August 16 - I See Dead People

August 16 has always been a special date in my life because of the untimely passing of Elvis Presley on this date in 1977. To quote Don Maclean, “That was the day the music died,” at least to me. I’ve liked Elvis' music for as long as I can remember.

I’ve been to Graceland three times, performed Elvis karaoke at my wedding reception, and dressed up as “The King” for Halloween (1995 - my date was Marilyn Monroe). I also have a life size cardboard cutout of Elvis in the entryway of my home. If I can ever find a life size concrete Elvis sculpture, the neighbors will really be in for a treat.

As it turns out, other notable people also died on August 16.

Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at age 53 on throat cancer. The Babe was without a doubt the best baseball player, EVER. Everyone knows that he hit 714 home runs. But did you also know:

• He had 136 career triples


• His career batting average was .342


• Asa pitcher, he threw 17 shutouts


• His career pitching record was 94 wins and 46 losses with a 2.28 ERA


• After the Red Sox sold him to the Yankees, Ruth single-handedly outhomered the entire Boston team in 10 of the next 12 seasons


• In 1927 his 60 homeruns accounted for 14% of all homeruns hit that year in the American League. To duplicate that feat, a player would need to hit over 340 homeruns in a season.

Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr. died on this date in 1959. Halsey had a fantastic career in the military. He started at the Naval Academy in 1900 and move dup the ranks through WWI and WWII. In October l942 he was made Commander South Pacific Forces and South Pacific Area during the offensive operations of the U. S. Forces. In June 1944 he assumed command of the Third Fleet, and was designated Commander Western Pacific Task Forces. As such, he operated successfully against the Japanese in the Palaies, Philippines, Formosa, Okinawa and South China Sea. Subsequent to the Okinawa campaign in July 1945, his forces struck at Tokyo and the Japanese mainland. The last attack of his forces was on 13 August 1945. Admiral Halsey's flag was flying on USS Missouri on 2 September in Tokyo Bay when the formal Japanese surrender was signed onboard. He was a true American hero.

Others to die on this date include:
Margaret Mitchell (1949) - author of Gone With the Wind.
Bela Lugosi (1956) - actor
Jim Murray (1998) - LA Times sports columnist
Idi Amin Dada (2003) – Ugandan Dictator and the butt of several Saturday Night Live jokes

I guess if you are famous and near death next August, you should pick another day other than August 16. That day seems to be full.

If you can, try to expire on August 14. The web say the following people died on Augsut 14:

Bertolt Brecht, Oscar Levant, Roy Buchanan, and Elias Canetti

I've not heard of any of these folks. But I do know where they are should they be the focus of any future WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WEDNESDAYS.