English commander and pilot (died 2015)

Michael Beetham

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham, was a Second World War bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s. As Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War, he was involved in the decision to send the Task Force to the South Atlantic. At the time of his death, Beetham was one of only six people holding his service's most senior rank and, excluding Prince Philip's honorary rank, he had the longest time in that rank, making him the senior Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Born

1923

May 17

Died

2015

Era

1920s

Country

—

About

Michael, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1923 Born
2015 Died

Also on May 17

What else happened on this day, through history

352 Election of Pope Liberius following the death of Pope Julius I in the previous month.
884 Election of Pope Hadrian III following the death of Pope Marinus I earlier that month.
1012 The comital family of Tusculum arranges the election of the count's son as Sergius IV following the death of Pope Marinus I earlier that month.
1395 Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army.

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The world in 1923

When Michael arrived

april 15 Insulin becomes generally available for use by people with diabetes.
april 15 Racially motivated Nihon Shōgakkō fire lit by a serial arsonist kills 10 children in Sacramento, California.
april 26 The Duke of York (the future King George VI) weds Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey.
april 28 Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on May 17

Anna Brownell Jameson 1794– Irish-English author (died 1860) Bob Saget 1956–2022 American comedian, actor, and television host (born 1956) Christine Ohuruogu 1984– English runner Danny Manning 1966– American basketball player and coach Dennis Potter 1935– English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1994) Earl Morrall 1934–2014 American football player and coach (born 1934) Hazel R. O'Leary 1937– American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Secretary of Energy Henri Barbusse 1873–1935 French journalist and author (born 1873) Howard Hampton 1952– Canadian lawyer and politician

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1923

Avram Davidson 1923–1993 American soldier and author (died 1993) Beate Sirota Gordon 1923–2012 Austrian-American director and producer (born 1923) Bobby Thomson 1923– Scottish-American baseball player (died 2010) Daniel Carleton Gajdusek 1923– American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2008) Dante Lavelli 1923– American football player (died 2009) Doc Watson 1923–2012 American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (died 2012) Don Adams 1923–2005 American actor and director (died 2005) Edward Oliver LeBlanc 1923–2004 Dominican lawyer and politician, Premier of Dominica (born 1923) Elizabeth Jolley 1923–2007 English-Australian author and academic (born 1923)

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More to explore

Michael's birthday May 17 Michael's zodiac Taurus When Michael arrived 1923