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James Beard
Chef, Writer / 1903 - 1985
James Beard was a chef, television personality and food writer who many consider the father of American-style gourmet cooking.
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(1903-1985)
Chef, Writer
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Louise Brooks
Film Actress / 1906 - 1985
Louise Brooks was a silent-film actress known for bringing a sense of corrupt sensuality to her roles.
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(1906-1985)
Film Actress
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Yul Brynner
Film Actor, Theater Actor / 1920 - 1985
Yul Brynner was an actor of stage and screen most famous for portraying King Mongkut of Siam in The King and I.
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(1920-1985)
Film Actor, Theater Actor
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Macfarlane Burnet
Biologist / 1899 - 1985
Macfarlane Burnet was an Australian physician and researcher who made groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of immunology and virology.
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(1899-1985)
Biologist
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James (Mark) Cameron
Journalist / 1911 - 1985
James Mark Cameron was a respected and prominent British journalist who reported widely and illuminatingly on poverty, war, injustice.
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(1911-1985)
Journalist
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Paul Castellano
Organized Crime Boss / 1915 - 1985
Paul Castellano is best known for becoming the boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City.
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(1915-1985)
Organized Crime Boss
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Marc Chagall
Illustrator, Painter / 1887 - 1985
Marc Chagall was a French artist whose work was generally based on emotional association rather than traditional pictorial fundamentals.
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(1887-1985)
Illustrator, Painter
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Paul J. Flory
Educator, Activist, Chemist, Journalist / 1910 - 1985
American chemist Paul J. Flory won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1974 for his work with polymers, the building blocks of plastic and rubber.
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(1910-1985)
Educator, Activist, Chemist, Journalist
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Dian Fossey
Zoologist / 1932 - 1985
Dian Fossey was a zoologist best known for researching the endangered gorillas of the Rwandan mountain forest from the 1960s to the '80s, and for her mysterious murder.
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(1932-1985)
Zoologist
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Robert Graves
Literary Critic, Author, Poet / 1895 - 1985
British poet Robert Graves is best known for writing his first volumes of poetry, primarily about war, while serving at the Western Front during World War I.
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(1895-1985)
Literary Critic, Author, Poet
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Rock Hudson
Film Actor / 1925 - 1985
Noted for his exceptional good looks and comedic film performance, Rock Hudson was an iconic actor who, later in life, contracted and died from the AIDS virus.
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(1925-1985)
Film Actor
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Jo Jones
Drummer / 1911 - 1985
Musician Jo Jones, considered one of the most influential of all jazz drummers, noted for his swing and finesse, played with Count Basie’s Kansas City band.
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(1911-1985)
Drummer
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André Kertész
Photographer / 1894 - 1985
André Kertész was Hungarian-born American photographer known for magazine photography in Look, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.
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(1894-1985)
Photographer
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Leonard Lake
Serial Killer / 1945 - 1985
Leonard Lake was a serial killer who partnered with another man to rape and kill several people in the 1980s.
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(1945-1985)
Serial Killer
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Roger Maris
Athlete / 1934 - 1985
American baseball player Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 to break the single-season record held by the legendary Babe Ruth.
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(1934-1985)
Athlete
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J. Willard Marriott
Entrepreneur / 1900 - 1985
J. Willard Marriott is a 20th-century American entrepreneur who started in food service and eventually opened a hotel chain.
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(1900-1985)
Entrepreneur
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Pauli Murray
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Legal Professional, Priest / 1910 - 1985
Reverend Pauli Murray is an American civil rights advocate and ordained priest. She is best known for furthering the civil rights and feminist causes.
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(1910-1985)
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Legal Professional, Priest
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Ricky Nelson
Film Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Guitarist, Television Personality / 1940 - 1985
American singer and songwriter Ricky Nelson was an early teen idol who acted out his real-life childhood on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
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(1940-1985)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Guitarist, Television Personality
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Bonnie Lu Nettles
Cult Leader, Nurse / 1927 - 1985
Bonnie Nettles is known as one of 'The Two' who started the so-called UFO cult often referred to as Heaven's Gate with Marshall Applewhite.
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(1927-1985)
Cult Leader, Nurse
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Michael Redgrave
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Writer / 1908 - 1985
British thespian Michael Redgrave is acclaimed for his theater and film roles. He has also sired two generations of acting luminaries.
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(1908-1985)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Writer
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Nelson Riddle
Songwriter / 1921 - 1985
Nelson Riddle arranged music for some of the biggest names in 20th century American music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Rosemary Clooney.
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(1921-1985)
Songwriter
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Patricia Roberts Harris
Political Leader / 1924 - 1985
Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American woman to hold a cabinet position, serve as U.S. ambassador and head a law school.
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(1924-1985)
Political Leader
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Simone Signoret
Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1921 - 1985
German actress Simone Signoret performed in films like Room at the Top and Les Diaboliques, and met with international stardom. She married Yves Allegret in 1944, and later wed Yves Montand.
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(1921-1985)
Film Actress, Theater Actress
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Phil Silvers
Television Actor / 1911 - 1985
Phil Silvers is an American comedian best known for his portrayal of the fast-talking gambler Sergeant Ernest Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show.
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(1911-1985)
Television Actor
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Ian Stewart
Pianist / 1938 - 1985
Ian Stewart was one of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, later serving as their road manager and pianist.
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(1938-1985)
Pianist
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Potter Stewart
Civil Rights Activist, Judge, Government Official / 1915 - 1985
Potter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 - 1981. He is best known for his contributions to criminal justice reform.
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(1915-1985)
Civil Rights Activist, Judge, Government Official
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Orson Welles
Film Actor, Director / 1915 - 1985
Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in the film Citizen Kane, among others, which remains one of the most influential films ever made.
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(1915-1985)
Film Actor, Director
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Dicky Wells
Musician / 1907 - 1985
Dicky Wells was a leading American jazz trombonist noted for his melodic creativity and expressive techniques.
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(1907-1985)
Musician
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Dan White
Assassin, Government Official / 1946 - 1985
Dan White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist, in 1978.
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(1946-1985)
Assassin, Government Official
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E.B. White
Writer / 1899 - 1985
Writer E. B. White was a contributor to The New Yorker, co-author of The Elements of Style, and the author of Charlotte's Web.
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(1899-1985)
Writer
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Cootie Williams
Trumpet Player / 1908 - 1985
Cootie Williams was a jazz trumpeter best known for his longtime work and recorded legacy with composer and bandleader Duke Ellington.
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(1908-1985)
Trumpet Player