after a couple of days in which Vatican statements had been slightly more positive, talking of a “slight improvement” in the pontiff’s condition. This is now the longest the Pope has been in hospital – and the longest period in which he’s been out of public sight – since he took over from Pope Benedict in 2013.   

Billy Joel sparked concern among concert-goers as he required help to recover from a fall on stage. Footage from his gig at Mohegan Sun resort in Stamford, Connecticut on February 22 shows Billy – who was described as “frail” at the event – twirl a microphone stand before throwing it across the stage, before suddenly falling over after delivering the wild trick. The 75-year-old was performing his hit It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me during the worrying moment, which saw him fall directly on his back. Attendees said the star was helped up by his band and managed to sing his final song to end the gig, but was “visibly thrown off” by the fall. “He just didn’t look well hobbling across the stage,” one concerned fan shared. Photos from the troubling fall seem to show Billy – dressed for the concert in an all-black suit and dress shoes – seeming to stumble before falling hard on his side, and rolling over onto his back before taking a moment to pause once he got back to his feet again. The New Yorker previously spoke about his continued love of making music, and made it clear he had no plans to retire from the industry. Speaking exclusively to the Flying Monkeys in 2023, he shared: “I still write music. I’ve kind of given up on song form because I’ve done it. I tend to like instrumental music, orchestral music. I mean, I’m writing all the time, but I’m not always recording.” The star also spoke of his stage personality, joking that he often stays seated – in contrast to his very physical show before falling this week. “I have this image of ‘I’m the least glamorous pop-star there is’. I just sit at the piano,” he said. “I’m in my 70s, I am not a matinee idol, so why are you coming to see me in the first place? But you know, it all has to do with the music, it’s all about music.” Billy has opened up about his past struggles with alcohol and substance abuse, alongside a difficult journey with mental health which culminated in a suicide attempt as he struggled with his career. 

Skype, the video calling service used by 300 million people every month, is about to die. Microsoft said it’s hanging up the phone on the programme after 14 years as the company focuses on its Teams app. Users will be asked to switch to Teams before the service is turned off in May. People will be able to log in to Teams using their Skype credentials. When doing so, Skype contacts and chats will appear on Teams. Teams users can call and chat with Skype users and Skype users can do the same with Teams users, Microsoft said in a blog post. Those who do not jump ship can export their Skype data. Microsoft said: ‘Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days, you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype.’ Skype launched in 2003 and was purchased by Microsoft 14 years ago for $8,500,000,000. But in a decline only quickened by the coronavirus pandemic, rival services such as Zoom and Apple FaceTime surpassed it. When Microsoft tried to spin Skype as a corporate communications platform, software company Slack – and Teams – quickly took the crown. Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s president of collaborative apps and platforms, said: ‘Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honoured to have been part of the journey.  We also understand that change can be challenging and want you to know that we’re here to support you every step of the way. We’re excited about the new opportunities that Teams brings and are committed to helping you stay connected in new and meaningful ways.’ 

On This Day

• 1657 – The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days later.
• 1797 – The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes. 
• 1882 – Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick Maclean in Windsor.
• 1978 – The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin‘s coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland. 

Deaths

• 1939 – Howard Carter, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1874). 
• 1982 – Philip K. Dick, American philosopher and author (b. 1928). 
• 1999 – Dusty Springfield, English singer (b. 1939). 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bryce Dallas Howard (44), Daniel Craig (57), Nathalie Emmanuel (36), Rebel Wilson (45), Gates McFadden (76), Jon Bon Jovi (63), Jensen Ackles (47), Lupita Nyong’o (42), Javier Bardem (56), Ron Howard (71), Dirk Benedict (80), Justin Bieber (31), John Turturro (68), Rae Dawn Chong (64), Amanda Abbington (51), Stephanie Beacham (78), Kate Mara (42), Adam Baldwin (63), Timothy Spall (68), Bill Duke (82), Chase Masterson (62), Sean Astin (54), Anson Mount (52), and Edward James Olmos (78).

Slim picking last week, each of these celebrities could easily walk past me in the street and I’d be none the wiser. However, they have a claim to fame, so here we are.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Julian Holloway, 80, British actor (Carry On, James Bond Jr., Regular Show), lung infection. 
• Rick Buckler, 69, English rock drummer (The Jam, Time UK, From the Jam). 
• Jamie Muir, 82, Scottish musician (King Crimson) and painter. 
• Peter Jason, 80, American actor (They Live, 48 Hrs., Deadwood). 
• Lynne Marie Stewart, 78, American actress (Pee-wee’s Playhouse, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, American Graffiti).

In Other News

Pope Francis has asked Catholics to pray for him, as he continues to receive treatment in hospital for double pneumonia. The pontiff was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second Sunday running. But in a message written over the last few days, he said he was “confidently continuing” his hospitalisation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and “carrying on with the necessary treatment”. The message comes after the Vatican revealed on Saturday that the 88-year-old’s condition continues to be “critical”. In his message, released on Sunday, the Pope thanked the doctors and health workers at the hospital, and well-wishers who sent in messages. “In recent days I have received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” he wrote. “Thank you for this closeness, and for the prayers of comfort I have received from all over the world! I entrust you all to the intercession of Mary, and I ask you to pray for me.” The 88-year-old was first admitted to hospital on 14th February after experiencing difficulties breathing for several days. He is especially prone to lung infections due to developing pleurisy – an inflammation around the lungs – as an adult and having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21. During his 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic church, the Argentine has been admitted to hospital several times, including in March 2023 when he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis. The Pope has asked for openness about his health, so the Vatican has started to release daily statements. The tone and length of the announcements has varied, sometimes leaving Pope-watchers to attempt to read between the lines. On Saturday, the Vatican said the Roman Catholic leader was alert and spent the day in an armchair, but that he was “not out of danger” and that he was “more unwell” than he was on Friday. They added the pontiff needed blood transfusions due to a low platelet count – associated with anaemia – and he required a “high flow” of oxygen. Doctors treating the Pope confirmed this week that he was responding to medication but his condition was complex and the slightest change of circumstance would upset what was called a “delicate balance”. “He is the Pope,” as one of them put it. “But he is also a man.”  

A teenage powerlifting champion in India has died after a rod weighing 600lb fell on her neck during a training session. Yashtika Acharya, 17, was practicing with her coach at a gym in the Bikaner district in western India today when the fatal accident occurred. The teen was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.  Horrifying footage captured the tragic moment, showing Acharya attempting to lift the heavy weight before falling backwards.  As she drops onto the floor, the heavy bar lands on her neck and she collapses.  The girl is then seen lying on the ground motionless as onlookers rush to assist her.  Her coach, who tried to hold onto the bar as she fell, reportedly sustained minor injuries.  Despite her young age, Acharya had achieved several wins in her short weightlifting career. According to Indian news outlet NDTV, she had received a gold medal at the Junior National Games in India. Acharya’s tragic accident is the latest in a series of deaths within the powerlifting community.  In 2023, a fitness influencer was killed in Bali by a barbell while trying to squat-press 460lbs in a horror accident.  Justyn Vicky, 33, was strength training at The Paradise Bali gym in Sanur and died shortly after the freak accident. After the accident, Justyn was rushed to a local hospital with a broken neck and critical compression of vital nerves connecting to his heart and lungs. He died shortly after an emergency operation, despite the surgeons’ best efforts to save his life. Justyn, from East Java, Indonesia, was trying to extend his legs as the heavy bar weighed down upon his shoulders – but struggled to stand upright. The lone spotter behind him was completely helpless as Justyn fell to the floor and the stacked barbell came crashing down onto the back of his neck.  

A tourist has been killed after leaning out of a train to take a selfie on a famous railway line and hitting a rock. Grandmother Olga Perminova, 53, was travelling on Sri Lanka’s iconic Podi Menike line when the horror accident occurred. She suffered horrific injuries after smashing her head and falling off the train, reports claim. Photos taken moments before the tragic accident show Olga posing in a pink dress. There have been dozens upon dozens of stories about tourists dying in horrific circumstances in a similar pursuit of the perfect picture. Last August, a couple plunged 80ft to their death while posing for a photo near a waterfall in Bali, Indonesia. Weeks before that, a woman was hit by the new Canadian Pacific 2816 Empress steam locomotive while posing too close to the tracks as it passed through Hidalgo in Mexico. And here in the UK, two university students were found dead at the foot of a waterfall in Scotland in April last year after reportedly attempting to take a selfie at the top. The Podi Menike is a Sri Lankan passenger train journey running from Colombo Fort to Badulla. Spanning nearly 190 miles, it takes around 10 hours to complete. It is famed for its spectacular scenery as it passes lush tea plantations, dense forests, mountainous terrains, and picturesque landscapes. The stretch from Nanuoya to Ella is a favourite among tourists. Local reports, citing the police, said Olga died ‘after falling off the train when attempting to take a selfie while hanging from the train footboard between the Badulla and Hali Ela railway stations’. ‘The woman knocked against a rock, fell off the train and sustained severe injuries,’ they added. The train was heading for Ella, home to the famous Nine Arches Bridge on a line that has been called one of the world’s greatest rail experiences.  Olga was given emergency treatment but died from her head injuries.

On This Day

• 1943 – The Cavan Orphanage fire kills thirty-five girls and an elderly cook.
• 1945 – World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag.
• 1954 – The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine begins in Pittsburgh.

Deaths

• 1848 – John Quincy Adams, U.S. politician, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767).
• 1931 – Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (b. 1861).
• 1965 – Stan Laurel, English actor and comedian (b. 1890).
• 1976 – L. S. Lowry, English painter (b. 1887).
• 1995 – James Herriot, English veterinarian and author (b. 1916).
• 2000 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (b. 1915).
• 2023 – John Motson, English football commentator (b. 1945).

Last Meals

A death row inmate who claimed to be innocent was asked how it felt to know he’d die a day before his execution.

Oscar Ray Bolin received three death sentences in 1991 for abducting and murdering three women across 1986 in Florida.

He would go on to maintain his innocence all the way up until his death on January 7th 2016, via lethal injection, even giving an interview to the media on the day before his execution took place. 

On January 25th 1986, Bolin attacked and killed his first victim, a 25-year-old restaurant manager named Natalie Blanche Holley, after she had finished a night shift and stabbed her to death.

Holley’s body was discovered the morning by jogger running through a local woodland.

His second victim was 17-year-old student Stephanie Collins, who vanished in November after finishing a late shift at her job. Collins would remain missing for another month before it was found by authorities. She had also been stabbed to death and suffered blunt force head injuries.

On the same day that Collins’ body was recovered, police were also alerted to the disappearance of 26-year-old Teri Lynn Matthews, who had vanished from her car outside a post office. Her body was found beaten and stabbed later that day, also wrapped in a white sheet.

Despite obvious connections between the three killings, it would take four years before authorities were able to link Bolin to the deaths of the three woman – thanks to an anonymous tip off from his ex-wife.  

By the time Bolin’s ex-wife made the call, he was already in police custody, serving a separate sentence for the 1987 kidnap, rape and attempted murder of a woman in Ohio.

The tip would lead Bolin’s younger half-brother Philip to speak out against him, revealing that he’d witnessed his sibling attacking a woman wrapped in a sheet back in 1986. This was later confirmed to be Matthews. Bolin’s cousin would also testify that he’d assisted the killer with abducting a woman in Texas in 1987.

He added that Bolin had ultimately raped and strangled the woman, however, authorities in Texas declined to pursue the case due to his other charges.

Bolin would spend the 28 years between his initial imprisonment and death maintaining that he was innocent and had been framed.

In a final interview with Fox the day before his execution, Bolin stated that he was at ‘peace’ with death as it meant being ‘released’ from prison. 

“I feel a little numb,” he said with a laugh, when reporters when asked how he was doing.

“We all die, but knowing your exact date and time, that’s hard to deal with. But I’m at peace with myself… my punishment’s over.” 

His last meal consisted of a rib-eye steak, a baked potato, salad, garlic bread, lemon meringue pie, and Coca-Cola. 

Bolin was executed by lethal injection at 10:16 p.m. EST on January 7th 2016. He was the first person to be executed in the United States in 2016. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Emily Blunt (42), Dakota Fanning (34), Kelly Macdonald (49), Josh Gad (44), Aziz Ansari (42), Kyle MacLachlan (66), Drew Barrymore (50), Jeri Ryan (57), Thomas Jane (56), James Hong (96), Julie Walters (75), Sheila Hancock (92), Nigel Planer (72), Elliot Page (38), Jennifer Love Hewitt (46), Sophie Turner (29), Kelsey Grammer (70), Tyne Daly (79), Anthony Daniels (79), Miles Teller (38), Brenda Blethyn (79), Anthony Head (71), Benedict Wong (55), Rihanna (37), Cindy Crawford (59), Millie Bobby Brown (21), Benicio Del Toro (58), Sam Reid (38), Ray Winstone (68), Seal (62), Leslie Ash (65), John Travolta (71), Molly Ringwald (57), Greta Scacchi (65), Matt Dillon (61), Cybill Shepherd (75), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (44), Bonnie Wright (34), Rory Kinnear (49), Brenda Fricker (80), Paris Hilton (44), Patricia Routledge (96), and Ed Sheeran (34).