Scott Joplin died on April 1, 1917. He and several others were buried in an unmarked pauper's grave at St. Michael's Cemetery in Astoria, Queens. Decades later Joplin's music was rediscovered, his burial site located, and this plaque was placed near Joplin's previously unmarked grave. I live nearby and like to check in on Joplin's burial site once in a while to see what tokens of respect have been left at the site of this great American composer. Incidentally, not far from Joplin is the burial site of American inventor Granville T. Woods.