Milestones

By Val Castronovo, Matthew Cooper, Daren Fonda, Ellin Martens, Ben Nugent, Desa Philadelphia, Julie Rawe and Josh Tyrangiel

HOSPITALIZED. BOB HOPE, 97, funnyman, in critical condition; for gastrointestinal bleeding; in Rancho Mirage, Calif. His condition was later upgraded to stable.

CONVICTED. GARY KARR, 52, of conspiring to rob famed atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair of $500,000 in gold coins; in Austin, Texas. Karr was acquitted of charges of kidnapping the activist and two family members, who disappeared in 1995.

UNDER HOUSE ARREST. SUHARTO, 78, former President of Indonesia who resigned amid civil chaos in 1998; for an investigation into charges of corruption and abuse of power; in Jakarta.

DIED. ROBERT CASEY, 68, former Governor of Pennsylvania and unwavering Democrat, who was barred from speaking at two party conventions because of his opposition to abortion; of an infection; in Scranton, Pa.

DIED. WILLIAM SIMON, 72, philanthropist, Treasury Secretary under Nixon and Ford and the "energy czar" who helped stem public hysteria during the '70s oil crisis; in Santa Barbara, Calif.

DIED. GORDON BENEKE, 86, sax player nicknamed "Tex" who sang Chattanooga Choo Choo with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and became bandleader after Miller's plane disappeared in World War II; in Costa Mesa, Calif.

DIED. TITO PUENTE, 77, mambo king and extroverted percussionist who made 119 albums during his six-decade career and won his fifth Grammy this year; in New York City. (See Eulogy, below.)

DIED. MAURICE RICHARD, 78, a.k.a. "the Rocket," perennial hockey All-Star who netted eight Stanley Cups during his 18-year career with the Montreal Canadiens, and whose name appears on the NHL trophy given each year to the league's top goal scorer; in Montreal.

DIED. PETTER LINDSTROM, 93, Swedish surgeon divorced by Ingrid Bergman in 1950 during her scandalous affair with Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, which was denounced from the U.S. Senate floor; in Sonoma, Calif.