35 Of The Last Known Photos Taken Of Public Figures While They Were Still Alive
“Say cheese! Smile! Three, two, one!” Most of us aren’t really thinking too much about it when posing for a photo. After all, many of us have thousands of pictures on our phones nowadays, so another can easily get buried in a chaotic camera roll. But you never know when a simple snapshot will turn into one of the most meaningful images you have.
Below, Bored Panda has compiled a list of some of the last known photos that were taken of celebrities and public figures just before they passed away. Regardless of whether the subjects were battling a terminal illness or simply enjoying life, these photos are powerful reminders that we never know when we’ll smile for a camera for the last time. Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the images that you're glad were shared with the public.
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This Photo Of Robin Williams With His Monkey, Crystal, Was Posted By To His Instagram On His Birthday, 20 Days Before He Died
Those are the eyes of a man that has surrendered. The weight of sadness so deep, it can steal the light from the brightest of souls. Rest quietly now my friend.
I was watching the episode of Mork and Mindy about the dangers of being famous. At the end when he talking to Orson as soon as he was mentioned John Lennon my friend texted me that Robin Williams had died. By the way, speaking of John Lennon the photo of him signing the album for his eventual killer should have been on here.
David Bowie’s Last Photo Shoot Before His Death
Ziggy just went back to the stars (but yes truly missed)
Load More Replies...Last Photo Of Freddie Mercury
LOL what??? This did not happen. Attention wh-ore right here.
Load More Replies...You might not consider yourself a photographer by any means, but without realizing it, you may take dozens of photos in any given week. You catch your cat looking adorable, so you snap a few pics to send to your partner. You make a gorgeous bowl of soup for dinner, so you take a photo to share with your mother. Then you screenshot a few photos from Pinterest to save as inspiration for your next tattoo.
Before you know it, your camera roll is full of thousands of images. In fact, Photutorial reports that the average American takes 20 photos every single day and has around 2,000 pictures sitting in their phone’s gallery. Because of this, we’re more likely than ever before to have recent photos of ourselves at any given moment.
What Is Believed To Be The Last Known Photo Of Steve Taken On-Board "Croc One" With The Boat's Skipper Chris Reed On The Morning Of His Fateful Dive
That was a very extraordinary, unlucky at the wrong place at the right time type of death, too. Stingrays are usually placid if you don't upset or scare them, some are people 'tolerant'.
Meh. A lot of people have said he provoked a lot of animals and didn't just let them be. That's all I ever saw in his shows so I stopped watching him. I wonder what that last video would show. Word was he kept trying to hold onto it and it got angry so they didn't want to release the video because it shows him being reckless and not respecting nature. So tarnishing his image. At least it looks like his kids are doing a lot better at highlighting animals and respect for them. I think🥴
That's absolutely NOT what happened. Look it up. It was a freak accident.
Load More Replies...Audrey Hepburn And Her Beloved Son, Sean, Photographed At La Paisible (Her Home In Tolochenaz, Switzerland) Just A Few Days Prior To Her Death, On January 1993
James Dean At A Gas Station With His Silver Porsche 550 Spyder He Named Little Bastard, Just Hours Before His Fatal Crash
Was the done thing back in the day. Fuel needs actual fire to ignite - cigarettes just go out. Problem is people lighting up near "open" fuel sources which is why it's banned.
Load More Replies...Unsurprisingly, you’re even more likely to be photographed if you’re a public figure. Nowadays, celebrities can barely even leave the house without paparazzi or fans that recognize them snapping a few pics. In fact, some celebrities even call paparazzi themselves to ensure that they’re photographed looking their best.
For those who post frequently on social media, there will always be recent pics available to show what they’ve been up to, where they’ve been traveling, what projects they’re working on and what hairstyle they’re currently rocking. And if they tragically lose their life long before they’re expected to, fans and loved ones will have hundreds of images to look back on for years to come.
The Last Photograph Of Bob Ross, The Painter Best Known For His Show The Joy Of Painting. He Died On July 4, 1995 Of Lymphoma
The younger man is his son, Steven, who has followed in his father’s footsteps.
Reading this gets me upset as my daughter has stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma. I know it's a different time but still.
According To “Tesla – Master Of Lightning” This Is The Last Photograph Taken Of Tesla Before His Death
He was a beautiful man when he was younger: Tesla-pic-...a68c14.jpg
He looks so much like my grandfather before he died. That hollow look.
So terribly sad to starve to death in poverty, as all his inventions were stolen and produced in others' names. He was possibly on the spectrum, too. He is my hero, and history still gives him credit he just never took out patents or had them put into production. He was severely ripped off by the fat cats of the day, no names mentioned.
Last Known Photograph Of Albert Einstein Taken In 1955
It's amazing to remember that his timeline and mine crossed! Feels exciting for some reason.
Hiya grandpa, you are always remembered well, a modest but determined man of reason and facts
It’s crazy to think that my grandparents (still living) were alive when this was taken!
There’s an idea held by many people that celebrities tend to lose their lives much younger than us “regular” people. Ever heard of the 27 Club? In reality, people tragically lose their lives every single day at any age for any number of reasons. And plenty of celebrities do end up living longer than the average person. But because these stars are in the spotlight, their passings becomes publicized on a massive scale and talked about for decades.
Last Known Photo Of Jimi Hendrix 1970
Quite intrigued by the plant on the right.....................
I'm not sure he's even in there mentally... may be off on a trip somewhere. (Ahem)
One Of The Last Photographs Of Lucille Ball
Photo taken at 61st Academy Awards 3/29/89 at Lucy's last public appearance. She died less than a month later on 4/26/89.
Does anyone know who she's standing next to? Edit: I mean the person in the tux
One Of The Last Pictures To Be Taken Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaking To A Mass Rally April 3 In Memphis
when he said he would not halt his plans for a massive demonstration scheduled for April 8 in spite of a federal injunction. The Nobel Peace Prize Winner was felled by a sniper's bullet, April 4
"The Nobel Peace Prize Winner was felled by a sniper's bullet, April 4". Now that is one fkd up sentence.
To this day, no one really knows who shot him. Even the King family believes (And went so far as to hire lawyers for and help) that the man convicted, James Earl Ray, was framed.
It was not meant to be...a man who will go down in history for his manner of death not his success in life
One 2016 study did find that celebrities tend to pass away younger than the average person, but the difference is quite small. According to the study, which analyzed only 1,000 New York Times obituaries from 2009 to 2011, famous people lived to be 77.2 on average. Meanwhile, the life expectancy of the typical American is about 79 years. While it’s sad for anyone to lose their life, the idea that celebrities often pass far younger than the majority of us isn’t necessarily true.
Last Known Photo Taken Of Raggae Legend Bob Marley Before He Succumbed To Cancer On May 11, 1981
Amy Winehouse Seen For The Last Time In Public On A Walk In Camden On July 12, 2011 In London, England
I thought I hated her until after her death and I really listened to her voice. God she was amazing. Da*n alcohol.
I’m with you here. I didn’t like her when she was originally popular so wouldn’t listen to her songs. Nowadays, after I have actually listened properly to several, she’s a one of a kind. Effing incredible. Sadly yet another member of the 27 club, IIRC.
Load More Replies...I'm not sure this is actually one of the last photos as she looks vaguely healthy here.
I doubt this is one of her last photos, she looks relatively healthy here. Bless her.
Yes because she was sober at the time after the time she spent in the Caribbean. That's why she died. She didn't have the tolerance she was used to.
Load More Replies...I'm not saying this isn't true, but by my recollection she was seriously an a****t when she died. This does not look like pics taken of her when she was super skinny and sick looking, which I assume she would've looked like.
At that time she was sober. The time she spent in the Caribbean was really good for her. Then the second she hit Camden again, it all went to shít and she was right back in her old habits.
Load More Replies...Elvis Presley, August 16, 1977, The Last Photo Taken
"He just went home." - Agent K (This is the version I choose to believe! XD)
Load More Replies...D***s again..the medical opiate type that bound the bowel and he had a heart attack with 'over stressing the blockage'
Now, some celebrities do sadly lose their lives at a shockingly young age. Why exactly this happens is not very different from the same reasons why anyone’s life may be cut short though. Nigel Barber, PhD, notes in an article for Psychology Today that mental health often plays a huge factor. Sadly, some young people who are struggling decide that there’s no way out other than to take their own life, especially when they’re a famous person who feels misunderstood by everyone around them.
Crew Members Of STS 51-L Mission Walk Out Of The Operations And Checkout Building At Kennedy Space Center, On Their Way To Pad 39b Where They Will Board The Space Shuttle Challenger
Crew members are from front to back: Commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee; Mission specialists Judith A. Resnik and Ronald E. McNair; Pilot Michael J. Smith; Payload specialist Christa McAuliffe; Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka; and Payload specialist Gregory Jarvis.
Has anyone come across the alleged photos of these astronauts in their old age, doing different things in life? Apparently, it's another conspiracy theory claiming the explosion was a staged hoax. Someone who was suspicious reportedly tracked down several of these individuals working in other jobs, and when confronted, they denied it and avoided the investigators. I don’t recall the full story, but it’s definitely a thing. I remember watching that explosion in my classroom at school, but I only heard about this conspiracy theory recently.
There are ALWAYS rumors of dead celebrities escaping death and living in obscurity somewhere or other. There were fake Jesse Jameses, fake Butch Cassidys and Sundance Kids, fake JFKs, fake Elvises -- need I go on? I suppose a psychologist could explain it. I can't.
Load More Replies...Still feel the chill when I see their smiling, excited faces, unaware that shortly after, they were doomed.
Last Known Photos Of Jim Morrison In Paris On June 28, 1971
He was too young for heart failure, or was it death by d***s, lying in the bath? Brings to Mind Whitney Houston, a brilliant artist.
Nobody is too young for heart failure of they've lived the kind of life Jim Morrison did.
Load More Replies...The Last Photograph Of President Roosevelt, Taken At Warm Springs, Ga By Nicholas Robbins For Elizabeth Shoumatoff. FDR Died The Following Day. April 11, 1945
If you live in the South US, this is a very interesting and beautiful town to visit.
Another reason why some celebrities pass away tragically young is due to substance ab*se. This can be an issue for anyone, but sadly, when you’re rich and famous, you might have unlimited access to these things. And if you become a star at a young age, you might find yourself surrounded by adults at parties who introduce you to alcohol and substances from a dangerously young age. This is something Drew Barrymore has openly spoken about throughout her life.
The Last Photograph Taken Of Former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant Before He Died Of Throat Cancer On July 23, 1885
He died broke. The sales of his memoirs, which he completed just before he died, saved his wife and family from poverty. Those memoirs are considers one of the greatest works of non-fiction in the 19th Century and have never gone out of print
Last Known Photo Of Mark Twain Taken In Early April 1910. He Died April 21st, 1910
He came into the world with Halley's Comet and, as he predicted, went out with it.
He still looks like a cuss of a man, though, doesn't he? His humor is priceless and timeless.
He knew when he would astronomically die, and he did, leaving a wonderful literary legacy for all with his writings, stories and interesting life adventures. Mark Twain visited Australia in 1895 as part of a world lecture tour, as well he had a chequered lifestyle at times
Kennedy Was Assassinated In Dallas, TX, On November 22, 1963. This Photo Was Taken From His Caravan In Dallas Just Before His Assassination
This is the last picture before the assassination. There's pictures of during/right after the assassination also. (Don't look them up.) So not actually the last picture of him but definitely understandable that it's considered the last picture of him that's appropriate to share.
It's not about being appropriate, these are the last pictures of a person while still alive. And why shouldn't anyone look up the pictures taken during the assasination? I'd say look for the film, too. That's how one gets the magnitude of what happened.
Load More Replies...The day the Western World stood still in shock, in a short time after this was taken he was shot
Some celebrities may also feel that they’re invincible, and learning that you’re not can be an incredibly difficult pill to swallow. If everyone around you is constantly praising you and putting you on a pedestal, you might feel more comfortable engaging in risky behaviors. What could go wrong? Sadly, none of us are indestructible, and some of us don't find that out until it’s too late.
Babe Ruth’s Final Public Appearance, 13 June 1948
Here's a colorized photograph from a different angle...... ralph-mors...onx-ny.jpg
Known for his voracious appetite as well as the best Baseball player in history (?)
This Is Thought To Be The Last Known Picture Of Charlie Chaplin. He Can Be Seen Here In His Wheelchair, With His Wife Oona O'Neill Chaplin And Their French Poodle Nicky
Chaplin died two months after this picture was taken. Vevey, Switzerland, 1977.
Fun fact: Rob Stark's pregnant wife (who was unalived quite brutally on GOT) was his granddaughter - named Oona Chaplin.
And his daughter Geraldine Chaplin portrayed her own grandmother (Charlie's mom) in the movie Chaplin (1992).
Load More Replies...What a life he gave and had, and Oona was his love and he hers, plus their 8 children...
Wow! I never realized how much Gerladine Chaplin looked like her Mom!
Taken August 26, 2011. Steve Jobs Died October 5, 2011, Due To Complications From Pancreatic Cancer
He could have had the best conventional medical care possible. But opted for the "natural" route. Would early intervention have saved him? Dunno, but he waited too late to find out.
My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer. It is almost always fatal unless caught early, and unfortunately symptoms don’t appear until the late stages, hence why it is typically fatal. The survival percentage at late stages is less than 5%.
Load More Replies...If you catch it early enough, you can beat it - but it's a 4 - 12 hour operation and you are on meds for the rest of your life. Source - the HPB surgeon I worked for. Sadly Jobs opted to not get treatment.
In 2011 there weren't alot of successes in treating pancreatic cancer. By the time someone had symptoms, it was usually too late. Now it's not an automatic death sentence anymore. Great strides have been made that are keeping people beating it. Thank goodness. It was horrible to watch.
A very painful death, Pancreatic Cancer. He chose his treatment for himself.
We hope you’re enjoying your scroll through these powerful photos, pandas. Although it can be sad to look back at these images of stars who have since left the Earth, it can also be beautiful to remember how beloved they were and will continue to be for generations to come. Keep upvoting the photos that you find the most impactful, and if you’d like to check out another list from Bored Panda featuring famous people that will never be forgotten, look no further than right here.
Last Known Photo Of Andy Warhol, On His Way To The Hospital And The Routine Operation That Would Result In His Death, February 1987
The "Warhol operation" refers to the gallbladder surgery that Andy Warhol underwent in February 1987, which ultimately led to his unexpected death. While initially described as a routine procedure, it later became clear that the surgery was more complex and risky for Warhol due to his prior health issues, including the lingering effects of a gunshot wound from 1968
Diana, Princess Of Wales And Dodi Fayed, Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones And Driver Henri Paul, In Their Mercedes-Benz S280
Shortly before the fatal crash which k**led Diana, Fayed and Paul, Paris, 31st August 1997.
My MIL and I used to by several of those cr@p news mags and pass them back and forth joking about aliens and other stupidly bizarre stories. It was never about the celebs for us. On the night of Princess Di's death, I told myself never again would a penny from my pocket support those swine. Still angers me and hurts my heart. 💔
So much speculation about how this dreadful accident happened. Was it just the driver's poor judgment? This photo does show the stress by all the interference of the paparazzi
Last Photo Taken Of Buddy Holly, February 2, 1959. Colorized
Because it was colourised, I thought it was Elvis Costello!
Load More Replies...And that's Waylon Jennings on bass. He wasn't feeling well on the night Holly died, and gave up his seat on the plane to Holly.
And Holly told him he wishes his bus breaks down. Jennings told him he wishes his plane crashes. Jennings was haunted by his words for decades.
Load More Replies...What are the odds when flying those small, often poorly maintained aircraft? He is still immortalised.
Taken In March Of 1865. Lincoln Was Assassinated By John Wilkes Booth At Ford's Theater On April 15, 1865, In Washington DC
For all those who voted me down, you’ve obviously not heard of the song ‘Gay Bar’ by Electric Six which had various Abraham Lincolns in a bath and being suggestive with other men. It was around the time when stories of his “supposedly” homosexual tendencies were made public. Do check your facts before you downvote. Deary deary me.
The best portrait of the aging Lincoln was taken by Alexander Gardener in February 1865. It's called the 'c*****d plate' portrait because the glass negative broke and so Gardener made only one print from it before ditching it.
Pope Francis Attends The Urbi Et Orbi Message To The World At The Central Loggia Of St. Peter's Basilica, On April 20, 2025 In Vatican. He Died On 21 April 2025 At The Age Of 88
You'd look like death too if you had to spend time talking to JD Vance
Load More Replies...He kept his vows to the end by taking the last ride and blessing the adoring people, went back to his quarters, then quietly died.
Not Catholic, but I was surprised when he took a no-frills approach and chose to live a simpler life, as much as possible for a Pope that is.
Ditto, he was a man, not a hero ..I am not religious at all, but I respect what any man does for loyalty.
Load More Replies...One Of The Last Photographs Of Lenin. Taken In Gorki After May 15, 1923. Beside Him Are His Sister Anna Ilyinichna Yelizarova-Ulyanova And One Of His Doctors A. M. Kozhevnikov
And all those who lick the boots off his intellectual successor, Putin.
Load More Replies...They're unfocused - no telling what he's actually seeing - if anything.
Load More Replies...He was a tyrant; his eyes showed defiance. It is amazing he was preserved and still can be viewed in the glassed coffin, his face and hands are touched up now and then.
He wasn't all there. By modern standards, the stroke had caused him to have 'locked in syndrome'. However from what has been gleaned over the years, the first stroke he had in 1922 had already addled his mind. The second one later that same year ended his political career, and the third took away his ability to speak or move.
Load More Replies...Will Rogers Standing On Wing Of Sea Plane, Facing Slightly Left; With Wiley Post At Fairbanks, Alaska
Rogers died in a plane crash in Alaska on August 15, 1935. Rogers and aviator Wiley Post were making test flights across Alaska before their deaths. This photo was taken from their adventures.
He looks like grandad standing on the wing! Brave pilots and crew, and Will Rogers. What was on their minds as the plane went down, I wonder?
This Photo Of Christopher McCandless Was Found In His Undeveloped Camera, Having Ventured Into The Alaskan Wilderness In Solitude. He Died Of Starvation In August 1992
Yep. You nailed it. He needs to stop being glorified.
Load More Replies...Why so much vitriol for a dead man? He screwed up, but it was his own life that was lost. And I don't see telling his story as any kind of glorification, but a tale of warning to not be so careless with one's life.
HIs story is definitely a teachable story of what not to do and how to be prepared
Load More Replies...wasnt he the one that ate some poisonous berries he confused for safe?
I'm so sorry for his family, but he was a complete f*cking idiot.
Incredible book. Seemed like it would be depressing but Into The Wild was strangely uplifting.
This whole idea and ultimate end proved nothing except publicity after he was discovered, a skeleton starved to death. He apparently did not have any bush survival skills or consider the winter snow!
Loser, thief and a b Um who got what was coming to him because of his reckless behavior.
One Of The Last Photos Of Avicii, Shows Him Posing With A Fan Just Days Before His Passing. He Tragically Died By S**cide On April 20, 2018
A friend of mine was one of his tour managers and is still utterly distraught. He was one of the people who put together that massive memorial concert for him.
I do not relate to s*****e, yet so many young and famous people find life so unbearable...this is a social disease.
Be eternally grateful you 'don't relate' to it.
Load More Replies...Oh sod off. Being dismissive by trying to be funny just makes you ignorant.
Load More Replies...Kathy Griffin Tweeted This Photo Of Her Friend And Larry Sanders Show Co-Star, Garry Shandling, Just Four Days Before His Passing. Shandling Died On March 24, 2016
I had DVT, a mass of small clots in both lungs, in 2017. Pulmonary Embolism. I was extremely lucky to have successful treatment and am still on anticoagulation meds, but hopefully no more pulmonary clots or any! I know the discomfort he would have felt. I did not have hyperparathyroidism but other. So be it.
Cameron Boyce's Dad Shares Final Photo Of Actor
"My son. Just hours before he was snatched from our lives. I miss him terribly. I hope that no one ever has to feel the agony I’m feeling but no one is immune to tragedy. The outpouring of love and support our family continues to receive is so beautiful and appreciated. Thank you all for helping us through our worst possible situation."
I remember I found out about his death at summer camp. There were rumors about it at breakfast, and during her lunch break, one of our councilors looked it up and confirmed the news. Being in a cabin of 14-15 year old girls, there was understandably some upset. I was kind of sad because he seemed like a good guy, but some girls were sobbing, like, "Does that mean there won't be another Descendants movie?!" like, really? That's what you're worried about?
How sad, so young and popular in his short life, taken by a treated epileptic seizure.
I worked with him on the set of grown ups such a funny nice kid, I cant even imagine what his poor family is going through with the loss of a child
