Here at Art Attack, we believe it's good to reflect on those that came before us. Whether they were artists, inventors, politicians, athletes or innovators, it seems fitting to take a moment and look back at their accomplishments.
We've already spotlighted some of these notable people here - early fitness mogul Jack LaLanne, actor Pete Postlethwaite, songwriter Gerry Rafferty, and country music legend Charlie Louvin, but here's a list of persons that passed in January you might have missed.
For us, the most stunning passing of January was probably that of Richard "Dick" Winters. Outside of the musicians & actors, Winters was arguably one of the most well known, so before the head-scratching begins, allow us to clarify. While many people wouldn't recognize his face, they'll certainly know his name - Major Dick Winters served in the 101st Airborne during World War II, leading the Easy Company troops immortalized in Tom Hanks & Steven Speilberg's Band Of Brothers miniseries. We get goosebumps every time we see a clip from the show. His Brécourt Manor Assault, shown in the clip above, is still taught at West Point - a textbook example of an assault on a fixed position.
We should also mention that Ed Mauser, a member of Easy Company, passed on the 22nd. While he wasn't featured in the miniseries, we undoubtedly owe him a salute as well.
American scientist John Oliver died on January 5th. Though his name most likely isn't in the textbooks, Oliver is the reason that kids across the nation learn about continental drift. His studies of earthquakes and plate tectonics led him to research that eventually proved the theory originally proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912.
