On this day in 1985, Rock Hudson passed away at 59 years old

Rock Hudson was one of Hollywood's premier leading men in the 50s and early 60s, though sadly, he is perhaps most notable for being the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS.


He made his big screen debut in 1948, but muddled around in bit parts for years  until 1955′s Magnificent Obsession. The following year’s Giant, co-starring fellow queer film icons Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean, proved Hudson to be a strong dramatic actor (and earned him an Oscar nomination) while he found even more success in a series of romantic comedies with Doris Day, starting with 1959′s Pillow Talk.

While Hudson was enjoying being the nation’s top box office draw in the 1950s and 60s, he and  Wilson were busy covering up Hudson’s homosexuality. Hudson's homosexuality was a well-kept secret in Hollywood, resulting in a sham marriage to Wilson’s secretary, Phyllis Gates.

His health began to decline in 1981 and worsened with his diagnosis of HIV on June 5, 1984. On July 25, 1985, Hudson became the first major public figure to announce he had AIDS. September 19 of that year, Hudson, too sick to attend a special AIDS fundraiser, sent the following telegram:

“I am not happy that I am sick. I am not happy that I have AIDS. But if that is helping others, I can at least know that my own misfortune has had some positive worth.”

Hudson died in his sleep on October 2, 1985. He was 59.

Remarking on the late screen idol, Morgan Fairchild said “Rock Hudson’s death gave AIDS a face.”

(source)