Last Known Photos of Highly Influential People

A person’s last moments leading up to death can either be haunting or comforting. Although celebrities are not immune to death, some of them leave lasting legacies that will be remembered for generations to come.

Cory Montieth made a name for himself playing Fin Hudson on the hit TV show ‘Glee’. On July 13th, 2013, he was discovered in his hotel room having passed away from a heroin and alcohol overdose. He battled with drug and substance abuse since his teen years.

James Joseph Gandolfini was a producer and an actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the show ‘The Sopranos’. He was loved by many even as he played an antagonist’s role.

Known by many as Prince, he was one of the most legendary musicians. At just 58, Prince passed away from an overdose. Before that, rumors were surrounding his health with speculation starting from a hospital visit days before his death.

He was highly esteemed and known by many to be a jolly man. He died at the age of 43 and was survived by a wife and two children. He died in Durango, Mexico after taking a vacation from filming.

Paul Walker was best known for his role as Brian O’Connor in the highly successful film franchise Fast and Furious. Ironically he died in a car crash after leaving an event for Walker’s Charity Reach Out Worldwide on the 30th of November 2013. His last photo was taken while he left this event.

Ryan Dunn was a renowned television personality, actor, and comedian. He died in a car crash along with a passenger named Zachary Hartwell who was a veteran of the Iraq war. The tragic accident occurred on June 20th, 2011.

George Harrison played lead guitar for the iconic Beetles. He suffered from cancer in his final year of life. He was said to have undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his lungs. He then traveled to Switzerland in July 2001 for further treatment.

The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher George Latore Wallace, is known as one of the most iconic rappers in the industry to date. He was signed to Sean Combs’ record label. He was murdered on March 9th, 1997 on the night of the Soul Train Awards that year.

Dolores Janney ‘Jennie’ Rivera Saavedra was a woman of multiple talents. She was known to write songs, act, produce, and work as a philanthropist. She was highly thought of by her peers and her fans.

Known as one of the greatest minds of his time, he contributed tremendously towards the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system.

Joan Alexandra Molinski, commonly known as Joan Rivers, was a renowned media personality. She was a writer, producer, and television host. She had a great influence on pop culture in the 21st century.

Singer and songwriter Whitney Houston was known all over the world as an amazing vocalist and a talented songwriter. She sold over 200 million records worldwide. Her death however was not glamorous. She was discovered drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the 11th of February 2012.

Steve Irwin was an Australian zookeeper, wildlife expert, environmentalist, television personality, and one of the most loved conservationists. He earned the nickname ‘Crocodile Hunter’ from his show ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ and coined the term ‘Crickey’. All this made it even more shocking that he should be killed by a wild animal.

Naya Rivera was an actress on the rise when she died tragically. Although she had been acting since her childhood, her role as Santana Lopez in the hit TV show ‘Glee’ is what put her on the map. Her role, though minor at the beginning of the series, was steadily being grown. She posted this picture of her and her son just a day before authorities began the search for her on Lake Piru in California.

Richard Pryor was a legendary comedian who appeared in many films and comedy specials that were huge trailblazers in the industry. He thrived in his trade despite racial barriers. Pryor died on the 10th of December 2005 of a heart attack.

His last publicly shared photo was posted on his 89th birthday, years before his demise. At the age of 83, the prominent figure was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In 2001 he fell, breaking his hip which made him even weaker.

Joan Marie Laurer, known in the ring as Chyna was a professional wrestler known as the ninth wonder of the world by WWE and later in the 1990s was known as WWF.

Sir James Willson Vincent Savile died in his old age after having a long and prosperous career as a host, radio personality, and DJ. He hosted shows such as ‘Top of the Pops” and “Jim’ll Fix It”. He died on November 29th, 2011 at the age of 84 from pneumonia.

Keith Moon was known to be unpredictable and lived a wild lifestyle. He was also known to play practical jokes on people. Sometimes he would even blackout on stage during performances. This picture was taken of him, Paul, and Linda McCartney in a restaurant.

Gary Shandling was best known for creating and staring in ‘The Larry Sanders Show.’ He worked as a stand-up comedian, actor, director, and producer. He died on 24th March 2016 leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. He suffered from hyperparathyroidism.

Kirk Douglas starred in one of the most iconic films of all time, Spartacus. After building a successful career since 1946, raising a beautiful family, documenting his life in his autobiography, and participating actively in acts of charity, he passed away at 103 years of age.

Being the household name that he was, the news of Michael Jackson’s passing rocked the world. He died during a rehearsal in Los Angeles after he went into cardiac arrest. He overdosed on the 25th of June in 2009 at the age of 51.

Christopher McCandless’s story was depicted in the movie Into the Wild which was based on the book of the same title by Jon Krakauer. The film had Emile Hirsh depicting Christopher. Sean Penn wrote and directed the movie. The book and film were based on the life of Christopher who in his early 20’s chose to live his days in the Alaskan wilds.

Dean Martin was truly one of Hollywood’s exemplary entertainers. Doing everything including acting, comedy, singing, and hosting showed that he had a diverse skill set. He was diagnosed with cancer probably caused by his heavy smoking. He died at the age of 78.

Kim Jong-II died of a heart attack on December 17th, 2011. He had worked closely with his father and was consequently given prominent roles in the government and the armed forces.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is now often referred to as Mahatma as an assign of honor which he earned from his life leading India in non-violent resistance to colonialism. He is honored to this date in many countries around the world but especially in India.

Cassius Marcel Clay was known as one of the best heavy-weight boxers that ever lived. He was also known for his role as an activist. He openly spoke against the Vietnam War. In 1984, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He continued to live a healthy, long life until June 3rd, 2016 when he passed on.

He was known by both young and older audiences as his roles were diverse and his career was long with many loved characters. He retired after the decline in his career in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Throughout his retirement, he lived out his days’ painting and writing books.

River Phoenix had a promising career ahead of him as he was just a teenager when he was nominated for an Academy Award. This is one of the highest honors to award to an actor, and he received it for his role in Running on Empty. He acted in other films that were also highly acclaimed.

Robert F. Kennedy was in power for a short time before he was killed while exited a hotel in Los Angeles after giving a speech. The shooter was a 24-year-old Palestinian male who was angry at the president for supporting Israel after the 1967 six-day war.

Janis Joplin was known for her unique musical style and her instant success. She had only four albums for the whole of her profession which were wildly successful.

Hugh Hefner founded Play Boy in 1953, in an era that was much more conservative. He broke down barriers to sexuality. He enjoyed the company of women well into his old age and was known as a significant part of modern-day culture especially in the United States.

Herbert Butros Khaury, professionally known as Tiny Tim, was a ukulele player and musician. He was in the prime of his career in the ’60s. He was known for his unique high-pitched voice which made him a regular appearance in shows and the only musician of his kind.

Robin McLaurin Williams was a loved comedian who was known best for his starring role in Mrs. Doubtfire. He played many diverse roles during his career.

Many conspiracies surround the authenticity of his death. Either way, this photo is the last known photo of him and a record producer that had had several encounters with the law. On the night of his supposed death, there had been an altercation at a casino in Las Vegas.

Having struggled with health problems for a long time, death did not surprise this talented writer. He died on April 21st, 1910. His given name was Samuel Clemens, and his last piece of work was titled “Etiquette for the Afterlife: Advice to Paine.”

James Dean loved cars and loved racing them. He died in a car accident on September 30th, 1955 in a new Porsche 550 Spyder that he had just bought a while before. After he purchased it, he showed it to his friend Alec Guinness who predicted that if he got in the car he would be found dead by that time the next week.

Freddie Mercury was a megastar in his time being the lead vocalist for one of the greatest bands. He achieved great success as a musician but was very protective of his privacy. It was not public knowledge before he gave a statement on November 3rd, 1991 confirming that he had AIDs.

Anne Frank was a Jewish, young diarist who went into hiding during the holocaust. A while after this picture was taken, a diary was sent to Anne Frank which she wrote in throughout her time in hiding with her family.

Marilyn Monroe always appeared to be vibrant and joyful, but it may all have been a façade. She had been struggling with drug abuse for some time before her death. Her mental health had also taken a severe hit.

Bob Marley was famous for the deep messages, his smooth delivery, and his unique style of music. He was a trailblazer for the reggae genre. After an exhilarating performance in Madison Square just a few days before, he collapsed while he was jogging in Central Park.

Abraham Lincoln was a major player in shaping the United States of America. He made revolutionary reforms like ending slavery and he had also just been elected for a second term as president when the Civil War ended on April 9th, 1865.

The Challenger disaster on January 28th, 1986 is still one of the most memorable disasters in the country. The space shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after its launch, killing all seven astronauts on board, including Crista McAuliffe who would have been the first teacher in space.

He was known for playing a big part in defeating the confederate army during the Civil War. After winning battles at two confederate ports in Tennessee, as gratitude the locals gifted him with 10,000 boxes of cigars.

The young Australian actor moved to the U.S. to further pursue his acting career in 1998. He had many notable roles, but the most significant was his role as ‘The Joker’ in Batman: The Dark Night which earned him a Golden Globe award for best-supporting actor.

Elvis Presley made a name for himself as one of the most popular musicians to have lived. Years after his death people still recognize his name and his unique style.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy commonly referred to by his initials JFK, faced many difficulties during his time in office. He however triumphed over all these issues, and his government was effective in dealing with international disagreements.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman was highly respected in his industry by both his peers and his fans. He was however very troubled towards the end of his life as seen in this disturbing last picture of him. It was captured at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Amelia Earhart was a trailblazer in the aviation field. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also the first-ever pilot to fly from Hawaii to the United States alone. This photo was taken before she embarked on her most dangerous mission yet.

Patrick Swayze starred in many successful films and was a well-respected actor. He had one of the most successful careers in the film industry in the ’80s and ’90s. He was diagnosed with cancer in January 2008.

Jim Morrison was in the limelight for some time and gained quite some fame. He was known for his consistent controversies. This image shows Morrison with his partner Pamela Courson at Saint-Leud’Esserent.

Martin Luther King Jr. was enrolled in college at the age of 15 where he received his doctorate in systematic theology. He was imprisoned 30 times in his life.

Stan Lee’s death was a shock to all of Hollywood as he was the creator of Avengers, X-Men, and the Amazing Spiderman. These comics and later films have been read and watched by both young and old.

A former member of the Beatles was murdered by one of the fans of the band just outside his own home. They are seen in this picture together.

The amazing Alan Rickman who starred in movies such as Harry Potter and Die Hard had been struggling with pancreatic cancer secretly. He died on January 14, 2016 at the age of 69.

Franklin Roosevelt’s handicap that had been kept a secret was not the cause of his death. In fact, it was a brain hemorrhage. He got a slight headache and died.

He was a guitarist, a talented singer, and a songwriter. He had a lot to do with the evolution of soul music in the US. He was one of the most recognized musicians of his time. This picture was taken of him by his girlfriend a day before he died.

Vladimir Lenin was the first leader of the government that took over Russia in 1917 despite having been expelled from a university of law. He had also been arrested and exiled to Siberia for 3 years due to his revolutionary work. He was mummified after his death, something very strange.

Time Magazine named Albert Einstein “Man of the Century” when he died following his great contributions towards mathematics and the development of the atomic bomb.

David Bowie was known for his great style and eccentric music. The events in his last music video were interpreted by some fans as a farewell but were later clarified to be just coincidental. This picture was posted to his Instagram two days before he died.

He had many roles throughout his career and was respected in the industry. Though his career was colorful and successful, Burt Reynolds said that he regretted not doing more serious roles.

The name Aretha Franklin is recognized by at least two generations. Her songs were as entertaining as they were impactful on society.

Although he was in such an advanced field, he was recognized by the average person because of his ability to explain complicated facts and laws of physics in a simple nature.

Steve jobs achieved immediate success when he introduced the world to Apple. His innovation made him and his product household names.

Princess Diana first came to be known through her marriage and later divorce to Prince Charles George of Wales. She was known for her philanthropic nature, especially towards victims of AIDS and international conflict.

Like many in the rock music business, Kurt suffered from drug and substance abuse. He slipped into a coma after mixing alcohol with substances but survived and checked into rehab. He did not stay there for long.

Lucille Ball was last seen at the Academy Awards in 1989 after a friend coaxed her to go. She did not appear to be enjoying herself.

Dale was an experienced NASCAR racer who probably did not expect to die. He was photographed with his wife at the Daytona 500 on the day of his passing.

Babe Ruth was one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace the fields. Unfortunately, he developed a tumor that spread to his throat and skull. He was the first person to receive treatment for cancer.

Ursula K. Le Guin was a well-known children’s author who won over the adult audience with her simple yet elegant way of writing. She used creativity to raise social issues and spark a discussion around them.