With the recent deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson happening within three days of each other made me think of the old wives tale that celebrities die in 3's. I researched the dates and found it happens more often than I thought. The results are from the years 2000 - 2009, choosing only famous people that died within three days of each other. Here are the results:

                                                        2009                                                        

June 23 - Ed McMahon (T.V.), June 25 - Farrah Fawecett (Actress), June 25 - Michael Jackson (Singer)

                                                        2008                                                        

Jan 17 - Bobby Fischer (Chess), Jan 18 - Lois Nettleton (Actress), Jan 19 - Suzanne Pleshette (Actress)

                                                        2007                                                        

Mar 9 - Brad Delp (Singer), Mar 10 - Richard Jeni (Comedian), Mar 11 - Betty Hutton (Actress)

Apr 23 - David Halberstam (Author), Apr 23 - Boris Yeltsin (Former Russian Pres.), Apr 25 - Bobby "Boris" Pickett (Singer)

July 29 - Tom Snyder (T.V. Show Host), July 30 - Ingmar Bergman (Director), July 30 - Bill Walsh (NFL Coach)

Sept 21 - Alice Ghostley (Actress), Sept 21 - Rex Humbard (T.V. Evangelist), Sept 22 - Marcel Marceau (Mime)

                                                         2006                                                        

Feb 18 - William Cowsill (Singer), Feb 18 - Richard Bright (Actor), Feb 20 - Curt Gowdy (Sportscaster)

Feb 24 - Don Knotts (Actor), Feb 24 - Dennis Weaver (Actor), Feb 25 - Darren McGavin (Actor)

Mar 25 - Richard Flescher (Director), Mar 26 - Buck Owens (Singer), Mar - 26 Paul Dana (IRL Race Car Driver)

                                                         2005                                                        

Jan 22 - Rose Mary Woods (Former Nixon Secretary), Jan 23 - Johnny Carson (Comedian), Jan 25 - Ray Peterson (Singer)

Feb 20 - Sandra Dee (Actress), Feb 20 - Hunter S. Thompson (Writer), Feb 20 - John Raitt (Broadway Actor)

Mar 29 - Johnny Cochran (Attorney), Mar 30 - Mitch Hedberg (Comedian), Mar 31 - Terry Schiavo (Life Support Case)

Apr 5 - Dale Messick (Cartoonist), Apr 5 - Saul Bellow (Author), Apr 6 - Prince Rainier III of Monaco

May 20 - J.D. Cannon (Actor), May 21 - Howard Morris (Actor), May 22 - Thurl Ravenscroft (Actor)

June 23 - Shana Alexander (Journalist), June 24 - Paul Winchell (Ventriloquist), June 25 - John Fielder (Actor)

July 1 - Luther Vandross (Singer), July 2 - Obie Benson (Bass singer), July 2 - Ernest Lehman (Screenwriter)

July 4 - Hank Stram (NFL Coach), July 4 - June Haver (Actress), July 5 - L. Patrick Gray (Former FBI Director)

Aug 6 - Ibrahim Ferrer (Musician), Aug 7 - Peter Jennings (News Anchor), Aug 8 - Barbera Bell Geddes (Actress)

Dec 15 - William Proxmire (Senator), Dec 16 - John Spencer (Actor), Dec 17 - Jack Anderson (Journalist)

                                                          2004                                                       

Jan 27 - Jack Parr (Comedian), Jan 28 - Navy Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher (Military), Jan 28 - Joe Viterelli (Actor)

Mar 26 - Jan Berry (Writer-Producer), Mar 28 - Sir Peter Ustinov (Actor), Mar 28 - Art James (Game Show Host)

Oct 3 - Janet Leigh (Actress), Oct 4 - Gordon Cooper (Astronaut), Oct 5 - Rodney Dangerfield (Comedian)

Dec 26 - Reggie White (NFL Player), Dec 27 - Hank Garland (Singer-Musician), Dec 28 - Jerry Orbach (Actor)

                                                          2003                                                       

May 14 - Wendy Hiller (Actress), May 15 - Robert Stack (Actor), May 15 - June Carter Cash (Singer)

June 10 - Donald Reagan (Former Sec. of Treasury), June 11 - Gregory Peck (Actor), David Brinkley (News Anchor)

June 21 - Leon Uris (Writer), June 23 - Maynard Jackson (First Southern Black Mayor), June 23 - Max Manning (Athlete)

Sept 9 - Larry Hovis (Actor), Sept 11 - John Ritter (Actor), Sept 12 - Johnny Cash (Singer)

Sept 23 - Gordon Jump (Actor), Sept 26 - George Plimpton (Journalist), Sept 26 -  Robert Palmer (Singer)

Sept 27 - Donald O' Conner (Actor), Sept 28 - Althea Gibson (Athlete), Sept 28 - Elia Kazan (Director)

                                                         2002                                                       

Mar 26 - Louis "Deke" Heyward (Writer-Producer), Mar 27 - Milton Berle (Comedian-Actor), Dudley Moore (Actor)

June 27 - John Entwistle (Musician), June 28 - Arthur "Spud" Melvin (Inventor), June 29 - Rosemary Clooney (Singer-Actress)

                                                         2001                                                      

Feb 15 - Burt Kennedy (Director), Feb 16 - Howard W. Koch (Producer), Feb 16 - William H. Masters (Doctor-Author)

Feb 18 - Dale Earnhardt (Race Car Driver), Feb 19 - Priscilla Davis (Socialite), Feb 19 - Stanley Kramer (Producer)

Mar 10 - James St. Clair (Nixon lawyer), Mar 12 - Morton Downey Jr. (Talk Show Host), Mar 12 - Robert Ludlum (Writer)

May 10 - Deborah Walley (Actress), May 11 - Douglas Adams (Author), May 12 - Perry Como (Singer)

June 1 - Hank Ketchum (Cartoonist), June 2 - Imogene Coca (Actress), June 3 - Anthony Quinn (Actor)

                                                         2000                                                         

Feb 2 - Richard C. Kleindienst (Nixon's Attorney), Feb 4 - Doris Klenner-Jackson (Singer) Feb 4 - Carl Albert (Politician)

June 10 - Michaela Odone (Movie Lorenzo's Oil was about her), June 10 - Judd Rose (Journalist), June 10 - Hafez al-Assad (Former President of Syria)

Oct 6 - Richard Farnsworth (Actor), Oct 8 - William Bundy (Foreign Affairs Advisor for Kennedy-Johnson), Oct 9 - David Dukes (Broadway Actor)

Oct 17 Rick Jason (Actor), Oct 19 - Julie London (Singer-Actress), Oct 19 - Gwen Verdon (Actress)

source of dates: fiftiesweb.com