Excerpts from Bellany's recent book,
"Wiki-People Who Died At Age 32"

Since 2006, Bellany has scoured Wikipedia for people who died at his exact age. When he was 32, he found 117 figures - some obscure and others notable, who had died at that tender age. In addition to writing up a short biography for each 'character', Bellany created original black and white portraits using illustrations he uncovered on image searches.

"Being the same age as each person I researched (when they died), I naturally felt a strong personal connection to their stories. I compared our accomplishments, social situations, and the eras in which we lived. It was a new way of looking at both history and myself. Now that I have moved on to age 33, I find myself contemplating the strange fact that I have lived longer than Bruce Lee, King Richard III and Alexander the Great. It definitely motivates me to work harder and make a difference."

↓more

・Bruce Lee

・Buzz Sawyer

・Davey Allison

・Dick Turpin

・Eadred of England

・Elizabeth Siddal

・Galeazzo Maria Sforza

・Glen Kidston

・Hernan Gaviria

・Jedediah 'Strong' Smith

・Joseph I

・Keith Godchaux

・Lya De Putti

・Mike Lockwood

・Ota Benga

・Ottavio Bottecchia

・Proof

・Regnier De Graaf

・Steve Chiasson

・Thomas Ashe

・Vladimir of Novgorod

・William Cartwright

・Wyndham Hallswelle

back to INDEX

Wiki-People Who Died At Age 32

Bruce Lee (1940-1973)
As the 'original' kung-fu artist and Asian film star, everybody knows 'The Dragon'. More than 35 years after his death, Bruce Lee remains a cultural icon in the West and symbol of pride in the East. Monuments in his honor continue to rise throughout Hong Kong, America, and even Eastern Europe. Sometime in 2009, a 'Bruce Lee' theme park will open in Shunde, China.

Of all the 'Wikipeople' who died at 32, only Beatles' manager Brian Epstein had a comparably dense entry. Lee's Wikipedia biography is broken into 19 chapters and includes sections with titles such as "Hong Kong Legacy", "Challengers on the Set", "quot;Physical Feats" (I recommend checking this one out), "Plagiarism Accusations" and "Philosophy".

The fact and fiction of Bruce Lee's specific accomplishments are still the subject of much debate. Could he really catch flies with his fingers? Was he the strongest fighter ever? Did Lee's 'one-inch punch' really send someone flying through a wall? Is there really a curse on his family? How did he really die? Did his miraculous birth prove the accuracy of the Chinese '4-pillars' philosophy? Whether or not you believe the legends should in no way diminish the fact that he was one of the 20th century's most fascinating people.

Born in San Francisco (he was a U.S. citizen his entire life) as Lee Jun Fan during the year, month and hour of the dragon, Bruce Lee first came to fame in the U.S. as a martial artist. However, having appeared in more than 20 Hong Kong films by the age of 18, a move to TV and film was a natural one for Lee (his father was an opera star in Hong Kong). Playing a villain in shows such as Batman, The Green Hornet, and Marlowe, Bruce's "lightning fast" kung-fu quickly garnered attention. It was his later feature films, however, that led to a martial arts boom in the West. 'Enter the Dragon', released 3 weeks after Lee's death, was the first Hong Kong movie to be jointly released by a Hollywood studio. Despite costing only $850,000 to produce, the picture went on to gross more than $200,000,000.

Off-camera, Lee authored several books, fathered two children, created his own style of kung-fu (Jeet Kune Do) and even studied philosophy, drama and psychology at the University of Washington. He worked out rigorously and was an early proponent of vitamins and health supplements. His massive personal library included volumes from a variety of genres and historical periods. Bruce Lee was also a vegetarian and fervent atheist.

Having not shown up for a dinner meeting with James Bond actor George Lazenby, Lee's friend Raymond Chow visited his Hong Kong apartment to see what was the matter. Chow found Bruce unconscious. At age 32, Lee was declared dead. Despite cannabis being found in his blood at the time of death, it is speculated that the actual cause was an allergic reaction to an over the counter muscle relaxant. Exit the Dragon.