Milestones

By Camille Agon, Harriet Barovick, David Bjerklie, ANDREA DORFMAN, Laura Fitzpatrick, Joe Lertola, Meg Massey, ANDREW PURVIS, Elisabeth Salemme, Kate Stinchfield, Lon Tweeten

DIED

AFTER HIS FRIENDS reported receiving odd text messages from him, police searched the Georgia home of chiseled pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who had canceled a weekend pay-per-view event for "personal reasons." In the house, investigators found prescription anabolic steroids--and the telegenic "Canadian Crippler," his wife Nancy, 43, and their 7-year-old son dead in an apparent murder-suicide. Officials said Benoit--the 2004 world heavyweight champ whose signature move was the "crippler crossface"-- strangled his wife, smothered his son, placed Bibles beside them, and hanged himself on the pulley of a weight-lifting machine in a rage that may have been steroid-induced. He was 40.

THE FACT THAT BELLY dancing, an ancient Middle Eastern tradition, is widely known throughout the U.S. is largely due to one woman: choreographer Serena Wilson. In the '60s she opened her renowned New York City studio--among the first in the U.S. to focus exclusively on belly dancing--and over four decades helped bring the rhythmic dancing into the mainstream. To combat its sexualized image, Wilson barred her dancers from performing at male gatherings (bar mitzvahs included). She was 73 and died from a pulmonary embolism.

HOWEVER TEMPTED THEY may be, active diplomats can't insult world leaders. So the esteemed former Swiss ambassador to the U.S. Edouard Brunner waited until retirement. Brunner, former U.N. mediator in the Middle East, caused a stir in 2002 when he wrote that Margaret Thatcher was solely responsible for the failure of initial talks between Britain and the newly democratic Argentina after the Falklands war, calling the former Prime Minister "vindictive." (Thatcher did not comment.) Brunner was 75.

HER DAD WANTED HER TO paint; her mom taught her to sew. So in 1976, after working for other clothing designers and noticing a gap in the market for time-challenged career moms like herself, Belgian-born Liz Claiborne combined her flair for both and started Liz Claiborne Inc. In the '70s and '80s, her work outfits and sportswear were a revolution--sleek, versatile, affordable and, above all, easy. Asked how she turned her original 35-piece collection into a $5 billion powerhouse--and the first FORTUNE 500 company founded by a woman--Claiborne said, "I listened to the customer." She was 78.

FANS ARGUED ABOUT IT: WAS he better at bull riding or bareback riding--or just the greatest rough-stock rider ever? One thing was not in dispute: Hall of Famer Jim Shoulders, the "Babe Ruth of rodeo cowboys," had an unusual tolerance for pain. Among the bones he broke while riding to a record 16 world championships in the 1940s and '50s: both arms (twice), his collarbone (three times) and 27 bones in his face. After breaking a hand during a ride, he switched to the other one and won. His celebrity expanded in the early '80s when he sparred with Billy Martin in TV ads for Miller Lite. Of his medical adventures, Shoulders said, "You just learned to heal real quick." He was 79.

THE ICONIC PHOTOGRAPH OF Marines raising the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima remains a symbol of America's will during World War II. Yet what the famous photo captured was the second flag raising over the Japanese island. Charles Lindberg was the last surviving member of the group of Marines that raised the initial flag atop Mount Suribachi, the first time the flag had been planted on Japanese soil. Fearing it was so small it would be taken as a souvenir, a commander ordered the original flag removed. When a bigger one went up four hours later--and photographer Joe Rosen-thal captured the image--Lindberg was back in combat. He was given the Silver Star for his valor. But it was the second set of flag-raising Marines that was widely acclaimed. "I was called a liar," he said of his push for recognition. He was 86.

Burly relief pitcher Rod Beck, a three-time All-Star with 286 saves in his career, will be remembered for his menacing sliders, 90-m.p.h. fastballs and career-best 51 saves for the Chicago Cubs in 1998. But the blue-collar "Shooter" will also take his place in history for his 2003 stint with the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa team. Though depressed and struggling to get back to the majors after elbow surgery, the colorful closer lived in his RV outside the team's Des Moines stadium, regularly opening his home to players and fans for post-game parties. Beck, 38, got back to the majors and played until 2004. He said his poorly paid Triple-A teammates had given him "a new vigor for the game." Beck was found at his home near Phoenix; his death is under investigation.