In MEMORY of SAMANTHA SMITH on her BIRTHDAY - Born Samantha Reed Smith, American schoolgirl, peace activist, and child actress from Manchester, Maine, who became famous during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1982, Smith wrote a letter to the newly appointed CPSU General Secretary Yuri Andropov, and received a personal reply with a personal invitation to visit the Soviet Union, which she accepted. Jun 29, 1972 - Aug 25, 1985 (plane crash)