Deathbed statements

Beyond the grave: take a look at the last words of 12 famous people

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Throughout history, hundreds of historical figures have left their mark on the world through their marvelous achievements. When their lives came to an end, their last words were often a reflection of their lives and ideals. From George Washington and Mark Twain to Frank Sinatra and Leonardo Da Vinci, in this article, we will reveal 12 final words of memorable personalities.

Image: The New York Public Library

After serving two terms as the United State's first president, George Washington retired to his Virginia plantation. In mid-December 1799, he developed a cold and a severe sore throat. Despite doctors' efforts to cure him, the end was imminent.

His long-time secretary, Tobias Lear, was at his side during his last days and documented all the events that transpired, including the former president's last words. According to his account, shortly before he took his last breath George Washington said "Tis well" —an old-fashioned way of saying "everything is okay."

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Noir icon of perpetual elegance and rebellious charisma, Humphrey Bogart is an undisputed legend in cinema history. A Hollywood Golden Age star, Bogart is still remembered today for his scar on his upper lip, his everlasting cigarette, and his perfect portrayal of gangsters and detectives.

At the age of 57 Bogart was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, for which he was hospitalized for several months. According to lore, the legendary star's last words were "I should never have switched from scotch to martinis." However, his wife Lauren Bacall confirmed that the last thing he actually said was "Goodbye Kid. Hurry back," before she left his bedside to get their children.

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As one of the greatest American writers of all time, Mark Twain is usually credited with all sorts of great quotes that he often didn't say. For that reason, there are different versions of what his last words were before he died in 1910 at the age of 74.

The most plausible theory can be found in an article published one day after his death. According to this chronicle, Samuel Langhorne Clemens' last words were not spoken aloud but written. The famous humorist and essayist reportedly wrote to his daughter Clara, who accompanied him on his bedside, "Give me my glasses."

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Joan Crawford, the Oscar winner for Mildred Pierce and one of the greatest stars of Hollywood's golden age, died in 1977 of a heart attack.

The actress, who had a complicated personality, was true to her nature until her last breath. She was so ill that her doctor felt it wasn’t worth taking her to the hospital. One of her nurses began to pray aloud in desperation. Losing her patience, Crawford snapped for the last time and said, "Damn it... Don't you dare ask God to help me."

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The year 2024 marked the 700th anniversary of the death of the man who better described remote lands. Marco Polo was a merchant who spent more than 20 years of his life traveling through the Orient and wrote about his adventures in a book that became a bestseller when the printing press wasn’t even invented.

Marco Polo was, and still is, a legend. When, on his deathbed, his wife and friends begged the brave explorer to confess if what he had told in the book was true, he barely whispered: "I have not told the half of what I saw and did."

Image: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Julius Henry Marx, better known as Groucho Marx, is considered one of the most influential comedians of all time. The man with the bushy black mustache was one of the Marx Brothers. Together they made 13 films, including the classic Duck Soup. After a long and prominent career, Groucho passed away in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 86.

His brilliant one-liners are still remembered and replayed to this day, so it is not surprising that not one but several final words are attributed to him. A few close friends have suggested that his last line was "This is no way to live!", while most suggest that his last words were in fact dedicated to his wife: "Die, my dear? Why, that's the last thing I'll do!"

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Voltaire, the French writer, philosopher, historian, and lawyer, one of the major figures of the Enlightenment, died in 1778 at the age of 83. Different accounts of his deathbed make it impossible to determine exactly what his last days were like.

One of these stories, however, is consistent with his ideas about God and his well-known criticism of the Church. According to this version, when the priest asked him if he wanted to renounce Satan before he died, Voltaire replied, "This is no time to make new enemies."

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L. Frank Baum was a prolific American author. He wrote 55 novels, 82 short stories, and more than 200 poems. However, his most memorable work is his series of children's fantasy books The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On May 5, 1919, Baum suffered a heart attack. He died the next day, shortly before his 63rd birthday. Disturbed by the imminence of death, he whispered to his wife: "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands," a clear reference to the Land of Oz.

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Augustus, the first Roman emperor, is often attributed with the phrase: "Behold, I found Rome of clay, and leave her to you of marble," alluding to the great infrastructural works carried out during his prosperous 40 years of rule.

However, according to other historical accounts, his last words were addressed to the friends who stayed with him on his deathbed: "Have I played the part well? Then applaud, as I exit."

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"Darling, you've gone through worse and you can beat this too. You have to fight," implored Barbara Marx, Frank Sinatra's fourth wife, to her beloved on his deathbed. "I'm losing," The Voice whispered through teary eyes.

Barbara recounted the last hours of the singer of such hits as My Way and New York, New York in her memoir Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank. Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century, pronounced his last words in 1998 at the age of 82.

Image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite being one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was very hard on himself. All his life he challenged his own limits, evident in his paintings and sculptures as well as in his inventions, some of which were truly revolutionary.

Even after a lifetime of success, he wasn’t quite satisfied. When he suffered a stroke at the age of 67, he sent for a priest to receive the Holy Sacrament and, according to historians, his greatest regret was that he hadn’t achieved excellence with his work. In that sense, it is said that his last words were: "I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have."

Image: National Museum of Health and Medicine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Yankee Clipper was one of the greatest baseball players of all time but he is also known for having been married to the iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe. Joe and Marilyn were together for less than three years. In 1955 the actress left him for American playwright Arthur Miller.

DiMaggio was devastated. He never married again, and never got over his one true love. His last words before he died in 1999 at the age of 84 were: "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."

LINGUISTIC CONUNDRUM

Weltschmerz and More: The Beauty Behind 10 Untranslatable German Words

Image: Bekky Bekks

Languages are a curious thing: No matter how different they are, we humans always find a way to understand each other. Translation has come a long way in making sure of that. However, it hasn’t covered all its gaps; some words remain untranslatable. In the German language, words like sturmfrei and verschlimmbessern (yep, that’s a word!) have no direct translation, but that doesn’t mean they are not describable. So, we’ve put together a list of ten German words with their funny descriptions, do you feel like learning German? Read on then!

Image: Allen Taylor

Here’s a word you can learn, but sure don’t want your children or grandchildren to learn. Sturmfrei literally translates to "when your parents are away, and you have the whole house to yourself."

The word describes a feeling, and based on its literal translation, one can assume it is a feeling of happiness, excitement, and why not, freedom. Specifically, the kind of freedom a teenager gets when their parents leave the house to their regard.

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This is a rather long word, but that is not an uncommon thing in the German language. This is because multiple meanings can be attached to a base, forming more complex meanings. In this case, verschlimmbessern means "to make things worse by trying to improve them."

However, it’s not used in the most common scenario of facing a problem and trying to bring about a solution that backfires. It refers to the consequence of obsession with perfection, which can ultimately be counterproductive. Trying to improve things over and over only to make everything worse… Who hasn’t been there?

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The complexities of the modern world can easily bring us down and we need to work on our mental health to win the battle day after day. Now, in German, there is a word that describes the apathy caused by the comparison of the current state of the world with an ideal state: that word is weltschmerz.

It describes that melancholic feeling that comes from realizing how hard living in the modern world is. Moreover, it includes an idealist aspect, the kind that hopes to live in an ideal world. When confronted with the realization of the impossibility of achieving such a world, weltschmerz comes into play.

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Another long word, and who would think such a specific situation was worth putting so many letters together? If you’ve ever played in the snow, you can relate to that awful sensation that comes from picking up the snow with your bare hands.

Well, in German, when you’re not brave enough to do that, you’re handschuhschneeballwerfer. This term means you are too afraid to pick up the snow with bare hands and resort to a glove to do so. Now, its literal translation is "glove snowball thrower." Quite specific, don’t you think?

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Perfection and obsession with details don’t always end badly, like with the words we discussed before. You can just be an erbsenzähler and that’s it. This word, an adjective, describes someone who is obsessed with details and a bit of a control freak, according to its literal translation.

In this context, the person can’t stand even the smallest detail being out of their control. So, if you think you fall into this category, you might want to think again. "Erbsenzähler" is a compound word and, its literal translation includes the words "peas" and "count!"

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Speaking of German words, this term represents its essence perfectly. However cool it sounds, this word is part of this list because it has no direct equivalent in English. Here is what it means: Sprachgefühl refers to someone who loves learning a new language and is obsessed with fully grasping its grammatical nuances.

If you decide to study German after reading this article, then you could be described as a sprachgefühl: a unique word for a unique interest!

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If you thought the previous ones were weird, wait until you hear about this one! Dreikäsehoch when translated literally, means "three cheese high." And we’re sure you will never guess what it means, so here is the explanation.

The word simply describes an undersized child, that is, a child who is not tall enough for their age. It is an adjective used to describe that situation. Now, if cheese has nothing to do with it, how did it come to be part of the word? Think of it this way: The kid is not taller than three cheese rolls piled one on top of the other. Talk about untranslatable words!

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Have you ever been caught red-handed? You start sweating and your brain instantly tries to come up with answers for all those questions that are coming your way. Now, that is erklärungsnot. Having to explain yourself quickly.

Even if it lacks a one-on-one translation, this word is quite transparent. It is used to describe the immediacy of a situation in which you have to come up with answers to explain what you were caught doing.

Image: Afif Ramdhasuma

If we said that treppenwitz means, literally, "a staircase joke," would you understand its meaning? If not, let us enlighten you.

A treppenwitz refers, once again to a very specific scenario: Imagine someone makes a joke or a witty comment, and you are left speechless, unable to figure out what to say in response to sound just as smart or funny. Can you see where we are going? After the moment has passed, your brain comes up with the perfect response, but it is just too late to say it. That moment right there is treppenwitz. Frustrating, isn’t it?

Image: Seb [ P34K ] Hamel

This word is indeed untranslatable, but we’re sure it’s not in your best interest for anyone to find a translation of it if they are talking about you.

Schadenfreude translates to "damage joy," and it describes the feeling of happiness that comes from seeing another person fail, or enjoying someone’s distress.

The German language knows that getting any joy out of another person’s misery is simply wicked. Good for them!