# I may never know who died on January 20, 1977 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2002, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953 "2002-04-22T07:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/21 "2002-04-23T00:29:40Z")
Sorry, **Sua**. **Sn-man** : Nobody listed for Jan. 20! Thanks, though! **DAVEW** : I had that in the back of my mind, along with the Kennedy-Lewis-Huxley triumvirate, the whole time I was doing my search. Of Jefferson and Adams, I was told that one of them wryly commented that day that at least the other had outlived him. Or he was sorry not to have outlived the other; something like that. **Tripler** : Want to go on John Edwards with me? 😃 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/22 "2002-04-23T02:31:29Z")
Adams’ close-to-last words (I’d look 'em up to make sure, but my books are all packed for my impending move) were “Jefferson lives!” unaware that Jefferson had died not long prior. Odd that they both died on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in which both were heavily involved. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/23 "2002-04-23T03:22:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\ ***Tripler** : Want to go on John Edwards with me? 😃 😛 \*\* Sure! I can see it now. . . _John Edwards_: I see things, things in your past. . . _Tripler_: Really? Like what? _JE_: Do have relatives named ‘Larry’, ‘Curly’, and ‘Moe’? Tripler Strange thing is, yes, I really do. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/24 "2002-04-23T03:35:57Z")
I remember Freddie Prinze died about that time. If it wasn’t that exact day, it was within a couple weeks of it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/25 "2002-04-23T03:44:51Z")
On January 19, 1977, actress Geraldine Brooks died at age 51. Depending on the circumstances, (she died of a heart attack), they might have only been reporting her death on 1/20. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/26 "2002-04-23T03:48:57Z")
(The [Scopes Systems Any Day in History](http://www.scopesys.com/anyday/) site includes deaths as well as births and other incidents.) ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/27 "2002-04-23T03:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*Well, what I mean is I went to the Social Security Death Index and looked at how many people that listed as dying in Jan 1977 and divided by 31. Now this is only Americans who received Social Security death benefits but I figured it was close enough. I adjusted it up a bit just in case. Sorry we couldn’t be more help. \*\* From memory, about 150,000 people die daily (and about 380,000 babies are born, IIRC). That’s globally, in case this unknown noteworthy figure **Rilchiam** refers to was not American. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/28 "2002-04-23T03:59:08Z")
Where were you living in 1977? Was it local news or national? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/29 "2002-04-23T04:20:27Z")
Besides, that umpire dying was a big deal, if it was round about 1994, early in the season (in Cincinnati?), because he died on the field during a game. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/30 "2002-04-23T04:25:30Z")
**Jomo** , I know it wasn’t Freddie Prinze. Given the nature of his death, my mom would not have called it to my attention. **tomndebb** : Well, I was sure it was a man’s name. But maybe not. And I wrote “died _today_”. But my concept of “today” may have been imperfect (I was not quite seven). **bup** : North Jersey. But I was too young to know local news from national. [tangent]Am I remembering TV news in the '70s correctly? I have the impression that back then, the anchor desk was part of a newsroom, with workers (and lighting equipment) visible behind the commentators (who were overwhelmingly white and male). And that some machine, a teletype, I think, would be clicking away while they faded in from or out to a commercial?[/tangent] ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/31 "2002-04-23T04:30:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bup \* > \*\*Besides, that umpire dying was a big deal, if it was round about 1994, early in the season (in Cincinnati?), because he died on the field during a game. \*\* Oh. No, it was more recent than 1994. Wonder why she never told me about who you just said! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/32 "2002-04-23T04:51:47Z")
By ‘round about 1994,’ I meant 1997, and by ‘early in the season,’ I meant Opening Day, and by ‘(in Cincinnati?),’ I meant Cincinatti. John McSherry. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/33 "2002-04-23T17:02:25Z")
Maybe it was [Al Green](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Green,+Al+(I)) the news report had the wrong one? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/34 "2002-04-23T17:22:05Z")
Pascual Perez, hall of fame boxer ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/35 "2002-04-23T21:07:56Z")
Perhaps it was a neighbor, or a local newscaster, or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/36 "2002-04-23T23:15:22Z")
I give up… Thanks for all your help, though! ---
**Author:** ![hobgnoblin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hobgnoblin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobgnoblin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/37 "2002-04-24T00:40:21Z")
[nitpick]FTR, McSherry died April 1,1996.[/nitpick] [http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj4.4.96/articles/mcsherry.html](http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj4.4.96/articles/mcsherry.html) R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/38 "2002-05-01T05:06:43Z")
Don’t give up! I recommend that you head to the local library and ask the reference librarian to help you do a search of newspaper microfiche for that date. Start with the big local paper wherever you are. - Jill ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/39 "2002-05-01T07:50:44Z")
OK, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953/40 "2002-05-01T09:20:10Z")
I looked at the [Social Security Death Index](http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm), and didn’t see anyone famous…Unless you count Henry James…but I don’t think it’s the same one… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-never-know-who-died-on-january-20-1977/104953.md?page=1)