Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Which celebrity death do you think is the most tragic?

kramus · 06-29-2009, 06:13 PM

When I read the thread title I thought immediately of my hero Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431) who was burned at the stake at the age of 19. She was completely impossible, and she transformed the world. Her work and her example arguably allowed the formation of the modern state of France (through the creation of the spirit of "nationhood"), and which allowed Europe to coalesce around this strong core of France. A less ravaged and more defined Europe in turn lead to the Renaissance. Imagine what Joan of Arc could have accomplished had she been allowed some more time.

A man I wished had been given 20 more years is Genghis Khan (1162 - 1227) who died after falling from a horse during a hunt. Yes, he lived till the age of 65, and yes part of his empire lasted (at least in name) until the final desolution of the Golden Horde through annexation by Catherine the Great of Russia in 1768 (540 years after his death). But he could have strengthened and guided what he had created in a way that his sons were incapable of, and had he lived he would have done a better job of arranging his succession. I strongly recommend the book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. A truly amazing man of remarkable genius and insight.

Tom Thompson (1877 - 1917) was the founder of The Group of Seven artists in Canada. He was a brilliant and gifted artist who died under mysterious circumstances. His gifts and his vision were a real loss.

The recent loss of Freddie Mercury and John Lennon are about the most tragic of recent celebrities that come to mind.

06-29-2009, 06:13 PM	#33 (permalink)
kramus loving the curves Location: my Lady's manor	When I read the thread title I thought immediately of my hero Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431) who was burned at the stake at the age of 19. She was completely impossible, and she transformed the world. Her work and her example arguably allowed the formation of the modern state of France (through the creation of the spirit of "nationhood"), and which allowed Europe to coalesce around this strong core of France. A less ravaged and more defined Europe in turn lead to the Renaissance. Imagine what Joan of Arc could have accomplished had she been allowed some more time. A man I wished had been given 20 more years is Genghis Khan (1162 - 1227) who died after falling from a horse during a hunt. Yes, he lived till the age of 65, and yes part of his empire lasted (at least in name) until the final desolution of the Golden Horde through annexation by Catherine the Great of Russia in 1768 (540 years after his death). But he could have strengthened and guided what he had created in a way that his sons were incapable of, and had he lived he would have done a better job of arranging his succession. I strongly recommend the book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. A truly amazing man of remarkable genius and insight. Tom Thompson (1877 - 1917) was the founder of The Group of Seven artists in Canada. He was a brilliant and gifted artist who died under mysterious circumstances. His gifts and his vision were a real loss. The recent loss of Freddie Mercury and John Lennon are about the most tragic of recent celebrities that come to mind. __________________ And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ... I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca