Roll Call of Notables Who Died in 2006

-- Gerald Ford ended "our long national nightmare." Saddam Hussein was the United States' adversary in two wars. So different, these men both died in the waning days of 2006, and the world paused to note their passing.

One was 93, a former president who lived longer than any of his peers, dying peacefully with family members at his side and mourned as the man who brought decency and dignity to the presidency after the battering of Watergate.

The other was 69, a former dictator hanged for one of his crimes against the Iraqi people, brought to justice more than 3 1/2 years after a U.S.-led invasion that removed him from power but has so far failed to bring peace to his country.

The leaders, visionaries, villains and heroes who left us in 2006 also include director Robert Altman, whose works included such masterpieces as "Nashville" and "The Player," and James Brown, the enormously influential "Godfather of Soul" who electrified audiences when he sang, "I feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel good!"

Betty Friedan, who gave rise to the modern women's movement four decades ago with her book "The Feminine Mystique," was one of many remarkable women whose deaths touched us in 2006.

In plays such as "The Heidi Chronicles," Wendy Wasserstein portrayed the generation of women who grew up with the very issues Friedan had raised. Shelley Winters was one of Hollywood's most colorful stars, climbing from sexpot parts to Oscar-winning dramatic roles and speaking out about social issues.

Though first gaining attention as a famous man's wife, Coretta Scott King went far beyond that, founding the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

As ambassador to the U.N. in the Reagan years, Jeane Kirkpatrick used her powerful intellect and plainspoken ways to champion human rights in Communist Cuba and the Soviet Union. Ann Richards served just one term as Texas governor, losing her re-election bid to future President George W. Bush, but her forthright manner made her a national figure.

The world of sports lost four legends within weeks this fall: golfer Byron Nelson, baseball great Buck O'Neil, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach and Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler.

Australian adventurer Steve Irwin captivated fans worldwide with his show "The Crocodile Hunter." Ed Bradley's interviews informed and inspired "60 Minutes" viewers for a quarter-century. Aaron Spelling excelled at packaging stylish TV shows such as "Charlie's Angels."

Caspar Weinberger oversaw the Pentagon's biggest peacetime spending increase but was indicted _ and later pardoned _ for his role in Iran-Contra. Kenneth Lay also fell afoul of the law, convicted for his role in the Enron collapse.

Economists Milton Friedman and John Kenneth Galbraith were philosophical opposites, but combined academic prowess, political influence and success with the reading public.