The Famous Last Words Of 41 Historical Greats

Published September 16, 2021
Updated March 12, 2024

From Edgar Allen Poe to Tupac, enjoy the biting and sometimes hilarious last words of some of history's greatest figures.

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The Famous Last Words Of 41 Historical Greats
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Be they in the arts, politics, or sports, in many ways historical icons seem to be, well, not human. That perhaps explains why their deaths come as that much more of a shock to the general public.

The famous last words in the gallery above serve as an apt reminder that no one, not even the larger than life, can predict their end -- or for that matter, know exactly what they will say upon their dying breath.

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After reading these famous final words, check out our list of interesting quotes and history's best insults.

author
Savannah Cox
author
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
Based in Brooklyn, New York, John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of expertise include modern American history and the ancient Near East. In an editing career spanning 17 years, he previously served as managing editor of Elmore Magazine in New York City for seven years.
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Cox, Savannah. "The Famous Last Words Of 41 Historical Greats." AllThatsInteresting.com, September 16, 2021, https://allthatsinteresting.com/famous-last-words. Accessed August 12, 2025.