Noel Neill, the actress known best as Lois Lane in “Superman” film serials and on TV, died July 3, 2016. She was 95. Neill first played the intrepid reporter in the film serial “Superman” (1948) and its sequel, “Atom Man vs. Superman” (1950). Produced by Columbia Pictures, these were the first live-action adaptations of the popular comic book character Superman. The serials were financially successful and raised her profile as well as that of her...

Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated magazine, died June 3, 2016. He was 74. Born Cassius Clay Jan. 17, 1942, he began boxing as a preteen, enjoying an award-winning amateur career. He won six Golden Gloves titles in his home state of Kentucky, two national Golden Gloves titles and an Amateur Athletic Union National Title. His amateur career culminated with a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. Clay moved...

Prince Rogers Nelson, the musical superstar known better simply as Prince, died April 21. He was 57. One of the best-selling musicians of all time, a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Prince won seven Grammy Awards as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Songs including "When Doves Cry," "Raspberry Beret," and "Kiss" soared to popularity and became pop-culture staples, widely known by fans of all genres of music. His broad appeal was due in...

TORONTO - Rob Ford ­­— the most bombastic, unconventional and tough-talking politician in Toronto — is dead. The former mayor died Tuesday at the age of 46. Ford is survived by his wife, Renata, and his two young children, Stephanie and Dougie. The death of the Ward 2-Etobicoke North councillor comes almost two years into his battle with cancer. Ford was diagnosed in September 2014 with pleomorphic liposarcoma. Although he seemed to be on the road to recovery...

Harper Lee, whose first novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” about racial injustice in a small Alabama town, sold more than 40 million copies and became one of the most beloved and most taught works of fiction ever written by an American, died on Friday in Monroeville, Ala., where she lived. She was 89. Hank Conner, a nephew of Ms. Lee’s, said that she died in her sleep at the Meadows, an assisted living facility. The instant success of “To Kill a Mockingbird,”...

British actor Alan Rickman, whose career ranged from Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company to the Harry Potter films, has died. He was 69. His sonorous, languid voice was his calling card - making even throwaway lines of dialogue sound thought-out and authoritative. It could also be laced with threat, something he employed to great effect in Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the eight Potter films, where he played scheming potions master Severus Snape. But he could also...

Until the last, David Bowie, who has died of cancer, was still capable of springing surprises. His latest album, Blackstar, appeared on his 69th birthday on 8 January, and showed that his gift for making dramatic statements as well as challenging, disturbing music had not deserted him. Throughout the 1970s, Bowie was a trailblazer of musical trends and pop fashion. Having been a late-60s mime and cabaret entertainer, he evolved into a singer-songwriter, and a pioneer of glam-rock,...

Despite playing an astonishing variety of roles, Sir Christopher Lee was never quite able to escape the legacy of Count Dracula. His career spanned seven decades, and he was still appearing on screen well into his eighties, notably in Peter Jackson's blockbusting trilogy, The Lord of the Rings and Tim Burton's Dark Shadows in 2012. His height - he was 6 ft 4 inches tall - and his deep and powerful voice meant he invariably dominated any scene in which he played. Yet it was a long...

CHICAGO (AP) — When Minnie Minoso broke into major league baseball, the "Cuban Comet" was part of a wave of black players who changed the game forever. By the time he played in his final game 35 years ago, he was a beloved figure with the Chicago White Sox. It was one amazing ride for the seemingly ageless slugger, who died early Sunday morning after helping clear the way for generations of minority ballplayers, including a long list of stars from his home...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leonard Nimoy didn't just leave a lasting impression on the science-fiction genre, he also left his mark on science itself. Seth Shostak, who researches the possibility of real-world extraterrestrial life as the senior astronomer at SETI Research, recalled that Nimoy was regularly willing to lend the organization a helping hand. When he was asked to narrate a planetarium introduction or appear as a guest at an event, Nimoy did so graciously and never...