Fear and Loathing at the NY Times

As suspected yesterday, the New York Times misstated Hunter S. Thompson's birth date and age, prematurely aging him two years at the time of his death. Here is the correction from today's Times:

• An obituary of the writer Hunter S. Thompson in some late editions yesterday misstated his year of birth and his age. Public records show his birth date as July 18, 1937, not 1939, making him 67, not 65. A more complete obituary (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/books/22thompson.html?oref=login) is available online today. (Registration at the NY Times is required.)

Just for the record, the mistake wasn't only "in some late editions,'' but also on the Times' Website all day.