by Hilton Hater at

Five years ago today, Hollywood lost one of its most talented young actors, as Heath Ledger died at the age of 28 in Manhattan.

According to the official autopsy, Ledger passed away from "acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine." The death was ruled an accident.

The star would go on to collect a posthumous Oscar for his incredible portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, but it's impossible not to wonder what else could have been.

He also left behind daughter Matilda, who is being raised by mother Michelle Williams.

Below, on the occasion of this sad anniversary, we honor Ledger with a photo montage:

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by Free Britney at

Stan the Man.

A player so good he didn't require a last name, or even a full first name, beloved St. Louis Cardinals star Stan Musial died yesterday. He was 92 years old.

Musial

"I never heard anybody say a bad word about him, ever," fellow baseball legend Willie Mays said Saturday in a statement released by the Hall of Fame.

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by Hilton Hater at

Earl Weaver, the legendary ex-manager of the Baltimore Orioles, passed away early this morning on a cruise in the Caribbean. He was 82 years old.

A Hall of Famer, Weaver won 1,480 games and was well-known for both his temper and his penchant for the three-run homer.

Weaver

He collapsed with his wife, Maryanne, by his side and never regained consciousness, according to The New York Daily News.

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by Free Britney at

Robert F. Chew, a Baltimore teacher and actor who portrayed one of TV’s most unforgettable characters as Proposition Joe on HBO’s The Wire, has died.

He passed away Thursday of apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore. Chew, who also appeared in Homicide, was 52.

Robert F. Chew Pic

Chew taught and mentored child and young adult actors at Baltimore’s Arena Players, a troupe he stayed with as his career blossomed through David Simon.

With Chew's help, Simon, creator of The Wire, enlisted new talent in the form of young actors who played students in the Baltimore City School system.

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by Hilton Hater at

Conrad Bain, an actor who will always be connected with the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, died Monday night in California. He was 89.

Conrad Bain Pics

Sources confirmed the passing to TMZ, although few other details are available at this time.

The veteran actor grew into a household name by portraying Phillip Drummond on the aforementioned series, acting opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges throughout the 1980s.

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by Free Britney at

Mindy McCready is mourning the death of her "life partner," singer-songwriter David Wilson, who died at home in in Heber Springs, Ark., last night undisclosed causes.

The couple had been together for about two years.

David Wilson, Mindy McCready

Wilson was the father of her 9-month-old son, Zayne. Country singer McCready, 37, also has an older son, Zander, with country singer Billy McKnight.

"David was my soulmate," McCready said in a statement.

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by Free Britney at

Aaron Swartz, a programmer and Internet activist who co-founded a company that would eventually become Reddit, committed suicide Friday in N.Y. City.

And no, tragically, it's not a hoax, unlike so many memorable recent items emerging from Reddit. His lawyer confirmed the surprising news earlier today.

He was only 26 years old.

Swartz

"The tragic and heartbreaking information you received is, regrettably, true," confirmed Swartz' attorney, Elliot R. Peters of Kecker and Van Nest, via email.

MIT's student newspaper The Tech was the first to report the suicide of Swartz, who had hinted at battles with depression numerous times in the past.

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by Free Britney at

Rebbie Jackson, Michael's older sister and perhaps the lowest-profile Jackson sibling, is in mourning following the death of her husband, Nathaniel Brown.

Rebbie Jackson Pic

Rebbie and Nathaniel wed in 1968 (!) and have three kids, Stacee, 40, Yashi, 35, and Austin, 27.

Jackson's son, Michael's nephew, posted on Twitter, "I love you Dad... Thank you for showing me unconditional love and the example of being a good person."

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by Hilton Hater at

Freddy E, a Seattle-based rapper known for his JerkTV videos on YouTube, has committed suicide. He was 22 years old.

The medical examiner confirmed yesterday that the artist (real name: Frederick E. Buhl) killed himself on Saturday via a rifle shot to the head. Especially disturbing? He Tweeted the final moments of his life.

Freddy E

"If there's a God then He's calling me back home," Freddy wrote on Saturday morning. "This barrel never felt so good next to my dome. It's cold & I'd rather die than live alone."

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