Historic Newspapers: Deaths - Reports & Obits

THE MINNEAPOLIS SUNDAY TRIBUNE, October 13, 1940

* Western actor Tom Mix killed
* Arizona car accident (1st report)

The front page has a two column heading: "Tom Mix Is Killed When Car Crashes" with subhead and photo of Mix with famous horse. (see) First report coverage on the death of famous Western movie actor, Tom Mix.
Complete... Read full description  

LEOMINSTER DAILY ENTERPRISE, Massachusetts, September 11, 1940 

* The Blitz (1st Phase)
* Germany bombs London, England
* Adolph Hitler

This 8 page newspaper has a banner headline on the front page: "Nazis Promise Full Scale Blitzkreig To Capture British Isles" with subheads and map of London. (see)

Other news of the day throughout.... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 11, 1940

* Alessandro Bonci death (1st report)
* Italian lyric tenor - bel canto singing

The top of page 31 has a on column heading: "ALESSANDRO BONCI, LYRIC TENOR, DIES" with subheads and photo. (see) I suspect this is one of the few publications to report this particular event as other titles in our... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, August 4, 1940 

* Willard Hershberger suicide death 
* Cincinnati Reds catcher 

Page 5 has one column headlines that include: "HERSHBERGER ENDS LIFE WITH RAZOR", "Cincinnati Reds' Catcher Found Dead in Boston Hotel--Left No Notes", "Worried... Read full description  

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, July 16, 1940 

* Robert Pershing Wadlow death 
* Alton, Illinois Giant (1st report) 
* Tallest man ever in the World 

Page 12 has a one column heading: "Youthful Giant, Wadlow, To Be Buried At Alton" (see image)
Complete with 28 pages, light toning at the margins, small binding... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, June 28, 1940

* Wilhelm Strekel death (1st report)
* Austrian physician and psychologist

This 42 page newspaper has one column headlines on page 19: "WILHELM STREKEL, ONCE FREUD'S AIDE", "Former Chief Assistant to the Psychoanalyst Wrote Works on Mental Maladies" and more with... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 16, 1940

* Ethel Brilliana Tweedie death (1st report)
* English author, historian, illustrator & more

The top of page 23 has a one column heading: "MRS. ALEC TWEEDIE, ARTIST AND AUTHOR" with subheads and photo. (see) I suspect this is one of the few publications to report this particular event as other... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, March 27, 1940

* Spyridon Louis death (1st report)
* 1st modern-day Olympic marathon winner
* Marousi, Greece fame - Greek water-carrier

Page 21 has a one column heading: "SPYRO LOUES, WINNER OF MARATHON, DIES" with subhead. (see) I suspect this is one of the few publications to report this particular... Read full description  

NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, Feb. 21, 1940

* Cole Bros. Circus fire disaster
* Rochester, Fulton Co., Indiana 
* Death of several performing animals

Near the bottom of the front page has a three column heading: "Pigmy Hippopotamus Boiled in His Tank As Fire Destroys 170 Circus Beasts in Cages" (see images) 
Complete with 30... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, February 4, 1940

* Philip Francis Nowlan death
* Buck Rogers creator
* Science Fiction author

Page 41 has one column headings: "PHILIP NOWLAN DIES; DREW 'BUCK ROGERS'" "Cartoonist, a Former Writer, Is Stricken in Philadelphia" See images for brief text here.
Complete with 44 pages, light toning at... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Feb. 3, 1940

* George de Bothezat death (1st report)
* Russian American engineer & businessman
* Inventor of 1st successful, practical helicopter

The top of the back page has a one column heading: "HELICOPTER MAKER, DE BOTHEZAT, DEAD" with subheads. (see) I suspect this is one of the few publications... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jan. 20, 1940

* William Edgar Borah death (1st report)
* Republican United States Senator - Idaho

The top of the front page has a two column headline: "WILLIAM E.  BORAH, SENATOR 33 YEARS, IS DEAD IN CAPITAL" with subheads and photo. Lengthy 1st report coverage continue inside with pictorial. Always nice to... Read full description  

CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE, Dec. 24, 1939

* Anthony Fokker death w/ photo
* Dutch airplane - aviation pioneer
* "The Flying Dutchman"

The top of page 8 has a one column heading: "FOKKER'S BODY WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO HOLLAND" with subhead and small photo. (see images)
Complete 1st section only with all 10 pages, rag edition... Read full description  

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, Dec. 12, 1939 

* Douglas Fairbanks death
* American film movie actor

The front page has a a nice headline in bold lettering: "FAIRBANKS, SR. DIES" with lead-in: "Actor Heart Attack Victim" and subhead. (see)
Twenty-eight pages, light toning, small binding holes along the spine, archival... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 30, 1939

* Nile Kinnick "All American" team choice
* Iowa Hawkeyes - NCAA college football
* Maxwell Award trophy

This 44 page newspaper has one column headlines in the sport's section (page 26): "ALL-AMERICA POST IS WON BY KINNICK" and "Iowa Back Draws 577 Votes for 1939 Eleven Selected in... Read full description  

LEOMINSTER DAILY ENTERPRISE, Massachusetts, November 28, 1939

* James Naismith death (1st report)
* "Father of Basketball"
* Springfield, Massachusetts

This 10 page newspaper has a one column heading on the front page:  "Inventor of Basketball Dies Today" which tells of the death of James Naismith, known as the... Read full description  

TAUNTON DAILY GAZETTE, Taunton, Massachusetts, November 28, 1939

* James Naismith death (1st report)
* "Father of Basketball" - inventor

This 16 page newspaper has one column headings on page 12: "Naismith Has Fatal Attack", "Invented Game Of Basketball In 1891" with photo of Naismith. This is a first report... Read full description  

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, November 17, 1939

* Al 'Scarface" Capone freed from prison
* Chicago gangster becomes a free man
* Best publication to be had ? (very rare as such)

The front page has a one column heading: "CAPONE, BROKEN AND ILL; FREED; PUT IN HOSPITAL" with small photo of Capone. (see images) Great to have from the city... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 30, 1939

* Alice Brady death (1st report)
* Broadway stage actress
* Hollywood silent film - movie

The top of page 17 has a one column heading: "ALICE BRADY DEAD; STAGE, FILM STAR" with subheads and photo. (see) Nice to have from the city where she lived and died.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the... Read full description  

THE NEWS, New London, Connecticut, October 23, 1939 

* Zane Grey death 
* American Author 

This 12 page newspaper has one column headlines on the front page: "ZANE GREY DIES AT 64" "Coronary Thrombosis Take Life of Well Known Author" "Wrote Novels of West"

Other news of the day throughout. Light browning with minor... Read full description  

THE TOPEKA DAILY CAPITAL, Topeka, Kansas, October 15, 1939 

* HMS Royal Oak battleship sinks 
* German U-boat attack 

This 24 page newspaper has one column headlines on the front page: "800 Missing After British Warship Sunk" and
"German U-Boats Score Second Major Sea Victory of War"

Other news, sports and advertisements of... Read full description  

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Sept. 25, 1939

* Floyd Gibbons death (1st report)
* World War I - WWI correspondent
* Best title to be had - very rare as such

The front page has a one column heading: "Floyd Gibbons, Famous War Writer, Is Dead" with small photo. (see) Great and maybe only reported in this publication since he was a... Read full description  

 THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, Michigan, July 16, 1939.
 
* Carl G. Fisher Dies
* Indianapolis Motor Speedway Founder

This 40+ page newspaper has a three line, one column headline on page 5: "Carl G. Fisher, Pioneer in Auto Industry, Dies" with photo.
 
Other news of the day throughout.
 
Some browning with minor margin wear,... Read full description  

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, June 17, 1939 

* Eugen Weidmann execution 
* Last public guillotine use in France 

This 34 page newspaper has small, somewhat discrete one column headlines on page 5; "FRANCE GUILLOTINES HEAD OF MURDER RING" "Weidmann Dies in Silence for Slaying Brooklyn Dancer"

Tells of the execution... Read full description