These Last Words Are Unforgettable
It's impossible to know what your last words are going to be. From the poignant to the harrowing, these famous figures' last words from history are unforgettable.
Johann Sebastian Bach
The famous German composer didn't seem so afraid of his imminent end, as his last words were, "Don't cry for me, for I go where music is born".
Bachhaus.eisenach, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Emily Dickinson
True to form, Emily Dickinson's parting words were incredibly poetic: “I must go in, for the fog is rising".
Amherst College, Wikimedia Commons
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra's last two words were surprisingly devastating: "I'm losing".
Karl Marx
Before his demise in 1883, the German philosopher Karl Marx told his housekeeper, "Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough".
John Jabez Edwin Mayall, Wikimedia Commons
Frida Kahlo
The Mexican painter Frida Kahlo led an extraordinary but painful life. In her diary, she penned a haunting line only a few days before she passed: "I hope the exit is joyful and hope never to return".
Toni Frissell, Wikimedia Commons
Leonardo Da Vinci
If there was anybody who was a little too hard on themselves, it was Leonardo da Vinci... of all people. His last words were, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have".
Austrian National Library, Picryl
George Orwell
The author George Orwell passed away when he was just 46. The last words he ever wrote were, "At 50, everyone has the face he deserves".
Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger was a birth control advocate. Her final words were, “A party! Let’s have a party".
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Even on his deathbed, the composer Jean-Philippe Rameau still knew how to speak his mind... A song was sung for him as he lay dying, and his response was iconic: “What the devil do you mean to sing to me, priest? You are out of tune".
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov might be known for his famous novels—but he was also an entomologist. He had a special interest in butterflies, which makes his last words quite poignant: “A certain butterfly is already on the wing".
Marie Antoinette
Sentenced to death, Marie Antoinette accidentally stepped on her executioner's foot as she approached the guillotine. Reportedly her last words were, "Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l'ai pas fait exprès," which translates to "Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose".
Benutzer:Henryart, Wikimedia Commons
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton was a big thinker and his (many) last words were epic: “I don’t know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me".
Go off Newton.
Wellcome Images, CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Harriet Tubman
The American abolitionist Harriet Tubman passed of pneumonia in 1913. As she lay dying, her family sang to her. Though some have said her final words were, "Swing low, sweet chariot," other sources claim that she said something after this: “Give my love to the churches. Tell the women to stand firm. I go to prepare a place for you".
Weinchrist, CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Humphrey Bogart
Actor Humphrey Bogart was married to actress Lauren Bacall. Right before he passed, Bacall was heading out to get their children. Bogart told her, "Goodbye, kid. Hurry back".
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway took his own life, but prior to doing so, he said three last words to his wife: "Goodnight, my kitten".
National Archives and Records Administration, Picryl
Gustav Mahler
According to his wife, the composer Gustav Mahler's final words were, “Mozart—Mozart!”
Joseph Wright
Who edited the English Dialect Dictionary? A linguist named Joseph Wright. This makes his last word incredibly fitting: "Dictionary".
Ernest Moore, Wikimedia Commons
Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich was a jazz drummer. In 1987, right before going into surgery, a nurse asked him, "Is there anything you can't take?" Rich's last words were downright shady. He quipped, "Yeah, country music".
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I has gone down as one of the greatest monarchs who ever lived. But at the end of her life, all she wanted was more precious time. Her last words were, "All my possessions for a moment of time!"
Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
Noël Coward
Playwright Noël Coward had spent time with his friends right before he went to sleep and never woke up in 1974. Reportedly, his last words were, "Goodnight my darlings, I’ll see you tomorrow".
Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë, the author of Jane Eyre, passed less than a year after she married Arthur Bell Nichols. She was pregnant with her first child when she perished, and her final words were utterly harrowing: "Oh, I am not going to die, am I? He will not separate us, we have been so happy".
Evert A. Duyckinick, Wikimedia Commons
Oscar Wilde
Supposedly, in the weeks prior to his passing, Oscar Wilde conversed with his friends telling them, "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go".
Napoleon Sarony, Wikimedia Commons
Percy Grainger
Australian composer Percy Grainger's final words were for his wife, Ella: “You’re the only one I like".
Bessie Smith
The blues singer Bessie Smith said, "I’m going, but I’m going in the name of the Lord".
Vic Morrow
One of the greatest accidents in Hollywood history was the passing of Vic Morrow on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie. A helicopter crashed into him and two child actors. Right before the scene, he said, "I've got to be crazy to do this shot. I should've asked for a double".
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Alexander The Great
Alexander the Great was one of history's most famous kings, and with his last words he answered the question of whose hands he wanted his empire to fall into: "To the strongest".
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli was a famous philosopher from the Italian Renaissance. Quite surprisingly, he didn't seem that interested in heaven: "I desire to go to hell, and not to heaven. In the former place I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings, and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks, hermits, and apostles".
Peace Palace Library, Wikimedia Commons
Joe DiMaggio
Though Joe DiMaggio's marriage to Marilyn Monroe was quite brief, he never forgot her. 37 years after her sad demise, DiMaggio met his own maker. His final words? “I finally get to see Marilyn".
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Bob Marley
Before he passed from cancer, Bob Marley had some final words of wisdom for his son Ziggy: "Money can't buy life".
Eddie Mallin, CC BY 2.0,Wikimedia Commons
Nostradamus
“Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here". Well... he wasn't wrong.
Wellcome Images, CC-BY-SA-2.0, Wikimedia Commons
James W Rodgers
James W Rodgers was sentenced to execution for being a murderer. In his final moments, he faced down a firing squad. When asked if he had a last request, his response was, "Bring me a bullet-proof vest".
Davis, Frank C. , CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The author of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle passed away in his garden. His last three words were for his wife: "You are wonderful".
Walter Benington, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Landon
Michael Landon, known for his role in Little House on the Prairie, passed in 1991—and his last moments were heart-wrenching. His family was present, and it was his son who assured him that it was time to move on. In response, the actor said, “You’re right. It’s time. I love you all".
Robert Lachman, CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Samuel Hopkins
Samuel Hopkins was an early abolitionist who passed in 1803. His final words were, "My anchor is well cast, and my ship, though weather-beaten, will outride the storm".
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Immanuel Kant
The German philosopher Immanuel Kant expressed his gratitude to his doctors and attendants, saying, "I have not yet lost my feeling for humanity".
Johann Gottlieb Becker, Wikimedia Commons
Donald O'Connor
Many know Donald O'Connor best for his role in Singin' in the Rain. He was a natural comedian, and on his deathbed, he had one more quip in him. He told his family, “I’d like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get".
As of today, the Academy still hasn't given him one.
Studio publicity still, Wikimedia Commons
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock, the "Master of Suspense," said, “One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death, although Catholics have their hopes".
Groucho Marx
As he lay dying, the comedian and actor Groucho Marx said, "This is no way to live!"
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine was a political activist, revolutionary, and philosopher. Right before he passed in 1809, he said, "Taking a leap into the dark. O mystery!"
Laurent Dabos, Wikimedia Commons
John Wolcot
After being asked the question, "Is there anything I can do for you?", the satirist John Wolcot had a witty response on the tip of his tongue, "Give me back my youth".
National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons
King Gustav III Of Sweden
While attending a masquerade, King Gustav III of Sweden took a bullet in the back. 13 days later, he approached his inevitable end, saying, "I feel sleepy, and a moment of rest would do me good".
Wolfgang Adam Töpffer, Wikimedia Commons
John Adams
American President John Adams had no clue that Thomas Jefferson had already bit the dust when he uttered his last words: "Thomas Jefferson survives".
National Gallery of Art, Wikimedia Commons
General John Sedgwick
General John Sedgwick's last words were quite ironic. Right before falling during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, he said, "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance. [...] All right, my man; go to your place".
Mathew Benjamin Brady, Wikimedia Commons
Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman was an artist and filmmaker who was diagnosed with AIDS. He passed at the age of 52, and his last words were, "I want the world to be filled with white fluffy duckies".
Gorup de Besanez, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sir Winston Churchill
The famous British Prime Minister's last words were, "I'm bored with it all".
Terry Kath
Quite tragically, the band Chicago's Terry Kath's last words were, "What do you think I'm gonna do? Blow my brains out?" Reportedly, the 9-mm he put to his head seemed to be unloaded when he pulled the trigger. Little did know, there was still a round in the trigger.
James Brown
Known as the "Godfather of Soul" and "Mr Dynamite," James Brown's final words were, "I'm going away tonight".
Joseph Henry Green
Joseph Henry Green was a surgeon. He uttered his very last word while he was monitoring his pulse: "Stopped".
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
William Wycherley
Only 12 days before he passed, the 74-year-old English dramatist William Wycherly tied the knot with a young woman. His last words were, "Promise me you will never again marry an old man".
Turlough O'Carolan
The Irish composer and singer Turlough O'Caralan passed in 1738. His last words were said to be spoken to a bowl of wine, which he wasn't able to enjoy: "It would be hard indeed if we two dear friends should part after so many years, without one sweet kiss".
R.B. Armstrong, David Douglas, Wikimedia Commons
James Gardiner
While fighting in the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745, the British Army officer, uttered some tragic final words: "You are fighting for an earthly crown; I am going to receive a heavenly one".
National Library of Wales, Wikimedia Commons
Georges Danton
One of the key players in the French Revolution was Georges Danton. Before facing the guillotine, he reportedly said, "Tu montreras ma tête au peuple. Elle en vaut la peine," meaning, "Show my head to the people. It is worth seeing".
Musée Carnavalet , Wikimedia Commons
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford was one of Old Hollywood's finest actresses. Apparently, Crawford screamed at her housekeeper as she lay dying, "Damn it! Don't you dare ask God to help me!"
Josephine Baker
A party had been held in Josephine Baker's honor—but little did the actress know, this would not only be her last party, but her final night on earth. As she exited the festivities, she reportedly said, “Oh, you young people act like old men. You are no fun".
Princess Diana
At the scene of Princess Diana’s fatal car accident, one firefighter heard her last words, and they are so heartbreaking—they’re unforgettable. She said, “My God, what has happened?”
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