Final words of
Oscar Wilde
“Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.”
November 30, 1900 · Meningitis
Read the full account → 2,656 People documented
14 Categories
3,000+ Years of history
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Historical Figures 1582 people
→ Leaders & Politicians 133 people
→ Artists & Writers 238 people
→ Musicians & Composers 218 people
→ Actors & Entertainers 101 people
→ Scientists & Inventors 74 people
→ Royalty & Nobility 55 people
→ Military & Warriors 52 people
→ Outlaws & Criminals 67 people
→ Athletes & Sports 38 people
→ Religious Figures 44 people
→ Explorers & Adventurers 22 people
→ Notable Last Words
View all 2,656 → Athletes & Sports 2020
Kobe Bryant
“I love you too.”
Helicopter crash Age 41
Actors & Entertainers 1962
Marilyn Monroe
“Say goodbye to Pat, say goodbye to the President, and say goodbye to yourself, because you're a nice guy.”
Acute barbiturate poisoning Age 36
Musicians & Composers 1994
Kurt Cobain
“It's better to burn out than to fade away.”
Self-inflicted gunshot wound Age 27
Military & Warriors 44 BC
Julius Caesar
“Et tu, Brute? (And you, Brutus?)”
Assassination (23 stab wounds) Age 55
Royalty & Nobility 1793
Marie Antoinette
“Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose.”
Guillotine execution Age 37
Musicians & Composers 1991
Freddie Mercury
“Pee pee.”
AIDS-related bronchopneumonia Age 45
Musicians & Composers 1980
John Lennon
“I'm shot!”
Assassination (gunshot) Age 40
Leaders & Politicians 1865
Abraham Lincoln
“She won't think anything about it.”
Gunshot wound Age 56
Business & Tech 2011
Steve Jobs
“Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”
Pancreatic cancer Age 56
Royalty & Nobility 1997
Princess Diana
“My God, what's happened?”
Car accident Age 36
Musicians & Composers 1996
Tupac Shakur
“Fuck you.”
Gunshot wounds Age 25
Royalty & Nobility 1536
Anne Boleyn
“O Lord God have pity on my soul.”
Execution by beheading Age 35
Research
Can Famous Last Words Be Trusted?
We analyzed 2,656 famous final statements for sourcing and verifiability. Only 9.1% have high-confidence documentation. Many of history's most quoted last words — including Caesar's "Et tu, Brute?" — are myths.
What were their final words?
Last words have fascinated historians, writers, and the curious for centuries. Whether defiant, tender, confusing, or profound — a person's final statement often reveals something that a lifetime of biography cannot. This archive documents the recorded final words of 2,656 notable figures across history, from ancient rulers to modern icons.