This roundup builds on the earlier collection of 20 Famous Last Words. We’ve gathered additional quotations, some sourced from reader comments, others from personal research.
When a person lies on their deathbed, truth often flows freely, and humor frequently surfaces.
These statements resonate with everyone because, inevitably, we will all face that moment – what will you utter as your final words?
20 More Famous Final Sayings
1 Es Lebe Die Freiheit! (Long Live Freedom!)
Spoken by Hans Scholl, a German resistance leader, as he stood on the guillotine in 1943. He bellowed “Es Lebe Die Freiheit!” – a bold proclamation of liberty in his final moments.
2 Go on, Get Out! Last Words Are for Fools Who Haven’t Said Enough!
Attributed to Karl Marx when his housekeeper inquired whether he had any dying words. He retorted that last words belong to those who haven’t spoken enough during life.
3 I Have Not Told Half of What I Saw
These words belong to Marco Polo, the Venetian explorer and chronicler, who felt his vast travels were only partially recorded when his life drew to a close.
4 A King Should Die Standing
Louis XVIII of France, who suffered from gout that confined him to a wheelchair for much of adulthood, declared that a monarch ought to meet death on his feet.
5 Brothers! Brothers, Please! This Is a House of Peace!
Malcolm X shouted this plea as he intervened in a brawl moments before being shot, urging comrades to remember the sanctuary of peace.
6 Die, My Dear? Why, That’s the Last Thing I’ll Do!
Groucho Marx quipped this witty line, turning the notion of death into a punchline that only he could deliver.
7 Hello. We’re Looking In … We’re Overlooking the Financial Center. Three of Us. Two Broken Windows — Oh God! Oh G—
Kevin Cosgrove, an office worker trapped in the World Trade Center on 9/11, uttered these frantic words as the building collapsed around him, his call cut off mid‑sentence.
8 In Keeping with Channel 40’s Policy of Bringing You the Latest in Blood and Guts, and in Living Color, You Are Going to See Another First — Attempted Suicide
Christine Chubbuck, a 30‑year‑old news anchor, announced this chilling statement moments before she ended her own life on live television.
9 Now I Can Cross the Shifting Sands
L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, declared this as he imagined traversing the impassable deserts that surround the fantastical Land of Oz.
10 France, Armée, Joséphine…
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, whispered this brief litany of his loves—France, his army, and Josephine—while lying on his deathbed.
11 Relax — This Won’t Hurt
Hunter S. Thompson closed his suicide note with this calm reassurance, a final sentence meant to steady his own nerves.
12 Acta Est Fabula, Plaudite! (The Play Is Over, Applaud!)
Attributed to Caesar Augustus, this classic Roman theatre phrase signaled the curtain’s fall, a dramatic end to a life of empire.
13 I Know You Are Here to Kill Me. Shoot, Coward, You Are Only Going to Kill a Man
Che Guevara uttered these defiant words moments before his execution in Bolivia, confronting his captors with fierce resolve.
14 My Wallpaper and I Are Fighting a Duel to the Death. One or the Other of Us Has to Go
Oscar Wilde, ever the wit, imagined a battle with his wallpaper, delivering this absurd yet poignant line as his final quip.
15 This Is a Hell of a Way to Die
General George S. Patton, who perished in a car accident while hunting, remarked on the irony of his unexpected demise.
16 We Got a Bad Fire! Let’s Get Out — We’re Burning Up…
An astronaut from the Apollo 1 mission—likely Roger Chaffee—shouted this frantic warning as the launchpad fire engulfed the crew.
17 Home to the Palace to Die…
Czar Alexander II of Russia, after surviving an assassination attempt, whispered this resigned line before succumbing to his wounds.
18 Don’t Disturb My Circles!
Archimedes, the legendary Greek mathematician, reportedly shouted this as he was slain by Roman soldiers while engrossed in geometric proofs drawn in the sand.
19 Don’t Let Me Die Like This, Say I Said Something
Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata pleaded for his words to be remembered, fearing a silent end would erase his legacy.
20 Well, Gentlemen, You Are About to See a Baked Appel
George Appel, a convicted murderer sentenced to the electric chair, announced this cryptic remark to the press awaiting his execution.