Quiz: Can You Name These Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2018?
How closely were you paying attention to the celebrities who left the stage in 2018? 34 famous people (so far) are featured in Who2’s Died in 2018 list. But don’t …..
Yearly Archive: 2018
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Biography: New!
Our new biography of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now live. She is, among other things: The new U.S. Representative from New York’s 14th District. At age 28, the youngest woman ever to …..
Frosty the Snowman was Basically a Ripoff of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
While researching our new biography of Frosty the Snowman, we discovered something that maybe should have been obvious: Dude was a total copy of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Long before …..
Charles Dickens Once Recited ‘A Christmas Carol’ From Memory in Boston
On this day in the year 1867, English author Charles Dickens did something impressive: He recited much of his 1843 book A Christmas Carol from memory to the gathered and rapt …..
George H.W. Bush: A Decent Man, A Bitter Political Legacy
Any discussion of President George Herbert Walker Bush, who died yesterday at age 94, should start by acknowledging that he was by any measure a public servant, a family man, …..
John Banner is Buried Under the Tombstone of Johann Hübner. Why?
20 years ago, for reasons we’ve forgotten, actor John Banner was one of our very first Who2 biographies. President George Washington was ceremonially #1, but soon after that came …..
Verne Troyer’s Cause of Death Was Suicide by Alcohol
As the Who2 obituary desk looks back on the major deaths of 2018, we find that one particularly sad detail has been cleared up: the cause of death of Verne …..
Medal of Honor Winner Florent Groberg Is Married
Vows — the weekly wedding section of The New York Times — is always good for an unusual courtship story, a meet-cute or even a few tears. This week it …..
Meet Magnus Hirschfeld, the German Trans-rights Activist Who Was Decades Ahead of His Time
Trans people exist. A German physician, Magnus Hirschfeld, was a pioneer in recognizing the varieties of human gender, until his career was cut short by the Nazis.
Stan Lee Has Died at the ER to the Stars
Marvel Comics mastermind and comic book legend Stan Lee has died at age 95. No cause of death has been given, but The New York Times says that he died …..
Trump Family Tax Fraud: How Reporters Cracked the Story
Donald Trump has long claimed that he turned “a small loan of a million dollars” from his father into a billion-dollar fortune. Now a special investigation by The New York …..
How Doug Engelbart’s ‘Mother of all Demos’ Made Computers Personal
A 90-minute presentation in 1968 showed off the earliest desktop computer system. In the process it introduced the idea that technology could make individuals better – if government funded research.
Brett Kavanaugh Biography (New!)
Our new Brett Kavanaugh biography is live. Brett Kavanaugh is the U.S. Court of Appeals judge who has been nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Donald Trump. If …..
‘Professional Crocodile’: A Sincere Endorsement
If you’re looking for a charming picture book for children — or for adults — try the wonderful Professional Crocodile by author Giovanna Zoboli and illustrator Mariachiara di Giorgio. The wordless …..
Manafort: GuiltyCohen: Guilty
President Donald Trump‘s former campaign manager and personal lawyer both were declared guilty today of crimes including tax fraud, bank fraud, campaign finance cheating, and other illegal financial shenanigans. Paul …..
Aretha Franklin, ‘Queen of Soul,’ Dead at 76
Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul,” has died. Her family confirmed that her death was “due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type,” says her BBC obituary. Nearly every news …..
The “Malaise” Speech: When Jimmy Carter Humbly Told the Truth to Americans
Remember when the US had a president who thought deeply about America’s problems and then told Americans they were responsible? That was Jimmy Carter, and Americans were not impressed by the sermonizing in 1979.
Anthony Bourdain and Ernest Hemingway Killed Themselves Two Days Apart
When Anthony Bourdain killed himself on Friday with the belt from his hotel bathrobe, he was 61 years and 348 days old. By unhappy coincidence, that makes the celebrity chef nearly a match with Nobel-prize winning …..
Anthony Bourdain is Dead at Age 61
Anthony Bourdain is dead. The chef, author and superstar host of the cooking show Parts Unknown committed suicide in a Paris hotel this morning, according to a report from the show’s network, …..
Royal Wedding Photos: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Married
Britain’s Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle in a royal wedding at Windsor Castle in front of 600 guests on May 19, 2018. Congratulations to the happy couple, who will now be known as the …..
How Sophie Tucker Defanged Her Fat-Shamers in the 1920s
The “Red Hot Mama” was at the forefront of pushing back against her critics and championing her fuller figure.
Royal Baby: The Bogus ‘Royal Town Crier’ Returns
A new royal prince has been born to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — that’s Prince William and Princess Kate to you and me. The 8-pound, 7-ounce baby was born at …..
Remembering Verne Troyer’s Apple Ad with Yao Ming
Actor Verne Troyer has died at age 49 of unspecified causes. The Los Angeles Times has a full obituary. Verne Troyer appeared in 57 different film and TV roles over …..
Barbara Bush, Wife and Mother of Presidents, Dead at 92
Former First Lady Barbara Bush has died at age 92. While no cause of death was announced, The Washington Post reports that she had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; a spokesman …..
Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen Biographies: New!
Our biographies of Stormy Daniels and of Michael Cohen are now live on Who2. Their connection is bizarre, seedy and deservedly huge news. Stormy Daniels is the adult film actress who …..
See Who2’s Founders on TV Today
Who2 editors and co-founders Paul Hehn (left) and Ryan ‘Fritz’ Holznagel (right) will be on the TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE on Tuesday, April 17th. Fritz …..
Stephen Hawking is Dead at 76
Cosmologist Stephen Hawking died Wednesday morning at his home in Cambridge, England. No cause of death was released, but his three children released a statement: “We are deeply saddened that our beloved …..
‘Josef Pwag’ is My New Favorite Screen Name
Meet Josef Pwag — the top secret phony-passport pseudonym of Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Josef Pwag, really? So says Reuters, reporting that Kim and his father, Kim Jong-il, had the fake passports …..
Tonya Harding Was Guilty
Was Tonya Harding innocent? Was she just the victim of a terrible boyfriend and his nutty henchmen, as the movie I, Tonya suggests? Norm Frink, who prosecuted the case in 1994, …..
Anne Frank May Not Have Been Betrayed After All
For years the question has been: Who betrayed Anne Frank? Nobody has ever known for sure how the Frank family was discovered in their upstairs hideaway in Amsterdam in August of …..
The Obama Official Portraits: One Strange, One Wonderful
The new portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled today at the National Gallery. Here they are: Barack Obama’s portrait is by Kehinde Wiley, and …..
Groundhog Prediction 2018: Six More Weeks of Winter
Punxsutawney Phil, that Greta Garbo-like recluse, has made his prediction for 2018. The news is bad: Punxsutawney Phil appeared just long enough to see his shadow, and that means six …..
Is Roger Federer the Most Graceful Athlete of Our Time?
He’s not letting go ????@rogerfederer #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/GzuMKotSmi — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2018 Could Roger Federer be the most graceful and gracious athlete of our time? Of all time? …..
50 Cent is a Bitcoin Multi-Millionaire
Forget the Winklevoss twins and their bitcoin billions — 50 Cent has a better bitcoin story. Via The Guardian: So what’s the big deal? You see, 50 Cent isn’t just …..
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Vision of Love Still Matters
[Editor’s note: The following guest post was originally published by our friends at The Conversation.] By Joshua F.J. Inwood, Penn State University 2017 was a year of increased conflict in the United …..
John Young is the First Big Death of 2018
John Young, the “astronaut’s astronaut” who flew on six different NASA missions over 18 years, has died at age 87. Complications from pneumonia was the cause of death. With apologies to …..