Except for the person who has never spoken, everyone will utter his or her last words. Those words may be an expression of surprise, such as Julius Caesar’s famous, “Et tu, Brute?” […]
Memorable Last Words of Famous People
What Can You Expect With a Name Like Millard Fillmore?
Some people seem destined for greatness on the basis of their names, alone. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, for example, may have achieved success as secretary of the interior and associate justice of […]
Getting Killed By the Bullet He Said Couldn’t Kill Him
The Spanish-American War was about to experience one of its most dramatic events. The date was July 1, 1898. Future President Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were positioned at the bottom […]
The Mystery of Einstein’s Last Words
Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) life was marked by his ability to answer many of science’s greatest mysteries. Paradoxically, his dying words left us with questions that will never be answered.
The Elephants Were Safe, But the General Should Have Ducked
General John Sedgwick (1813-1864) saw his final combat at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 9, 1864. Confederate sharpshooters were about 1,000 yards (900 m) away, and their shots caused members […]
Lope de Vega’s Startling Deathbed Confession
Spanish playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) had one secret that he carried up to the very end. As an eminent contributor to the world of literature, he tried not to speak ill […]
Oscar Wilde’s Final Battle With Wallpaper
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was famous for his humorous, ironic observations. This quality stayed with him right up to the end. The final words attributed to the Irishman, as he lay on his […]
Ten Days on Death Row: The Speedy Execution of Giuseppe Zangara
Giuseppe Zangara attempted to kill President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 15, 1933. Although missing FDR, Zangara’s shots managed to mortally wound Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who died 23 days later, on […]
The Doctor Who Pronounced His Own Death
“Stopped.” That was the last word spoken by Joseph Henry Green (1791-1863). The English surgeon spoke that word upon checking his own pulse. Read the last words and epitaphs of the famous […]
Last Words to an Astonished Nun
Irish playwright Brendan Behan was known for his sardonic wit. It is unknown whether it was this quality or distraction by his circumstances that led him to utter his last words to […]
It Always Pays to Plan Ahead
Sir Max Beerbohm is best remembered as an English essayist and caricaturist. Perhaps more attention should be paid to his practice of planning ahead. As he was getting ready to draw his […]
Disagreeable or Not, Guess What Happened?
When a concerned visitor expressed fear that actor John Barrymore’s latest illness would result in his death, Barrymore indignantly replied, “Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such […]
Appropriate Name in the End
In the late 1880s, Lester Moore worked as a Wells Fargo Station Agent in the Mexico-United States border town of Naco, Arizona. One day a man named Hank Dunstan arrived at the […]
Maybe He Should Have Chosen Easier Words to Remember
Harry Houdini, the famed magician and escape artist who died in 1926, left in his will 10 random words to his wife. He stated in his will that she should hold a […]
Ducking Out Before Last Wish Is Fulfilled
Derek Jarman was an artist, writer, and filmmaker. His last words: “I want the world to be filled with white fluffy duckies.”
Commonplace Fun Facts 