November 23, 2006

2006Jesús Blancornelas, Mexican journalist, co-founded Zeta Magazine (born 1936)^[†]

J. Jesús Blancornelas was a Mexican journalist who co-founded the Tijuana-based Zeta magazine, known for its reporting on corruption and drug trafficking. His work encompassed extensive research on how the drug industry influences local leaders and the police in the Mexican state of Baja California – topics frequently avoided by the rest of the Mexican media.

2006Nick Clarke, English journalist (born 1948)^[†]

Nicholas Campbell Clarke, was an English radio and television presenter and journalist, primarily known for his work on BBC Radio 4.

2006Betty Comden, American actress, singer, and screenwriter (born 1917)^[†]

Betty Comden was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned six decades: "the longest running creative partnership in theatre history." The musical-comedy duo of Comden and Green collaborated most notably with composers Jule Styne and Leonard Bernstein, as well enjoyed success with Singin' in the Rain, as part of the famed "Freed unit" at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

2006Alexander Litvinenko, Russian spy and defector (born 1962)^[†]

Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was a British-naturalised Russian defector and former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who specialised in tackling organised crime. A prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he advised British intelligence and coined the term "mafia state".

2006Philippe Noiret, French actor (born 1930)^[†]

Philippe Noiret was a French film actor.

2006Anita O'Day, American singer (born 1919)^[†]

Anita Belle Colton, known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances that shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer". Refusing to pander to any female stereotype, O'Day presented herself as a "hip" jazz musician, wearing a band jacket and skirt as opposed to an evening gown. She changed her surname from Colton to O'Day, pig Latin for "dough", slang for money.