Milestones

DIED The son of Chinese farmers, Xiangzhong (Jerry) Yang, 49, never thought he would attend college. But in 1999, Yang, a prominent University of Connecticut scientist and advocate for the use of human stem cells in disease research, became the first person to clone a farm animal in the U.S.

She saw personal biographies as "old-hat, outdated and counterproductive," so Blossom Dearie, 82, the canary-voiced jazz and cabaret singer, preferred to talk about her future. Often that was her next gig. Her repertoire included songs for Schoolhouse Rock and standards like Dave Frishberg's "Peel Me a Grape."

Over his 60-year career, he played many roles, including an aged convict in The Shawshank Redemption. To fans, character actor James Whitmore, 87, had a familiar face that he reinvented for each part.

After serving as a daredevil World War II pilot in the Royal Air Force, Terry Spencer, 90, shot photographs for LIFE for 20 years. He charted the Beatles' rise to stardom and covered wars in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

RELEASED Sentenced in 2004 to house arrest for selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, A.Q. Khan, 72, was released by a Pakistan high court on Feb. 6. Owing to lack of evidence, he was never charged and is unlikely to be indicted.

AILING Appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, underwent surgery on Feb. 5 for a pancreatic tumor.