Today is my birthday. Another trip around the sun and here I am... 63. I am three years away from the age at which my father died. I like to think I am in much better shape than my father was at 63. He smoked a lot. He ate a lot of red meat and he ignored any remote symptom of an illness. It's a wonder he lived as long as he did. But, I digress....
There are a number of folks who didn't make it to the age of 63. Some... make that all... accomplished way more than I did (thus far) in my life. However, I am still breathing and still have the opportunity to achieve. eh.... who am I kidding. Bottom line, I'm alive and these people never made it to 63... so there's that.
Carl Sagan was a renowned astronomer, long before Neil deGrasse Tyson was everybody's go-to guy for all things cosmos. As a matter of fact, Carl Sagan hosted a popular television series called Cosmos that dealt with the universe, the stars and the possibility of life out there. He was an author and frequent talk show guest, where he would enlighten the unenlightened and propose the very real idea of extraterrestrial life. Unrelated, he was an early advocate for the legalization of marijuana. After a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome and receiving several bone marrow transplants, Sagan passed away from pneumonia at the age of 62.
Edward Smith was the captain of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. In 1912, the Titanic, on its maiden voyage, collided with an iceberg and sank in the north Atlantic Ocean. Smith, like any truly dedicated captain, went down with his ship. He was 62.
Martin Luther was a German priest who famously criticized the Catholic Church and butted heads with Pope Leo X. He was a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He suffered a stroke in 1546 and passed away at the age of 62.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was the director of the secretive "Manhattan Project" and recognized as the "father" of the atomic bomb. A chain smoker for most of his life, he died from throat cancer at the age of 62.
Michel de Nostredame (better known as Nostradamus) was an astrologist and physician, famous for making astonishingly accurate predications of future events. He died in 1566 at the age of 62. He never saw it coming.
Jack Webb was an actor, director, writer and producer. A stickler for detail, he pioneered the procedural police drama way back in the days of radio with his program Dragnet. He brought Dragnet to television and the popular format spawned other shows including Adam-12 and Emergency! He suffered a fatal heart attack at 62. He was given a funeral with full LA police department honors.
Elizabeth Montgomery followed in her father's footsteps in making a career as an actress. She appeared in numerous roles in early television anthology series until her star-making role of lovable witch "Samantha Stephens" in the popular sitcom Bewitched. After eight seasons, she moved on to other, mostly dramatic, roles, including Mrs. Sundance, The Legend of Lizzie Borden and the hard-hitting A Case of Rape. She was an outspoken advocate for gay rights and a frequent guest on TV game shows. She passed away from cancer at 62.
Robin Gibb gained international popularity with his brothers Barry and Maurice as a member of the Bee Gees. In the late 70s "disco era," the Bee Gees were one of the biggest names in entertainment. Robin Gibb toured and recorded with his brothers and even embarked on a brief solo career. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. According to his son, Gibb's cancer had gone into remission and he died from kidney failure. He was 62.
Denise Nickerson was an actress, best remembered as the gum-chewing, wise-cracking "Violet Beauregard" in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She was later featured in multiple roles in the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Nickerson left show business and found work as a receptionist at a doctor's office. In 2019 and in poor health, she overdosed on prescription medication and fell into a coma. She died at age 62.
Boston Corbett was a whack-job who led the posse to seek out and arrest presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth. Against specific orders, Corbett fatally shot Booth, claiming self-defense. (It was later determined that Booth never drew his weapon nor did he even see Corbett.) After enjoying a reign of dubious fame, Corbett threatened various government officials and was relieved of his military duties at the Kansas House of Representatives. He settled in a cabin in the Minnesota wilderness, eventually dying in a fire at 62.
L. Frank Baum was a prolific writer, penning 14 books in his famed chronicles of the Land of Oz. In addition, he wrote 41 other novels, 200 poems, 42 plays and 83 short stories. Just prior to his death at 62, he had hoped to establish a studio to produce children's films
Louis Chevrolet was a race car enthusiast who participated in the Indianapolis 500 four times, with a best overall finish of seventh place. In 1911, he founded his namesake automobile manufacturing company and later the Frontenac Motor Corporation which made parts for Henry Ford's company.. He died at the age of 62.
Hernán Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who, at the age of 28, embarked on an expedition to Mexico that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. He succumbed to dysentery at the age of 62.
Lou Pearlman, despite being a piece of shit, created the blueprints for every "boy band" of the 1990s. Starting with the Backstreet Boys, Pearlman was the marketing brains behind *NSYNC, O-Town, LFO and Take 5. He was sued by nearly every band he created and represented. He died in prison at 62.
Toby Keith was a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter who charted 61 songs on the Billboard Country Music chart. His popularity allowed him to license his name and likeness for a chain of restaurants called "I Love This Bar & Grill," a reference to one of his songs. He died earlier this year at 62.
Farrah Fawcett was an actress and the dream girl of every teenage boy in the middle 1970s. With her megawatt smile and iconic feathered hair, Fawcett tried her best to break out of her sex symbol stature with more substantial dramatic roles, including the critically acclaimed The Burning Bed. A documentary about her life and struggle with cancer was produced by her longtime partner, actor Ryan O'Neal and friend Alana Stewart, both of whom were by Fawcett's side when she died at 62.
I may not conquer an empire, develop a devastating military weapon or license my name to a chain of eateries (don't get your heart set on dining at Josh Pincus' House of Veggie Burgers), but, as far as I can see, I still have time to accomplish those goals.
Or maybe I'll just continue to go to work.
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