Milestones

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick

INDICTED. Hwang Woo Suk, 53, South Korean scientist who said he had created the world's first cloned human embryos and extracted stem cells from them, a claim, published in 2004 and '05, that raised hopes for breakthrough treatments of debilitating diseases from cancer to Alzheimer's; on charges of fraud, embezzlement and bioethics violations; after investigators found key data had been faked; in Seoul. Hwang, who apologized publicly in January, continues to insist he was misled by other researchers.

DIED. Soraya, 37, Colombian-American singer-songwriter who traveled to Latin America to educate women about early detection of breast cancer; of breast cancer; at a hospital in Miami. She infused her eclectic brand of pop with elements of rock, flamenco and Colombian folk, and won a Latin Grammy for her self-titled 2003 CD. But the mission of the young artist--who lost her mother, aunt and grandmother to breast cancer--was her war on the disease. On her website, she recently told fans: "I have not lost this battle, because I know the fight was not in vain."

DIED. A.M. Rosenthal, 84, venerated, combative editor credited with reviving the New York Times during the financially strapped 1970s and transforming the Gray Lady into an engaging, reader-friendly daily; in New York City. Over 55 years, the onetime foreign correspondent rose through the ranks and, as the paper's top editor for 17 years, presided over the winning of 23 Pulitzers--most famously for publishing the classified Pentagon papers, which detailed the U.S.'s secret involvement in Vietnam. His temper, management style and efforts to modernize the Times--emphasizing feature reporting and adding sections like Science Times--drew critics on the staff. But few questioned his dedication to news. After stepping down as executive editor in 1986, he wrote a twice-weekly column until 1999, when, in a move Rosenthal conceded would prompt "dancing" by some, publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. axed it, ending Rosenthal's Times career.

DIED. Gillespie (Sonny) Montgomery, 85, homespun 15-term Congressman from Mississippi who championed higher education for veterans; in Meridian, Miss. Elected in 1966 after serving in World War II and the Korean War, the conservative Democrat created the Montgomery G.I. Bill in 1984, modernizing the 1940s G.I. Bill and expanding it for the peacetime, volunteer military.

DIED. Lawrence Lader, 86, journalist turned abortion-rights activist, whom feminist Betty Friedan called the "father" of the movement; in New York City. He became fascinated by the issue while writing about birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger, and his landmark 1966 book, Abortion, was cited by the Supreme Court in its 1973 ruling to legalize abortion. He co-founded the pro-choice group now known as NARAL; lobbied for the manufacture of the abortion-inducing drug RU-486 in the U.S.; and targeted abortion opponents in lawsuits, including an unsuccessful challenge of the IRS for giving tax exemptions to the Catholic Church.

DIED. Lillian Gertrud Asplund, 99, last American survivor of the Titanic and the only one in the world old enough to recall the wreck; in Shrewsbury, Mass. The intensely private Asplund was 5 when the ship sank in the North Atlantic. She spoke publicly about the ordeal only once, saying she was forever haunted by the memory of her father and three of her brothers, who died, standing at the ship's railings as she, another brother and their mother were taken away in a lifeboat.

DIED. Floyd Patterson, 71, gentle and beloved legend of boxing; after years battling Alzheimer's and prostate cancer; in New Paltz, N.Y. The undersized high school dropout from Brooklyn, N.Y., won Olympic gold in 1952. Four years later, at age 21, he knocked out Archie Moore to become the world's youngest heavyweight champ--and the most conflicted. The Hall of Famer, who said he had "no self-esteem" as a kid, was so stung by a 1959 loss to Ingemar Johansson that he left the arena in disguise. Yet when he regained the title from Johansson a year later, he was disturbed by his "hate" for his rival. After retiring, he grew easier on himself. When a reporter said Patterson had been downed more than most fighters, he replied, "But I also got up the most."