Carrie Fisher Outlived General Patton, Fell Short of Leon Trotsky
Carrie Fisher died much too young, sadly: at 60 years and 67 days. However, age is relative. Some famous historical people we think of as “older folks” died right before …..
Yearly Archive: 2016
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher: PHOTOS
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, fellow actors as well as daughter and mother, have died one day apart. Fisher died of a heart attack on December 27th, and the next …..
Holiday Cheer: 90+ and Still Entertaining
2016 brought us some sad deaths, from David Bowie to Muhammad Ali, but The Hollywood Reporter is ending the year with a happier feature: Entertainers who are still going strong …..
John Glenn Outlived Phyllis Diller and Nelson Mandela
Space hero John Glenn had died at age 95, after a long life that included stints as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, 24 years as a U.S. …..
Fidel Castro Dead at 90 (or Maybe 89)
Cuban rebel, dictator and Máximo Lider Fidel Castro has died. No cause of death was given in the announcement by his brother, Cuban leader Raúl Castro: “I say to the people …..
Karen Pence Biography: New!
Our biography of Karen Pence, the wife of vice president-elect Mike Pence, is now live. A few things to know about her: Karen Pence is 58 years old. She was …..
Happy Thanksgiving 2016 From Who2
{ Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Who2. This story first ran on our site in 2012, and by request we’ll run it again this year. Here’s hoping all …..
A Coastal Elitist Votes for the Heartland
Coastal elites have been voting for the heartland for 50 years. The problem is that the heartland has been voting the other way.
‘The Year Of the Cat’ Was Originally About Princess Anne
When Al Stewart sat down to write ‘The Year of the Cat,’ his first lyrics were about a British comedian… and then Princess Anne.
Barron Trump Photos: New!
Barron Trump is the 10-year-old son of President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania. We’ve just added a new biography of the tyke, and with it comes a raft of Barron Trump …..
President Obama Meets President-Elect Trump
President Barack Obama met president-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office this week, two days after Trump’s surprise election as America’s next president. Another great photo by ace White House …..
Tiffany Trump Biography – New!
Our Tiffany Trump biography is live. Now that Donald Trump has been elected president, it’s time for us to start expanding related biographies, and Tiffany Trump certainly qualifies. She’s Trump’s …..
Donald Trump Elected President
Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Tuesday night. He will succeed Barack Obama on January 20, 2017. While final totals are not yet in, …..
Janet Reno, First Woman Attorney General, Dead at 78
Janet Reno, the first woman to be U.S. Attorney General, has died at age 78.
Jack Chick Has Died and Gone To Heaven (Right?)
Jack Chick finally knows. He knows the secret of the afterlife, having died yesterday at age 92. Today he’s seated in heaven, feeling satisfied and rewarded for a job well done. Or …..
Gennifer Flowers Biography: New!
Hi Donald. You know I’m in your corner and will definitely be at the debate!…???? — Gennifer Flowers (@gennflowers) September 24, 2016 Our Gennifer Flowers biography is live. This is just in case …..
Robert Caro on LBJ and the Biographer’s Art
If you like biography, interviews or Lyndon B. Johnson, don’t miss this Paris Review interview with Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Caro. Caro is now starting his fifth decade of work on …..
Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy: Does She Even Look Like Jackie?
Natalie Portman is playing First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the new biopic Jackie. The film just premiered at the Venice Film Festival and it’s a “brilliantly constructed, diamond-hard character study,” according …..
Crikey! Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, Died 10 Years Ago
Steve Irwin, super-charismatic star of the Animal Planet show The Crocodile Hunter, died 10 years ago this month. He was barbed to death by a giant stingray while filming in …..
Woody Allen Has a Strange New Hobby
Woody Allen revealed something strange about himself in an interview with The Guardian last month. Can you pick out the famous director’s new hobby from this list of otherwise phony items? Woody Allen spends …..
Marilyn Monroe Didn’t Have Six Toes on Her Left Foot, Alas
Sad but true: Marilyn Monroe did not have six toes on her left foot. Or on her right foot, either. She was a ten-toed beauty. We were unaware of the …..
Tatyana McFadden Biography: New!
Our Tatyana McFadden biography is now live. Tatyana McFadden is the wheelchair racer who is expected to compete for seven gold medals at this year’s Paralympic Games in Rio de …..
Gene Wilder, ‘Willy Wonka’ Star, is Dead at 83
Gene Wilder is dead at age 83. Alzheimer’s Disease was the cause, said his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman. At 83 years and 78 days, he just outlived actor Leonard Nimoy and …..
Mother Teresa, the Saint of Calcutta? Not to Dr. Aroup Chatterjee
Mother Teresa will be granted sainthood by Pope Francis on September 4th, giving her the rare trifecta of winning sainthood, the Nobel Prize (1979) and the U.S. Medal of Freedom (1985). Congratulations to …..
Cary Grant’s Suits: The Not-So-Strange Journey
Cary Grant has been dead since 1984, but his suits live on, according to a new Wall Street Journal article titled The Strange Journey of Cary Grant’s Suits. [2024 note: Article is …..
Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer of ‘That’ Jazz Sound, Is Dead
(Photo for The New York Times by James Estrin) Here’s one of those obituaries for someone you never heard of who turns out to be a giant: audio engineer Rudy Van Gelder, …..
Michael Phelps Has Been Swimming in the Olympics for More Than Half His Life
It’s true: Michael Phelps is now swimming in his fifth Olympic games, and he’s still only 31 years old. Michael Phelps was born in 1985 and his first Summer Games were in …..
New Lucille Ball Statue Is Even Scarier Because It Actually Looks Like Lucy
The new Lucille Ball statue is finally in place in Celoron, New York. Yes, it’s out with the old Scary Lucy statue and in with… the Even More Scary Lucy Statue. …..
Melania Trump Biography — New!
Our Melania Trump biography is now live. Without going too deep into the weeds, here are the highlights: Born in 1970 in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) Worked as a model from …..
Yep, Melania Trump’s Convention Speech Did Plagiarize from Michelle Obama’s Convention Speech
Melania Trump, in her GOP convention speech last night, took passages directly from Michelle Obama‘s 2008 convention speech. The video makes it pretty clear: So that’s pretty blatant, right? pic.twitter.com/EPnHME7afV …..
Mike Pence Biography — New!
Our new Mike Pence biography is now live. He is the Indiana governor who is now Donald Trump‘s running mate on the Republican ticket in 2016. A few quick Mike Pence facts: …..
Theresa May’s First Day on the Job: Photos
Theresa May is your new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She entered Number 10 Downing Street last night with her husband, Philip May, at her side. Here are a …..
D.B. Cooper is Dead… To the FBI
The D.B. Cooper case is closed for good, the FBI announced today. After 45 years, the lawmen are admitting defeat and calling it quits: “Following one of the longest and …..
Biography of Theresa May, the New UK Prime Minister
Our Theresa May biography is now live. Who is Theresa May? She’s the new prime minister of the United Kingdom. She replaces her fellow Conservative David Cameron, who is stepping …..
George Hamilton is the New Colonel Sanders, If You Can Believe That
George Hamilton is Colonel Sanders. Yes, you read it right. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s wonderfully bizarre reboot of its corporate icon is continuing with new ads featuring the extra-tan actor as the “extra-crispy Colonel.” If you …..
George Bush is Still Hating on Broccoli
This week a young child wrote to former President George Bush (the elder) to proclaim his love of broccoli. The president’s reply: Proud of young Cooper’s interest in healthy eating. …..
Trump 2016: The Anime Commercial
Trump-ah, 2016! If this video won’t make you vote for Donald Trump, probably nothing will. Granted that he does destroy the entire planet with his robot hand-rays at the end, but …..
Do all pop stars die young?
Drug overdoses, but also rare forms of cancer and plane crashes. The good do die young.
Lin-Manuel Miranda Biography: New!
Our Lin-Manuel Miranda biography is now live. Who is Lin-Manuel Miranda? Only the certified genius who created, wrote and stars in the Broadway mega-show Hamilton. And also the Tony-winning writer …..
Muhammad Ali Lived a Little More Than Mister Rogers, a Little Less Than Mark Twain
Boxing great Muhammad Ali has died at age 74 years and 138 days. A glance at Who2’s People Who Died at Age 74 page shows us that he’s in some …..
Muhammad Ali Dead at 74: Photos
Muhammad Ali is dead. The three-time heavyweight champion and icon of boxing died on Friday in an Arizona hospital, where he had been admitted a day earlier with a “respiratory issue.” …..
Steve Gadd Shows You the Drum Riff from ’50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’
“Famous rock drummer” is Steve Gadd‘s job title, but you can also call him “that guy who played drums on 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.” Here he is in younger …..
Happy 400th Deathday (Maybe) to William Shakespeare!
William Shakespeare, the Immortal Bard, proved all too mortal on this day 400 years ago. Or close to this day: he died on or about April 23, 1616. The exact day of Shakespeare’s …..
Sasha Obama’s Real Name is Natasha
Natasha Obama is a search we see a lot of, so we’d like to clarify for our readers: Natasha Obama is the real name of Sasha Obama, the second daughter of …..
Five Fascinating Facts For a Friday
Judy Garland’s 9-hour marriage, David Hasselhoff’s five Clammy Awards, and much more.
The White House Easter Egg Roll Used to Get a Little Crazy
Photos of the White House Easter Egg Roll show that it was a little less educational and more freewheeling in the old days.
Just a Nice Photo: Barack Obama in Cuba
President Barack Obama is in Cuba for a goodwill visit. This was shot on Sunday night, March 20, as he had dinner with his (unseen) wife Michelle Obama and daughters …..
Here Are Your St. Patrick’s Day Dogs
If Saint Patrick came back to life today, nearly 1600 years after his death, he would undoubtedly understand and appreciate the celebrations being held in honor of the piety of his life’s work. Without …..
Merrick Garland Biography – New!
Our Merrick Garland biography is now live. Merrick Garland is the U.S. Court of Appeals judge nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama on March 16, 2016. Here …..
Sri Srinivasan Biography: New!
Our Sri Srinivasan biography is now live. Sri Srinivasan is the U.S. Court of Appeals judge who seems to be one of the leading candidates to fill the Supreme Court …..
Lin-Manuel Miranda Rhymes ‘POTUS’ with ‘You Know This’
This was part of a day of Hamilton at the White House, with the cast (and First Lady) working and sharing with a group of high school kids. Would you give your left arm to be there? I would.
Just a Nice Photo: The Obamas in the White House
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle share a moment in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, as former President George Washington looks on. Just a nice photo, that’s all. …..
Justin Trudeau Wore Brown Shoes with a Blue Suit at the White House
We’re not saying it’s wrong, mind you, but we are rather fascinated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s choice of shoes while meeting President Barack Obama yesterday at the White House. …..
Women’s History Month Biographies for Students
Women’s History Month is here! And if you liked our students’ guide to Black History Month, you’ll love our big guide to Women’s History Month biographies. All the big names …..
Leonardo DiCaprio Gets His Oscar Engraved
How do you get your name engraved on your Oscar? Turns out you just go to the Governors Ball and wait in line, as this Variety video shows: .@LeoDiCaprio gets his Oscar engraved at …..
Are You Ready for The Hamster Revenant?
Congratulations to Leonardo DiCaprio for his Oscar win for the gory mountain-man drama The Revenant. Now for more good news: the sequel is already here! Prepare yourself for: The Hamster Revenant. Next …..
Chris Rock Photos: The Fun Ones
Chris Rock hosted the 2016 Oscars, so we just updated our photo files of him. And by golly, his photos are a lot more fun than the typical actor or Oscar host, like …..
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Last Movie Star?
Is Leonardo DiCaprio the world’s last movie star? Ty Burr makes the case: Tom Cruise can’t open a movie anymore, unless it’s called “Mission Impossible: The Quest for Relevance”… Will …..
Tony Blair is ‘Baffled’ by Bernie Sanders
Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, says he is “baffled” by the rise of left-wing leaders Bernie Sanders in the US and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the UK. Blair’s …..
Obama’s Presidents’ Day Gift
[Michelle hands Barack a single gift] This is for Valentine's Day AND Presidents' Day. — OhNoSheTwitnt (@OhNoSheTwitnt) February 15, 2016 Heh! Happy Presidents’ Day, everyone!
Antonin Scalia Biography: Supreme Court Justice is Dead at 79
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died at age 79. The brainy, feisty and flamboyant judge was found dead in his room at a resort in West Texas on Saturday morning …..
The Story of Black History Month
How did Black History Month get started? Mostly thanks to Carter G. Woodson. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. Until …..
Happy Birthday, Rosa Parks!
American civil rights icon Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She made her mark in history in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, when she refused to …..
Punxsutawney Phil 2016: Hipster Groundhog Predicts an Early Spring
EARLY SPRING! #groundhogday2016 pic.twitter.com/ZS7PIA0iLA — Punxsutawney Phil (@GroundhogClub) February 2, 2016 An early spring is on the way, Punxsutawney Phil tweeted this morning. He didn’t see his shadow, which naturally means …..
Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger: It Was 30 Years Ago Today
WIFE MOTHER TEACHER PIONEER WOMAN So reads the gravestone of Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire teacher who was killed in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger 30 …..
Abe Vigoda Is Dead. Yes, Really.
Actor Abe Vigoda is dead. Yes, really. The character actor with the hangdog face and the amazing eyebrows died this morning: Vigoda’s daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press that Vigoda died …..
Just a Nice Photo: Mike Bloomberg High-Fives His Grandson
Michael Bloomberg may run for president as an independent, they say. Or maybe not! Either way, here’s a very nice photo of the former New York mayor and world’s 14th-richest man …..
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Biography: Updates!
Our Aishwarya Rai biography has been updated with new facts and photos. For one thing, it’s the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan biography now. She married fellow Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. We …..
Cate Blanchett for SK-II Skin Cream: Whole Lotta Posin’ Going On
One of the curiosities of being an Oscar-winning movie star is that you may be asked to promote certain odd products. Like, say, $215-a-jar skin cream. That’s what Cate Blanchett …..
Who Else Might Die at Age 69 This Year?
Actor Alan Rickman and musician David Bowie have both died already this year, both at the young age of 69. Surprising and sad! The modest coincidence of their age got us wondering what other …..
Just a Nice Photo: Michelle Obama’s Birthday
Michelle Obama turns 52 years old today, and the White House has been circulating this photo on social media. It’s a great shot. Michelle Obama was born on January 17, …..
Alan Rickman With a Moustache
Alan Rickman had a moustache in the movie Truly Madly Deeply… and it turned out to be a great film anyway! Because Alan Rickman’s talent transcends moustaches. In the film …..
Alan Rickman Biography and Photos
[pt id=’87249′ size=’large’ link=’post’ class=’aligncenter’]Alan Rickman has died at age 69, and it’s shocking news after the death of David Bowie just three days ago. Both great British stars died …..
President Obama’s Remarks on Guns: The Complete Transcript
Here’s the complete transcript of President Barack Obama‘s remarks on gun safety reform at the White House on January 5th. This is the part that stuck out most forcefully to me: …..
A Bad Portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln from the Museum of Bad Art
Is it Queen Lili’uokalani? Or maybe Babe Ruth? No, it’s a bad portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln, brought to you courtesy of the Museum of Bad Art in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Museum …..
Jeb Bush’s Secret 7-Point Plan to Save His Campaign
[pt id=’87070′ size=’full’ link=’post’ class=’aligncenter’]Jeb Bush has a secret six-point plan to save his presidential campaign, according to the New York Times. With respect to the news-gathering abilities of the Times, …..
The White House Situation Room Clocks are Rather Interesting
As we were prowling the White House Flickr photo feed recently, this photo of the White House situation room caught our eye. It’s from December 5 of 2015; President Barack Obama is …..