obituaries

Silvio Berlusconi meets journalists at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome in 2018.

World News

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's former prime minister, has died at the age of 86

4:18pm June 12, 2023

by Sylvia Poggioli

The media mogul turned prime minister left a mark on popular culture, while his coarseness and constant legal woes trashed political norms and tainted Italy's image in the world.

This 1976 file photo shows Oakland A's Vida Blue, the hard-throwing left-hander who became one of baseball's biggest draws in the early 1970's and helped lead brash Oakland Athletics to three straight World Series titles. Blue has died. He was 73. The A's said Blue died Saturday, May 6, 2023 but did not give a cause of death.

Sports

Vida Blue, who won 3 World Series in a row with the Oakland Athletics, dies at 73

10:21pm May 08, 2023

by Ayana Archie

Blue was drafted in the second round of the 1967 MLB Draft to the Athletics. He spent nine seasons with the team, and was ultimately selected to six All-Star teams throughout his 17-year career.

Yang Bing-Yi started the Din Tai Fung restaurant with his wife in Taipei in 1972. From there, the restaurant grew into a chain of more than 170 locations around the world, known for steamed soup dumplings.

World News

Yang Bing-Yi, patriarch of Taiwan's soup dumpling empire, has died

9:16pm March 29, 2023

by Emily Feng

The cofounder of Taiwan's famed Din Tai Fung restaurant chain died at 96, his company announced March 26. He helped turn delicate soup dumplings into a global phenomenon, even earning Michelin stars.

Queue Listen Now

Pope Benedict XVI greets a crowd in Venice's St. Mark's Square in 2011.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95

1:44pm December 31, 2022

by Sylvia Poggioli

He is remembered as a staunch conservative who opposed modernizing reforms and as the first pope to step down since the 15th century.

Mwele Malecela targeted diseases that afflict the poor and disadvantaged and always wanted to give the locals a voice in any programs or strategies.

Health & Safety

In memoriam: Female trailblazers who leapt over barriers to fight for their sisters

5:49pm December 30, 2022

They were pioneers in their fields, working to improve the health and lives of other women and paving the way for other female scientists.

Author Peter Straub at St. Paul's School in London, when he was collaborating with the Aurora Orchestra for their touring show "Thriller" in 2011.

Books
Arts

Best-selling horror writer Peter Straub has died

5:40pm September 06, 2022

by Elizabeth Blair

Straub was 79. He was known for his supernatural themes, including Ghost Story, The Hellfire Club and, in collaboration with Stephen King, The Talisman.

Pianist and conductor Lars Vogt has died at age 51. He had cancer.

Music & Culture

Renowned classical pianist and conductor Lars Vogt has died at 51

10:55am September 06, 2022

by Elizabeth Blair

Vogt died "surrounded by his family after a battle with cancer," according to a statement from his representatives.

Former presidential pastry chef Roland Mesnier dies at age 78

4:16pm September 02, 2022

Roland Mesnier served as the White House pastry chef for 25 years under five different presidents. Mesnier died last week at age 78.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who helped end the Cold War, has died

5:06am August 31, 2022

by Charles Maynes

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who played a pivotal role in the end of the Cold War, has died at the age of 91 in Moscow.

Reflecting on Mikhail Gorbachev's life and achievements

5:06am August 31, 2022

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul (mc-FAWL) about the legacy of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died yesterday in Moscow at 91.