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A Few Influential People We Lost in 2018

We lost many celebrities in 2018, but here are a few that truly changed the world.

Sean Woytowitz

Dec 26, 2018

Emory University

A Few Influential People We Lost in 2018

https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-graves-720732/

As pop culture truly started expanding in the 1900s, many of the first "celebrities" have begun to pass away. When we see the death of any famous person in the news, we often begin to reflect on how they have influenced us in our lives and we come to the realization that they won't be able to influence us anymore. Making history and affecting others is something that almost all of us aspire to do in our lives, and here is a list of a few people who did that.

John Young (1930-2018)

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/01/07/nasa-s-most-experienced-astronaut-died-at-age-87.html

Young was a Captain in the U.S. Navy and was a NASA astronaut from San Francisco, California. In 1965 he flew on the first manned Gemini mission completed five more missions including a moonwalk in 1972.

Denise LaSalle (1939-2018)

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Denise-Lasalle-Has-Died.html?soid=1010956245373&aid=bZcKXJU_PgU

LaSalle was an American Blues, R&B, and soul singer from Belzoni, Mississippi and moonwalk to as the "Queen of Blues." She had a very successful career in the music industry with hits such as "Trapped By A Thing Called Love" from 1971.

Jill Messick (1967-2018)

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/09/584465715/jill-messick-hollywood-producer-embroiled-in-weinstein-scandal-dies-in-suicide

Messick is known for her work as the producer of "She's All That" and "Mean Girls." Her life came to an unfortunate end in February when she took her life by suicide.

Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/06/hawking200406

Hawking is one of the most famous theoretical physicists, cosmologists, and authors in history. He graduated from the University of Oxford and is known for his extensive research on black holes.

Charles Lazarus (1923-2018)

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/06/hawking200406

Almost every teenager remembers taking a trip to Toys R Us with their parents when they were little, but unfortunately the founder of this company passed away earlier this year. Lazarus is commonly known as a pioneer in the toy industry.

Linda Brown (1943-2018)

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/06/hawking200406

Every U.S. History student should know Linda Brown. The famous subject of the Supreme Court Case "Brown v. Board of Education," Linda Brown was a civil rights activist that has influenced our entire country.

Tim Bergling (Avicii) (1989-2018)

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8491041/aviciis-parents-inherit-25-million-fortune

Two-time Grammy award winner and one of the most influential musicians in the EDM field, Tom Bergling (known by his stage name Avicii) unfortunately took his life by suicide earlier this year.

Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (XXXTentacion) (1998-2018)

https://www.nme.com/news/music/xxxtentacion-spiderman-spiderverse-soundtrack-2420366

XXXTentacion is commonly referred to as one of the most influential rappers of the 21st century. He essentially created his own genre of music and, despite his criminal history, created a social movement based on love. He was murdered earlier this year.

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/music/info-2018/aretha-franklin-queen-of-soul-tribute.html

Known as the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin is recognized as one of the most talented singers in musical history. In addition to her musical career, she was also a civil rights activist and actress.

Marty Balin (1962-2018)

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/09/marty-balin-jefferson-airplane-dead/

A founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Starship, Marty Balin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1966 during a very successful and influential music career.

Paul Allen (1953-2018)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/microsoft-co-founder-paul-allen-dies-at-65/

Philanthropist and tech genius, Allen was the co-founder of the company Microsoft and gave billions to charities in education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, healthcare, community services, and more.

Stephen Hillenburg (1961-2018)

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/11/spongebob-stephen-hillenburg-dead/

Hillenburg was known for his immense contribution to children's television through his creation of, writing of, producing of, and direction of the hit TV show "Spongebob Squarepants."

George H.W. Bush (1924-2018)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush

A U.S. Navy veteran from WWII, a member of the House of Representatives, the 43rd Vice President of the United States, and the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush made immense contributions to his country.

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Recommended for you

A Few Influential People We Lost in 2018

We lost many celebrities in 2018, but here are a few that truly changed the world.

In This Article:

John Young (1930-2018)

Denise LaSalle (1939-2018)

Jill Messick (1967-2018)

Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)

Charles Lazarus (1923-2018)

Linda Brown (1943-2018)

Tim Bergling (Avicii) (1989-2018)

Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (XXXTentacion) (1998-2018)

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

Marty Balin (1962-2018)

Paul Allen (1953-2018)

Stephen Hillenburg (1961-2018)

George H.W. Bush (1924-2018)

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Cs get degrees!

1. Me after every class

2. If you really care about your grades

3. When you get a new homework assignment

4. When people ask what you're going to do after college

5. When you see people who don't study and get good grades

6. We're all broke here

7. FREE FOOD IS FREE FOOD!

8. When it seems like everyone in class is smart - EXCEPT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR GROUP PROJECT!!

Other than knowledge and all those important things

How to take stairs.

Caffeine is your friend.

How to study.

Finding free food.

How to take a nap anywhere.

How to appreciate sleep.

How to procrastinate productively.

Surprise: This is not on the syllabus

1. As a freshman, one does get to be called “freshman” by upperclassmen when they walk to parties in a mob of people.

2. Some of the best stories happen after 2 a.m.

3. Upperclassmen live for meal swipes from freshman because they are poor and need free food.

4. People are struggling just as much as you are so you're not alone.

5. You will never take privacy or personal space for granted ever again.

6. You are not the only one who has slept on the community bathroom floor after a night out.

7. Skipping class for Netflix is a valid excuse.

8. It’s totally acceptable to bring a pot of coffee, a sleeping bag and a pillow to the library.

9. Having class with a friend is the best because you can trade off days on who goes to class.

10. When you are a senior, you take the easiest classes to boost your GPA.

11. How to pull an all-nighter.

12. How to handle drunk people.

13. The drunk you does not look out for sober you about 90 percent of the time.

14. How to deal with a hangover.

15. How to interact with people very different from you.

16. The perfect amount to procrastinate on every assignment.

17. How to pass a class without paying for the textbook that was "required."

18. How to calculate your grades to see what you need on every test in order to maintain a passing grade.

19. How to hook-up with someone without getting emotions involved (but we all know that doesn’t happen).

20. How to handle your roommate when you want to strangle them.

21. That you miss your parent’s every day.

22. How to get into a bar when you aren’t 21.

23. How to BS on assignments, out loud and on your resume.

24. That theme parties are the greatest.

25. How to find free events that have free food.

26. That when there are puppies on campus it will be the greatest day of your life.

27. Alarms are necessary and you must set like seven of them in order to wake up in time for class.

28. Greek parties are exactly how they are in movies.

29. Care packages are treated like Christmas presents.

30. The friends you meet in college will become your bridesmaids and groomsmen.

31. That printers only break when you need them the most.

32. Cereal, ramen noodles, Easy Mac and microwavable pancakes can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

33. That classes before 8 a.m. should be illegal.

34. Changing your major is OK.

Don't let the thesaurus-inspired vocabularies in our résumés fool you. We're actually just big kids.

"You should know exactly what career is right for your future by the time you're 18."

"Save all your money."

"Get plenty of sleep and adjust to a regular sleep schedule."

"Make sure to eat healthy, balanced meals. Don't forget those fruits and vegetables."

"Surround yourself with good, moral people."

"Don't do anything stupid."

Seriously, who wouldn't love pizza?

Pizza is like a BFF

It can be delivered right to your door!

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