Share

2016: a year of saying goodbye to some of the greatest legends

accreditation

2016 has been a tumultuous year, made more so by the seemingly endless list of beloved celebrities who died this year.

Sporting greats like Muhammad Ali and Arnold Palmer, space pioneer John Glenn and former US first lady Nancy Reagan died this year.

Here are just some of the larger-than-life personalities we said goodbye to:

Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as US Attorney General, died on November 7 from complications due to Parkinson’s. She was 78 years old.

Janet Reno . (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer passed away on September 25 at age 87. Palmer is considered one of the greatest in his sport, winning seven majors from 1958 to 1964 at the dawn of golf’s television age. Along with Jack Nicklaus, he is credited with bringing golf to a national audience.

Arnold Palmer(Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Edward Albee, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, died September 16 at age 88. Albee won three Pulitzers in his long career, but his most famous play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, was rejected by the Pulitzer board for its vulgarity.

John McLaughlin, host of the political panel show “The McLaughlin Group,” passed away August 16 at age 89. The last episode aired prior to his death was the first McLaughlin had missed since the show’s debut in 1982.

Elie Wiesel, Nobel laureate and author of dozens of books about his experience as a Holocaust survivor, died July 2 at his Manhattan home at age 87.

Elie Wiesel (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Muhammad Ali, legendary professional boxer, died on June 3 at age 74. Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest and, at his peak, the most polarizing athletes who ever lived.

Muhammad Ali (AP Photo/File) PHOTO:

Joanie Laurer, aka Chyna, died at age 45 on April 21. Known as the “Eighth Wonder Of The World,” Chyna was one of the biggest stars of WWE’s Attitude Era and a member of the infamous faction D-Generation X.

Joanie Laurer (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America)

Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure on March 6 at age 94. The actress-turned-first lady starred in films such as Night Into Morning (1951) and Hellcats of the Navy (1957), in which she appeared with her husband, eventual President Ronald Reagan, and led the Just Say No anti-drug campaign of the 1980s.

Nancy Reagan. (Photo by Diana Walker—Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Harper Lee, author of the literary classic To Kill a Mockingbird, died in her sleep in her home town of Monroeville, Alabama during the early morning hours of February 19. She was 89 years old.

Harper Lee. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

John Glenn, the Nasa astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth and went on to serve in the US Senate died on December 8 at the age of 95.

On February 20, 1962, Glenn became the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth when he lifted off in Friendship 7. His observations of the journey fascinated watchers at home, particularly his description of “little specks, brilliant specks, floating around outside the capsule.”

When he returned from the five-hour spaceflight after touching down in the Atlantic Ocean, he was honoured as a national hero, meeting President John F. Kennedy and riding in a New York City ticker-tape parade.

John Glenn . (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)

» Sources: US Weekly, The Mirror

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE