Memorable last words from influential people remind us that death comes for us all
Famous Last Words from 15 Iconic People
Updated on May 02, 2025
Famous last words
What do you say to sum up a life well-lived? Coming from these well-known celebrities, authors, scientists, scholars and artists, memorable last words offer touching, powerful, and even funny commentary on the one truism of life: the inevitability of death. Memorable last words remind us that life is short, and we have to make the most of our time.
Reader’s Digest put together these 15 famous last words from some of history’s most memorable names. Keep reading to learn what famous people were thinking in the days, and even moments, before their deaths.
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Stephen Hawking
“We are all time travelers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.” —Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist, who died on March 14, 2018
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” —Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, in the days before she died on Sept. 18, 2020
George Orwell
“At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” —George Orwell, who died of tuberculosis on Jan. 21, 1950, at the age of 46Â
William Henry Seward
“Nothing, only love one another.” —William Henry Seward, U.S. Secretary of State, who died on Oct. 10, 1872
Donald O’Connor
“I’d like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.” —Donald O’Connor, performer, who died on Sept. 27, 2003
Dominique Bouhours
“I am about to—or I am going to—die. Either expression is correct.” —Dominique Bouhours, French grammarian and essayist, who died on May 27, 1702
Edward Paul Abbey
“No comment.” —Edward Paul Abbey, American naturalist and writer, who died on March 14, 1989
Moe Berg
“How did the Mets do today?” —Morris (Moe) Berg, baseball player, who died on May 29, 1972
William Saroyan
“Everybody has got to die, but I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?” —William Saroyan, American novelist, who died on May 18, 1981
Betty White
“Allen.” —Betty White, comedian, who died on Dec. 31, 2021, speaking the name of her husband, Allen Ludden
Leonard Nimoy
“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP [live long and prosper]” —Leonard Nimoy, actor, in his final tweet before dying on Feb. 27, 2015
Bat Masterson
“There are those in this old world of ours who hold that things break about even for all of us. I have observed, for example, that we all get the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summertime and the poor get it in the winter.” —words from the final newspaper column of W.B. “Bat” Masterson, lawman and journalist, who died on Oct. 25, 1921
Billie Holiday
“Don’t be in such a hurry.” —Billie Holiday, musical artist, who died on July 17, 1959
Ian Fleming
“I am sorry to trouble you chaps. I don’t know how you get along so fast with the traffic on the roads these days.” —Ian Fleming, English author, who died on Aug. 12, 1964, speaking to his ambulance drivers in Canterbury, England
W.C. Fields
“I’m looking for loopholes.” —W.C. Fields, comedian, when asked why he was reading the Bible shortly before he died on Dec. 25, 1946
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite quotes for over 100 years. The sayings and quips that appear in the magazine’s “Quotable Quotes” (formerly “Remarkable Remarks”) are curated from interviews and essays originally published in the magazine, reprints from trusted titles and other verified sources. For this piece on memorable last words, Juliana LaBianca tapped her experience as a journalist to ensure that all information is accurate. We’ve gone the extra step and had Ambrose Martose, a fact-checker with 20-plus years of experience researching for national publications including National Geographic Adventure and Popular Mechanics, verify that all quotes are attributed correctly and have credible sourcing. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
