Study looks at the demographics of New York Times obituaries over the past 70 years. Some of the findings: 

• In the 1940s and ’50s, the paper ran many more obits than it does today; some were but a single paragraph.

• Prior to 1960, cause of death was not always included; today, it usually is. In our survey, aids was first listed as a cause of death in 1992.

• Where the dead were educated has remained relatively constant: The Ivy League reigns supreme.

• The obits have always been male-heavy. In 1972, a typical female obit was two paragraphs, and spoke not of the deceased’s accomplishments but of those of her husband and sons.

• Starting in the 1990s, the obits became more diverse, racially and ethnically, but also in terms of people who had distinguished themselves in occupations other than business or politics—attorneys, artists, scientists, athletes, and actors.

Previously, the appalling gender ratios of mainstream media’s obituaries.