RIP December 31

The 1970s sucked. In 1970, it was Peter Duel, who was great in Alias Smith & Jones. He was Smith, aka Hannibal Hayes.

Remember the Managua earthquake? And how Roberto Clemente felt something should be done. He collected a bunch of supplies, and when he heard they weren't getting where they were needed, he decided to fly out himself an keep an eye on things. Alas, shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed. RIP arguably the bed right fielder in MLB history. In recognition of his Hall of Fame credentials and his death in the service of mankind, he's the first player to be elected to the Hall of Fame before 7 years are up. He's elected immediately.

Speaking of airplane crashes, in 1985 it's RIP Ricky Nelson. He's the son of Ozzie and Harriet, and the father of Matthew, Gunnar, and Tracey. And of course he was also a singer. I guess one could say that he went to a garden party, and now he's reminiscing with his old friends. But it's alright now- he's learned his lesson well.