Legacy Matters

The Lives They Lived

If you enjoy obituaries, you won't want to miss the annual compilation by The New York Times of The Lives They LIved 2009.

Each year newspapers and magazines document the lives and deaths of hundreds of notable people. And each year we put together a special issue that peeks into some of those lives — an admittedly eclectic, idiosyncratic project, one driven by the passions, quirks and curiosities of our writers and editors. This year those interests led us to some very well known names but also to many lesser-known ones, each worthy, in one way or another, of exploration and appreciation.