“Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God”
This was Maya Angelou’s poignant final public tweet before her death at the age of 86. The writer, poet and civil rights activist passed away at her home in Winston-Salem from declining health including heart problems.
“End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and then you see it.”
These are reputedly some of the final words of the writer and philologist, author of books The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien died in hospital from a bleeding ulcer and chest infection at the age of 81.
“Schur, you remember our ‘contract’ not to leave me in the lurch when the time had come. Now it is nothing but torture and makes no sense… Talk it over with Anna and if she thinks it’s right, then make an end of it.”
Sigmund Freud was in severe pain from terminal cancer when he asked his friend and doctor Max Schur to end his suffering by administering an overdose of morphine. Freud’s daughter Anna had wanted to postpone the death of her father, but Schur convinced her it would be pointless to keep him alive. The neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis died at his home in London, he was 83 years of age.
“Ben, make sure you play ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.”
King was on the balcony of his motel apartment when he was fatally shot by sniper James Earl Ray. The civil rights activist was rushed to St Joseph’s hospital for emergency surgery but died from his injuries.
The last words of the 39 year old social activist and Baptist minister were spoken to a musician Ben Branch, who was going to play that night at a meeting King was due to attend.
“I believe we must adjourn this meeting to another place.”
This humorous quip, delivered with a smile to friends at his bedside, were the final words of 67 year old Adam Smith. The economist and philosopher, author of ‘The Wealth of Nations’ passed away at his home Panmure House in Edinburgh after a painful illness.
“Give me my glasses.”
Too weak to talk, the writer and humorist wrote down these words on some paper as he was dying, a request for his glasses so he could better see his daughter Clara. Mark Twain died of a heart attack at his mansion house Stormfield in Redding Connecticut, he was 74 years old.
“This isn’t Hamlet, you know. It’s not meant to go in the bloody ear.”
Laurence Olivier couldn’t resist a Shakespeare reference among his last words, when he rebuked a nurse for accidentally spilling juice on his ear. The 82 year old actor and director died at his home in the village of Ashurst from cancer and kidney failure.
“Come, come, no weakness! Let’s be a man to the last! Now, I shall go to sleep.”
These are said to be the deathbed words of the Romantic poet and satirist, who is perhaps best remembered for writing the epic poem Don Juan. Lord Byron had been fighting in Greece for the country’s independence, when he succumbed to fever in the town of Missolonghi and died at the age of 36.
“Hold it! Hold it! Don’t get excited. Let’s cool it, brothers.”
According to some reports, these were the final words of Malcolm X who was assassinated by three gunmen in Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom. The 39 year old human rights activist and revolutionary was shot 21 times and taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
“Where the hell are the parachutes?”
The iconic trombonist and musician was boarding a flight to take him from England to France, when he jokingly spoke these ironic last words to Colonel Baesell. Glenn Miller’s plane was lost over the English Channel, the exact cause of the disappearance remains a mystery, and no wreckage was ever found.
