Some people define death as the moment when the soul is liberated from the afflictions of the body. Others go straight to the point and see death as the end of the life cycle. People may fear it, commemorate it, or wait for its arrival, but the fact is that everyone will face the cold embrace of death.
The departed remain in our thoughts and prayers, or are even forgotten. However, there is a bizarre social behavior when the deceased was famous; it is common that the public has an unexplainable morbid curiosity to see the body.
The following pictures are the last to be taken of these celebrities and historical figures; the images of their bodies may be shocking for some, but for others it is simply curiosity.
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Eva Perón
Some people describe her as the real Cinderella. A woman who knew poverty as a child, became the most powerful woman of Argentina. Eva, or Evita, wanted to be an actress when she was young and rumor has it that at the age of 15 she seduced a tango singer to help her escape to Buenos Aires. Fact or fiction, there is one irrefutable truth: Evita only wanted to become a star and conquer the capital of Argentina. She took on a new persona; she dyed her hair, and reinvented herself.
During her first years in Buenos Aires, she had to live in homeless shelters. She made her debut on theater and performed on the radio, and eventually achieved financial stability to move to a place of her own. In 1944, Evita met Juan Domingo Perón, a prominent politician. They married, and both became the most powerful couple in Argentina.
Evita died at the age of 33 on July 26, 1952 due to cervical cancer. Her body was embalmed and moved to the Confederación General del Trabajo de la República de Argentina. There, she received a State funeral, despite the fact she never held a political office. People from all Argentina spent weeks waiting to say their final goodbye to their beloved Evita.
In 1955, the Revolución Libertadora overthrew Perón from presidency and took the control of the country. The new authorities removed Evita’s body from its resting place and hid it for 16 years.
Marilyn Monroe
She was an American actress known around the world for her beauty and successful movies.
She was found dead on August 5, 1962. In the scene, a bottle of sleeping pills were found, and therefore the official version classified her death as suicide by overdose. Some speculate that she decided to end her life when her relationship with John F. Kennedy ended, while others believe the Kennedy’s orchestrated her death. The details remain a mystery to this day.
John F. Kennedy
JFK died 2 years after being elected President of the US. He was murdered in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, while he was on a political tour of the city. Official records state that Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president several times, before being arrested.
Mao Tse Tung
He was the leader of the Communist Party in the Popular Republic of China. His regime was based on marxism-leninism ideology, which he adapted for the Chinese society.
He ruled China with an iron fist from 1949 to 1976, the year of his death. His dictatorship set off a cultural revolution in the country, which eventually led to a political and economic crisis.
Che Guevara
In 1954, Ernesto Guevara moved to Mexico to join Fidel Castro’s guerrilla, in order to fight against social injustice. Guevara was convinced that only a revolution would change the world. Castro and his followers named him Che because of his accent, and the name stuck.
The revolution in Cuba was successful, and Che stayed to help Castro. He was in charge of the Ministry of Industry, and then, of the National Bank.
Ernesto eventually join the guerrilla in Colombia, and during a combat he was shot and captured. On October 9, 1967 he was executed by Mario Terán, a Bolivian soldier.
His final words were: “I knew you were going to shoot me; I should never have been taken alive. Tell Fidel that this failure does not mean the end of the revolution, that it will triumph elsewhere. Tell Aleida to forget this, remarry and be happy, and keep the children studying. Ask the soldiers to aim well.”
Benito Mussolini
He was an Italian fascist dictator during World War II and Hitler’s ally.
On April 28, 1945 Mussolini was arrested alongside his lover, Clara Petacci. Their corpses were mutilated by an angry mob and were hanged upside down in Milan.
Elvis Presley
The King of Rock & Roll was the best-selling solo artist in the history of music, and he is a cultural American icon. He sold 600 million units worldwide.
After his divorce, Elvis was consumed with depression. His problems with food and drugs put him in hospital for several weeks. On August 16, 1977, he returned home to rest, but his body was found in the bathroom. He was quickly sent to the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. At arrival he was declared dead.
Edgar Allan Poe
He was one of the most famous poets, journalists, and writers in America. He is known for his macabre short stories and poetry. His most famous poem was the The Raven.
On October 3, 1849 a delirious Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on October 7 at 5 am.
The writer was never able to explained his state and why he was found wearing another person’s clothes.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a nun who established the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation who helped orphans, blinds, lepers and patients with HIV.
Throughout her life she had suffered a heart attack, malaria, and pneumonia. Her health decayed quickly and she died on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87. The Indian government did a State funeral for her where people were able to pay their respects.
Lenny Bruce
He was an American comedian, satirical writer, and social critic.
Lenny always had problems with the law; he was accused with obscenity and banned from different cities in the US, as well as Sydney, Australia.
On August 3, 1966 he was found dead in the bathroom of his house in Hollywood Hills. Next to his body the police discovered a syringe. The official report stated that the cause of death was accidental overdose with morphine.
The accusations were dropped after his death, and he was granted a posthumous pardon.
