The dog that skyrocketed to internet fame and became the face of the cryptocurrency dogecoin has died.
The Shiba Inu named Kabosu passed away in Japan at 18 years old, a number of outlets reported. The dog's owner, Atsuko Sato, said in a post that Kabosu died in her sleep. The account for dogecoin on X also said she had died, calling her an inspiration.
Sato, a 62-year-old kindergarten teacher in Japan, adopted the dog from an animal shelter in 2008, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Sato posted pictures of Kabosu, and her cats, online regularly. It was a picture of Kabosu, her head tilted in a seemingly quizzical fashion, that captured the attention of early adapters of cryptocurrency and she became a meme almost overnight.
A developer named Billy Markus actually harnessed the image in an effort to mock many of the cryptocurrencies being traded at the time. Markus co-created dogecoin using the Kabosu meme. The dog’s image was transposed onto a gold coin as the emblem for dogecoin in 2013, according to the Journal.
Kabuso's image was soon being shared by traders, celebrities and even members of Congress.
Dogecoin, which is pronounced dohj-coin, has flirted with mild levels of popularity over the years. On April 20, 2021 there was "Doge Day.” Supporters of dogecoin were trying to help it shed its image as a joke cryptocurrency and get it seen as a way to make fast and easy transactions, though it is not accepted widely as for payment in any circle.
A year later billionaire Elon Musk suggested that Twitter consider providing a way for users to pay for subscription memberships with dogecoin.
FILE - This mobile phone app screen shot shows the logo for Dogecoin, in New York, April 20, 2021. Kabosu, the Siba Inu that rose to meme fame after becoming the face of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, has died. She was 18. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 23-29:
June 23: Singer Diana Trask is 84. Actor Ted Shackelford (“Knots Landing”) is 78. Actor Bryan Brown (“The Thorn Birds”) is 77. Actor Jim Metzler (“North and South”) is 73. Former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 68. Actor Frances McDormand is 67. Drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is 62. Director Josh Whedon (“The Avengers,” ″Marvels’ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 60. Singer Chico DeBarge is 54. Actor Selma Blair is 52. Actor Joel Edgerton (“Loving”) is 50. Singer KT Tunstall is 49. Singer Virgo Williams of Ghostown DJs is 49. Actor Emmanuelle Vaugier (“Two and a Half Men”) is 48. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 47. Actor Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 44. Singer Duffy is 40.
June 24: Singer Arthur Brown is 82. Actor Michele Lee is 82. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown (“The Rookies”) is 81. Singer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies is 79. Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac is 77. Actor Peter Weller is 77. Bassist John Illsley of Dire Straits is 75. Actor Nancy Allen (“RoboCop,” “Carrie”) is 74. Reggae singer Derrick Simpson of Black Uhuru is 74. Actor Joe Penny (“Jake and the Fatman,” ″Riptide”) is 68. Singer-keyboardist Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is 65. Musician Siedah Garrett is 64. Actor Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”) is 63. Bassist Curt Smith of Tears for Fears is 63. Actor Danielle Spencer (“What’s Happening”) is 59. Actor Sherry Stringfield (“ER”) is 57. Singer Glenn Medeiros is 54. Actor Carla Gallo (“Bones”) is 49. Actor Amir Talai (“LA to Vegas”) is 47. Actor Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project,” ″The Office”) is 45. Actor Minka Kelly is 44. Actor Vanessa Ray (“Blue Bloods”) is 43. Actor Justin Hires (2016′s “MacGyver,” ″Rush Hour”) is 39. Actor Candice Patton (TV’s “The Flash”) is 39. Singer Solange Knowles is 38. Actor Max Ehrich (“The Young and the Restless,” ″Under the Dome”) is 33. Actor Beanie Feldstein (“Lady Bird”) is 31.
June 25: Actor June Lockhart is 99. Singer Eddie Floyd is 87. Actor Barbara Montgomery (“Amen,” ″The Women of Brewster Place”) is 85. Actor Mary Beth Peil (“The Good Wife,” ″Dawson’s Creek”) is 84. Singer Carly Simon is 81. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 77. Director-actor Michael Lembeck (directed “Santa Clause,” acted in “One Day at a Time”) is 76. Singer Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House is 72. Keyboardist David Paich of Toto is 70. Actor Michael Sabatino (“NYPD Blue”) is 69. Actor Ricky Gervais is 63. Actor John Benjamin Hickey (“The Big C”) is 61. Actor Erica Gimpel (TV’s “Fame,” ″Profiler”) is 60. Rapper Richie Rich is 57. Guitarist Sean Kelly (Sixpence None the Richer) is 53. Actor Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) is 53. Bassist Mike Kroeger of Nickelback is 52. Actor Linda Cardellini (“ER,” ″Scooby Doo”) is 49. Actor Busy Philipps (“ER,” ″Dawson’s Creek”) is 45.
June 26: Jazz pianist Dave Grusin is 90. Singer Billy Davis Jr. of the Fifth Dimension is 86. Singer Georgie Fame is 81. Actor Clive Francis (“The Crown”) is 78. Singer Brenda Holloway is 78. Actor Michael Paul Chan (“The Closer”) is 74. Actor Robert Davi (“Profiler”) is 73. Musician Mick Jones of The Clash is 69. Actor Gedde Watanabe (“ER,” ″Sixteen Candles”) is 69. Singer Chris Isaak is 68. Singer Patty Smyth is 67. Singer Terri Nunn of Berlin is 65. Singer Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays is 61. Guitarist Eddie Perez of The Mavericks is 56. Bassist Colin Greenwood of Radiohead is 55. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Magnolia,” ″Boogie Nights”) is 54. Actor Sean Hayes (“Will and Grace”) is 54. Actor Matt Letscher (“Eli Stone,” ″The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is 54. Actor Chris O’Donnell is 54. Actor Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) is 54. Keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein of Newsboys is 50. Singer Gretchen Wilson is 50. Drummer Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon is 45. Singer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic is 45. Actor Jason Schwartzman (“Slackers,” ″Rushmore”) is 44. Actor Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”) is 40. Actor Jennette McCurdy (“iCarly”) is 32. Singer-actor Ariana Grande is 31.
June 27: Singer Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 82. Actor Julia Duffy (“Newhart”) is 73. Actor Isabelle Adjani is 69. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 65. Writer-director J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” ″Alias”) is 58. Singer Draco Rosa (Menudo) is 55. Actor Edward “Grapevine” Fordham Junior (“Battle Creek”) is 54. TV personality Jo Frost (“Supernanny”) is 53. Actor Yancey Arias (“Kingpin”) is 53. Actor Christian Kane (“Leverage,” “The Librarians”) is 52. Actor Tobey Maguire is 49. Singer Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer is 48. Christian rock singer Zach Williams is 46. Reality star Khloe Kardashian is 40. Actor Drake Bell (“Drake and Josh”) is 38. Actor Sam Claflin (“Hunger Games” films) is 38. Actor Ed Westwick (“Gossip Girl”) is 37. Actor Matthew Lewis (“Harry Potter” films) is 35. Actor Madylin Sweeten (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 33. Singer Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony is 28. Singer H.E.R. is 27. Actor Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”) is 25.
June 28: Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 98. Comedian John Byner is 87. Bassist Dave Knights of Procol Harum is 79. Actor Bruce Davison (“X-Men”) is 78. Actor Kathy Bates is 76. Actor Alice Krige is 70. Jazz singer Tierney Sutton is 61. Guitarist-violinist Saul Davies of James is 59. Actor Jessica Hecht (“Friends,” ″The Single Guy”) is 59. Actor John Cusack is 58. Actor Mary Stuart Masterson is 58. Actor Gil Bellows (“The Agency,” “Ally McBeal”) is 57. Actor Tichina Arnold (“The Neighborhood,” “Everybody Hates Chris”) is 55. Actor-songwriter Danielle Brisebois (“All in the Family”) is 55. Jazz saxophonist Jimmy Sommers is 55. Actor Steve Burton (“The Young and the Restless”) is 54. Bassist Tim Nordwind of OK Go is 48. Bassist Mark Stoermer of The Killers is 47. Singer and former “American Idol” contestant Kellie Pickler is 38.
June 29: Actor Gary Busey is 80. Actor-turned-Congressman-turned-radio host Fred Grandy is 76. Drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple is 76. Singer Don Dokken of Dokken is 71. Singer Colin Hay of Men at Work is 71. Actor Maria Conchita Alonso is 69. Actor Kimberlin Brown (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young and the Restless”) is 63. Actor Sharon Lawrence (“Fired Up,” ″NYPD Blue”) is 63. Actor Amanda Donohoe is 62. Actor Judith Hoag (“Nashville”) is 61. Singer Stedman Pearson of Five Star is 60. Actor Kathleen Wilhoite (“Gilmore Girls,” “ER”) is 60. Actor Melora Hardin (“The Office”) is 57. Broadway actor Brian D’Arcy James (“Hamilton”) is 56. Actor Christina Chang (“The Good Doctor”) is 53. DJ and rapper DJ Shadow is 52. Actor Lance Barber (“Young Sheldon”) is 51. Musician Sam Farrar of Maroon 5 is 46. Actor Luke Kirby (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is 46. Guitarist Todd Sansom of Marshall Dyllon is 46. Singer and TV personality Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls, “The Masked Singer”) is 46. Comedian Colin Jost (“Saturday Night Live”) is 42. Actor Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) is 42. Singer Aundrea Fimbres of Danity Kane is 41. Actor Camila Mendes (“Riverdale”) is 30.
Nicole Scherzinger singing "What I Did for Love" for the In Memoriam segment during the 77th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
