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American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. His father was a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother later became a newspaper columnist. James attended West High School in Minneapolis. Although he appeared in school plays, he had no interest in performing, and dreamed instead of going to sea. After high school, he attended one semester at Beloit College before receiving his draft notice in 1943. He entered the army and trained at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, before shipping out for North Africa. At Casablanca, Arness joined the 3rd Infantry Division in time for the invasion of Anzio. Ten days after the invasion, Arness was severely wounded in the leg and foot by German machine-gun fire. His wounds, which plagued him the rest of his life, resulted in his medical discharge from the army.

While recuperating in a hospital in Clinton, Iowa, Arness was visited by his younger brother Peter (later to gain fame as actor Peter Graves), who suggested he take a radio course at the University of Minnesota. James did so, and a teacher recommended him for a job as an announcer at a Minneapolis radio station. Though seemingly headed for success in radio, he followed a boyhood friend's suggestion and went with the friend to Hollywood to find work as a film extra. Arness studied at the Bliss-Hayden Theatre School under actor Harry Hayden, and while appearing in a play there was spotted by agent Leon Lance. Lance got the actor a role as Loretta Young's brother in The Farmer's Daughter (1947). The director of that film, H.C. Potter, recommended that he drop the "u" from his last name and soon thereafter the actor was officially known as James Arness.

Little work followed this break, and Arness became sort of beach bum, living on the shore at San Onofre and spending his days surfing. He began taking his acting career more seriously when he began to receive fan mail following the release of the Young picture. He appeared in a production of "Candida" at the Pasadena Community Playhouse, and married his leading lady, Virginia Arness. She pressed him to study acting and to work harder in pursuit of a career, but Arness has been consistent in ascribing his success to luck. He began to act small roles with frequency, often due to his size, and mostly villainous characters. Most notable among these was that of the space alien in The Thing from Another World (1951).

While playing a Greek warrior in a play, Arness was spotted by agent Charles K. Feldman, who represented John Wayne. Feldman introduced Arness to Wayne, who put the self-described 6', 6" actor under personal contract. Arness played several roles over the next few years for and with Wayne, whom he considered a mentor. In 1955, Wayne recommended Arness for the lead role of Matt Dillon in the TV series Gunsmoke (1955). (Contrary to urban legend, Wayne himself was never offered the role.) Arness at first declined, thinking a TV series could derail his growing film career, but Wayne argued for the show, and Arness accepted. His portrayal of stalwart Marshal Dillon became an iconic figure in American television and the series, aired for 20 seasons, is, as of 2008, the longest-running dramatic series in U.S. television history. Arness became world-famous and years later reprized the character in a series of TV movies.

After the surprising cancellation of "Gunsmoke" in 1975, Arness jumped immediately into another successful (though much shorter-lived) Western project, a TV-movie-miniseries-series combination known as "How The West Was Won." A brief modern police drama, McClain's Law (1981), followed, and Arness played his mentor John Wayne's role in Red River (1988), a remake of the Wayne classic.

Following the aforementioned "Gunsmoke" TV movies (the last in 1994, when Arness was 71), Arness basically retired. His marriage to Virginia Chapman ended in divorce in 1960. They had three children, one of whom, Jenny Lee, committed suicide in 1975. Arness subsequently married Janet Surtrees in 1978.

Miriam Karlin was born on 23 June 1925 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Children of Men (2006), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and So Haunt Me (1992). She died on 3 June 2011 in St John's Wood, London, England, UK.

Every day, somewhere across the globe, someone is enjoying the music of Andrew Gold. Whether it's his joyous ode "Thank You for Being a Friend," his plaintive hit "Lonely Boy," his chiming guitar work and supple arrangements on various classic tracks such as Linda Ronstadt's smash hit "You're No Good," his crafty, ear-friendly art-pop as one half of the duo Wax UK, or one of his engaging children's albums, Andrew produced some of the most beloved sounds of the past 50 years.

Andrew's remarkable career in popular music showcased his prodigious talents as a mellifluous, passionate singer; a polished, thoughtful, astute songwriter; a creative, meticulous producer, arranger and engineer; and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist. Born in Burbank, CA. on August 2, 1951 and raised in Hollywood, Andrew was a precocious kid. He wrote his first songs when he was a mere 13-years-old, dazzled by the sweet and glistening din of the British Invasion ensembles - especially The Beatles. Diligently, he mastered a band's worth of instruments, including guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. It's no surprise that music was Andrew's calling. His father, Ernest Gold, was one of Hollywood's premier composers, winning an Academy Award for scoring the epic feature film Exodus. His mother, Marni Nixon, was an accomplished singer and musical performer renowned for providing the singing voice for famous actresses in high profile films, such as Natalie Wood in West Side Story; Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady; and Deborah Kerr in The King and I.

While a schoolboy abroad in England, Andrew landed his first recording contract at the age of 16 after he submitted a selection of demos to Polydor Records' London office. It would only be a few years later when he would have his first major impact on the world of Pop music, teaming up with then-rising Country-Rock singer Linda Ronstadt and her producer Peter Asher. Beginning with her 1974 breakthrough album Heart Like a Wheel, Andrew collaborated on the majority of Linda's records in the 1970s. He sang and played behind her as a mainstay of her band, manning virtually every instrument on her #1 hit "You're No Good" (which features a classic Gold guitar bridge) and much of Heart Like a Wheel. As Linda's go-to arranger, he crafted the sounds of such memorable Ronstadt chart-toppers as "When Will I Be Loved" and "Heat Wave." Andrew was in Linda's band from 1973 until 1977, and also played with her from time to time throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Earning kudos from critics and fans as well as the respect of his peers, Andrew was subsequently invited to share his skills with a Who's Who of music-industry superstars. His vocal and instrumental prowess and deft songwriting enhanced the records or live performances of many major artists, including Celine Dion, Carly Simon, 10cc, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Diana Ross, Cher, Art Garfunkel, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, Jesse McCartney, Eric Carmen, Jennifer Warnes, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, Vince Gill, Aaron Neville, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Japanese superstar Eikichi Yazawa.

Andrew was becoming an accomplished solo artist, too. In the mid-'70s, he released four well-received Pop-Rock albums: Andrew Gold (1975), What's Wrong with This Picture (1976), All This and Heaven Too (1978), and Whirlwind (1979). The elegant, melancholy single "Lonely Boy," taken from What's Wrong with This Picture, was a Top 10 hit in the U.S., as was "Thank You for Being a Friend" from All This and Heaven Too. "Thank You for Being a Friend" later became the theme for the massively popular television situation comedy The Golden Girls - which continues to be watched and adored on cable TV, in syndication on broadcast TV, and on DVD throughout the world since its original NBC network run from 1985-1992. The song itself is considered a classic Pop tune - an uplifting anthem of camaraderie with appeal that cuts across all demographics. Meanwhile, "Lonely Boy" has been featured on the soundtracks of a variety of films, including 1997's Boogie Nights, 1998's The Waterboy and 2016's The Nice Guys.

Over the past three decades, Andrew continued to fashion memorable music. In the UK and beyond, he had solo success with singles such as "Never Let Her Slip Away" and "How Can This Be Love." His popularity in the UK was so significant that he was asked to join hit-making British group 10cc in the early 1980s. Although he declined the offer, he linked up with 10cc singer/songwriter/musician Graham Gouldman to form Wax UK in 1983, recording three albums that spawned two international hits, "Right Between the Eyes" and "Bridge to Your Heart." Although they dissolved Wax in 1989, Gold and Gouldman never stopped writing and recording together whenever possible. Back in the early 1970s, Andrew had co-founded the ensemble Bryndle with Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman, and Kenny Edwards; they reunited in the early 1990s, producing the tuneful, engaging albums Bryndle (1995) and House of Silence (2001) before going their separate ways again.

True to his lineage, Andrew produced and wrote songs and music for numerous television and movie soundtracks. He also sang "The Final Frontier," the theme to the long-running Paul Reiser-Helen Hunt TV sitcom Mad About You. (Andrew's rendition of "The Final Frontier" was actually used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder space probe in 1996, making his vocal the first human voice heard on Mars). He found time to write and produce hit recordings for many of his aforementioned friends and colleagues, as well as producing a handful of tracks on The Stars Come Out for Christmas series of charity albums. In addition, he composed and recorded the exuberant holiday-themed children's albums Halloween Howls and A Sugarbeats Christmas. With whimsy and affection, he formulated Greetings from Planet Love as a one-man band under the pseudonym The Fraternal Order of the All, with original songs written and performed in the style of Gold's favorite 1960s bands, such as The Beatles, The Byrds, and The Beach Boys. He released an album of Wax UK rarities, Bikini Wax, and a best-of compilation with bonus cuts, The Wax Files. A career retrospective entitled Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of Andrew Gold was issued in 1997.

Andrew didn't stop there. Exquisitely crafted solo albums - Since 1951, Warm Breezes, The Spence Manor Suite, and Intermission - were produced and released. There is still a considerable amount of his studio work that has yet to be released but should soon be made available to the public.

Gold died in his sleep, apparently from heart failure, on June 3, 2011 at age 59. He is survived by his second wife Leslie Kogan, his three daughters from his first marriage, and his mother. And though he passed away, his music will live on and on.

As longtime friend and Grammy-winning producer Peter Asher put it, "Andrew's talent was almost eerie. He was a self-taught instinctive musician who seemed to be able to play any instrument he had a mind to. He was a brilliant writer, a great singer, and a highly imaginative producer and arranger -- on top of being a multi-instrumentalist of the highest order. And he never failed to come up with something extraordinary every time he played."

Controversial pathologist, writer and inventor, Jack Kevorkian was the only son of Levon Kevorkian a former auto-factory worker who owned an excavating company and his homemaker wife. He had 2 sisters. Kevorkian's parents were Armenian refugees, whose relatives were among the 1.5 millon victims of Turkish atrocities in World War I. As a young boy he quit Sunday school because he did not believe in Armenian Orthodox teachings. He taught himself German and Japanese in high school during World war II. Kevorkian graduated from Pontiac High School with honors in 1945 at 17. He then enrolled at the University of Michigan from where he graduated from Medical school in 1952. Kevorkian completed an internship in Pathology at Henry Ford hospital in Detroit, during which period he had an epiphany when he saw a woman who was dying of cancer. It was then that he began to think of ways to alleviate suffering in his patients. In 1953 he got his medical license for Michighan state. He then did a 15 month stint in Korea as an Army Medical Officer during the Korean War. He returned and completed his residency at Pontiac General Hospital, Michigan. He got his nickname 'Dr. Death' in 1956 when he started photographing the retinas of patients at the moment of death to differentiate between coma and death. From 1956-57 he did research in West Germany. In 1957 he obtained his California medical license. In 1958 he presented a paper on 'Capital Punishment or Capital Gain' at the American Association for the Advancement of Science' at Washington, DC. He suggested the harvesting of organs from death row prisoners. This was considered controversial because death row inmates don't necessarily have any rights. By 1960 he was licensed in Pathological Anatomy and in 1965 in Clinical Pathology. In April 1960 he testified before a Joint Judicial Committee in Columbus, Ohio to revise the death penalty and to legalize medical experimentation on condemned inmates. In 1976 he moved to Los Angeles, California. He changed jobs frequently. Between 1982 to 86 he mainly did his writing and research. In 1988, even the pro-suicide Hemlock Society founder, Derek humphry rebuffed his methods as "too perilous and risky". In 1989 after reading about a patient who had asked for euthanasia he began working on a lethal-injection machine that would be able to do the task at the 'flip of a switch'. It was called the Thanatron (and later Mercitron). He got a lot of publicity because of this. On June 4, 1990 he performed the first of his 'medicides' as he liked to call physician-assisted suicide. His 'client' was a 54 year old woman suffering from Alzheimer's. She had contacted him herself after reading his ads in the papers. It was performed in the back of his VW van. She received sodium pentothal (an anesthetic) and potassium chloride (to stop the heart). By the time of this 3rd medicide his medical licemse was revoked for violating Michigan state laws regarding euthanasia. One of his 'clients' was even found on autopsy not to have any major pathology. He continued to do his medicides by giving his clients carbon-monoxide. There were reports that one patient had asked her mask to be removed twice (maybe a change of mind) but Kevorkian had continued with his task. On August 17, 1993 he was formally charged with violating the law. By then he had already helped 20 clients to their peaceful deaths. He was jailed first in November 1993 and then again in December 1993. Kevorkian went on a liquid only fast for 18 days and was acquitted in May 1994. By now he had even gained several supporters in the general community. By 1998 he hed committed over 100 medicides. Relatives of some of his clients claimed that he had continued despite protests from his 'victims'. He was now charged with 2nd degree murder. During his trial he was defended by the flamboyant lawyer Geoffrey Fieger. In March 1999 Dr. Kevorkian was sentenced by a Michigan jury to 10-25 years for his crime.

Wally Boag was born on 13 September 1920 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was an actor, known for Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), The Absent Minded Professor (1961) and The Love Bug (1969). He was married to Frances Ellen Morgan. He died on 3 June 2011 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Pat Jackson began as an editor and co-director of documentaries with the famed GPO Film Unit in the mid-1930s. He worked with such icons of the documentary field as John Grierson and Harry Watt, but it was his World War II semi-documentary Western Approaches (1944) that put him on the map. Praised as a skillful blend of real footage and studio-shot model work, the film was photographed in sumptuous Technicolor by renowned cinematographer Jack Cardiff and told the story of the harrowing dangers faced by merchant seamen in the war.

Unfortunately, Jackson was unable to capitalize on this success. He spent an unproductive time under contract to producer/director Alexander Korda and spent an additional two years in Hollywood under contract to MGM, where he made just one film, the somewhat atmospheric melodrama Shadow on the Wall (1950). Returning to Britain in 1951, he was never able to find his niche, drifting among various producers, studios and independent companies. He found a lot of work directing episodic TV series. His fortunes seemed to rise in 1958, however, when he directed Virgin Island (1958), a light-hearted tale of a young couple starting their life on an isolated--and uninhabited--West Indian island. His follow-up film, Snowball (1960), was also a critical and commercial success, as was his comedy-thriller What a Carve Up! (1961) and the dark, moody Don't Talk to Strange Men (1962). Again, these small successes didn't lead to anything bigger or better, and he finished out his career in television.

Oleg Emtsev was born on 24 June 1951 in Melitopol, Ukraine, USSR. He was an actor, known for Dolgie provody (1971) and Maski Show (1991). He died on 3 June 2011 in Odessa, Ukraine.

Theodore H. Kuhns III was born on 25 February 1933 in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Theodore H. was a director and writer, known for And They Are Off (1982). Theodore H. died on 3 June 2011.

Troy Hodges was an actor, known for The Drive Is Getting Scared (2004). He died on 3 June 2011 in Augusta, Georgia, USA.

Charles Mensah was born in 1948 in Libreville, Gabon. He was a producer and director, known for Équateur (1983), L'Auberge du Salut (1994) and Ayouma (1978). He died on 3 June 2011 in Libreville, Gabon.

John Henry Johnson was born on 24 November 1929 in Waterproof, Louisiana, USA. He was married to Leona. He died on 3 June 2011 in Tracy, California, USA.

Larry Clark Bird was born on 22 June 1935 in Camden, Arkansas, USA. Larry Clark is known for Nowhere to Run (1993), Nick of Time (1995) and Starman (1984). Larry Clark was married to Marilyn McMahan-Bird. Larry Clark died on 3 June 2011 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.