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[[Image:Mark Bingham2.jpg|thumb|218px|Bingham played for the [[San Francisco Fog RFC]], a [[rugby union]] team.]] |
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'''Mark Kendall Bingham''' (May 22, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was an [[United States|American]] [[public relations]] executive who founded his own company, the Bingham Group. He died at age 31 in the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] on board [[United Airlines Flight 93]]. |
'''Mark Kendall Bingham''' (May 22, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was an [[United States|American]] [[public relations]] executive who founded his own company, the Bingham Group. He died at age 31 in the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] on board [[United Airlines Flight 93]]. |
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Revision as of 01:45, 8 February 2011
Mark Bingham | |
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Born | Mark Kendall Bingham May 22, 1970 |
Died | September 11, 2001 | (aged 31)
Cause of death | Plane crash |
Nationality | American |
Citizenship | American |
Height | 6 Foot 4 in |
Mark Kendall Bingham (May 22, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was an American public relations executive who founded his own company, the Bingham Group. He died at age 31 in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on board United Airlines Flight 93.
Education
Bingham attended Los Gatos High School. He was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where he was president of his fraternity, Chi Psi. In college, he played for the UC Berkeley rugby union team and helped them win a string of national championships.
Rugby and business career
He was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 225 pounds (102 kilograms), he also played for the San Francisco Fog RFC, a rugby union team. In 2001 most of the Fog were complete novices to the game, but Mark started showing up anyway. He coached, cajoled, and crashed through their practices, and played No. 8 in their first two friendly matches. He also played in their first tournament (where he promptly dislocated his shoulder). He taught his teammates his favorite rugby songs and made them feel like we were part of something bigger than themselves.[1]
In May 2001, as a member of the Fog, he took part in the Washington DC Renegades Invitational Tournament. Although very few in number, most of the rugby teams extant at that time took part in the tournament. It was after the tournament that Gotham’s Scott Glaessgen, who had been inspired by the tournament and who had been friends with Mark since 1998, contacted Bingham about forming a rugby team in New York City.
Mark had recently opened a second office of his public relations firm in NYC and was spending more time on the East Coast. Mark was excited about the possibility and over the summer the two men started planning the formation of a New York City team the Gotham Knights RFC.[2] On September 11, 2001 he boarded Flight 93 at the last minute, on his way to California to be an usher in his fraternity brother Joseph Salama's wedding.
Death
Bingham was among the passengers who attempted to storm the cockpit of Flight 93 to try to prevent members of Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization, from using the plane to kill hundreds or thousands of additional victims as a part of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. He made a brief airphone call to his mother, Alice Hoagland (formerly spelled "Hoglan"), shortly before the plane went down. Hoagland, a former flight attendant with United Airlines, later left a voice mail message on his cell phone, instructing Bingham to reclaim the aircraft after it became apparent that Flight 93 was to be used in a suicide mission.
He was even known to proudly display a scar he received after being gored at the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
Memorials
- U.S. Senators John McCain and Barbara Boxer honored him on September 17, 2001 in a ceremony for San Francisco Bay Area 9/11 victims, presenting a folded American flag to Paul Holm.
- The California Alumni Association of the University of California, Berkeley now annually awards the outstanding achievement of a young alumnus or alumna with the Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement at its Charter Gala each spring.
- The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament (Bingham Cup), a biannual international rugby union competition predominantly for gay and bisexual men, was established in 2002 in his memory.
- Bingham was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2002.
- Singer Melissa Etheridge dedicated the song "Tuesday Morning" in 2004 to his memory.
- A memorial plinth has been erected at St Matthew's Chapel, in Second Life. Extant as of 2010-09.
In the media
- ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 2 (2004), starring Jade Esteban Estrada
- United 93(2006), portrayed by Cheyenne Jackson
- Flight 93 (2006), portrayed by Ty Olsson
- The Flight That Fought Back (2005), portrayed by Jason LeGrande
References
- Jon Barrett. Hero of Flight 93: Mark Bingham, Advocate Books, 2002. Biography. ISBN 1-55583-780-8.
- UNITED FLIGHT 93: On Doomed Flight, Passengers Vowed to Perish Fighting, New York Times, 13 September 2001.
External links
- Mark Bingham: a Tribute to a Wonderful Man, a Great Friend, a Loving Brother, and an American Hero.
- SFFOG.ORG Mark's rugby team, the S.F. Fog (Mark's Memorial page).
- Advocate Magazine article on Bingham.
- Daily Cal Article referencing Mark attacking Stanford tree.
- Mark Bingham Scholarship Fund.
- Official Website of The Bingham Cup.
- Team Bingham - Mark Bingham Scholarship fundraising Organization.
- Mark Bingham at IMDb
- After September 11: Farewell to a Hero (California Monthly tribute).