Ben Hana
Wellington, New Zealand vagrant
Died when: 54 years 341 days (659 months)Star Sign: Aquarius
Bernard "Ben" Hana, a.k.a. "Blanket Man" (1957 – 15 January 2012) was a homeless man who wandered the inner city streets of Wellington, New Zealand.
He was a local fixture and something of a celebrity, and was typically found on the footpath in the precincts of Cuba Street and Courtenay Place.
Hana was a self-proclaimed devotee of the Maori sun god Tama-nui-te-ra, and claimed that he should wear as few items of clothing as possible, as an act of religious observance.
As a result, he would sometimes remove all his clothing, which resulted in the consequent attendance of police officers.His name of "Blanket Man" was a reference to his usual mode of dress, which was a single blanket, long dreadlocks and either a loin cloth or briefs.
His activities and presence provoked a degree of public debate within Wellington.It's believed Hana chose to live on the streets after killing a friend in a drunk-driving accident as a form of self-penance.