DeathDecember 312016

William Christopher

William Christopher, American actor (born 1932)

10th anniversary in 2026

Everything on December 31Original source

In context

When
Saturday, December 31 201610 years ago
Category
DeathA notable person who died on this day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Anniversary
10th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Person
William Christopher

Who they were

Personal life Christopher met his future wife Barbara on a blind date. They married in 1957 and the couple adopted two sons. [ 1 ] The two appeared together in the M*A*S*H season 4 episode "Dear Mildred", where they sang the song "All Dressed Up and No Place to Go" in a duet. [ 2 ] ^ Cite error: The named reference tcm bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page ). ^ "A blind date in college led to the most charming duet on M*A*S*H" . Me-TV Network .

William Christopher was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from 1965 to 1968 and Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1983 and its spinoff AfterMASH from 1983 to 1985.

Early life

Early life Christopher was born in Evanston, Illinois , in a family believed to be descendants of Paul Revere . [ 1 ] He spent his youth in several of Chicago's northern suburbs, [ 2 ] including Winnetka, Illinois, where he attended New Trier High School . [ 2 ] Christopher graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Arts in drama, focusing on Greek literature . [ 1 ] [ 3 ] While at university, he participated in fencing, soccer,

Path and career

Career Cast of M*A*S*H (1977). Back row, L–R: William Christopher, Gary Burghoff , David Ogden Stiers , and Jamie Farr . Front row, L–R: Loretta Swit , Harry Morgan , Alan Alda , Mike Farrell Christopher (right) as an Army doctor on an episode of Good Times . John Amos and Jimmie Walker are also pictured. Christopher moved to New York and appeared in a variety of regional productions and later a number of off-Broadway productions such as The Hostage at One Sheridan Square.

Death Christopher died at his home in Pasadena, California , on December 31, 2016. According to his son John Christopher, the 84-year-old actor died as the result of non-small-cell carcinoma (lung cancer). [ 1 ] [ 2 ] He had been diagnosed with cancer about 18 months earlier, according to his New York-based agent Robert Malcolm. ^ "William Christopher, Father Mulcahy on 'M*A*S*H,' dies at 84" . ABC7 Los Angeles . Retrieved January 1, 2017 . ^ Dunham, Will (December 31, 2016).

Why this date

William Christopher appears on our December 31 calendar for 2016 as a death entry.

December 31 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 2004Taipei 101
  2. 2006War in Somalia (2006–2009)
  3. 2009Blue moon
  4. 20102010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak
  5. 2011NASA
  6. 20142014 Shanghai stampede
  7. 2015Downtown Dubai
  8. 2016William Christopher
  9. 20182018 Magnitogorsk building collapse
  10. 2019World Health Organization
  11. 2020COVID-19 vaccine

Also in 2016

  • May 1111 May 2016 Baghdad bombingsOne hundred and ten people are killed in an ISIL bombing in Baghdad.
  • September 9North KoreaThe government of North Korea conducts its fifth and reportedly biggest nuclear test. World leaders condemn the act, with South Korea cal…
  • September 172016 New York and New Jersey bombingsTwo bombs explode in Seaside Park, New Jersey, and Manhattan. Thirty-one people are injured in the Manhattan bombing.
  • September 182016 Uri attackThe 2016 Uri attack in Jammu and Kashmir, India by terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed results in the deaths of nineteen Indian Army soldier…
  • July 13Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron resigns, and is succeeded by Theresa May.
  • January 3Nimr al-NimrIn response to the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Iran ends its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
  • September 3ChinaThe U.S. and China, together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon emissions, both formally ratify the Paris global climate agreement.
  • July 5Juno (spacecraft)The Juno space probe arrives at Jupiter and begins a 20-month survey of the planet.

Everything we record for 2016 →

Sources

Cite this page

“William Christopher”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/william-christopher-2016-december-31, accessed October 26, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did William Christopher happen?

December 31 2016 — 10 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

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