At the end of Furious 7, as Dom Toretto walks away from the beach, the song “See You Again” starts playing. It continues on as he drives along an empty road, halting at a stop street. He then hears a car pulling up beside him and looks up to see Brian O’Connor grinning at him. A montage of Brian’s F&F scenes fills the screen. As the two men pull away from the stop street, they drive alongside one another until each eventually go their own way, while the song continues to play. As the scene fades and the screen turns white, the words “For Paul” appears.

When this scene played in movie theaters for the first time, audiences were in tears as they took in the lyrics of the song and bid Paul Walker a final goodbye. The song by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth is one in a long line of songs and covers underlined by tragedy and pain.

10 Rock Songs That Shook The World

10 The Cranberries – “The Icicle Melts”

On February 12, 1993, a month before his third birthday, James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool by two 10-year-old boys. The boys took the toddler to a railway line 2.5 miles away, where they tortured and killed him. The boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, were convicted of the murder in November 1993, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history.

When Dolores O’Riordan heard of the tragedy, she was shattered. Pouring her feelings into her songwriting, she wrote the song “The Icicle Melts” as a reaction to James’ murder. During an interview in 1994, she explained that the case had moved her so much that she had to write a song about it.

Some believe to this day, that O’Riordan was against abortion and that the song was actually about being pro-life. However, it has been commonly accepted that “The Icicle Melts” was written as a response to the horrific murder of little James Bulger.

9 Kesha – “Praying”

In 2011, the DAS case against Kesha revealed that the singer had alerted several people in her life in 2005 that Dr. Luke, former producer and head of Kemosabe Records, had engaged in ‘unethical and unlawful actions against her.’ These actions included allegedly raping her in his hotel room in 2005 after giving her a date-rape drug.

The battle between Kesha and Luke continued for several years, with Kesha claiming that Luke forced her to release “Die Young” after receiving major backlash for the song’s lyrics. In 2014 Kesha filed a lawsuit against Luke claiming he sexually assaulted and hit her and that the aftermath of the traumatic event saw her suffering from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Luke responded by filing a countersuit against Kesha, her mother and manager Jack Rovner for defamation. Lady Gaga was dragged into the mess when she told a radio presenter during an interview that she’d been sexually assaulted by an unnamed music producer at the age of 19. Gaga however never confirmed that she was referring to Dr. Luke.

Lawsuits and fighting continued, with disturbing emails released in 2017 in which Luke appears to force Kesha into dieting. Luke exited as CEO of Kemosabe Records that year.

After his departure, Kesha released her first solo song since the lawsuit titled “Praying.” And even though the fighting between Kesha and Dr Luke still continues in 2021, this song is the one bright light throughout all of the darkness.

Kesha said that the song was about hoping that anyone, including abusers, can heal.

8 George Strait – “I Believe”

On December 14, 2012 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother and then set off for the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown where he massacred 20 first-graders and six teachers before turning the gun on himself. A motive was never established, but it was claimed that Lanza had extensive mental health issues that prevented him from interacting in a normal way with other people.

In 2013 country music singer George Strait, who lost his own daughter in a car accident in 1986, paid tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook by writing a beautiful song called “I Believe.” He was hesitant at first, not wanting to offend the victim’s families by using the tragedy as inspiration for the song but his wife eventually convinced him to do it.

7 Gary Levox – “She’s Going Places”

In one of the most frustrating criminal trials in history, 22-year-old Casey Anthony was found not guilty in 2011 of the first-degree murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. While her daughter was missing, Casey displayed almost no emotion and continued to party around town. When Caylee’s body was finally discovered and the investigation turned into a search for a murder suspect, all evidence seemed to point to Casey. Still, when the time came for a jury to convict her, there just wasn’t enough of said evidence to conclusively determine that she was guilty. Had things gone the other way and she’d been found guilty prosecutors would have pursued the death penalty as punishment.

Lead vocalist of country pop trio, Rascal Flatts, released a re-written version of a song called “She’s Going Places” in tribute of Caylee Anthony in 2011. Cledus T. Judd and Jimmy Yeary rewrote the lyrics and they all wanted to ensure that there would be no focus on Casey Anthony, but that the tribute would only be about little Caylee.

6 Elton John – “Candle in the Wind”

Songwriter, Bernie Taupin, was a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe and after co-writing Elton John’s hit song “Tiny Dancer” he started thinking about the best way to write a tribute song to her, without it coming off as tacky.

Out of these thoughts, the beautiful ballad “Candle in the Wind” was born. The title and lyrics of the song was inspired by a tribute to Janis Joplin in which the same phrase was used. The song was meant to be a heartfelt look at the life of Marilyn Monroe, and Taupin later said that the lyrics could also have been about James Dean, Montgomery Clift or Jim Morrison who were all cut short in the prime of their life.

Fast forward to 1997, when the shocking death of Princess Diana reverberated around the world, Taupin and Elton John decided to rework the lyrics to the song as a tribute to the princess. Elton performed it during Diana’s funeral and the song was also released as a single, becoming the best-selling single of all time in the UK.

Elton John never performed the reworked version of the song again, and vowed to only do so should one or both of Diana’s sons ask him to do so.

5 DJ Sammy – “Heaven” 9/11 remix

The song “Heaven” was written and recorded in 1983 and first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album that same year. “Heaven” was inspired by the band Journey’s track “Faithfully”, and became Bryan Adams’ first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 2001 DJ Sammy released a dance cover of the song which quickly reached number one on the UK Singles chart. A stripped-down “Candlelight Mix” version saw the light in 2003. Also in 2003, the KKXX radio station in California recorded a tribute version of the song to commemorate the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A former program director asked his daughter to read words off a script while he recorded her. These words were interspersed with the original chorus of the song.

“Heaven 9/11 Remix” became one of the most requested songs in the radio station’s history and was soon played on radio stations worldwide.

4 Johnny Cash – “Hurt”

Trent Reznor explained on Netflix’s Song Exploder that he’d always felt like an outsider and that sadness and a sense of abandonment always seemed to follow him. He also felt ill-equipped to deal with fame and all of these emotions let to the writing of the heartbreaking song “Hurt.”

In 2002, Johnny Cash recorded a haunting cover of the song, which provided a different interpretation of the lyrics. Cash, whose health was failing him at the age of 70, sang the words almost as if he knew that his life would end soon. The music video, considered today to be one of the saddest music videos of all time, was shot in February 2003, Three months later, Cash lost his wife. In September 2003, Johnny Cash passed away.

His final album American IV achieved gold status in the US.

3 Maren Morris – “Dear Hate”

On June 17, 2015 21-year-old Dylann Roof walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He opened fire on congregation members who were attending a Bible study, killing nine.

Two days later, singer Maren Morris wrote “Dear Hate”, and recorded it a year later. She hadn’t released it however, because she felt that it wasn’t the right time.

On October 1, 2017 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire upon a crowd of festival goers attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, killing 60 people. When Morris heard the news, she was devastated and posted the song online in tribute of the victims, saying that she realized that day there would never be a right time. She went on to write a lengthy Instagram post which included the following: “Hate is everywhere, and I’m sick of not doing enough. In the darkest tunnel, there is still love & music. That’s what it’s here for. Here is Dear Hate. Any cent I see from this I’m donating to the Music City Cares Fund.”

2 Led Zeppelin – “All my love”

Led Zeppelin were (and still are) one of the most popular rock bands in the world. The band gave the world unforgettable songs such as “Immigrant Song”, “Whole Lotta Love”, and “Stairway to Heaven.”

Frontman, Robert Plant, suffered a great tragedy in 1977, when he lost his five-year-old son Karac due to illness. His wife had called him during the band’s American tour and told him that she was very worried about Karac because he’d suddenly become sick. It was a mere two hours later when Plant received another phone call, informing him that his son had died.

In his grief, Plant was ready to give up his career, but he eventually pushed through, working with his band members on Led Zeppelin’s final album, In Through The Out Door. One of the most memorable songs on that album was the tribute song to Plant’s son titled “All My Love.”

The song was recorded in one session, because Plant couldn’t bear to sing the emotional words over and over.

1 Oslo residents – “Children of the Rainbow”

Pete Seeger released the American folk and children’s song “My Rainbow Race” on his Rainbow Race album in 1973. The song was translated into Norwegian as Barn av regnbuen which means Children of the Rainbow and it became the sixth-highest selling single in Norway in 1973.

On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people by detonating a van bomb in Oslo and then opening fire on the participants of a summer camp on the island of Utøya. Breivik, who identifies as a fascist and a Nazi, claimed during his trial that “Children of the Rainbow” was an example of Marxist propaganda and that it was “brainwashing” Norwegian children.

Norwegian singer-songwriter, Lillebjørn Nilsen, who had translated the old American folk song, stood up in defiance of these remarks and arranged a mass performance of the song during Breivik’s trial. More than 40,000 people in Oslo alone stood together to sing the song, and more people joined in from squares across the country.

Top 10 Memorable Movie Songs

On December 23, 2016 actress Debbie Reynolds had just set up a Christmas table as she was expecting her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who at that point was on a plane on her way to Reynolds’ home. 60-year-old Carrie suffered a medical emergency on the plane and stopped breathing. A passenger performed CPR on the beloved Star Wars actress and she was rushed to hospital upon landing. She died four days later. 84-year-old Debbie was devastated after the loss of her daughter and died one day after Fisher.

On December 20, 2016, Reynolds had told a close friend that she’d had a ‘vision’ and that something bad was going to happen to her daughter. In the vision she saw a dark cloud which moved over and settled on the side of the bed her daughter usually sat on when she visited. She also told her caretaker that “Carrie is not coming home.”

Several other celebrities have had premonitions of their own deaths or of the death of a celebrity friend. On this list are just a few of the eerie predictions that preceded shocking deaths.

10 Wealthy Heirs Whose Lucky Lives Disintegrated Into Tragedy

10 “I will never live long enough for you to write a story about me.”

Hank Williams is widely considered to be one of the first country music superstars. He conquered the music world with hit songs including “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Hey, Good Lookin’”, and “I Saw The Light.”

Williams’ personal life was one of strife however. He suffered from a spinal condition, spina bifida, and started abusing drugs and alcohol as an adult to try and relieve his constant back pain.
During a series of interviews with H.B. Teeter, Williams once said “I will never live long enough for you to write a story about me.” These chilling words rang true when the singer was found dead in the back of his Cadillac on 2 January 1953, while he was being driven to a scheduled performance in Canton, Ohio. He was 29 years old.

9 “I’m gonna go see Jesus.”

Whitney Houston became one of the first African American models to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine, when she was a teenager. At age 19, she was discovered by Clive Davis after which her career as a pop, R&B and soul music icon skyrocketed. Houston became the only artist to have seven consecutive number one hits on the US Billboard chart and soon made her acting debut in the film, The Bodyguard.

Unfortunately the bright shine of her stardom was eventually overshadowed by her excessive drug use and a tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown. At the start of 2012, Houston returned to her gospel roots, singing hymns and having deep conversations about Jesus, Christianity and the afterlife. She sang “Yes Jesus Loves Me” at a Hollywood nightclub on February 9, 2012, and told a friend afterwards, “I’m gonna go see Jesus… I want to see Jesus.” Two days later, on the morning of the 2012 Grammy Awards ceremony, Houston quoted Matthew 3:13 to 17 which speaks of the baptism of Jesus.

While a Grammy party was being held by Clive Davis that night, Houston was found dead in a bathtub in her Beverly Hilton hotel room. Her death was confirmed to have been an accidental drowning with contributing factors being heart disease and cocaine use.

8 “Kobe is going to end up dying in a helicopter crash.”

Kobe Bryant was a phenomenal basketball player and became one of the best NBA players of all time. He was also adept at creating and writing animated films and fantasy books and dearly loved his family. In 2016, following his retirement, Bryant was honored with his own day, namely “Kobe Bryant Day” or “Mamba Day” to commemorate his impact on the game of basketball.

On January 26, 2020 the unthinkable happened. Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people died after the helicopter they were flying in crashed in Calabasas, California. They had been on their way to watch a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy.

In the days after Bryant and his daughter’s death, several rumors started making the rounds including that Bryant’s death had been predicted by an animated kids’ show. The episode of “Legends of Chamberlain Heights” was quickly pulled from the Comedy Central website.

Also making the rounds was a tweet by Twitter user @dotNoso who posted a single line on the popular social media platform on November 13, 2012: “Kobe is going to end up dying in a helicopter crash.”

7 “Do you think they’ll do that to me?”

As soon as it was announced on August 31, 1997 that Diana, Princess of Wales, had died after a car crash in Paris, the rumors and conspiracies began to fly. There was talk of the royal family planning the crash because they didn’t approve of Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. Other rumors said that Diana had been pregnant with his baby and that the royal family would never have allowed her to marry Fayed or have the baby. Some still believe Diana’s bodyguard was in on the plan to cause the car crash, while others are convinced that the paparazzi created an unsafe scenario which would lead to the accident.

However, it does seem that Diana herself feared for her own life in one way or another. After her friend Gianni Versace’s murder in 1997, she became introspective and once asked Fayed’s bodyguard, “Do you think they’ll do that to me?” It has also been claimed by Diana’s fashion designer friend, Roberto Devorik, that she had feared she would be murdered and that the murder would be covered up, saying: “They will do it when I am in a small plane, in a car when I am driving, or in a helicopter.”

6 He’s going to join the 27 Club.

Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, was a hugely popular Swedish DJ. He was 16 when he began using electronic music forums to create a hype around his remixes and this saw him getting his first record deal. Between 2011 and 2015 he released many successful singles including “Wake Me Up”, “Hey Brother”, The Nights”, and “Waiting for Love.”

By 2016 Bergling suffered from burn out after excessive drinking and a hectic touring schedule left its mark on him. He retired from touring that year, citing stress and it was also revealed that he was struggling with poor mental health. Fellow DJ Laidback Luke, who was friends with Bergling, said in 2015 that he had had a vision of the star joining the group of famous musicians who all died at the age of 27. It was around the same time that Bergling had made the decision to stop touring.

Luke’s vision was only off by a few months. Tim Bergling committed suicide on April 20, 2018 at the age of 28.

5 “Was this some kind of omen?”

Having risen to fame as a member of the band Wham! and later embarking on a successful solo career, George Michael was eventually named one of the Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time. He was also one of the best-selling singers of all time, winning a host of music awards. Michael came out in 1998 and before his personal life and legal issues made headlines during the early 2000s, he was an active campaigner for LGBT rights. He also performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 will all the proceeds going to AIDS research.

Michael struggled with drug abuse and was addicted to sleeping pills. At one point it was reported that he battled a crack cocaine and heroin addiction and smoked around 25 spliffs every day. George Michael died in bed on December 25, 2016 and most people, including family members, suspected that drugs were to blame. The coroner eventually attributed his death to myocarditis and fatty liver disease.

Two days prior to Michael’s death record producer, Nile Rodgers, was on his way to the singer’s home to meet with him about a new album. He was about to turn into the road where Michael stayed when a funeral procession cut him off. He took a photo of the scene and when Michael died, he remembered this and believed it to have been an omen. After watching a documentary on Michael’s life the following year, he posted the image on Twitter alongside a message: “This (is) a photo I snapped whilst waiting to turn on the street to go to @GeorgeMichael house on Dec 23 2016. Was this some kind of omen? #tears.”

4 “I don’t want to die.”

Amy Winehouse will forever be known for great songs like “Back to Black”, “Rehab”, and “Valerie”. In 2008 she won five Grammy awards and her album Back to Black became one of the best-selling albums in UK history. Before the success of this album, she went through a period of heavy drinking, excessive drug use and by 2007 she was hospitalized for an overdose of a variety of drugs. It was revealed that the singer suffered from depression and eating disorders and that she was engaging in self-harm. She also had run-ins with the law because of violent behaviour.

Winehouse’s drug habit caused several other health problems, including an irregular heartbeat. As her drug addiction worsened, Winehouse told friends and family that she knew she would join the 27 Club. On July 22, 2011 Winehouse’s GP visited her at home and she admitted to the doctor that she had started drinking again after a period of abstinence. She also told Dr. Christina Romete, “I don’t want to die.”

The following day, Amy Winehouse was found dead at her home in Camden, north London. She was 27 years old.

3 I’m going to die young, just like my dad.

During the early nineties, celebrities weren’t much different from today’s famous people. They partied whenever they got the chance and they partied hard. It was during these years that a young Brad Pitt and Brandon Lee would often be at the same party and indulge in strange conversations after having one too many.

One morning, Pitt and Lee ended up at Lee’s house after a night of partying and Lee said something to Pitt that would continue to haunt the famous actor years later. Lee told Pitt that he believed he would die young, just like his famous father Bruce Lee had. Pitt didn’t think much of it at the time. Life went on and Brandon Lee got the lead role in The Crow the following year. During filming a defective blank went off, killing Lee instantly. He was 28 years old, 4 years younger than Bruce Lee who died at the age of 32 in 1973.

2 “It is dark in my favorite dream.”

In July 2001, 22-year-old R&B singer Aaliyah had a recurring dream about being scared, someone following her and then lifting off from the ground, swimming in the air and feeling weightless. She told a German newspaper about the dream in an interview a month before she was due to fly to the Bahamas to shoot a music video.

After a great four days in the Bahamas in August 2001, Aaliyah boarded a twin-engine Cessna plane along with a number of other colleagues. The plane was hardly airborne when it crashed near the runway and caught fire. Aaliyah and eight others died. It was revealed afterwards that the plane had been overloaded and that the pilot, who wasn’t certified to fly the aircraft, had traces of alcohol and cocaine in his blood.

Aaliyah’s dream was later thought to have been a foreshadowing of the tragedy and her own fate, especially since it was known that she had a fear of small planes. In the years after her untimely death, Aaliyah’s music was posthumously released and led to 32 million album sales worldwide.

1 “If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.”

James Dean was a handsome young actor who starred in the famous film, Rebel Without a Cause, in 1955. His first television appearance came in the form of a Pepsi Cola commercial which inspired him to quit college and become a full-time actor. He went on to play several roles in television shows before landing his infamous role as Jim Stark. In 1954, Dean became interested in motorsport and competed in his first professional event just before filming commenced on Rebel Without a Cause.

After finishing the filming of his scenes for another movie, Giant, Dean took up racing again after being barred by Warner Brothers from doing so during filming. He traded in his Speedster for a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder and entered the Salinas Road Race event that was due to take place on 1 and 2 October, 1955. While driving the Porsche to Salinas, Dean was involved in an accident with another car. He sustained fatal injuries including a broken neck and was pronounced dead on arrival after being taken to a nearby hospital.

James Dean and actor, Alec Guinness, had a chance encounter at a Los Angeles restaurant in September 1955. Dean showed Guinness his Porsche Spyder and Guinness immediately had a terrible feeling. He told Dean: “Please, never get in it. It is now ten o’clock, Friday the 23rd of September, 1955. If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.”

Dean died in the car crash a week later on September 30, 1955.

10 Absurd Ads That Tried To Cash In On Tragedy

Many people carry the hope that they will be the one that helps as many people as possible in the event of a disaster. They hope to be the hero and not the one that flees the scene. However, there is no way to know whether you would run or stay and help until the very moment you are faced with a life and death situation.

The heroic people on this list came face-to-face with devastation and death and chose to stay.

Related: 10 Times A Homeless Person Was A Hero (For Real)

10 Women and Children First

As the RMS Titanic began to sink during the freezing cold early morning hours of April 15, 1912, chief baker Charles Joughin knew he wouldn’t survive. Instead of going into a state of panic, he spurred on the other chefs to help him pack food and supplies into the lifeboats. When this task was done, he helped women and children board lifeboats, eventually “throwing” those who refused to leave the doomed ship into the boats to ensure their survival. He also heaved deck chairs overboard, hoping that those who couldn’t make it into lifeboats had something to cling to.

Joughin is believed to have been the last person to leave the Titanic, gripping the safety railing as the ship sank into the -2°C (28°F) water of the Atlantic Ocean. The baker spent almost three hours in the sea before being rescued, suffering only swollen feet. He also ingested a copious amount of whisky before going down with the ship, which is thought to have warmed his body enough to withstand the frigid temperature.^[1]

9 When Disaster Strikes

Miami’s beach paradise became the center of devastation and despair on June 24, 2021, when the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium partially collapsed, killing 98 people. Out of the four people rescued from the rubble, one died in the hospital. Thirty-five people were rescued from the remainder of the building that remained standing, and a further 11 were injured.

Nicholas Balboa was out walking his dog when he experienced what felt like an earthquake. In shock, he realized that the nearby building was coming down, and when he heard a boy crying for help, he immediately ran toward the crumbling structure. When he saw a hand sticking out of the debris, he and another person scrambled onto the huge mound of rubble and were soon assisted by emergency personnel. The boy was stuck under his bed frame and was pulled to safety by Balboa and the other rescuers. Fifteen-year-old Jonah Handler survived but unfortunately lost his mother in the tragedy.^[2]

8 A Day of Terror

Many heroes sprang into action on December 26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean earthquake caused a massive tsunami that wrecked coastlines, villages, and cities, killing almost 230,000 people. Ten-year-old Tilly Smith, who had been on vacation in Phuket with her family, had watched a video of a 1946 Hawaii tsunami in her geography class two weeks earlier. Before her eyes, the black and white video came to life in terrifying color as the sea frothed and receded. She pleaded with her family to believe her that a tsunami was coming, and her father eventually alerted resort staff, who cleared the beach. Tilly’s quick thinking saved around 100 lives that fateful day.

Peter Davison, a paramedic from Hobart, heard about the tsunami on the news after experiencing the initial earthquake and immediately headed to the Phuket International Hospital, where he activated their disaster management plan. For five days, he worked 16-hour shifts alongside his staff before things started settling down. Davison has been hailed a hero for his dedication in treating severely injured people and maintaining calm in mid of chaos.^[3]

7 The Tragedy That Changed America Forever

As the smoke rose from the World Trade Center, there was panic in the air. People were trapped above the impact zones, elevators started falling, and in desperation, some decided to jump from mangled windows. While many lost their lives on that fateful day, some brave men and women helped save others—here are just a few of them.

Benjamin Clark, a 39-year-old former Marine and chef, helped everyone on the 96th floor of the South Tower escape the building. He saw a woman in a wheelchair on his way down and didn’t hesitate to help her too. Unfortunately, Clark died in the South Tower after it collapsed, leaving behind his wife and five children. He was one of many heroes that selflessly helped others that day, losing their own lives in the process.

Thomas Burnett, who was on board the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, hatched a plan along with a group of other passengers to try and regain control of the plane. The plane eventually crashed in Pennsylvania, but Burnett and the other passengers were posthumously lauded for their efforts and credited with preventing the hijackers from crashing the plane into the White House or Capitol building.

WTC maintenance worker, William Rodriguez, was in the basement of the North Tower when tragedy struck. He climbed the stairs alongside firefighters, unlocking doors wherever possible, and helped save hundreds of lives. (Link 4) ^[4]

6 “Come, I’m here!”

On March 15, 2019, 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant entered the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, New Zealand, and randomly opened fire. He continued to the Linwood Islamic Center while continuously shooting at the people inside. Sadly, 51 died, and another 40 were injured.

Forty-eight-year-old Abdul Aziz didn’t think of hiding from the crazed terrorist for one moment. Instead, focusing on the fact that his four sons and dozens of other people were inside the Linwood Mosque, he grabbed the first weapon he could find. In this case, the weapon was a credit card machine. Brandishing the device, he ran outside and yelled, “Come, I’m here!” after which he threw the machine at the gunman.

Aziz then got hold of a gun abandoned by Tarrant and hurled it at the gunman’s car window. All the while, Tarrant was firing at him, and Aziz zig-zagged between cars, never taking his eyes off the shooter. Eventually, Tarrant gave up and sped off in his car with Aziz chasing him. Soon after, police officers forced the car off the road and arrested Tarrant.

Abdul Aziz has been credited with stopping the terrorist from killing more people inside the Linwood Mosque and helping to get him arrested.^[5]

5 “It wasn’t hard.”

The day that lives in infamy also saw several heroes springing to action to help protect American lives. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the tragic incident that finally saw America enter the Second World War. Almost 20 naval ships and 200 aircraft were destroyed during the surprise attack by Japanese forces. More than 2,400 US soldiers died, and 1,000 were wounded.

Third Class cook, Doris Miller, was in the middle of collecting laundry when all hell broke loose on December 7, 1941. Rushing to his battle station, he found that it had been torpedoed, after which he ran to the deck and started carrying away wounded soldiers. Miller also delivered ammunition to two machine gun crews and then manned one of the guns and fired for fifteen minutes until it ran out of ammunition, even though he’d never been trained to handle weapons. The 22-year-old became the first African American to receive the Navy Cross for his bravery. Miller said afterward that “it wasn’t hard” and “I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine.”^[6]

4 “I was just doing what I was taught to do.”

The deliberate sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, through a German torpedo, became one of the worst atrocities of WWI. Nearly 1,200 people lost their lives in the disaster, during which the ship split in two after a secondary explosion. Within 18 minutes of being torpedoed, the Lusitania sank, leaving passengers fighting for their lives in the freezing ocean.

Able Seamen Joseph Parry and Leslie Morton did their best to help those who were dying around them. Together, they hauled 100 people from the water. They were joined by Irish fishermen who also wanted to help. One of the survivors, pulled to safety by Parry, was a young sobbing mother clutching her screaming baby. Out of sheer gratitude, the woman took one of her baby’s booties and gave it to Parry. He treasured the bootie, writing the words “Lest We Forget Lusitania May 7, 1915” on the sole. Sadly, however, the woman and baby both died shortly after.

Another survivor later said he had seen Parry plaiting another young woman’s hair to try and keep her calm. Parry earned a Silver Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry and said afterward, “I was just doing what I was taught to do.”^[7]

3 Young Heroes

On March 27, 1985, 41-year-old Willem Horne lost control of the double-decker school bus he was driving. The bus, carrying 72 students, crashed into the Westdene dam in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mere seconds after the accident, 17-year-old matric pupil Pieter Koen was out of the open window next to his seat and on the roof of the half-submerged bus. Without hesitation, he dove into the dam water and, after a minute, pulled a fellow student out. He did this four more times, each time rescuing a student. The sixth time Koen dove into the water, he didn’t come back up.

Theo de Koker and Matthys Wehmeyer were in another bus traveling ahead of the yellow bus. When they heard screaming, they both looked around and saw the yellow bus sinking into the dam. Yelling for their own bus driver to stop, they ran, shrugging their shoes and jackets off as they went, and dove into the water. Together they rescued their friend, Deon Beukes, from the water. The two boys pulled Beukes to safety and then continued to descend and rescue students, one of which was de Koker’s sister. Another student named Danie Theron also saved three of his classmates.

Almost 3,000 people gathered around the dam, including some of the parents of the students. As they looked on, medical personnel fought to save those who had been pulled from the water. By the end of the day, 42 had died, and 30 had been saved. The bus driver also survived.

Pieter Koen and Danie Theron both received bravery awards, Koen posthumously. Four years after the tragedy, Theron took his own life.^[8]

2 Unexpected Disaster

There were 47 people on the stratovolcano White Island in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand when it suddenly erupted on December 9, 2019. Twenty-two died, and 25 were injured, most of whom suffered severe burns.

White Island Tours manager Paul Kingi had been on the island that day, and very shortly after he left with his tour group, the volcano erupted. Kingi got into an inflatable dinghy and set off for the island. When he reached it, he managed to get 20 people to safety.

Helicopter pilot Tom Storey and two of his colleagues helped rescue 12 people from the island, despite conditions being too dangerous to fly. No other emergency service helicopters joined them because of the unsafe conditions, so Storey, Mark Law, and Jason Hill loaded the 12 survivors into their own helicopters and transported them to the nearest hospital.^[9]

1 For the Sake of Saving Hundreds of Thousands of Lives

In the immediate aftermath of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, dozens lost their lives. Within 10 days, a new threat reared its head in the form of nuclear steam explosions. This type of explosion would likely have reached as far as Minsk, which is 320 kilometers (198 miles) from Chernobyl.

To prevent this from happening, a pressure valve had to be released. Three brave men took the task upon themselves, with only one of them, Alexei Ananenko, knowing the valve’s location. Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov dove underneath the reactor and released the valve, saving the area from an even worse disaster. Tragically, all three men suffered severe radiation poisoning after their heroic act and died within weeks. They knew beforehand that they would die because of the radiation exposure but chose to give up their lives to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of other people.^[10]

No matter whether it’s a first birthday, the first day of school, getting your driver’s license, or getting married, milestone moments are such an important part of life’s journey. They are often the most recalled memories when we look back, and they are the memories that spark joy within our hearts.

While no one rite of passage is more important than any other, these ten milestone moments quickly turned from celebration into mourning.

10 First Birthday

Smashed cakes, overwhelming amounts of gifts, surrounded by family and friends—celebrating a child’s first birthday is something magical. Rehma Sabir experienced the same first birthday magic, but she took her last breath just a few days later, on January 14, 2013, her actual birthday.

Rehma had been left in the care of her nanny, Aisling McCarthy, that day. However, when Rehma’s grandparents came to see her around 4:30 in the afternoon, and she was still sleeping, they knew something was terribly wrong. Rehma could not be woken up and was unresponsive. She arrived at the emergency room in a coma. Later, bleeding inside her brain, behind her eyes, bruising on her skull and spine, and healing fractures were all found. The autopsy report initially revealed that Rehma died from blunt force injuries and abusive head trauma—shaken baby syndrome. Her death was ruled a homicide, and her nanny was the prime suspect.

McCarthy spent two years in jail, but just a few weeks before the case was set to go to trial, the medical examiner reversed her decision due to inconclusive findings. McCarthy was deported back to Ireland, and Rehma’s case never went before a judge.^[1]

9 First Day of Work

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Your first job and the first day of work are filled with so many emotions—the excitement of becoming an “adult,” the nervousness of wanting to be a good employee, and the anticipation of your first paycheck. Unfortunately, nineteen-year-old Mason Cox’s first day of work turned into a tragic event that left his family and the entire company he worked for shaken.

Mason was working for Crawford Tree Service as a tree trimmer. He kicked a tree branch that had jammed the woodchipper but was pulled inside the machine. The company owner, Jon Crawford, tried to use the kill switch and put the machine in reverse, but it was too late. Mason could not be saved. After the accident, Crawford also suffered a heart attack after witnessing this tragic event.^[2]

8 Going to the Prom

Finding the perfect dress, planning each moment of the night with your date, anxiously awaiting the results of prom court votes… the senior prom is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Unfortunately, Kalen Hart and Lendon Byram never got the chance to experience that moment.

Kalen Hart was a senior at Hamilton Heights High School in Indiana and was on the way to prom with her date Lendon Byram when they were involved in a car accident that took their lives. A 17-year-old driver, who was also their classmate, t-boned them in an intersection. The tragic loss of life taken that day left a lingering impact on all the students who knew and loved them. Even more devastating was the fact that the first time Kalen’s mother was able to see her in her prom dress was when she went to the coroner’s office.^[3]

7 Retirement Day

PHoto credit: Wikimedia Commons

“To protect and serve” wasn’t just a simple motto to one law enforcement officer. It truly was a way of life for Stan Shaw, who dedicated 50 years to serving his community as a police officer. He had given others the best years of his life, but on his last day of work before retirement, tragedy struck.

Shaw suffered a heart attack on his way home from work and was found unresponsive in his car. While EMTs were able to restart his heart, he had been without oxygen for too long and was placed on life support in the hospital. His wife had to make a heart-wrenching decision to take him off life support after realizing his brain function hadn’t changed. Even though Shaw never got to enjoy the retirement he worked so hard for, he truly upheld his oath, trying to counsel and help those who had strayed off the beaten path.^[4]

6 Sweet Sixteen

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No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone both of their children, but this was the tragic reality for father, Jason Alexander. His teenage daughters Tayla and Sunmara Alexander were both involved in a car accident that caused the car they were riding in to burst into flames. Tayla died on the scene, but her sister Sunmara and the other passengers were pulled from the vehicle.

Sunmara had burns all over her body and was transported to the hospital, where she was placed on life support. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries and died on her 16th birthday. In light of the anguish and grief Jason Alexander was put through, he chose to forgive the driver rather than harboring anger. He now works to advise teens about the dangers of reckless driving.^[5]

5 Accepting a Marriage Proposal

Getting engaged is also one of the happiest moments of your life and should be a day so full of excitement that you can barely contain your emotions. However, for Dimitrina Dimitrova, the exhilaration of her engagement led to tragedy.

Dimitrina was visiting Ibiza to spend time with her boyfriend, who worked as a waiter. During her visit, her boyfriend proposed at a romantic cliffside location. After the proposal, she began jumping up and down with delight when she fell off the 20-meter (65-foot) cliff. Paramedics were called to the scene, but Dimitrina died from a heart attack that was caused by her fall.^[6]

4 Wedding Day

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While the stress of planning a wedding can be overwhelming, it can easily be forgotten once you see your vision come to life on your wedding day. For Paul Wynn and his partner Alison, their wedding day should have been one of the happiest moments shared with friends and family. Instead, everyone in attendance witnessed a tragedy unfold before their eyes.

Paul and Alison had been together for 21 years but had never married. However, Paul had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told he possibly had only a few more months to live. So the couple hurried to get married in light of his diagnosis. On the day of their wedding, Paul was waiting for Alison at the altar, but by the time she reached him, he was slouched over, unresponsive, and would not answer her. Paramedics were called, but it was too late. They were unable to revive him. Paul died at the altar before ever having a chance to marry his long-time love.^[7]

3 Getting a Driver’s License

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Getting your driver’s license is a huge milestone moment for teenagers. It represents a sense of freedom and allows you to feel one step closer to becoming an adult. However, for parents, the moment is often filled with fear and worry. No parent wants to get a call saying their child has been involved in a car accident. However, this was a tragic reality for Jacob Jolly’s parents.

Jacob had passed his driver’s license test on the morning of June 28, 2013. However, at 10:34 am, he lost control of the car he was driving and hit a utility pole. Due to the speed at which he was driving and the impact of the crash, he was thrown from the vehicle and died on the scene.^[8]

2 First Day of School

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Your first day of school, no matter the grade, is always filled with the excitement of new classes, showing off your new clothes, and seeing old friends you’ve missed over the summer months. Peyton West felt that same excitement on his first day of 8th grade, especially after having spent the previous five months recovering from a heart transplant.

Peyton was being goofy that morning, and his family spent time taking pictures of him before he left for school. However, when his brother Ethan dropped him off at school, Peyton said he didn’t feel well and collapsed. Ethan took Peyton to the school nurse’s office, and paramedics later transported him to the hospital. The doctors tried to restart Peyton’s heart for over two and a half hours but were unsuccessful. He died at the hospital.^[9]

1 Having Your First Child

While childbirth can be a scary thought, especially for a new mother, bringing your first child into the world is also such an exciting moment. Mothers spend nine months caring for and protecting their unborn children in anticipation of seeing their sweet faces for the first time.

Twenty-six-year-old Amber Isaac was expecting her first-born child with her partner Bruce McIntyre. Amber’s platelet count dropped during her pregnancy; however, because her pregnancy took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, her healthcare visits took place through video calls rather than in an office setting. Amber had a gut feeling something was wrong and continued to pressure the health care providers to see her.

She was scheduled to be induced early, and on that day, the doctors realized she had developed hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. However, sadly her diagnosis was given too late. Amber was rushed in for an emergency C section but did not survive the delivery. Due to COVID protocols, no one else was allowed to be in the operating room, and she died alone, never getting the chance to see her son.^[10]