RETROBITUARIES

Courtesy of the George C. Marshall Library, Lexington, Virginia

Elizebeth Friedman, America's Unsung Wartime Codebreaker

She cracked some of the biggest espionage cases of the 20th century, but the press preferred to write about her husband.

A pair of Watts-Freeman lobotomy instruments circa 1950

Walter Jackson Freeman, Father of the Lobotomy

He felt the lobotomy was “only a little more dangerous than an operation to remove an infected tooth."

Haruo Nakajima (second from left) during the filming of Godzilla Raids Again (1955).

Haruo Nakajima, the Original Actor Beneath the Godzilla Suit

He prepared for his role by visiting the zoo.

Queen Christina, Who Ruled as a King

This learned, opinionated Renaissance monarch caused a sensation throughout Europe.

Retrobituaries: Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Custer's Final Foe

She may have been the last person to see George Armstrong Custer alive.

Karen Wetterhahn, the Chemist Whose Poisoning Death Changed Safety Standards

She followed the safety protocol, but the mother of two was dead within a year.

Franz Anton Mesmer, the Man Who Invented Hypnotism

He's one of the few people to have a verb—mesmerize—named for him.

Emperor Norton, San Francisco’s Most Beloved 19th-Century Eccentric

Joshua Norton declared himself "Emperor of These United States"—and San Francisco loved him for it.

Florence Chadwick, the Woman Who Conquered the English Channel

People didn't think a woman could cross the English Channel both ways—until Florence Chadwick came along.

Caresse Crosby, Brazen Inventor of the Brassiere

Changing the shape of the modern woman was just the beginning.

Pictures of disguises in Dosi’s scrapbook via Getty Images

Giuseppe Dosi, Italy's Famed Detective and Master of Disguise

He had at least 17 confirmed disguises, and five fully fleshed-out identities complete with fake identity documents, background stories, and even their own penmanship.

Native American Writer and Activist Susette La Flesche

Also known as Bright Eyes, she achieved several important firsts for herself and her people.

Polymath, Mystic, and Saint Hildegard von Bingen

She was a smasher of stained-glass ceilings.

Dan Rice, America’s First Famous Clown

Think Robin Williams at his fastest and Jon Stewart at his most political, and you have Dan Rice.

Charles Fort, Chronicler of Unexplained Phenomena

His books were the real-life X-files.

Leonora Piper, Turn-of-the-Century Medium

“If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, it is enough if you prove that one crow is white. My white crow is Mrs. Piper.”

Julia Margaret Cameron via Wikimedia // Public domain

Hypatia, Scholar and Teacher of Ancient Alexandria

She was one of the last great thinkers of ancient Alexandria—before she was brutally murdered.

Raymond Scott, Avant-Garde Creator of Classic Cartoon Music

The man who gave Looney Tunes their sound was an eccentric electronic music pioneer.

Patrick Manson, the Man Who First Linked Mosquitoes to Disease

He was the first to figure out that irritating buzz could be a danger sign.

Larry Itliong, Leader of One of the Nation’s Most Successful Strikes

He led farm workers to victory in California’s landmark Delano grape strike.

Bluestocking42 via Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

John Gorrie, the Doctor Who Pioneered the Ice-Maker

Humanity's quest for cool took centuries, but it would have ended sooner if John Gorrie had gotten his way.

Big Nose Kate, Independent Woman of the Wild West

She’s usually a footnote in stories about Doc Holliday and his friend Wyatt Earp, but the duo might never have even met if it weren’t for this woman.

Alice Guy-Blaché, Forgotten Film Pioneer

She made hundreds of movies and owned and operated her own studio. So why has she been all but ignored?

U.S. Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Matthew Henson, the Arctic Explorer Who Stood on Top of the World

Remembering the man who probably beat Robert Peary to the North Pole, but didn’t get the credit he deserved until years later.

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