RIP

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Alice Dunnigan, the First Black Woman Journalist to Get White House Press Credentials

Alice Dunnigan overcame racism, sexism, and other obstacles to make history as the first Black woman credentialed to cover the White House.

Hashimoto used the Nintendo controller to give game testers an advantage.

Konami Code Creator Kazuhisa Hashimoto Has Died

Hashimoto created the Konami Code—up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start—to make it easier to test games he found too tough to play through.

Buckingham Palace Used to Have a Bar For Its Staff—Until They Started Getting Really Drunk

Were the famously stoic Buckingham Palace guards among the guilty? We’ll probably never know for sure.

The Only 4 Private Citizens to Lie in Honor at the U.S. Capitol

Billy Graham will be one of just a handful to receive the honor.

Haruo Nakajima (second from left) during the filming of Godzilla Raids Again (1955).

Haruo Nakajima, the Original Actor Beneath the Godzilla Suit

He prepared for his role by visiting the zoo.

9 Moving Quotes from Pioneering Astronaut John Glenn

On February 20, 1962, pioneering astronaut John Glenn made history when he became the first American to orbit the Earth—but he wasn't done yet.

Weather Channel Meteorologist Dave Schwartz Dies at Age 63

You weren’t Dave Schwartz’s audience. You were his friend.

Franz Reichelt is now remembered as the "flying tailor."

6 Inventors Killed by Their Own Inventions

From the man who died because of a failed parachute suit to the daredevil who perished in a stunt gone wrong, sometimes brilliance comes with a price.

Sam Simon, Who Gave the Entirety of His Fortune Away to Charity, Dies

5 Stories About Shirley Temple

Former child actress Shirley Temple has passed away at the age of 85. But thanks to DVDs (and Turner Classic Movies), she will remain a dimpled, curly-topped 5-year-old for generations to come. We hope you enjoy these fun facts about the life and career o

10 Things to Remember About Annette Funicello

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sad Readers

Sad news, detectives. Donald J. Sobol, the creator of Encyclopedia Brown, passed away on July 11 at the age of 87. Sobol wrote 28 books starring 10-year-old Leroy Brown, with the next one, Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme, scheduled to

Every Product Billy Mays Ever Pitched

Billy Mays, America's favorite infomercial star, died three years ago today. He began his career selling the WashMatik, a car-washing brush that siphoned water through the bristles without electricity. He moved from that to the Ultimate Chopper, and some

The Stories Behind Donna Summer's Biggest Hits

© JONAS CUNHA/dpa/Corbis Disco Queen Donna Summer has passed away after a battle with lung cancer at age 63. Even though her name is always automatically entwined with disco, it was a sobriquet that she was never fully comfortable with. And rightfully so

The Time Dick Clark Explored His Dark Side

Image via The Video Beat Amidst all yesterday’s eulogies and well-deserved tributes for the great Dick Clark, I was surprised to learn that he did a little acting. Sure, it’s not a stretch for a man who made his living in radio and television broadcastin

RIP Dick Clark (1929-2012)

© Bettmann/CORBIS Since so much will be written about Dick Clark’s tenure on American Bandstand and the Pyramid game shows elsewhere, we'll try to provide you with some Dick Clark stories you may not necessarily read in the various official obituaries. F

RIP Ralph McQuarrie, Star Wars Visionary

Geekdom lost an important figure over the weekend – Ralph McQuarrie died at the age of 82. Many people won't know the name, but they will undoubtedly know his work as a concept artist on everything from Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Cocoon to th

RIP Davy Jones: Remembering The Monkees

To quote a song from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd, it’s Hard to Believe. Davy Jones, the cuddly member of the Monkees, the master of the maracas, and the guy with the fanciest footwork, has left us at the age of 66. Davy Jones, whom every g

10 Videos Spanning the Career of Whitney Houston

Vocal legend Whitney Houston died yesterday at the Beverly Hilton. She was 48. Here are ten videos that encompass her

Remembering Christopher Hitchens

by Matthew Hickman and Andrew

10 Not-So-Famous People We Lost in 2011

sarah2 / Shutterstock.com It has been a solemn year for famous deaths, with tributes to those who achieved several decades of greatness (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), those who died before their time (Amy Winehouse), and even some who belong in both categories

RIP Harry Morgan

Prolific character actor Harry Morgan has left us after a brief bout with pneumonia. Depending upon your age, you might remember Morgan as Pete Porter, the next-door neighbor on December Bride (a role that he played so well he was given a spin-off series,

The Quick 8: Eight People Who Have Been Cryonically Preserved (and one who wasn't)

1. Dr. James Bedford, a psych professor at the University of California, was the first person to ever be cryonically preserved. The choice to be preserved by freezing was entirely his "“ he even left money for a steel capsule and liquid nitrogen in his wi