Remembrances

Science

How A Scientist Of Psychedelics Became The 'Godfather Of Ecstasy'

7:18pm June 04, 2014

The man known as the "godfather of ecstasy" has died at the age of 88. Scientist Alexander Shulgin rediscovered a chemical known as MDMA, which was eventually adopted as the club drug ecstasy.

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Angelou began her career as a dancer and writer. She was part of the Caribbean Calypso Festival in 1957.

Books
Arts

Maya Angelou, Poet, Activist And Singular Storyteller, Dies At 86

9:11pm May 28, 2014

by Lynn Neary

Angelou refused to speak for much of her childhood and revealed the scars of her past in her groundbreaking memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She opened doors for black and female writers.

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National

On Memorial Day, Revisiting Stories Of The Fallen In Afghanistan

5:43pm May 26, 2014

by Melissa Block

At Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama honored the sacrifices of those who died while serving in the military. We remember the stories of some of those who died in America's longest war.

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'Fresh Air' Remembers Civil Rights Activist Vincent Harding

3:54pm May 22, 2014

Harding died Monday at 82. He wrote several speeches for Martin Luther King Jr., including his controversial 1967 speech opposing the war in Vietnam. Harding spoke to Fresh Air in 1988.

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When your best friend weighs several tons, sometimes a trunk hug will have to do.

For A Showman Larger Than Life, An Even Bigger Best Friend

12:34am May 21, 2014

by NPR Staff

Growing up, Ivor David Balding said that he would one day own an elephant. A lifetime later, the longtime circus showman leaves behind his best, and biggest, friend: an African elephant named Flora.

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Director Bendjelloul Searched For Mysterious 'Sugar Man'

11:29am May 17, 2014

Oscar-winning director Malik Bendjelloul died this week. He's remembered in this rebroadcast of a 2012 interview with NPR's Scott Simon.

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Books
Arts

Remembering Author Farley Mowat, Who 'Wore His Kilt Dangerously'

7:49pm May 08, 2014

Canadian writer Farley Mowat has died at the age of 92. The prolific author published 45 books, perhaps the most popular of which was Never Cry Wolf.

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Arts

'Fresh Air' Remembers British Actor Bob Hoskins

2:23pm May 02, 2014

Hoskins, who played a human detective in a world of cartoon characters in the acclaimed movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, died this week after contracting pneumonia. He was 71 years old.

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British Character Actor Bob Hoskins Dies At 71

7:35am May 01, 2014

Bob Hoskins died this week after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He starred in memorable films such as The Long Good Friday, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Mona Lisa and The Cotton Club. He was 71.

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Sports

Boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter Dies At 76

7:53am April 21, 2014

by Jon Kalish

The former fierce middleweight prizefighter became an international symbol after he was convicted twice for a 1966 triple murder. Carter's conviction was eventually overturned by a federal judge.

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