Last-known photos of famous historical figures
Throughout history, there have been important figures whose deaths stunned the world. In these cases, candid photos that were taken days or moments prior become haunting reminders of how quickly lives can change.
Below are some of the most famous last-known photographs of famous people and celebrities.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leading figure of the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, fighting for equal rights for black citizens. This photo was taken on April 3, 1968, the night before he was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked nationwide sorrow and outrage and became one of the defining moments of the 1960s.
James Dean
In his short life, James Dean quickly became one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood history. His emotional performances in Rebel Without A Cause and East of Eden set a new standard for masculinity on screen. Tragically, Dean died at the age of 24 in a car crash. This photo was taken hours before the crash and shows Dean with his Porsche 550 Spyder, which he was driving to a racing competition.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. The British monarch was praised for breaking royal protocol and displayed a more human side of the Royal Family as she championed various charitable causes.
The princess died in a tragic car crash in Paris at the age of 36 alongside her partner, Dodi Fayed, and her bodyguard. In her final moments, her car was being aggressively chased by the paparazzi.
The Romanov Family
Tsar Nicolas II, his wife, Grand Duchess Maria, and their four children were casualties of the Russian Revolution. This photo of the family was taken in Yekaterinburg a few days before they were executed by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918. Many believed that Grand Duchess Anastasia had survived because her remains were not found immediately; however, forensic evidence later confirmed that she also perished alongside her family.
Second Officer Charles Lightoller and First Officer William Murdoch of The Titanic
A photo taken by a newspaper reporter shows Second Officer Charles Lightoller and First Officer William Murdoch closing the gangway as the ship sets sail from Queenstown, Ireland, days before the Titanic sank. Lightoller survived the disaster and went on to assist during the WWII evacuation of Dunkirk. Tragically, Murdoch was one of the many crew members killed, making this the last known photo of him.
Queen Elizabeth II
In her last public appearance before her death, Queen Elizabeth II met with Conservative Party Leader and Britain’s Prime Minister-elect, Liz Truss. The meeting took place on September 6, 2022, at Balmoral Castle. Queen Elizabeth II passed away two days later from natural causes at Balmoral, ending one of the longest royal reigns in Britain’s history.
The Challenger Crew
The Challenger space shuttle disaster is considered one of the worst failures in NASA’s history. Shortly after takeoff, the shuttle experienced technical malfunctions and began to break apart in mid-air. To make matters worse, the launch was widely broadcast as part of an educational initiative, with teacher Christa McAuliffe selected as part of the crew.
Tragically, all the Challenger crew members died in the incident. They are seen here in some of their final moments boarding the shuttle.
Amelia Earhart
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart remains one of the biggest mysteries in history. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared during a flight over the Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world. This photo, taken in Los Angeles, shows Earhart making the final preparations for her ill-fated flight.
Captain Edward J. Smith
Captain Edward J. Smith was charged with commanding the Titanic during its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. As we all know, the ship struck an iceberg in the early morning of April 15, 1912, and sank in a matter of hours, leading to a high number of fatalities and becoming one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
Captain Smith perished in the sinking. He is seen here next to Purser Hugh Walter McElroy in a photo taken by Rev. F.M. Browne. Browne disembarked the ship at Queenstown three days before it hit the iceberg.
John F. Kennedy
- Victor Hugo King/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
President John F. Kennedy was traveling with his wife, Jaqueline Kennedy, in a presidential motorcade on November 22, 1963. The president and first lady were in Texas to smooth over political tensions with the Democratic Party. As the motorcade traveled through Dealey Plaza, Kennedy was shot twice and pronounced dead shortly after in the hospital.
This photo was taken moments before the shots rang out and shows the president and his wife smiling and waving to the crowd.
Abraham Lincoln
This photo of President Abraham Lincoln was taken on February 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C., by Alexander Gardner. Merely 10 weeks later, President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theater by John Wilkes Booth. Even though his life was cut short, many historians believe that Lincoln was one of America’s greatest presidents, alongside George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Robert F. Kennedy
Just a few years after his brother was assassinated, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot on June 5, 1968. The senator was making a presidential campaign stop at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when he was killed. This photo was taken moments before the tragedy.
Mark Twain
Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens but known by most by his pen name, Mark Twain, the author, humorist, and essayist is considered one of the greatest writers in American history. During his life, he authored classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Twain died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910. This photo was taken just a few days before his demise.
Nikola Tesla
We can thank Nikola Tesla for contributing to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Born in 1856, Tesla devoted his life to science, conducting experiments with electricity, X-rays, and radio remote controls. He passed away in 1943 at the age of 86.
Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis
Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a fashion icon and a respected literary and publishing editor. In December 1993, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which spread aggressively throughout her body. This photo was taken in Central Park while she was out for a walk with her partner, Maurice Tempelsman, in April 1994. Kennedy-Onassis passed away in her sleep on May 19, 1994.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was called “the shot heard around the world.” He and his wife, Sophie, were killed on June 28, 1914, and the event became the catalyst for World War I. The couple is seen riding in a motor vehicle here moments before their demise.
Vladimir Lenin
In one of the final photographs taken of Vladimir Lenin, the political revolutionary is seen next to his sister and doctor months before his death. Lenin is credited with turning Russia into a Communist state and served as the nation’s head of government. He passed away on January 21, 1924.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley became known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll when he transformed music and found global fame. Presley is credited with combining the blues, rock, and gospel into a new sound that resonated with the youth of the era. His music and notable hip-shaking turned him into one of the most successful recording artists of all time.
Toward the end of his life, Presley was battling several health ailments, primarily caused by his reliance on prescription substances. This photo was taken in June 1977 at one of his final concerts. The singer passed away at his home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant made an unmistakable mark on American history. First, as the Commanding General of the Union Army during the American Civil War, and later, as president. After leaving the White House, Grant embarked on a world tour that depleted most of his savings. He spent the final years of his life in serious debt and was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1884.
In his final months, Grant lived a quiet life, working on his memoirs. He is seen in this photo, taken about a month before his death, doing just that.
John Lennon
As a member of The Beatles, John Lennon is credited with rewriting the rules of contemporary music. This photo shows Lennon next to his wife, Yoko Ono, in a recording studio on December 6, 1980, two days before his death.
Lennon was assassinated outside his apartment by Mark David Chapman in New York City. His death caused an intense period of mourning for music fans around the world.
Che Guevara
Che Guevara was a major figure in the Cuban Revolution, which overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Throughout his life, Guevara was a political theorist, guerrilla fighter, author, and diplomat. He was killed by a firing squad in Bolivia in 1967, a few weeks after this photo was taken.
King David Kalākaua
King David Kalākaua was the last king of Hawaii and is credited with bringing back many Hawaiian traditions, such as the hula dance. Kalākaua died on January 20, 1891, of kidney disease during a trip to America. His sister ascended the throne after his death, until her government was overthrown and Hawaii was annexed in 1898.
Harry Parke
Harry Einstein, known professionally as Harry Parke, was a comedian and character actor. He was also the father of actors Albert Brooks and Bob Einstein. Tragically, Parke passed away moments after this photo with Milton Berle was taken in 1958. He suffered a fatal heart attack while on stage during a roast of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, shocking his colleagues in Hollywood and his fans around the world.
William McKinley
During his time as president, William McKinley oversaw American expansionism, with the annexation of Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and other territories. McKinley often enjoyed meeting with members of the public, even though his security team was worried about the threat of assassination. Sadly, their fears came true when McKinley was shot at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, an incident that occurred minutes after this photo was taken. He died a few days after the incident.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the president in office during two of America’s most significant historical moments: the Great Depression and the Second World War. Besides being the longest-serving president, he is regarded by many scholars as one of the best in the nation’s history.
This photo was taken in March 1945, about a month before his death. After returning to the States from the Yalta Conference, the president’s health declined rapidly due to a combination of ailments.
Michael Jackson
Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson got his start in the industry as the young lead singer of The Jackson 5. Jackson’s sheer, raw talent was unmistakable even at a young age, but he would go on to transform music as we know it with the release of Thriller in 1982.
In the last years of his life, Jackson was plagued with controversy but was attempting to shift his focus back to music. He was planning a summer residency at the O2 Arena called “This Is It”. He is seen announcing the show in one of his final press conferences here, months before he died on June 25, 2006.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, which she shared with her husband, Pierre Curie, for their research on radioactivity. She won another Nobel Prize in 1911 for the discovery of radium and polonium.
Toward the end of her life, Curie suffered from aplastic anaemia likely caused by exposure to radiation during her studies. This photo was taken about three years before her death. To this day, Curie’s tomb is lined with lead because of her body’s radioactivity.
Charlie Chaplin
Celebrated actor and director Charlie Chaplin gained international fame thanks to his on-screen persona known as The Tramp. To this day, Chaplin is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with many of his films ranked for their artistic and historical significance.
In this photo from August 1977, Chaplin is attending the Vevey Wine Festival in Vevey, Switzerland. He passed away a few months later on December 25, 1977.
Marilyn Monroe
Singer and actress Marilyn Monroe was the most famous woman on the planet at one point in her life. Behind closed doors, though, the blonde bombshell struggled with loneliness, depression, and a series of failed marriages.
About a month before her death, Monroe was photographed by George Barris on the beach at Santa Monica wearing a knitted cardigan. The photos showed a more natural side of Monroe compared to her glam stage persona and became haunting reminders of her short life when she passed away.
