Talk:List of premature obituaries

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Contents

[edit] Robert Graves

What about Robert Graves? His family were informed (wrongly) of his death, but it wasn't an obituary as such, I suppose. Could he be added here? Ben davison 16:47, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I reckon not - unless the general public were also told this. (I don't think a private misreport of death quite counts as strong enough.) Ben Finn 19:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
Actually I've changed my mind and put it in. Ben Finn 11:17, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
In fact one source says an obit or report was published in The Times. Ben Finn 22:40, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jello Biafra

Re Jello Biafra, does anyone know if these Internet reports of his death were properly published (by a media outlet)? The Internet is full of all kinds of rumours, which don't count. Ben Finn 15:09, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

I assume not (having tried Googling) so have moved the entry to here:

Ben Finn 16:40, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jon Heder and Steve Burns

Are the premature death reports of Steve Burns and Jon Heder notable enough to list here?--Fallout boy 04:39, 21 January 2006 (UTC)

No, because they appear to be mere rumors (i.e. not reported as fact by the media). Ben Finn 21:20, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hallie Kate Eisenberg

I've cut this (assuming it wasn't reported by the media) as non-media reports are just rumors. Ben Finn 21:16, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

  • Hallie Kate Eisenberg, known for starring in a series of Pepsi commercials in 2000, was reported dead by several websites following rumors that she had died in New York City after a hit and run accident. The websites claimed that Eisenberg was "not wearing a seat belt while riding in the backseat of a limousine. A car rear-ended the limo, causing Eisenberg to tumble out of its open window, where she landed on the street and was run down by an approaching car driving on the lane." While it was discovered that Eisenberg was indeed alive and well, rumors of her death still circulated, despite the fact that she continued to film Pepsi commercials for two years afterward.

[edit] Bertrand Russell

I've deleted the claim that he sent a telegram to the Times saying 'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated' - this sounds like a confusion with Mark Twain. (Unless Russell also did the same.) Ben Finn 11:19, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cockie Hoogterp

I've removed the date 1938 from the item on Cockie Hoogterp, as it seems doubtful (and it's not terribly necessary, though it would be nice to add back if accurate). Baron Blixen's third wife, Jacqueline Alexander, seems to have died in 1955, so her death can hardly have prompted an erroneous obituary two decades before. (I think Cockie was Cockie Birkbeck and became Cockie Hoogterp following her marriage to Jan Hoogterp.) The Norwegian Wikipedia suggests that "Cookie" was Jacqueline Harriet Alexander, and the third wife was Eva Amalia Maria Lindstrom. So additional information on the Baron's actual wives or further correction would be welcome. - Nunh-huh 15:19, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Noam Chomsky

How come Noam Chomsky isn't written here? When Hugo Chavez gave his speech at the UN, he referred to the "late Noam Chomsky" or something like that. --aishel 21:42, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Here, I found a link. --aishel 21:51, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I've cut the Chomsky entry because, if the latest change to it is correct, it is a misreport not of his death but of a speech in which it wasn't even said that Chomsky had died. The cut text is here:

  • Noam Chomsky: at a news conference after his address to the United Nations in September 2006, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela was reported by The New York Times to have praised Chomsky while regretting not having met him before his death. In actuality, Chávez had not said that; an error in the simultaneous translation of his remarks in Spanish was to blame for the discrepancy. The Times printed a retraction.[1]

Ben Finn 21:36, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ana Torroja

It says "the death of Spanish pop group Mecano's singer was erroneously announced twice" - were these two separate occasions? If so she should also be listed under Double Recipients. Ben Finn 13:39, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Failed GA of 11/28

Sorry, but please read WP:WIAGA. Aside from the fact that I'm not sure if a list qualifies as a Good Article candidate, the list contains no references whatsoever; as a result, it could not possibly be a GA. -- Kicking222 15:24, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ABBA

I've deleted the ABBA entry as it appears to report a mere rumour (not a media report). Ben Finn 20:10, 2 January 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Michael Tippett

Does anyone know anything about a premature obituary for composer Michael Tippett? If so, please add an entry for him to the article. Ben Finn 19:07, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Actual I think this was a misunderstanding - he didn't get one. Ben Finn 23:54, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] References

I am just beginning to add proper references for all the entries. Please assist, particularly with those listed above or with a 'citation needed' marker. Thanks! Ben Finn 19:48, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedian challenge

Can anyone find examples of seriously late obituaries, i.e. obituaries published years after a person's actual death. Given the many examples on this list, I think it's likely late obituaries exist as well.--Pharos 19:40, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bertrand Russell

Can anyone cast any light on his two obituary incidents, which though apparently separated by many years sound suspiciously similar (Japanese journalists & serious respiratory illnesses). Ben Finn 01:25, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Actually I've cut the second incident (which follows), which I can't find on the Internet and which sounds like a distortion of the 1920 incident:

In 1954 after Japanese journalists were refused an interview with Russell because he was seriously ill with bronchitis.

Ben Finn 23:58, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Robert Palmer

I've cut this entry because I'm not sure the death was more than a rumour:

The only reference I can readily find is this page, which doesn't say a report was ever published: http://dpsinfo.com/dps/rumors.html Can anyone cast any light on this? Ben Finn 22:09, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Failed GA

This article fails its GA nomination for the same reason as above. According to the GA criteria, lists cannot be GAs. Consider improving it and taking it to FA. Please do not nominate the article again. Thank you. --Nehrams2020 19:09, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

WP:FLC is the place to nominate this list, and once the citation needed tags are turned into references it stands a good chance of becoming a Featured List. - Suicidalhamster 19:24, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citations needed

References are needed for the following entries, which I have hence moved here from the article. If you can provide a source please add it to the entry and move it back to the article. Ben Finn 00:31, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks - I think this is sufficient so I've added it to the article. Ben Finn 21:08, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

* Jeffrey Combs (actor) was declared dead after the September 11, 2001 attacks when he was confused with a businessman named Jeffrey Coombs (different spelling) who was aboard one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center.[citation needed]

    • The article on Combs has a link to here, which confirms that there was a person of a similar name who died. It doesn't confirm that there was an obituary, but there's something to go by now.
Someone's added Combs back to the article so I'll leave it there. Ben Finn 15:22, 22 August 2007 (UTC)
I've added a few sources and areas to start at; perhaps I'll get more work done on it later, or someone else is welcome to move others (at the very least Bumpass, who's got enough sourcing, I think, to add back). Ral315 » 07:34, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sinbad

I have reinstated the Sinbad entry because it does conform with the criteria in the intro, viz:

This article lists the recipients of incorrect death reports (not just formal obituaries) from publications, media organisations, official bodies, and widely-used information sources such as Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia is a 'widely-used information source', and a formal obituary is not required - only an incorrect death report. Ben Finn 12:09, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm worried about precedent. If I were to edit Abe Vigoda's article now, to state that he's again dead, is that worth noting? Whether it's kept or not, look at Sinbad (actor) - it was simply a rumor that spread to Wikipedia, and thus this entry is factually inaccurate. A few anonymous editors changed the page for a few minutes, and outside sources besmirched Wikipedia by using the "old revision" link to make it look like we still had this on our site. Wikipedia is fundamentally different from a news organization, or even IMDb, in that we have no paid workers, no hierarchy. Anyone can say anything, including that someone had died. Therefore, Wikipedia's role in that is no different than if someone created a GeoCities page stating that Vigoda had died- we're simply much more popular, and thus a little more scrutinized. (For the record, I was the IP that removed Sinbad's entry). Ral315 » 07:27, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
The fact that it started as a rumour doesn't rule it out (there are other cases which started as a rumour but ended up in newspapers, for example). I agree it is somewhat borderline but I think Wikipedia is of similar status to IMDB, i.e. an information source that is largely trusted and is widely used, to the extent that serious errors in it are noteworthy (which is partly why the incident in question was reported in the press). Yes, it is true that other similar bogus edits to Wikipedia could create similar incidents, but if that started happening repeatedly then I think at that stage (rather than now) it would mean Wikipedia was not a suitable source for entries for this article. 193.82.16.42 14:33, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Missing Falklands soldier

Does anyone have details of a (presumably British) soldier who was found alive in the Falklands some weeks or months after the end of the Falklands War; there had been a memorial service for him? (I heard mention of it on a BBC Radio 4 documentary today, but he wasn't named, and a quick search on Google didn't help.) Ben Finn 22:46, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Now found. But does anyone know why it took Philip Williams 'seven weeks to find his way back to civilization' (according to the cover notes of his book), given that Mount Tumbledown apparently overlooks Port Stanley? (Possibly this is why he was accused of desertion.)Ben Finn 22:52, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re: James Brady

Much as I am not a Rather fan, it is incomplete to mention only he and CBS under the James Brady entry. All three broadcast networks erroneously reported Brady's death, a report which resulted from a misunderstanding of something a White House source said. (On ABC, the premature report of Brady's death is what triggered Frank Reynolds' famous "Let's get it nailed down!" on-air outburst.) StanislavJ 23:38, 8 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] To include CNN.com?

Should those encountered in the CNN.com incident really be included in the list? These early obituaries were not published; they were not even completely written. In my opinion they should be removed from the list.

The caption on the photo of Dick Cheney that "CNN declared Dick Cheney the 'UK's favorite grandmother'" is highly sensationalist and barely true: CNN did not declare anything; they just failed to protect an unedited work. jnothman talk 02:35, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Yes, well it's borderline, but too interesting to omit I think. The obits were (unintentionally) in the public domain, even though not actively published. (And several other cases listed involve unintentional publication.) Ben Finn 23:06, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pope Benedict XV

For Pope Benedict XV, a source is given as

http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=9633

Which in turn provides the source Shooting the Bull by David Ellby.

Without a publisher or publication date, and no references in Google, it's impossible to tell if this is a work of reference, or a comic book. With a name like 'Shooting the Bull' it seems unlikely it's a serious publication. If this story is true, the headline must appear in the archive of a particular newspaper on a particular date. Without this information, the story is unverifiable and should be removed. - Crosbiesmith 17:38, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cardinal Somaglia

Does anyone know if this refers to Giulio Maria Cardinal della Somaglia? The dates of death don't quite match, but they seem too similar to be anyone else, as it seems unlikely there would be two contemporaneous cardinals with the same surname. Ben Finn 23:08, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I thought this article was about obituaries.

When I first saw this article, I took it to mean early reports of someone's death, not cases of someone believed to be dead, but revived by CPR, or someone buried alive, or someone about to be autopsied, etc. An obituary is a death report. If other cases of mistaken declarations of death are going to be included, then I think the title of the article should be changed accordingly, or else these other cases should be put into a separate article. --Procrastinatrix 15:51, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

I mostly agree. I've recently added a number of new entries (late at night) of which on reflection a couple were not death reports in this sense, so I have removed them again. See below.
However someone being mistakenly buried or autopsied alive involves them first being officially declared dead (e.g. by a doctor), which is within the conditions of the list stated near the start of the list. (Though in some cases listed we can only presume someone made such an official declaration - I have amended the wording of several entries to make this clear.) Despite the list's elliptical title, it does include a wider category than strict obituaries; other official or media declarations of death are included. Ben Finn 15:28, 22 August 2007 (UTC)
A doctor's declaring someone dead is not a "report" in the media at all. This is an entirely different category. All examples should be moved to List of people thought dead who revived.--Pharos (talk) 16:57, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] John Stebbins

I've removed this entry as there is no indication that his death was incorrectly reported rather than merely believed:

  • John Stebbins, US serviceman, was thought to have been killed on three occasions during the 1993 battle of Mogadishu (which was the subject of the film Blackhawk Down). However he survived his injuries and was awarded the Silver Star.[1]

If anyone comes across evidence of e.g. a newspaper or official report that he was dead, please reinstate it. Ben Finn 15:28, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Eric Eaton

Similarly I've removed this one as there was no formal death report:

  • Eric Eaton: this American 78-year-old was hit by a car while jogging in March 2007. With head injuries and bleeding profusely, he was declared dead by a passer-by who said he was a medical professional. However, a passing sheriff's deputy detected a faint pulse and administered CPR; Eaton was sent to hospital alive, though in a critical condition.[2]

Ben Finn 15:30, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] St Teresa

Similarly removed:

  • Saint Teresa of Ávila: following a long and serious illness, in August 1539 she fell into a coma so deep that she was thought to have died. However she revived four days later, though her legs remained paralysed for three years. She attributed her recovery to St Joseph.[3]

Ben Finn 15:45, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Heinz Wolff

I've moved this here because it is unsourced:

Heinz Wolff (scientist and British TV personality). The Sun wrongly reported his death when another Professor Heinz Wolff died. He said that they had sometimes been confused before, but not in this macabre way.[citation needed]

Ben Finn 23:07, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

Someone has re-added a version this story to the article so I've reinstated it with a citation tag.Ben Finn (talk) 23:39, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Dave Grohl

This is unsourced and lacks sufficient information:

  • Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman was subject to a Hoax Death, in which a Hoax news website posted an article on his death in 2005.

Ben Finn 11:42, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

The incident was pretty widespread, and the next month the front cover of NME was Dave's angry face and the title "I'm not dead!" I'm sure it would be fairly easy to get a source, if not from NME then from any other mag. —Preceding unsigned comment added by RaphaelBriand (talk • contribs) 23:07, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Julian Dale Pipkins

I've cut this entry because there is no indication that the death claim was believed (e.g. by officials):

this Miami labourer was believed by police to have faked his own death in November 2006 to avoid prosecution for child molestation. Days before the trial was due to commence, Pipkins' teenage son told police he had drowned on a fishing trip - later admitting that his father had made up the story and was in hiding in Texas. Pipkins was later convicted of molestation, and faced further charges relating to the fake death.[4] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bfinn (talk • contribs) 00:49, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Union General in the civil war declared dead on the battlefield approaching Petersburg. I believe he was awarded a "post-humous" medal, even though he survived and went on the become govenor of Maine, etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.181.197.91 (talk) 14:49, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I've tracked down a source and added this to the article. Ben Finn (talk) 00:40, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

Chamberlain was not a general at the time of his wounding--he was reported as terminal and given a battlefield promotion so he could die a brigadier general. Source: his wikipedia page. Mohrr (talk) 18:44, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Nancy Benoit

Though this is very interesting, unfortunately this entry is ineligible as (according to the article linked to) she was already dead a day or two before the hoax Wikipedia entry was made. Ben Finn (talk) 00:28, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

  • Nancy Benoit, wife of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, was reported dead by a Wikipedia update two-and-a-half hours before her body was discovered along with those of her husband and young son. The update was traced to a computer terminal in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, the headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment. Police later discovered that the update had been a coincidence. See also Chris Benoit double murder and suicide.

[ref]Schoetz, D.: Wiki Confession an 'Unbelievable Hinderance', cited on [3]

[edit] Le Monde incident

On 5 May 1998 french newspaper Le Monde reported the death of italian actress Monica Vitti. I found only this source (in french).[4]Orson001 (talk) 13:41, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

I think you meant 5 May 1988. 79.73.200.221 (talk) 16:10, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
You are correct.I meant 1988 Orson001 (talk) 16:17, 19 February 2008 (UTC)