Deaths on December 16

William Gaddis

Died on December 16, 1998

William Gaddis, American author and academic (b. 1922)

William Thomas Gaddis, Jr. (December 29, 1922 – December 16, 1998) was an American novelist.

The first and longest of his five novels, The Recognitions, was named one of TIME magazine's 100 best novels from 1923 to 2005

and two others, J R and A Frolic of His Own, won the annual U.S. National Book Award for Fiction.

A collection of his essays was published posthumously as The Rush for Second Place (2002). The Letters of William Gaddis was published by Dalkey Archive Press in February 2013.

Gaddis is widely considered one of the first and most important American postmodern writers.

References

William Gaddis

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Events on 1998

4 May

Unabomber
A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
6 May

Houston Astros
Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros to tie the major league record held by Roger Clemens. He threw a one-hitter and did not walk a batter in his fifth career start.
26 May

Ellis Island
The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
4 Jun

Oklahoma City bombing
Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
5 Jun

General Motors
A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants. The strike lasts seven weeks.

Deaths on December 16

William Gaddis

Died on December 16, 1998

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 1998

Unabomber

Houston Astros

Ellis Island

Oklahoma City bombing

General Motors