Your History

Suzanne Massie, an American scholar of Russian history who played an important role in the thawing of relations between US President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union in the 80s, and who some believe may have ‘helped to end the Cold War’.  

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The decorated wartime pilot, Jack Hemmings, co-founded the world’s largest humanitarian airline, the Mission Aviation Fellowship and, in 2022, at the age of 100, became the oldest person to perform aerobatics in a Spitfire.

Image: Courtesy of MAF

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The BBC producer who created Question Time. Maxwell's programme changed the landscape of political debate on British TV, but she frequently clashed with the show’s presenter Robin Day.

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Ken Capstick, the right-hand man to the miner’s union leader, Arthur Scargill, and who played a prominent role fighting the Thatcher government’s plans for mass pit closures.

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Prince Karim Al-Husseini, the Aga Khan. A billionaire philanthropist, who was for nearly seven decades the spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims.

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The Norfolk farmer who became a household name, and divided the nation, after going to prison for shooting and killing a child burglar.

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Princess Birgitta, the Swedish royal who grew up in palaces, but settled in a bungalow in Munich. And Kirsten Simone, the much-loved Danish prima ballerina who turned heads with what was, at the time, considered a daringly erotic interpretation of Carmen.

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Three greats, all from very different fields of work; film-maker David Lynch, known for ground-breaking films including Mullholland Drive, Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man; the stalwart of stage and screen, distinguished actress Joan Plowright; and the incredible Manchester United and Scotland football legend Denis Law.

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Jean-Marie Le Pen, a French far-right politician who built a substantial following but whose antisemitism and xenophobia meant opponents on all sides united against him. And, the American singer Sam Moore, one half of the duo Sam & Dave who were best known for their 1967 hit Soul Man.

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David Lodge, an academic and author, revitalised campus novels with his witty takes on university life, Catholicism, and sex. And, Swiss-born New York socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, who sadly was also known as “the poster child for plastic surgery gone wrong.”

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Further reading: What happened to the Bride of Wildenstein and her $2.5 billion?

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Jimmy Carter was the only US President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his work done after leaving office. He was by common consent, the “best former president America has ever had”. And Manmohan Singh was India's reluctant Prime Minister who changed the lives of millions.

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In this special episode of Your History, presented by Jane Mulkerrins, a chance to reflect on the extraordinary lives of individuals who left their mark on the world, from French pop icon Françoise Hardy to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. We also hear about the lives of groundbreaking Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, TV doctor Michael Mosley and American music legend Quincy Jones — their stories reminding us of the power of resilience, creativity, and ingenuity found in the obituaries printed in The Times during 2024. 

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Tony Brignull was a master of the art of advertising during the ‘golden age of advertising’ when it is said a well chosen phrase could grab everyone’s attention.

And the wrestler known throughout the wrestling world as simply “Goldbelt”, Brian Maxine was a flamboyant wrestling champion who dominated the sport of wrestling through the 1960s and 70s and beyond.

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In Nazi-occupied France, Renee Bornstein hid in barns and convents before her capture aged ten, the Holocaust survivor bravely shared her childhood ordeal so that the world would never forget, and Cuban trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club who became the heartbeat of Cuban music for generations.

Image credit: Getty Images and Holocaust Matters.

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The Times Obituaries remembers the lives of Sir Robert Gillies, the New Zealand infantryman who fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino and was thought to be the last of the Maori Battalion, and Judith Jamison, star and artistic director of the boundary-pushing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

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