Famous Last Words—Wit, Wisdom, and One Final Laugh!"

Humphrey Bogart:

"I should never have switched from Scotch to martinis."

Classic Bogart—reflecting on a life of smooth drinks and smooth talk.

Leonardo da Vinci:

“I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”

Even the great genius felt he could’ve done more. 

Marie Antoinette:

"Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose."

She stepped on the executioner’s foot, and felt she had to apologize

Nostradamus:

"Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here."

The master of prophecies predicted his own end, making his final words eerily accurate.

Karl Marx:

"Last words are for fools who haven't said enough."

Marx didn’t leave room for grand goodbyes, keeping things simple till the end.

Winston Churchill:

"I'm bored with it all."
After a life full of action, Churchill was ready for the final curtain.

Emily Dickinson:

"I must go in, for the fog is rising."
Her poetic soul couldn't resist leaving a metaphorical farewell.

George Orwell:

"At fifty, everyone has the face he deserves."
The writer’s final provocative statement didn’t sugar-coat life’s truths.

P.T. Barnum:

"How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?"
Even on his deathbed, the showman was concerned about ticket sales.

Bob Hope:

When asked where he wanted to be buried:

"Surprise me."
The comedian, Hope kept us laughing with his last breath.

Oscar Wilde:

"Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."
The witty playwright left this world with one last battle—against bad décor.

Groucho Marx:

"This is no way to live!"
Groucho's humor never faded, even as he gave life one final punchline.

Ludwig van Beethoven:

"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."
The master of music closed the show with flair, just as you’d expect from Beethoven.

Dominique Bouhours

“I am about to – or I am going to – die: either expression is correct."
Ever the grammarian, Bouhours left the world with a lesson in linguistic accuracy.

John Barrymore:

"Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him."
The legendary actor refused to conform, even in death.

James W. Rodgers:

When asked for a last request:

"Bring me a bulletproof vest."
Facing a firing squad, the convicted murderer’s dark humor was as sharp as ever.

Pancho Villa:

"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
The Mexican revolutionary wasn’t happy with a quiet ending—he wanted to leave behind one more dramatic moment.

Richard B. Mellon:

Tagged his brother Andrew one last time with: "You’re it!"
Ending a 70-year game of tag, the wealthy industrialist ensured his brother would remain “it” forever!

Harriet Tubman:

"I go to prepare a place for you. Give my love to the churches. Tell the women to stand firm."
The legendary leader of the Underground Railroad's final words echoed her life’s work—faith, justice, and resilience.

Isaac Newton:

"I don’t know what I may seem to the world, but to myself, I seem like a boy playing on the seashore..."
Newton, ever the humble genius, marveled at the undiscovered mysteries of the universe even as he left it.

Louise Marie Thérèse de Saint Maurice:

On her deathbed, she was asked by a priest if she renounced the devil, her reply was:

"Now is not the time to be making enemies!"
Even at the end, the French noblewoman cracked a joke in her last moments.

Buddy Rich:

When asked if he had any allergies before undergoing serious surgery:

"Yes, country music."
The legendary drummer’s final remark perfectly captured his personality.

Richard Feynman:

"I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring."
The physicist was too curious to find death interesting.

Benjamin Franklin:

When asked by his daughter if he would like to shift positions to ease his discomfort:

"A dying man can do nothing easy."
The founding father was pragmatic till the end, making one last astute observation.

Thomas B. Moran:

"I've never forgiven that smart-aleck reporter who named me Butterfingers."
The notorious 19th century pickpocket couldn’t resist a final swipe at his nickname.

Thomas J. Grasso:

"I did not get my SpaghettiOs. I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.”
The convicted murderer Grasso’s lodged a final complaint about his last meal.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

"You are wonderful."
The author of Sherlock Holmes left this world in a tender moment with his wife by his side.

W.C. Fields:

When someone asked Fields why he was reading the Bible on his deathbed, he replied:

"I'm looking for a loophole."
The comedian’s humor was as irreverent in death as it was in life, always searching for a way out.

Eugene O'Neill:

"Born in a hotel room and, God damn it, died in a hotel room."
The playwright’s last words were full of irony, as he lamented his full circle ending.

Chico Marx:

"Put in my coffin a deck of cards, a mashie niblick (type of golf club), and a pretty blonde."
Chico’s last words were as playful as his life—forever the entertainer.

Wilson Mizner:

When a priest offered him the last rites, Mizner replied:

“Why should I talk to you? I’ve just been talking to your boss.”

The flamboyant entrepreneur’s sharp wit made his last conversation an unforgettable one.

Alfred Hitchcock:

"One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death, although Catholics have their hopes."

The filmmaker left us all in suspense—even with his final words.

Joan Crawford:

When a nurse began praying aloud for her, she replied:

"Damn it… Don’t you dare ask God to help me!"
True to her tough persona, the actress rejected divine intervention on her way out.

Bo Diddley:

"Wow."
The rock & roll guitarist uttered this last word while the gospel song Walk Around Heaven played.

Elvis Presley:

"I’m going to the bathroom to read."
The King’s last words might seem simple, but even his quiet moments were iconic.

John Arthur Spenkelink:

"Capital punishment means those without the capital get the punishment."
The convicted murderer’s final words left a lasting critique of the justice system.

Charles "Lucky" Luciano:

"Tell Georgie I want to get in the movies one way or the other."
The infamous mobster really wanted to have his life story made into a film.

Jack Soo:

The actor is said to have joked with hospital staff:

"It must have been the coffee."
A nod to his character on Barney Miller, Soo’s last words were a perfect reflection of his dry humor.

Charles Gussman:

"And now for a final word from our sponsor."
The television scriptwriter’s life came full circle as he closed out his own life like a show.

Moe Berg:

"How did the Mets do today?"
The spy-turned-baseball player left this world as he lived it—always interested in the game.