Health & Fitness
The Loss of “Clemente” and “Nelson” - This Day in History – Dec 31st
The Loss of "Clemente" and "Nelson" - This Day in History – Dec 31st
Baseball legend, Roberto Clemente dies in plane crash
Back in 1972, the Pittsburgh Pirates and thousands of fans mourned the loss of outfielders, Roberto Clemente. Mr. Clemente, a native of Puerto Rico had reached his 3000th hit at the end of the season for his team. He died while trying to deliver supplies to Earthquake survivors in Nicaragua.
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According to biography.com, “Off the field, Clemente was described as a quiet gentleman. He was proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and stood up for minority rights. Clemente married Vera Zabala in 1963, and they had three sons. He died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, on his way to bring much needed supplies to survivors of an earthquake in Nicaragua. The next year he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.”
Four other passengers on the cargo plane were killed as well in this crash off the coast of Puerto Rico. Sadly, none of the bodies were ever found. The owner of the plane was proven negligent in delivering a plane n such bad shape mechanically and the pilot has erred in over-boosting the engines along with exceeding the required weight of the plane with the supplies.
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According to history.com, “In 1973, Clemente was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
Links to Roberto Clemente:
Teen Pop Idol, Rick Nelson dies in plane crash
Back in 1985, Rick Nelson, a teen idol and the youngest son of the 1950’s television series, “Ozzie and Harriet,” died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Mr. Nelson’s
musical career did very well with the help of his appearances on the television show along with the American Broadcasting Corporation’s help. Furthermore, he was the first ever pop star to crossover from the television Nielsen Charts to the musical Billboard Charts.
According to history.com, “Beginning with his double-sided hit debut single, "I'm Walkin" b/w "A Teenager's Romance" (1957), Nelson reeled off a string of 30 rockabilly-tinged top 40 hits in the next five years—more than any other artist in the same period save for Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. Like Elvis himself, Nelson saw his commercial appeal take a major hit with the arrival of the Beatles in 1964. Nelson would remain musically relevant over the next decade, though, even earning credit for helping inspire the California sound of artists like Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles with his country-inspired late 1960s work. But after a brief revival in the early 1970s fueled by the #6 pop hit "Garden Party" (1972), Nelson's career as a recording artist essentially ended.”
According to rttnews.com, “The plane had previously been owned by Jerry Lee Lewis and had significant technical problems. According to several witnesses, the plane had burst into flames before the pilots performed a forced landing in a wooded area. Seven people including Nelson, his wife and several band members were killed in the fire that ensued.”
Mr. Nelson received a high musical honor that no other former child actor has achieved; he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Links to Rick Nelson videos
All History facts provided from the link below:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-and-khrushchev-exchange-holiday-greetings?catId=9
