2. Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz, the man behind the legendary comic strip “Peanuts,” brought Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy to readers in 75 countries in thousands of newspapers each week for nearly 50 years. Schulz wrote his last “Peanuts” strip in November 1999 following his diagnosis of colon cancer.
In 1999, at age 76, Schulz was still at his drawing board. But during the summer, he began feeling drained, Jean recalls. His doctor suspected some type of cancer, says Jean, and recommended diagnostic tests. While at work shortly after seeing his doctor, Schulz felt painful cramps and lost sensation in his lower body. Surgeons performed emergency surgery to remove a life-threatening blockage in his abdominal aorta. During or just after the abdominal aorta surgery, a blood clot traveled to Schulz’s brain, causing a stroke, which led to additional complications.
While removing the blockage, the surgeons discovered that Schulz had colon cancer. They removed as much of the cancer as they could, but it had already metastasized. After undergoing a few months of chemotherapy, Schulz died on Feb. 12, 2000. His final original Sunday comic strip appeared the following day.