HAL WATTS, aged 89
He became a scuba diver by accident but went on to break world records. Also he raised the safety standard of the sport and trained many other divers.
BALTAZAR USHCA, aged 80
From rural Ecuador he was the last Iceman, digging out ice from the mountains of the Andes with only help from his donkey – and selling it at local markets.
PATTI McGEE, aged 79
Originally a surfer, she became the first female professional skateboarder, holding demonstrations across the USA and appearing on TV – a legend of the sport.
ADELAIDE JOSEPH, aged 89
With her husband she fought apartheid in her native South Africa before being forced into exile. A friend of the Mandelas she continued the struggle in London.
MASAMITSU YOSHIOKA, aged 106
LAST OF THE PEARL HARBOUR ATTACKERS Masamitsu was born in Noromachi Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan in 1918. At the age of eighteen, he joined the Japanese Navy, working as ground crew on biplanes. Masamitsu was […]
PETE ROSE, aged 83
Possibly the greatest baseball player of all time, his career fell apart due to his behaviour on and off the field meaning he was denied recognition and glory.
JOANNA SIMON, aged 85 and LUCY SIMON, aged 82
Three successful sister musicians. One was an opera singer and TV reporter, another a Broadway producer and score writer – the survivor became a pop superstar.
POPE.L, aged 68
From a poor background he became America’s finest performance artist with many exhibitions, often very controversial and addicted to crawling the streets.
MUTHONI WA KIRIMA, aged 92
Joining the Mau Mau in her native Kenya, to fight against colonial oppression, she rose to become Field Marshal, noted for her bravery and skill in battle.
YANG HUAIDING, aged 71
Rising from poverty as a factory worker, he took a gamble on China’s new stock market and became a multi-millionaire – and a national hero with it.
DOROTHY HOFFNER, aged 104
A resident of a Chicago nursing home, she broke the world record by doing a skydive aged 104. “Age is just a number.”
ZANDRA FLEMISTER, aged 71
The first African American female to be a Secret Service agent, protecting the President’s daughter, she suffered racism, so she resigned to become a diplomat.
HENRY PARHAM, aged 99
A young African American who was drafted into the war, he was on Omaha Beach during D-Day, protecting troops landing. It took years for him to get recognition.
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