He was a brash and outspoken media mogul who gave the world the 24-hour news cycle when he launched CNN.Ted Turner, who died in May, built a media empire that also included TNT, the Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. In addition, he was a philanthropist, conservationist and owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team.May also saw the death of Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA. He spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises, revealing in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career. Collins went on to become an advocate for inclusion. Shortly before his death, he received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him.
Other noteworthy people who died in May include French singer and actor Claudine Longet, hockey star Claude Lemieux, longtime Democratic congressman Barney Frank and Doris Fisher, who co-founded the clothing chain The Gap Inc.Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died this year (the cause of death is cited, if available):
4 MIN READ
