Brigitte Bardot’s death means only three people mentioned in Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ are still living

Someone especially famous always seems to die at Christmas, and just when we thought it wasn’t going to happen this year, Brigitte Bardot died aged 91.

We mention it not only because she was a true icon (who later embraced far right politics, we’re only just finding out) but because her passing necessitated an update of this especially nerdtastic chart.

The death of Brigitte Bardot necessitated the update of this marvelous chart. Only three people mentioned in Billy Joel’s banger “We Didn’t Start The Fire” are still alive. Source: https://t.co/RQytWpRj03 pic.twitter.com/mBtFG5Ra8O

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) December 28, 2025

And here is the chart over on Reddit if you want to investigate it close up.

This particular stat made the whole thing even better.

All the people mentioned in We Didn’t Start The Fire were alive simultaneously for a brief 489 day window from 26th May 1951 (when Sally Ride was born), to 26th September 1952 (when George Santayana died). https://t.co/ZZfXYxSFsF

— Jon Hollis (@JonHollis9) December 28, 2025

And just a few of the many comments it prompted.

The kind of useless trivia that I will
Be hard-pressed to not repeat at the
Next dinner party.

— Be the person your dog thinks you are (@Ron_West_52) December 28, 2025

This is sufficiently nerdy that I love it

— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) December 29, 2025

This is how I find out chubby checker is still alive

— Shiv is a velociraptor️️ (@Shiv_who_burns) December 29, 2025

How long have you believed Billy Joel has been quietly knocking off everyone on The List?

— Darryl Mason (@DarrylMason) December 29, 2025

And just in case you were wondering …

Chubby Checker, Bob Dylan and Bernie Goetz.

— Adam Kosnitzky ️ (@akosnitzky) December 29, 2025

We’re with this person.

This is why Twitter cannot be dropped by serious people. @CultishCreative @SantiagoAuFund @jonnyrmcfarlane @ttmygh @Raffadaisy @LucaMitchell200 @jckeysport7 @ElliotR1971 @thecytadel @kofinas @bphillpotts https://t.co/Ky5DNhA8Fh

— Roger Mitchell (@RPMComo) December 29, 2025

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Source Reddit r/databeautiful H/T @simongerman600