Phoenix Books president Michael Viner, the man responsible for publishing books by some of the most objectionable figures in recent American history, has died at the age of 74.

John Hughes, director of generation-defining class conscious teen comedies, is dead of a heart attack, at age 59.

Screenwriter and novelist Budd Schulberg died Wednesday. He was among the first generation to be born Hollywood royalty, and he wrote what is probably the only classic movie business novel to have never been adapted for the screen.

Sandford Dody, author of multiple best-sellers, died July 4 at 90 years old. If his name is unfamiliar, it may be because it did not appear on the covers of his books.

E. Lynn Harris, who found unlikely success writting books about black gay men, passed away in Los Angeles on Thursday. The cause of death is still unknown.

John Barry, the man who turned squeak-preventer WD-40 into a household name, died July 3 at the age of 84. "He had a saying: 'Don't be like a blind dog in a meat house.'" One less independent thinker. [LAT]

Frank McCourt, beloved Irish-American Pulitzer-winning author and retired schoolteacher, died today of complications relating to meningitis. He was 78. He'd been sick for quite some time after being treated for a bout with melanoma.

The World's Oldest Man died at age 113 today in what we hope is not a publicity stunt to steal Walter Cronkite's thunder. His secret to longevity? Tons of smoking, boozing and sexing up the ladies. They all say that!

Walter Cronkite, the longtime CBS News journalist and trusted anchorman, has passed away, his family said. He was 92.

Multiple sources tell us that Dash Snow—photographer, semen artist, graffiti writer, and embodiment of the downtown NYC scene—has apparently died of a heroin overdose, two years shy of his 30th birthday.

As it has for so many other celebrities, death has bolstered Michael Jackson's image. The late pop singer just surpassed Barack Obama to hold the most popular page on Facebook. The numbers are pretty staggering:

Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, the "architect" of the Vietnam War, died this morning. He was 93.

Media everywhere are mourning the loss of MJ coverage this week as they regretfully turn back to boring things, like Iraq or Bernie Madoff. Here are today's headline highlights, as the web milks this Google trend for all it's worth.

Billy Mays, TV salesman, was found discovered dead this morning by his wife. There are no signs of foul play. Mays was 50 years-old.

Michael Jackson was a beloved worldwide star for the entire 1980s. Even after his reputation darkened, he remained a global obsession. But underlining his death is a sense we'll see no more stars of that scale and endurance.

One of Michael Jackson's most obvious legacies is the singer's impact on the craft of music video production; his videos were elaborate, expensive and phenomenally successful, both in saturating MTV and selling records. Here are 10 of the best.

Updated The King of Pop Michael Jackson has passed away, according to TMZ, after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home. Paramedics arrived on the scene but were unable to revive him.

Sad news about the death of Ed McMahon today, a TV icon who represented a disappearing breed—of ubiquitous, up-for-anything TV personality, of a colloquial ease with the camera that transcended any silly show he found himself on.

Obit for John Palmer, 62: "I can't believe Keith Richards outlived me." R.I.P. [ADN]

Iz The Wiz, a graffiti legend since the 1970s, died of heart failure in Florida last night. He started in NYC and went all-world. Blogue has details and a retrospective of his art.