October 04

Deaths - Other

1864day.year

Joseph Montferrand

(1802 - 1864)

Canadian logger and strongman

Canadian logger and strongman
Canadian logger and folk hero celebrated for his legendary feats of strength in the 19th-century timber camps.
Joseph Montferrand, born in 1802 near Montreal, became a renowned figure among Canadian lumberjacks. He earned fame for extraordinary feats of strength, such as lifting massive logs and defending fellow workers from bullies. Stories of his courage and fairness spread through songs and oral traditions across Quebec and Ontario. Montferrand's legend symbolized the rugged spirit and camaraderie of the early Canadian frontier. Although accounts are often exaggerated, his life inspired poetry and folk ballads that endure to this day.
1864 Joseph Montferrand
1951day.year

Henrietta Lacks

(1920 - 1951)

American medical patient

American medical patient
American woman whose cervical cancer cells became the first immortal human cell line, revolutionizing medical research.
Born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1920 to a family of tobacco farmers. Diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer in 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Without her consent, doctors harvested cells that replicated indefinitely, creating the HeLa cell line. HeLa cells were instrumental in developing the polio vaccine, cancer therapies, and virology research. Her case spurred crucial debates over patients' rights and informed consent in biomedical ethics. Although she died at age 31, her contribution continues to impact science and medicine decades later. In recent years, her family has been recognized and consulted on genetic research involving HeLa cells.
1951 Henrietta Lacks
1963day.year

Alar Kotli

(1904 - 1963)

Estonian architect

Estonian architect
Estonian architect known for shaping public and cultural buildings in 20th-century Estonia.
1963 Alar Kotli
1997day.year

Gunpei Yokoi

(1941 - 1997)

Japanese game designer, created the Game Boy

Japanese game designer created the Game Boy
Japanese game designer at Nintendo, best known for creating the Game Boy.
Gunpei Yokoi was a pioneering Japanese game designer and long-time Nintendo employee. He invented the Game Boy handheld console, revolutionizing portable gaming worldwide. Yokoi also created iconic products like the Game & Watch series and the Metroid franchise. His philosophy of 'Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology' emphasized simple, affordable designs. Yokoi's innovations had a lasting impact on the gaming industry and inspired generations of designers.
Gunpei Yokoi Game Boy