Milestones

AWARDED

The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, to piano man Billy Joel, for his lifetime contribution to the genre. The prize will be bestowed at a ceremony in November.

DIED

American author Thomas Berger, 89, who wrote more than a dozen books. He is best remembered for his 1964 novel Little Big Man, which was the basis for Arthur Penn’s revisionist western starring Dustin Hoffman.

HONORED

The late astronaut Neil Armstrong, by the Kennedy Space Center, which renamed its Operations and Checkout Building for him. The 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing was marked on July 20.

DISCOVERED

The decomposed body of fugitive South Korean billionaire Yoo Byung-eun, whose company operated the Sewol ferry, which capsized in April, leading to about 300 fatalities. The cause of Yoo’s death is unknown.

DAMAGED

The replica World Cup given to the victorious German team. It was chipped while the squad was celebrating its win. (Luckily, FIFA held on to the real one.)

SUCCUMBED

To an insect infestation, the George Harrison Tree, a memorial pine planted in Los Angeles in 2004. The culprit bugs? Beetles. The tree will be replaced.