The last photos taken of famous historical figures

Diana, Princess of Wales

Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, alongside her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul, whose intoxicated driving was blamed. The last image taken of Diana was of her in the backseat of the vehicle, moments before the tragic accident.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee, officially from a heart attack. Speculation surrounds his death, and many have cited drug abuse and health issues as reasons for his passing. This photo was taken of the famous singer shortly after midnight on the day of his death.

John F. Kennedy

Just moments before his assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, this photo of John F. Kennedy was captured in his final public appearance. As the 35th US President, Kennedy was beloved yet controversial, and his death has inspired many lasting conspiracy theories.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., renowned for his 'I Have a Dream' speech and civil rights leadership, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis. His last photo was taken the day before he was shot, taken on the same spot on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria was Britain’s second-longest-reigning monarch, who ruled from 1837 until her death on January 22, 1901. The monarch oversaw an era of immense change, during which the British Empire greatly expanded. Her last photo was taken on the anniversary of her Diamond Jubilee in June 1900.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla, once a world-renowned inventor, died alone on January 7, 1943, in a New York hotel room from a heart-related blood clot. Despite his stellar contributions to society, he lived in poverty in his final years, surviving on a vegetarian diet and caring for pigeons.

Mao Zedong

On May 27, 1976, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto met Mao Zedong in Beijing for what became Mao’s final public appearance. Frail and ill, Mao died on September 9, 1976, after suffering from three major heart attacks.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was a Civil War hero and the 18th President of the United States. He spent his final months battling throat cancer while writing his memoirs, before he perished on July 23, 1885. His last photo, taken a month before his death, shows him frail but determined to complete his work.

Vladimir Lenin

In his final photo, Vladimir Lenin appears frail in a wheelchair after enduring three devastating strokes between 1922 and 1923. His health collapsed under the strain of revolution and war, and he ultimately died at the age of 53 on January 21, 1924. While he lay in state for four days, his body was viewed by over 900,000 mourners. 

Adolf Hitler

Two days before his death, Adolf Hitler was photographed outside his Berlin bunker, surveying the damage inflicted by a bomb. With Germany collapsing, he married Eva Braun, wrote his will, and, on April 30, 1945, ended his life using cyanide and a gunshot.

Christopher McCandless

After graduating in 1990, American adventurer Christopher McCandless donated his savings, abandoned his possessions, and ventured alone into Alaska with minimal supplies. Hoping to survive off the land, he ultimately died of starvation in 1992. His final photo shows him holding a note that says, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”

Marilyn Monroe

In 1962, Marilyn Monroe was photographed with jazz pianist Buddy Greco just days before her death on August 4. Struggling with mental health issues like depression and insomnia, the actress and model died from a barbiturate overdose.

Michael Jackson

On June 23, 2009, Michael Jackson was photographed rehearsing for his sold-out comeback concerts. Two days later, he suffered a fatal heart attack at home. His doctor was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, since he had administered a fatal cocktail of anti-anxiety drugs to the famed singer.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain, front man for the rock band Nirvana and a grunge music icon, battled depression and addiction before dying by suicide on April 5, 1994, at the age of 27. This photo, taken five months earlier, was Nirvana’s final formal photo shoot before his tragic death.

Mahatma Gandhi

Indian activist Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (more commonly known as “Mahatma,” which translates to “the great-souled one”) fought against discrimination in South Africa and later led India’s nonviolent struggle for independence from Britain. This photo shows Gandhi’s last public appearance before his life ended tragically through assassination in 1948.