Pop Culture Flashback: Aretha Franklin Passes Away (August 16)

2018 – Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, Passes Away

It was on this day in 2018 when the world said goodbye to singer Aretha Franklin, aka the “queen of soul.” Franklin died due to advanced pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.

Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942. When Franklin was 14 years old, she began touring with her father’s “gospel caravan” tours performing in various churches. He also helped her sign her first record deal, Songs of Faith in 1956.

By the age of 16, Aretha was touring with Martin Luther King Jr. In September of 1960, her first single with Columbia Records, “Today I Sing the Blues,” was issued followed by her album, Aretha: With the Ray Bryant Combo in January 1961. In 1967 Franklin released the album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, which featured “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”. It earned Aretha her first #1 R&B song and gold album.

Her career continued for more than five decades. In 2009, she sang at the inauguration of President Obama and her final album, A Brand New Me came out in 2017.

OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY:

1954 – Sports Illustrated’s First Issue

Sports Illustrated magazine covers — (Wikimedia Commons)

Did you know that there were actually two different magazines that were published with the title of Sports Illustrated before the one we know today?

The first was published between 1936-1938 and focused on golf, tennis and skiing. The name was sold to Dell who produced a new version that focused on baseball, basketball and boxing, but it only lasted for six issues.

It wasn’t until this day in 1954 that the modern version came about. It is said that the goal wasn’t for it to be A sports magazine but THE sports magazine.

1996 – Gorilla Saves 3-Year-Old Boy

Binti Jua the gorilla — Binti Jua in 2025 (Wikimedia Commons)

It was on this day in 1996 when a 3-year-old boy fell more than 20 feet into the gorilla pit at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois.

The boy laid lifeless for a few moments until Binti Jua, an 8-year-old gorilla, picked him up, cradled him in her arms and protected him from the other apes. She later handed the boy over to zookeepers who then rushed the boy to the hospital.

The zookeepers said that since the ape was raised by humans, she was more “people oriented.” The boy made a full recovery, and the story warmed the hearts of many.

1934 – The First Queen of the Nile

A scene from the movie "Cleopatra" — Claudette Colbert as the queen of the Nile in 1934. *(Paramount Pictures via TVDB)*

Numerous actresses have played Cleopatra on the big screen over the years. Perhaps the most well-known actress was Elizabeth Taylor who starred in the 1963 award-winning film. However, that wasn’t the first Cleopatra-themed movie to be nominated for an Academy Award. That honor went to Cecil B. DeMille’s 1934 Cleopatra which opened on this day.

Believe it or not, Cleopatra was DeMille’s 59th film, his seventh to be filmed with sound and his first movie to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

As with other DeMille films, Cleopatra was epic. It employed over 5,000 actors, extras and crew members. The movie starred Claudette Colbert as the queen, Warren William as Julius Caesar and Henry Wilcoxon as Mark Antony.

Cleopatra was nominated for five Academy Awards but only won one Osca for Cinematography. Sadly, neither Elizabeth nor Claudette won an Oscar for playing the Egyptian queen. In fact, after all these years, no one has.