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Where have they gone
Quotes
Poll
Insights into my mind
Me
Last Words
Rant #1
Hush
Another year
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| The last words of real people... |
| All of the following information has been collected from the following site: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6537/index.htm |
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| John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) “This is the last of earth! I am content” John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams and the sixth President of the United States. Following his defeat by Andrew Jackson in 1828, he was elected by his home district to serve as a member of the House of Representatives where he tirelessly fought for the abolition of slavery. He collapsed on the floor of the House from a stroke in 1848 and was carried to the Speaker's Room where he died two days later. Ethan Allen (1738-1789) “Waiting are they? Waiting are they? Well—let ‘em wait.” Ethan Allen was a U.S. patriot and leader of the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution. Allen's last words were a deathbed response to an attending doctor who attempted to comfort him by saying, "General, I fear the angels are waiting for you." Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1755-1793) “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur.” Marie Antoinette was the wife of King Louis XVI. She was convicted of treason following the Revolution and sentenced to death by beheading. As she approached the guillotine, she accidentally stepped on the foot of her executioner. Archimedes of Syracuse (298-212 B.C.) “Wait ‘till I have finished my problem!” Archimedes was the leading mathematician of the Hellenistic Age. During the Second Punic War after Syracuse sided with Carthage, it was besieged by the Roman army under the command of Marcellus. For two years, between 214 and 212 B.C., the city fought off the Romans using many war engines invented by Archimedes including catapults and flame throwers. Syracuse eventually fell through internal treachery and, during the sack of the city, Archimedes was captured and killed by a Roman soldier. Archimedes last words have also been recorded as "Don't disturb my circles!" and "Stand away, fellow, from my diagram. . . . Somebody give me one of my engines." Pietro Aretino (1492-1556) “Now I’m oiled. Keep me from the rats.” Pietro Aretino was an Italian satirist who was known as the "Scourge of Princes" for his bitingly witty attacks on the aristocracy. When his good friend, the painter Titian, came to him with a problem, Aretino was quick to offer assistance. The Duke of Urbino had commissioned Titian to paint a nude portrait of his old and ugly wife. As Titian feared the consequences, Aretino hired a beautifully proportioned prostitute to pose for the body and urged Titian to paint a flattering portrait of the duchess for the head. The duchess was extremely pleased with the result, which Titain had named The Venus of Urbino. When the pair of friends presented the painting to the duke, he turned to Aretino and sighed, "If I could have had that girl's body, even with my wife's head, I would have been a happier man." Aretino found the remark so exceedingly funny that he collapsed in a fit of laughter that provoked a stroke. Aretino was unconscious by the time a priest was brought to administer the last rites. No sooner had the priest finished, when Aretino opened his eyes, spoke his final two sentences, and expired. Lady Nancy Witcher Langhorne Aster (1879-1964) “Am I dying or is this my birthday?” Lady Astor was the first woman member of Parliament. Noted for her biting wit, she occasionally got into verbal spats with Winston Churchill. She spoke her last words when, on her deathbed, she momentarily awoke to find herself surrounded by her entire family. Massimo Taparelli (1798-1866) “Ah, Luisa, you always arrive just as I am leaving.” The Marchese d'Azeglio was an Italian statesman and writer of historical novels. He was a leader of the Risorgimento and served as the premier of Sardinia between 1849 and 1852. Although in 1866 Azeglio had been separated from his wife, Luisa, for some time, when she heard he was dying she rushed to be with him. Just as she arrived at his bedside, Azeglio died. Jean Sylvain (1736-1793) “Only from the cold, my friend.” Jean Bailly, a member of the French Academy of Sciences, became the first revolutionary mayor of Paris in 1789. Eventually, however, the reign of terror ensnared him and he was sentenced to death. On the scaffold, awaiting the guillotine, he was heckled by a spectator who noticed that he was trembling. Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) “Now comes the mystery.” Henry Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a fervent abolitionist and one of the most influential American clergymen of the 1800's. His down-to-earth sermons and outspoken moral earnestness helped make a national figure. His popularity lasted throughout his life, surviving a sensational adultery trial in 1875 that ended in a hung jury, an acceptance of Darwinism, and even his eventual rejection of the divinity of Jesus. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) “Friends applaud, the comedy is over.” Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer, was one of the world's greatest musical geniuses. In 1792, Beethoven moved from the provincial court city of Bonn to Vienna, where he studied with Haydn. His hearing had begun to fail by 1798, but he continued to produce a massive volume of music including numerous masterpieces. Unfortunately, the last thirty years of his life were filled with a series of personal tragedies. In addition to his deafness, he became depressed after ending a relationship with an unnamed--and probably married--lady; he struggled through a series of legal battles to gain custody of his nephew following the death of his brother; he was plagued by financial problems and huge debts, and his health began to rapidly fail after his nephew attempted suicide in 1826. Billy the Kid (1859-1881) “Who is it?” Billy the Kid was a gunman who killed several men during the infamous Lincoln County War in New Mexico. Wanted for murder, he was tracked and cornered by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Garrett killed Billy with a single shot to the heart in a dark room of a house at Fort Sumner when he recognized Billy's voice. Anne Boleyn (1507?-1536) “Oh God, have pity on my soul. Oh God, have pity on my soul.” Anne Boleyn was Henry VIII's second queen and the mother of Elizabeth I. She was executed after she fell into Henry's disfavor. From the scaffold, she addressed the spectators who came to see her beheaded, "Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul." Following her speech, she was blindfolded and led to the block where she repeatedly prayed, "To Jesus Christ I commend my soul. Lord Jesu receive my soul." As she placed her head on the stone, she began to cry and spoke her last words. Anne Boleyn did say "The executioner is, I believe, very expert, and my neck is very slender," but these were not her last words. She said this to Mr. Kingston, the Constable of the Tower, while being consoled by him on the day before her execution. Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) “Do you know where I can get any shit?” Lenny Bruce was the original obscene comedian. Darling of the pseudo-intelligencia and enemy of the establishment, Bruce's shows were repeatedly closed by local authorities. Some critics attribute all that is good (or bad, depending upon your perspective) with American stand-up comedy today to Bruce. A heavy drug user, Lenny Bruce was found naked and dead of an overdose on his bathroom floor with a hypodermic needle stuck in his right arm. The man who found Bruce, John Judvich, claimed to have turned down his friend's request for a fix several hours before. Luther Burbank (1849-1926) “I don’t feel good.” Luther Burbank was an American horticulturist who developed hundreds of new fruit, vegetable, and flower varieties. Influenced heavily by Darwin's book, The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, he taught himself plant hybridization and developed a local reputation in Lancaster, Massachusetts, for growing exceptional garden vegetables. He moved to California in 1875 and started a small nursery. There he began systematically to develop plants of special size, color, flavor, and smell. Never trained in the scientific method, he relied on intuition and kept few records of his experiments. Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536) “Mine eyes desire thee only. Farewell.” Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella and the wife of Henry VIII. Although she bore a daughter, the couple could produce no male heir, so Henry asked the Pope for an annulment. When the Roman Church did not act quickly enough, Henry appointed Thomas Cranmer as the archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer's first official act was to grant Henry the divorce he sought. Catherine was then stripped of her titles and denied the company of her daughter. Shortly before she died mysteriously in 1536, Catherine wrote Henry a letter that closed "Oculi mei te solum desiderant. Vale." Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) “Why not? After all, it belongs to him.” Charlie Chaplin was a British actor who became a Hollywood star after joining with Max Sennet during a music hall tour of the United States in 1913. He is usually remembered for his silent picture roles as a little man with a mustache wearing a baggy suit and derby. Many consider Chaplin to be cinema's greatest comedian. When the priest, who was attending him on his deathbed, said "May the Lord have mercy on your soul," Chaplin quickly replied, "Why not? After all, it belongs to him." Georges Chavez (1887-1910) “Higher. Always higher.” Georges Chavez was a Peruvian aviator who had been born in Paris. In 1910, airshow promoters in Milan, Italy, offered a prize of about $15,000 to the first flyer to cross the Alps between Brig, Switzerland, and Domdossla, Italy. Thirteen aviators applied, but the racing committee scratched eight with inferior credentials. Three of the remaining five dropped out, leaving Chavez and one other flyer. On 23 September, Chavez attempted the flight. Strong winds buffeted the plane, and spectators along the route saw Chavez cling desperately to the controls. The plane made it across the mountains, but as crowds began to cheer the approach, its wings fell off. An observer reported that it "fell like a stone" from about 50 feet in the sky. Chavez had broken both legs and suffered massive internal injuries. He lingered in semi- consciousness for four days occasionally mumbling, "Arriba. Siempre arriba." Robert Erskine Childers (1870-1922) “Take a step forward, lads. It will be easier that way.” Erskine Childers, a veteran of the Boer War and World War I, was a writer and Irish nationalist. He was executed following the establishment of the Irish Free State. Childers had been fighting with the Republican Forces when he was captured by pro-treaty troops at Annamore. He was tried before a military court, found guilty of possessing an automatic pistol, and executed by firing squad at Beggars Bush Barracks. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) “What an irreparable loss.” Auguste Comte was a French philosopher who developed a scientific method for studying social structures that forms the basis of modern sociology. He also created a philosophy-religion, known as positivism, that worships humanity instead of the supernatural. Francis “Two Gun” Crowley (1900-1931) “You sons of bitches. Give my love to mother.” Francis Crowley was an American bank robber and murderer. He was electrocuted in 1931. Gabriele D’Annunzo (1863-1938) “I’m bored. I’m bored.” Gabrielle D'Annunzo was an Italian poet, novelist, playwright, playboy, war hero, and fascist adventurer. For forty years he dominated cultural circles in Italy and often used his romantic liaisons as subject matter for his literary works. He fled to Paris in 1910 to escape indebtedness created by his extravagant lifestyle, and once World War One began he aggressively lobbied for Italy's entry on the Allied side. During the war, he achieved fame as a naval commander and ace pilot. Following the armistice, D'Annunzo and a band of one thousand occupied the Adriatic city of Fiume where he served as dictator until 1921 when he relinquished control. His political philosophy, a combination of libertarian, radical, and rightist ideals, formed the foundation for Italian fascism. Georges Jacques Danton (1759-1794) “Show my head to the people. It is worth seeing.” Danton was a French radical who became the acknowledged leader of the revolution following the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Eventually out-radicaled by Robespierre, Danton retired to his home in Arcis, but returned to Paris in 1793. He should have stayed at his home, for he was branded as "indulgent" of the monarchy and sentenced to death. When Danton was asked to formally reply to the revolutionary tribunal that sentenced him, he defiantly began, "My address will soon be annihilation. As for my name, you will find it in the pantheon of history." Later as he placed his neck in the guillotine, he gave his final instructions to the executioner. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) “I am not the least afraid to die.” Charles Darwin's study of the diversity of animal species led him to conclude that living things evolve from a process of natural selection. In 1859, following the publication of his book, On the Origin of Species, he and his work were attacked by religious fundamentalists who realized the British naturalist's theory dealt a fatal blow to the Christian belief in literal biblical creation. Twelve years later, when he published The Descent of Man and applied his theory to humans, the assault intensified. In 1882, Darwin died peacefully in bed after speaking with his son. James Dean (1931-1955) “That guy’s got to stop… He’ll see us.” When James Dean died, only one of his movies, East of Eden, had been released. The other two, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, had not. In fact Dean had just finished filming on Giant when he and a stuntman jumped into his new Porsche, named "The Little Bastard," and sped off to a weekend racing event in Salinas, California. They were stopped by a patrol car near Bakersfield, and Dean received a ticket for speeding. Two hours later, while on a two-lane highway, Dean saw a car begin to turn onto the road ahead. When Dean's Porsche slammed into the vehicle, it's driver's side was crushed. Dean was killed instantly, and his passenger was seriously injured when thrown out of the car. The driver of the other vehicle, a 23 year old college student, suffered only minor injuries. Stephan Decatur (1779-1820) “I am mortally wounded, I think.” Stephen Decatur was an American naval hero who distinguished himself during the War of 1812 and in the expeditions against the Barbary States. A skilled duelist, Decatur accepted a challenge from a disgraced Navy Captain on whose court-martial he had sat. Decatur lost. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) “My God. What’s happened?” Diana and Prince Charles divorced in 1996, shortly after their mutual public confessions of adultery and infidelity. Within the year, Diana had hooked up with the controversial international playboy and millionaire deadbeat, Dodi Al Fayed. After an evening of partying, Diana and Dodi hopped into their automobile along with their bodyguard and ordered their drunk chauffeur to race through the streets of Paris in an attempt to outrun the following paparazzi. Thankfully, when the big Mercedes crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel no innocent bystanders were killed or injured. Princess Diana's last words were recorded in official police files. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) “…the fog is rising.” Emily Dickinson was one of the greatest and most prolific American poets, yet she published only seven poems, all anonymously, during her lifetime. She was born and died in the same house in Amherst, Massachusetts. In between, she left her hometown only a handful of times, and after 1872, she seldom ventured out her house or yard. A rather outgoing young girl, she retreated in to a tighter circle of family and friends as she grew older and communicated primarily through cryptic letters and fragments of poetry. Even during her terminal illness, Bright's Disease (a old term that included a variety of kidney problems), she only permitted her physician to perform examinations by watching through a partially closed door. She died on May 15, 1886, after lapsing in and out of consciousness for several days. It is possible that her last words alluded to a poem she wrote nearly twenty-five years earlier, I've seen a dying eye. Jessica Dubroff (1989-1996) “Mom, do you hear the rain? Do you hear the rain? Mom, I just want to take off in the plane.” Jessica Dubroff was a four foot two inch, 42 lb, seven year old child who had been encouraged by her parents to set a record as the youngest person to fly across the United States. After four months of flight training, Jessica, her father, and a flight instructor set off on their highly publicized journey. Her plane plummeted to earth shortly after take-off following a stop at Cheyenne, Wyoming. All three were killed. As she prepared for take-off, Jessica spoke her last known words during a phone call to her mother, Lisa Blair Hathaway. George Eastman (1854-1932) “My work is done, why wait?” George Eastman, the American inventor, first became interested in amateur photography while working at a bank in Rochester, New York. He developed a process that not only simplified the method of making photographic plates, but also allowed them to be mass produced with relative ease. Realizing that there was a large market for his plates among other photographers, he went into business for himself, eventually introducing flexible film in 1884 and the first mass produced camera for amateurs, the Kodak box camera, in 1888. As his company thrived, Eastman made a fortune and donated vast sums to universities, dental clinics, and musical institutions. At the age of 77 and plagued by a painfully debilitating spinal disease, Eastman put his affairs in order, wrote a note, and committed suicide. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) “It’s very beautiful over there.” In the Spring of 1929, Thomas Edison traveled from his home and laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey, to Dearborn, Michigan, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his invention of the electric light as well as the opening of both the Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. After being introduced by President Hoover, Edison delivered a brief banquet speech and then collapsed. The president's physician quickly rushed to Edison's aid and determined that he was suffering from severe pneumonia. He sank into semi-consciousness, and his second wife, Mina, remained by his side. On Edison's last day, she leaned close and asked, "Are you suffering?" to which he replied, "No, just waiting." Edison then looked out of his bedroom window and softly spoke his last words. Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603) “All my possessions for a moment of time.” Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was the Queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. Her reign is famous for the glamour of her court as well as the success of her policies. By the end of her life she had outlived all of her friends, suitors, and enemies. She spent most of her last days in partial consciousness in a pile of pillows on her chamber floor but finally consented to be placed in her bed just before she died. |
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