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Ho Chi-Minh
(Vietnamese President)
19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969 (Aged 79)
Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese revolutionary who led communist forces against French occupation forces and, later, U.S. forces.
After World War II, he became the first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, serving from 1945 until his death.
Ho had played a key role in the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941, having returned from exile.
Having been educated in Paris, Ho was fluent in many languages and was a talented communicator.
Ho died from heart failure at the age of 79 at a time when the Vietnam War was ongoing, and, as it turns out, six years from its conclusion.
His body was embalmed and is on display to the public in a mausoleum in Hanoi.
In 1976, the city of Saigon was renamed in Ho’s honor.
He has gone down as one of the most influential leaders in world history, having played a pivotal role in world geopolitics in the middle of the 20th century.
Rocky Marciano
(Boxer)
1 September 1923 – 31 August 1969 (Aged 45)
Marciano was a world heavyweight champion American boxer.
He holds the record for going unbeaten in his career, with 49 wins from 49 fights, with 43 of those fights ending in a knockout.
The film series ‘Rocky’ was inspired by Marciano, and he is considered one of the all-time great fighters in boxing history.
A bronze statue of Marciano has been erected in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.
In 1969, Rocky was killed in a plane crash on the eve of his 46th birthday, with his friend’s son, Frankie Farrell, who he was going to give a speech for.
A surprise birthday party was awaiting Marciano on his arrival.
His unbeaten record of 49-0 has been tied by Floyd Mayweather Jr, as of 2017.
Judy Garland
(Actress)
10 June 1922 – 22 June 1969 (Aged 47)
Garland was an American singer and actress, who shot to superstardom at the tender age of 17, playing the role of Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
In 1950, she was dropped from her contract with MGM and would focus more on her singing than acting from that point forward.
In 1961, Garland won two Grammy Awards, her Grammy album of the year saw her become the first woman to do so.
Garland also earned an Academy Award nomination that year for her role in ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’.
Throughout her life, Garland suffered a troubled personal life, seeing her married five times, regularly running into financial struggles, while also coping with alcohol and drug addiction. She died from an unintentional overdose.
Garland is remembered as one of the biggest female stars in the entertainment industry.
She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, while her song ‘Over the Rainbow’ is seen as one of the greatest movie songs of all time.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(U.S. President)
14 October 1890 – 28 March 1969 (Aged 78)
Eisenhower, affectionately known as ‘Ike’, was an American 5-star general during World War II, and later became the 34th President of the United States.
In 1945, Eisenhower anticipated that someday an attempt would be made to recharacterize Nazi crimes as propaganda and so demanded extensive photographic and video documentation of Nazi death camps.
Prior to becoming president, Eisenhower had become the first Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
During his two terms in office, Eisenhower approved the establishment of NASA, helped create the U.S. Interstate Highway System, while also enforcing the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, by signing the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Eisenhower died of heart failure at the age of 78.
He has generally ranked among the best-loved president sin American history.
Sharon Tate
(Actress)
24 January 1943 – 9 August 1969 (Aged 26)
Tate was an American model and actress, tragically remembered for being murdered by the notorious Manson Family cult.
She was eight and a half months pregnant with the child of film director Roman Polanski at the time of her death.
Tate had a burgeoning career as an actress, having had a Golden Globe nomination and was seen to be on the cusp of becoming a star in her own right.
The murderers have spent their lives in jail, denied parole on every occasion.
You can read more about the Manson Family murders here.
