Welcome! Check out today's deaths, recent deaths, or our deaths stats.
Feeling experimental? Head on over to our newest (and darkest) feature: Next-2-Die™ predictions
Aaron Swartz
American computer programmer and internet-political activist (1986-2013).
Born November 8th, 1986 in Highland Park. [ref]
Died January 11th, 2013 at 26 years old in Brooklyn (hanging).
Aaron Swartz, 26, passed away on January 11, 2013. He was best known for his involvement in advancing the open-access movement, and for his political activism in pushing for a reform of United States copyright law. During his short life, Swartz also founded a number of companies, including Infogami and Demand Progress. He held fellowships at Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Research Lab on Institutional Corruption and the Harvard Center for Ethics, and was an important contributor to open-source software such as Creative Commons. Swartz will be remembered for his bold fight for an open internet and his dedication to achieving a truly equal and democratic society.
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. Washington Irving