As the decade comes to a close, we take a moment to look back on the Guest Books that received more entries than any others published that year. Some of these politicians, entertainers, and civil rights activists were taken before their time, while others lived long and full lives. We pay tribute to these ten and to the millions of others – celebrities and everyday people – who are memorialized on our site:
-
- 2001: Dale Earnhardt, seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, died at age 49 as a result of head injuries sustained during a last lap crash at the Daytona 500.
-
- 2002: Paul Wellstone, Democratic senator from Minnesota, died in a plane crash at age 58 just weeks before the 2002 elections.
-
- 2003: Maynard Jackson, the beloved first black mayor of Atlanta, died at age 65.
-
- 2004: Ronald Reagan, the nation’s 40th president, died at age 93 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
-
- 2005: Rosa Parks, the “mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” died at the age of 92.
-
- 2006: Coretta Scott King, influential civil rights figure and widow of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., died in her sleep at age 78.
-
- 2007: John Winter, friendly weatherman from Tampa Bay, died at age 39.
-
- 2008: Bernie Mac, comedian and actor, died at age 50 from complications of sarcoidosis.
-
- 2009: Michael Jackson, world-renowned entertainer, died at age 50 after he suffered cardiac arrest.
-
- 2010: Phil Harris, a fishing boat captain who appeared on television’s “Deadliest Catch,” died at age 53 after suffering a massive stroke.
