A former television broadcaster, Larry Langford managed to fit a lot into his one term as mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. His tenure started with revelations that he’d just happened to have won $1.5 million in a series of jackpots at a donor’s casino, and ended with him in prison after being found guilty of accepting $230,000 in bribes. That sandwiched an audacious bid for the Olympics, banning Pride parades from taking place in the town centre and a proposal to turn Alabama into a dock for cruise ships. Birmingham sits over 250 miles from the nearest seafront. He received compassionate leave from prison in December 2018, and was docked for good a few weeks later.
March 17, 1946 – January 8, 2019
Died aged 72 (3 picks)