Known for her early roles in Happy Days and the Poltergeist film series, Heather ORourke was one of the brightest young stars of the 1980s. She was nominated for six Young Artist Awards over the course of her acting career, and she was poised to take Hollywood by storm.Unfortunately, the child stars life came to an abrupt and tragic end on February 1, 1988, when she died suddenly at the age of 12. Heathers official cause of death was listed as intestinal stenosis, a congenital condition that had gone undetected since her birth.She died on the operating table at the Childrens Hospital of San Diego while surgeons attempted to remove a severe bowel obstruction that had caused septic shock.Though Heather ORourkes story is a short one, it left behind a timeless legacy. How Heather ORourkes Career In Hollywood BeganHeather Michele ORourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, California. Her sister, Tammy, was four years older than her and was a budding child actress herself.Facebook/Heather ORourkeHeather ORourke landed her first major role in Poltergeist when she was just five years old.In 1981, Tammy was cast in the Steve Martin film Pennies from Heaven. The movie was produced by MGM, and the studio happened to be in talks with director and producer Steven Spielberg at the time for his upcoming film Poltergeist. Spielberg was in MGMs commissary one day when he spotted Heather and her mother eating lunch while Tammy was on set.According to the Los Angeles Times, Spielberg approached them and offered them the opportunity of a lifetime: a starring role for young Heather, whom he recognized as a perfect fit to play the role of Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist. RGR Collection / Alamy Stock PhotoSteven Spielberg (right) and director Tobe Hooper on the set of Poltergeist.Heather ORourke soon signed on for the films production, beating out a young Drew Barrymore for the role. Poltergeist ultimately went on to become a massive success, garnering praise from critics and moviegoers alike. Heather, in particular, was lauded as one of the best parts of the film, with The New York Times writing, With her wide eyes, long blonde hair and soft voice, she was so striking that the sequel played off her presence.And of course, her iconic delivery of the line, Theyre here! has remained a pop culture staple ever since. Inside Heather ORourkes Untimely DeathAfter the success of Poltergeist, Heather ORourke seemed destined for a promising Hollywood career. She was cast in recurring roles on shows like Webster and Happy Days.Facebook/Heather ORourkeOliver Robins and Heather ORourke, who played siblings in Poltergeist.ORourke also went on to star in the two Poltergeist sequels. In 1987, she filmed Poltergeist III in Chicago, wrapping up her time on set that June. She was looking forward the films release, telling PEOPLE at the time, This one is really good. I think its the best.MGMHeather ORourke in Poltergeist.Unfortunately, ORourke never got to see Poltergeist III premiere. Just seven months after filming wrapped, on Feb. 1, 1988, the young child star died of cardiac-pulmonary arrest and septic shock resulting from a bowel obstruction that had gone undetected. It was an intestinal blockage that had probably been present since birth, her mother, Kathleen, said. The X-rays taken, if properly read, would have disclosed that this was the kind of condition that should have been treated surgically.Unfortunately, Heathers doctors had misdiagnosed her a year prior an oversight that cost the young girl her life. How Doctors Failed To Save Her LifeIn January 1987, Heather began showing signs of illness. It started out small; she felt nauseous while at home with her family. So her mother took her to a Kaiser Foundation Hospital facility three or four times that month.They kept telling me she had the flu, Kathleen said.But once Heathers feet began to swell, it was clear she was not suffering from a simple virus. Eventually, doctors discovered that she had giardiasis, a parasitic infection that was caused by the well water at the ORourke familys home. They prescribed Flagyl to kill it, and it seemed to work. Facebook/Keep The Memory Of Heather ORourke AliveIn her last year of life, ORourke faced several medical issues. Kathleen wanted to be sure, though, and so just before production began on Poltergeist III, she took Heather in for a follow-up visit. They did an X-ray after giving her this chalky, white barium stuff to drink, Kathleen said. And they found that the parasite cleared up, but there still was some kind of inflammation. They called what they saw Crohns, and they put her on cortisone and sulfa.Although Heather didnt show any further signs of illness, the cortisone caused her face to puff up. Kathleen said her daughter was rather embarrassed about her chipmunk cheeks, so she met with a private doctor who helped Heather ease off the drug. All was well until Jan. 31, 1988, when Heather came down with flu-like symptoms, with vomiting and abdominal pain. The next day, her fingers and toes started turning blue and her stomach looked swollen. On the morning of Feb. 1, she collapsed, and her parents immediately called 911. It took the ambulance just 10 minutes to transport Heather to the hospital, but in that time, the 12-year-old suffered cardiac arrest.Doctors were able to revive her, and they rushed her into the operating room for exploratory surgery, where they discovered an obstructed bowel. They were able to correct it, but unfortunately, it was too late. Heather was in septic shock. Her heart stopped beating once again on the operating table, and this time, doctors werent able to bring her back. In the wake of her daughters death, Kathleen ORourke Peele filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Heathers doctors. Initially, the ORourkes had been told that there was conclusive radiographic evidence for Crohns disease in Heather. However, Kathleen argued that the operation performed on Heather on the day she died showed that she did not have Crohns disease at all but rather an acute bowel obstruction.Had doctors diagnosed her appropriately back in 1987, they could have saved her life.Heather ORourkes Lasting LegacyDespite claims that the set of Poltergeist was cursed, Heather ORourkes death was not the work of any paranormal force. As sad as it was, it was the result of entirely natural causes that doctors were unable to detect for years. Facebook/Heather ORourkeHeather ORourke was laid to rest at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.When I lost Heather, it was like I lost my shadow, Kathleen later said. The news of ORourkes death was a shock to the world, too, with many wondering how such an awful tragedy could befall someone so young. Others lamented the early end to a promising career in film. But despite her amazing success, her biggest source of pride, according to her agent Mike Meyer, was being elected president of her fifth grade class at Big Bear Elementary School. After reading about the life and death of Heather ORourke, learn about 11 of the most tragic celebrity deaths in recent history. Or, see what these 18 famous figures would look like today if they hadnt died young.The post How Did Heather ORourke Die? Inside The Heartbreaking Demise Of The Child Star appeared first on All That's Interesting.

World War II was the deadliest conflict in history. Between 1939 and 1945, an estimated 75 million people perished across the globe nearly three percent of the worlds population at the time. Almost everyone who can truly remember the horrors of the era has died, but photos of World War II remain to serve as a tragic reminder of one of historys darkest hours.During the six years that the war raged in Europe and the Pacific, photographers captured countless images that brought the conflict to life for civilians. Of course, millions of men, women, and children didnt need photos to experience the fighting it came directly to their front doors.Indeed, as many as 55 million civilians perished during the war. Many of them were casualties of bombing campaigns, while others died from disease and starvation. The Nazis also systematically murdered roughly 11 million people during the Holocaust.Click here to view slideshowAbove, look through 77 World War II photos that reveal the true horrors of the conflict. And below, read more about some of its bleakest moments.How Many People Died During History's Bloodiest Conflict?Estimates of the total number of deaths during World War II vary, but according to the National World War II Museum, at least 15 million troops died in battle, and 45 million civilians perished from causes directly linked to the conflict.This brings the estimated death toll to 60 million, but many historians believe that it was even higher closer to 75 million. Both troops and the general population suffered from starvation and diseases like typhus and tuberculosis. And these diseases spread rampantly in Nazi Germany's concentration camps.Public DomainNew arrivals at Auschwitz-Birkenau pictured just before they were led to the gas chambers.The Holocaust alone was the cause of at least 11 million deaths. Six million victims were Jewish men, women, and children who were systematically dehumanized and murdered by the Nazis simply because they weren't part of the "Aryan race." Adolf Hitler's Third Reich also targeted dissenters, prisoners of war, Romani people, ethnic Poles, gay men, Jehovah's Witnesses, and people with disabilities.Then, there were the millions of civilians who died during bombing campaigns throughout the war. Between September 1940 and May 1941, Germany and Italy dropped hundreds of thousands of bombs over the United Kingdom during the Blitz, killing more than 40,000 residents and destroying two million homes. Likewise, the Allied bombing of Dresden in February 1945 sparked a firestorm that led to more than 20,000 deaths. World War II photos show heaps of charred bodies lying in the streets in the aftermath of the attack.German Federal ArchivesVictims of the Dresden bombing and ensuing firestorm await cremation.And in the final days of the war, the U.S. military dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As many as 200,000 civilians died, and hundreds of thousands of survivors were left with debilitating injuries and ostracized by their peers out of fear of contagion.Images of these atrocities are some of the most devastating photos of World War II, but some of the pictures taken on the front lines of battle are equally disturbing.World War II Photos From The Conflict's Bloodiest BattlesOne of the photos taken at the Battle of Stalingrad the deadliest battle of World War II shows a towering pile of German bodies stretching as far as the eye can see. Between July 1942 and February 1943, Nazi Germany and its allies in Italy, Romania, Hungary, and Croatia fought the Soviet Red Army for control of the city of Stalingrad.Public DomainThe Battle of Stalingrad was the bloodiest of World War II.By the time it was all over, as many as three million people were dead.The Germans and Soviets met once again in April 1945 at the Battle of Berlin. It was one of the final battles in the Western Theater, and it led to Hitler's suicide, Germany's surrender, and the collapse of the Third Reich.But before that came D-Day. The invasion of Normandy brought some of the most iconic photos of World War II, from planes flying into battle to troops wading through the waves to storm the beaches.Public DomainTroops storm Omaha Beach on D-Day.An equally iconic image is the raising of the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The photo of the U.S. Marines atop Mount Suribachi won a Pulitzer Prize and became one of the most reproduced pictures of all time.Then, there are the famous photos of celebrations at the end of the war: The sailor kissing a stranger on V-J Day, emaciated prisoners of war cheering as their liberators arrive, and jubilant crowds in the streets of London all illustrate the world's euphoria that history's grimmest chapter had come to a close.After looking through these photos of World War II, discover 21 of the most surprising myths about the conflict. Then, look through 55 colorized photos that capture the brutal reality of the war.The post 77 Rarely-Seen Photos From World War 2, The Deadliest War In History appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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