In Memoriam 2009 Archive | PBS NewsHour

ABOUT US \| LOCAL TV LISTINGS EMAIL PRINT

IN MEMORIAM


	2009 DECEMBER Dec. 28, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Longing' Dennis Brutus was a South African poet and activist up until his death on Saturday at the age of 85 at his home in Cape Town.

	Dec. 13, 2009 Remembering Economist Paul Samuelson Read economics correspondent Paul Solman's reflections on Samuelson's life and work here on Making Sen$e.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 19, 2009 Jeanne-Claude Was Muse and Collaborator Jeanne-Claude, the artist who collaborated with her partner Christo on monumental installation projects like "The Gates" in New York and "The Wrapped Reichstag" in Berlin, passed away Wednesday at a hospital in New York from complications of a brain aneurysm. She was 74.



	OCTOBER Oct. 8, 2009 Famed Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92 Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92, according to his photo assistant Roger Krueger. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his work.

	Oct. 8, 2009 Irving Penn, 1917-2009 Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his work.

	Oct. 6, 2009 Leader of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Kept Fighting Against Injustice Marek Edelman, the last surviving leader of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, died Friday at age 87. A journalist and friend recalls his life from his home in Warsaw in this Reporter's Podcast.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 28, 2009 William Safire, Conservative Columnist, Dies at 79 Jeffrey Brown looks back at the life of William Safire, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and former speechwriter for President Nixon, who died Sunday at the age of 79.

	Sept. 18, 2009 News Wrap: Putin Applauds U.S. Reversal on Missile Shield In other news, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin applauded President Obama's "brave decision" to cancel plans for a U.S. missile shield in Europe, and seven former CIA directors asked the White House to end a criminal probe of interrogation tactics during the Bush years.

	Sept. 17, 2009 Folk Legend Mary Travers Dies at 72 A look back at the life of Mary Travers, of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, who died Wednesday at age 72.

	Sept. 17, 2009 Ted Kennedy Jr. Reflects on His Father's Legacy Judy Woodruff speaks with Ted Kennedy Jr. about his father's posthumously published memoir, "True Compass." The book offers new insights into Edward Kennedy's famous family and his political career, including the dark moments.

	Sept. 11, 2009 President, Public Mark Sept. 11 Anniversary President Obama began his day Friday with a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House at 8:46 am, eight years to the minute after the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

	Sept. 9, 2009 Colleagues, Friends Honor Walter Cronkite President Obama and former President Clinton were among attendees who gathered Wednesday at Lincoln Center in New York to honor Walter Cronkite.



	AUGUST Aug. 31, 2009 Mass. Governor Sets Election Date for Kennedy Seat Gov. Deval Patrick has set the date for a special election to finish out Edward M. Kennedy's term in the Senate. Two Massachusetts lawmakers debate the decision.

	Aug. 29, 2009 Leaders Pay Tribute to Kennedy at Boston Funeral Hundreds of political luminaries paid tribute to Sen. Edward Kennedy on a rainy Saturday in Boston as three days of memorials were set to culminate with his entombment near his slain brothers.

	Aug. 28, 2009 Shields, Brooks Consider Kennedy Legacy, Health Reform Prospects Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the week's top news, including Sen. Edward Kennedy's legacy, the health reform debate and detainee interrogation.

	Aug. 28, 2009 Kennedy's Immigration Legacy Shaped Makeup of U.S. Ray Suarez examines the impacts of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act, one of Sen. Edward Kennedy's earliest and most-enduring pieces of legislation.

	Aug. 28, 2009 Mourners Prepare to Bid Kennedy a Final Farewell Kwame Holman reports on the scene in Boston, where mourners braved long lines to bid a final farewell to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

	Aug. 27, 2009 The Kennedy Family and American Political Lore Judy Woodruff speaks with historians Richard Norton Smith and Michael Beschloss about the life and times of America's most famous political dynasty.

	Aug. 27, 2009 Oral History Captures Ted Kennedy's Life, Legacy As memorial services continue for Sen. Edward Kennedy, some of his memories will live on through an oral history project at the University of Virginia's Miller Center for Public Affairs.

	Aug. 27, 2009 Kennedy Services Begin as Mourners Line Mass. Motorcade Route Mourners lined up from Cape Cod to the JFK Library in Boston to commemorate the life of Sen. Edward Kennedy. Kwame Holman reports.

	Aug. 27, 2009 Kennedy's Steps in South Africa Helped Highlight Anti-apartheid Efforts The late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is well-known for his efforts in the domestic policy front, but in the diplomatic arena he also used his high-profile status to help galvanize support for anti-apartheid efforts in South Africa.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Kennedy's Cadence Ran in the Family Judy Woodruff explores the legendary Kennedy cadence that made the family so famous and persuasive.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Kennedy Leaves Legacy as Champion for Health Care Analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks are joined by historian Ellen Fitzpatrick and health care advocate Ron Pollack to discuss Kennedy's political legacy.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Remembering Ted Kennedy's Faith, Friendships and Persona A journalist, clergyman and congressman who were close to Sen. Ted Kennedy reflect on his personality, faith and friendships.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Other News: S.C. Lt. Gov. Calls for Sanford Resignation In other news, the lieutenant governor of South Carolina asked Republican Gov. Mark Sanford to resign, and new economic data showed better-than-expected recoveries in the manufacturing and housing sectors.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Reactions From Around U.S. to Sen. Kennedy's Death Ray Suarez recaps reactions to Senator Kennedy's death from around the country.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Hatch Reflects on Friendship, Battles With Kennedy Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch speaks with Judy Woodruff about Sen. Kennedy's life, legacy, battle with brain cancer and their unlikely friendship.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Kennedy Leaves Health Care Legacy, Democrats Call for Reform Efforts to Continue Sen. Ted Kennedy once called health care legislation the cause of his life. In his decades in the Senate, he was instrumental in passing legislation expanding Americans' access to health care.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Ted Kennedy's Life and Career Born the youngest of nine children, Kennedy was the last surviving brother of a political dynasty. Here's a look back at images from his life and political career.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Iraq's Shiite Political Leader Dies in Iran One of Iraq's most powerful Shiite Muslim party leaders died Wednesday at the age of 59 in Iran, where he was being treated for lung cancer, reported the Associated Press.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Edward Kennedy, Senate's 'Liberal Lion,' Dies Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, known as the "liberal lion of the Senate," and the last surviving brother of a fabled political dynasty, died late Tuesday at his home in Cape Cod after a year-long struggle with a malignant brain tumor. He was 77 years old.

	Aug. 26, 2009 President Obama, World Leaders, Friends Remember Senator Kennedy As news of the passing of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy spread Wednesday, friends and colleagues mourned the man affectionately known in Washington as the lion of the Senate.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Key Moments in Kennedy's Legislative Career A look at the key legislative moments in the four decade-long career of the "Lion of the Senate."

	Aug. 19, 2009 Remembering '60 Minutes' Creator Don Hewitt A remembrance of Don Hewitt, creator of the television magazine "60 Minutes," who died Wednesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

	Aug. 18, 2009 Other News: Wholesale Prices Take Surprise Dip in July In other news, the Labor Department reported wholesale prices fell unexpectedly in July, and President Barack Obama met with Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak to discuss jumpstarting Mideast peace talks.

	Aug. 18, 2009 Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung Dies Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who came to represent the country's democratization and who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reconcile with North Korea, died Tuesday. He was 85.

	Aug. 18, 2009 Columnist Robert Novak Dies at Age 78 Robert Novak, longtime influential conservative newspaper columnist and television panelist, died Tuesday of cancer. He was 78.

	Aug. 11, 2009 Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Early Advocate for People With Disabilities, Dies at 88 Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a member of an American political dynasty and founder of the Special Olympics, died Tuesday morning at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass. She was 88.



	JULY July 27, 2009 Revered Choreographer Merce Cunningham Dies Regarded among the most innovative American artists of the 20th century, Merce Cunningham died Sunday in his New York home.

	July 20, 2009 'Angela's Ashes' Author Frank McCourt Dies at 78 Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Angela's Ashes," died Sunday at the age of 78. Roger Rosenblatt speaks with Margaret Warner about the author's influence on the literary world.

	July 20, 2009 Walter Cronkite, and the Way the News Media Is Now It's been more than a quarter century since Walter Cronkite retired as anchor of the CBS Evening News, but his impact on journalism persists. Robert MacNeil and Todd Gitlin of Columbia University speak with Gwen Ifill about Cronkite's reporting legacy.

	July 18, 2009 Iconic Anchorman Walter Cronkite Dies at 92 Walter Cronkite, now an American icon, covered the biggest stories of the 20th century with unfailing reliability as an anchorman for CBS Evening News. He died Friday after a long illness at his home in New York at age 92.

	July 17, 2009 Biography: Walter Cronkite Walter Cronkite, now an American icon, covered the biggest stories of the 20th century with unfailing reliability as an anchorman for CBS Evening News. He died Friday after a long illness at his home in New York at age 92.

	July 6, 2009 Robert McNamara, Defense Chief During Vietnam War, Dies at 93 Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, known as the leading architect of the Vietnam War, died on Monday. He was 93.



	JUNE June 26, 2009 Remembering Michael Jackson, the King of Pop Pop music icon Michael Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday, leaving behind an artistic legacy that began as a child in the Jackson Five and ended on the cusp of a 50-concert comeback effort.

	June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies at 50 Pop star Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon of an apparent cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was 50. Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center by the paramedics after they found him at his home not breathing and tried to administer CPR.

	June 23, 2009 Tonight Show's Ed McMahon Dies at Age 86 Ed McMahon, television's most famous late-night sidekick, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, surrounded by his wife Pam and others. The cause has not been released, though a friend reported he had been suffering from bone cancer, as well as other illnesses, for the last few years. He was 86.



	MAY May 5, 2009 Actor, Comedian Dom DeLuise Dies at Age 75 Dom DeLuise -- comedian, actor, chef -- passed away Monday night at the age of 75. His son, Michael DeLuise, told Los Angeles TV station KTLA and radio station KNX that his father died in his sleep at a Santa Monica hospital after a long illness.



	MARCH March 25, 2009 Prominent Historian, Civil Rights Activist Franklin Dies at 94 John Hope Franklin, a revered Duke University historian and scholar of the African-American experience, died Wednesday at age 94. In this 2006 interview with Gwen Ifill, Franklin reflects on his life's work.

	March 5, 2009 Horton Foote's Work Illuminated Struggles of American Life Playwright Horton Foote, who died Wednesday at age 92, wrote prolifically about the daily hardships and triumphs of ordinary Americans. A scene from his play "A Trip to Bountiful," which he adapted for the screen in 1985, depicts the character Carrie Watts on her final visit to her Texas hometown.



	JANUARY Jan. 27, 2009 Acclaimed American Author John Updike Dies at Age 76 John Updike, one of the most prolific and popular American authors of his generation who chronicled the drama of everyday suburban life, died Tuesday, his publisher said. Writer Nicholas Delbanco, a former student of Updike's, remembers his friend and mentor.

	Jan. 1, 2009 Anti-Apartheid Activist Politician Helen Suzman Dies Helen Suzman, the South African anti-apartheid activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee has died at her home in Johannesburg at age 91. The NewsHour's Robert MacNeil discussed her views in a 1989 interview.