RIP

Thousands of emotional fans packed the Arena Conda stadium in Chapeco, Brazil Wednesday night to pay tribute to the soccer players killed in the Colombia plane crash ... with flags, drums and fireworks.

71 people were killed -- including most of the Chapecoense Real soccer team -- when their flight crashed into the mountains in northwestern Colombia earlier this week.

The tribute at the team's home stadium was beautiful.

R.I.P.

Big Mac creator Jim Delligatti got the ultimate tribute from his biggest fan -- the guy who famously eats 2 Macs per day come hell or high water.

"Super Size Me" star Don Gorske rolled into his fave Mickey D's on Wednesday, as soon as he heard Delligatti had died. Gorske says he ordered his usual -- yes, 12 years later, he's still pulling double duty everyday -- and proudly inhaled his 28,983rd and 28,984th sandwiches ... in memoriam, of course.

Gorske tells us he actually spoke to Jim by phone back in 2007, and hopes McDonald's will do something special to honor Delligatti's legacy.

The man who created McDonald's most iconic burger has gone to the big burger stand in the sky.

Michael "Jim" Delligatti, who made the first Big Mac, died in his home in Pittsburgh Monday night surrounded by family ... according to a McDonald's spokesperson.

Delligatti, who owned multiple McDonald's franchises in Pennsylvania, first thought of the Big Mac in the mid-1960s ... when he wanted to offer customers a bigger burger than what Mickey D's was offering at the time. McDonald's was reportedly opposed at first, but the burger gods ended up going with his idea in 1968. It was already a hit at all of his stores in PA.

Delligatti was 98. In case you forgot his invention inspired that awesome jingle.

Sorry, you're gonna be singing this all day.

One of the survivors of the Colombian plane crash Instagrammed shortly before boarding the plane that went down -- showing him smiling and laughing with a soccer teammate before the unthinkable occurred.

The man with the beard is Alan Ruschel -- a defender on the Chapecoense soccer team, based out of Brazil. The team was set to play in the finals of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday.

Ruschel Instagrammed with his teammate, Danilo Padilha, while aboard the first leg of their trip -- before they got on the charter flight that crashed en route to Medellín, Colombia.

Padilha survived the initial crash, but later died at a nearby hospital.

Ruschel reportedly suffered head injuries in the crash -- but is said to be alive.

The plane, which took off from Bolivia, contained 81 passengers -- including players, journalists and others. It reportedly suffered electrical failure just before it was supposed to land near the airport in Medellin, Colombia.

Miraculously, rescuers found 6 survivors in the wreckage -- 3 players, 2 crewman and 1 journalist. 71 people have been confirmed dead.

According to reports, Lionel Messi and the Argentina national soccer team flew on the exact same plane just 20 days ago to travel to a match in Brazil.

Story developing ...

Now's your chance to own one of the most iconic images in sports history ... if you have more than half a MILLION dollars layin' around.

Prince was married when he died and wanted all of his money to go exclusively to his wife -- according to the alleged wife, who's now putting his estate on notice.

The woman -- Claire Elisabeth Elliott -- filed a request for the court to remove Bremer Trust bank as administrator of Prince's estate, because she believes she should be calling the shots ... as his "Sole Heir."

Claire even claims there is a marriage certificate and will to back her up. It's worth noting she did not attach those documents in her filing. Also, we checked Minnesota court records ... no dice.

We're gonna go ahead and file this under "can't knock her for trying." She is ambitious though -- Claire also filed docs to run for President ... of the United States.

Just a hunch, her shot at Prince's dough will likely end the same way as her campaign.

Harambe's experiencing a comeback of Hollywood proportions -- going from a symbol of national tragedy to a spreader of Christmas joy ... albeit on a not-so-attractive holiday sweater.

The infamous gorilla is featured front and center on a Fresh Brewed Tees design, and sales are blowing up. They've already sold more than a thousand in less than a week, at $49.99 each.

Pretty amazing turnaround ... considering how divided the nation was on the big guy's demise.

Ugly sweaters -- bringing American's together for the holidays since ... well, a long time.

#RIPHarambe

2:45 PM PST -- Glass' rep Jeffrey Leavitt tells TMZ ... "Ron passed late last night of respiratory failure. Ron was a private, gentle and caring man. He was an absolute delight to watch on screen. Words cannot adequately express my sorrow. "

Ron Glass, a centerpiece on the 70's sitcom "Barney Miller" has died ... according to his rep.

Glass had recently battled with various illnesses, and was an active member in the L.A. Buddhist community. He passed away at his home Friday, where'd he'd been watched by a caretaker.

Glass received an Emmy nomination for his role as Detective Ron Harris on the show ... he also made appearances on the original Hawaii Five-O, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Firefly and more recently on an episode of CSI in 2014.

RIP

Fidel Castro, former leader of Cuba's communist revolution, has died at the age of 90.

Castro had turned over the reins to his younger brother Raul, who became President in 2008. He made very few public appearances after stepping down. He was reportedly battling Diverticulitis -- a swelling of the colon -- at the time of his death.

Castro had ruled the Caribbean island since the 1959 revolution. He was at the helm when Russia and the U.S. went to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, after Russians used the island to train nuclear weapons on the U.S.

Castro lived to see re-established relations between America and Cuba. President Obama made an official state visit to the island in Spring 2016, but never met face-to-face with Castro. He did meet Raul.

Scores of celebs have visited Cuba in recent years, as travel restrictions eased, including Madonna, Rihanna, the Rolling Stones, Paris Hilton, Jay Z and Beyoncé.

Castro is survived by at least 9 children and an unconfirmed number of grandkids.

Florence Henderson, who played the iconic TV role of Carol Brady, died on Thanksgiving Day.

Florence suffered heart failure, according to her publicist, when she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She was surrounded by family members at the hospital.

Her role as the "Brady Bunch" mom was one of the most beloved characters for generations of TV sitcom fans, but Florence was also a huge Broadway star even before her Brady fame.

She starred in musicals such as "Fanny," "Oklahoma" and "Wish You Were Here."

She played mama Brady from 1969 to 1974 -- the show's original run -- but, of course, played the role many times again in TV specials, TV movies, and feature films.

"The Brady Bunch " -- a show about a widow with 3 daughters who married a widower with 3 sons -- ran from 1969 to 1974. It stood out partly because it was so perky and upbeat at a time of major strife ... the Vietnam war.

Florence seemed fine until a few days ago, when she was hospitalized at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A. ... where she died.

RIP

She played grandma Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie" in 1995, while Shelly Long played the character Florence created.

Florence had 4 kids and 5 grandkids. She was 82.

Mouse House fans will be able to get their hands on a rare piece of memorabilia when Walt Disney's last will and testament -- or the first draft, anyway -- auctions off for an estimated $60k!

The will was drafted in August 1941 and includes this interesting breakdown: half of his personal Disney stock was split between his 2 kids, and the other half he dropped in an "employees bonus pool." The doc isn't his final will ... Disney drafted 2 more before he died in 1966.

Profiles in History is unloading several other collector's items for animation fans, and conservative final bid estimates range from $12k up to $80k:

- Original "Peanuts" comic strips signed by Charles Schultz ($12,000)
- Wicked Queen art from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" ($15,000)
- Grinch and Max production cels from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" ($12,000)
- Walt Disney Legal License for Use of Walt Disney Inc. ($80,000)

There's a ton more available, including animation cels, when online and live bidding begins Dec. 9.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a ... tree?

Check out this tree carving New Jersey artist James O'Neal made of Muhammad Ali ... a piece that took roughly 6 months from start to finish.

O'Neal says he was inspired by the outpouring of love for the boxing icon after he passed away -- and felt the walnut tree he recently cut down was the perfect canvas.

It's not the first fighter O'Neal has carved -- he also sculpted a Conor McGregor piece.

So, who's next? O'Neal says he wants to do a female fighter ... but not Ronda Rousey. He's all about Cyborg.

Cops have arrested a doctor in connection with the death of former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts.

Roberts died from a prescription drug overdose and West Bend, Wisc. Police believe the source of the drugs was an Alabama physician -- Dr. Richard Snellgrove. He's now been indicted for illegal drug distribution.

Snellgrove reportedly prescribed 5 different controlled substances in the names of different individuals, but prosecutors allege the intended recipient for all the meds was Roberts.

Bobby Brown says his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, had unlimited earning potential before her bf helped take her life ... and a judge put a very high dollar amount on those prospects.

Nick Gordon was ordered to fork over $36 million to Bobbi's estate Thursday after he was earlier found liable for her death.

Here's a partial list:

-- Conversion (stealing funds/assets) at $1.5 mil with punitive damages of $250k

-- Assault and battery/medical damages at $1.3 mil, plus $4.2 mil because Gordon was under the influence of drugs and alcohol

-- Pain and suffering at $13 mil

-- Loss of life at $15 mil, including her net worth and future potential income

The final tally came after tearful testimony from BK's family. The estate had originally sought $40 million in its wrongful death suit against Gordon. The obvious issue now will be when and if the estate gets a dime out of him.

Gordon was a no-show in court, just as he'd been throughout the case.

Talk about GREAT -- LeBron James is donating $2.5 MILLION to help fund a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian in D.C.

The exhibit -- titled, "Muhammad Ali: A Force for Change" -- will showcase how the boxing legend used his role as a world famous athlete to make real change to society.

LeBron isn't the only NBA superstar to donate to the Ali project -- Michael Jordan kicked in $5 MILLION and Magic Johnson and his family added another $1 mil.

So, what compelled Bron to donate?

"Muhammad Ali is such a cornerstone of me as an athlete because of what he represented not only in the ring as a champion but more outside the ring — what he stood for, what he spoke for, his demeanor," LeBron told USA TODAY Sports.

"8 Mile" director Curtis Hanson had a solid will in place before his September death that not only took care of his longtime companion and son, but also his extended fam and his movie biz.

Curtis and partner Rebecca Yeldham never tied the knot but have a 12-year-old son together, and the Oscar winner left most of his estate to them, including a home in Laguna Beach. He set up a trust for Rebecca, the kid and several other family members.

It's not clear how much is in it, but the docs say he had nearly $5 million outside the trust.

Rebecca's asking to be named executor of the will, except for anything related to his production companies. Curtis specified his producing partner Carol Fenelon should handle those decisions.