Deaths of famous people (2022)

[HondoKillebrew]

I was never a soccer fan, and no one I knew growing up was, and yet everyone knew who Pele was. A true legend for sure.

My memories of him mainly relate to his tenure with the Cosmos. Hated that team but how could you not love Pele? RIP

[imref]

My memories of him mainly relate to his tenure with the Cosmos. Hated that team but how could you not love Pele? RIP

i was pretty young when he came to NY to play for the Cosmos but I remember it being a BFD. I also remember seeing a SI cover with him on it.

I don't think we Americans for the most part understand how big guys like Pele and Messi are on the international stage.

[Natsinpwc]

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pele at age 82.

last back to back world cup champions.

[imref]

Barbara Walters, 93. Iconic personality.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Barbara Walters, 93. Iconic personality.

[1995hoo]

And this morning we learn that Pope Benedict XVI had died. Not at all a surprise given the news in recent days. Pope Francis has talked of retiring because he faces his own health problems, but by all accounts he was reluctant to cause a situation where there were three living popes. I wonder whether he will view Benedict's death as freeing him in that respect.

[HalfSmokes]

It used to be that you didn’t live that long once you started really declining, but modern medicine has changed that. It would be interesting to see a tradition start where the pope steps down when the predecessor dies

[imref]

And this morning we learn that Pope Benedict XVI had died. Not at all a surprise given the news in recent days. Pope Francis has talked of retiring because he faces his own health problems, but by all accounts he was reluctant to cause a situation where there were three living popes. I wonder whether he will view Benedict's death as freeing him in that respect.

i read the other day that the Vatican is scrambling to come up with a protocol for a funeral for a retired Pope as the last time a former Pope died was in the 1400s.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Francis is 86.  He was 76 when elected.  The mode age of Popes when elected is between 61-70 (37 out of 103 elected whose exact age is known), with 51-60 right behind (24).  21 were older than 70 (like Francis). 

Francis and Benedict are two of the oldest popes at the time of election.  Benedict was the 5th oldest, and Francis was in the top 10.  There's been a pattern over the past century to elect an older pope after a longer serving pope.  Thus, Benedict and Francis were elected after JPII, who served 26 years. Pius XII was 63 when elected and served 19 years, and was succeeded by John XXIII (5 years, one month short of 77 at the time elected).  Paul VI was 65 when elected and 80 when he passed.  JP I passed 1 month after his election, so JP II at 58 was the youngest at the time of election since 1846.