DEATH

5 Weird American Cemetery Legends

These strange, spooky cemetery tales of vampires, ghosts, and bloody headstones will keep you up at night.

Nancy Barnett’s family would not allow a road to disturb her final resting place.

The Reason There’s a Gravesite in the Middle of an Indiana Road

This isn't something you want to pass late at night.

6 Infamous Poisoners with Unforgettable Nicknames

Thanks to his outrageous crimes, Graham Young will always be known as the Teacup Poisoner. Here are five others with unforgettable monikers.

Friends consult a Ouija board during a séance.

8 Notorious Séances Involving Celebrities

Harry Houdini and Princess Diana are just a few of the spirits that mediums have tried to contact over the years.

When France’s Père Lachaise Cemetery Used Celebrity Remains to Boost Business

The cemetery failed to interest the public until it started seeking out famous corpses.

10 Spine-Tingling Spirits From Around the World

From the ‘manananggal’ (Philippines) to the ‘csodacsirke’ (Hungary), you’ll want to make sure you steer clear of these terrifying supernatural beings.

The Neptune Memorial Reef off Florida’s coast.

Explore the World’s First Underwater Cemetery

Neptune Memorial Reef is a piece of art, a cemetery, and a haven for wildlife.

The knight’s tombstone rediscovered at Jamestown.

Jamestown’s Mysterious Black Tombstone Originated in Belgium, Archaeologists Say

Scientists examined microscopic fossils in the tombstone and suggest the jet-black slab with an English knight’s insignia could have come only from one place.

A ‘witch’ grave makes a cemetery even spookier.

The Stories Behind 8 ‘Witch’ Graves

When these supposed spell-casters died, the stories about them lived on.

Old age may precede dying, but it doesn’t directly cause it.

Do People Really Die of ‘Old Age’?

Can an octogenarian really just collapse from the wear and tear of life?

Peter’s poor wife did not have a good time.

The History—and Surprisingly Dark Theories—Behind ‘Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater’

‘Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater’ may not be the most kid-friendly nursery rhyme, as several interpretations of it involve murder.

14 Old Slang Terms for Coffins

From ‘six-foot bungalow’ to ‘pine overcoat,’ there have been some creative euphemisms for coffins over the ages—and some terms that were surprisingly (and uncomfortably) direct.

Can You Match the Last Words to the Person Who Said Them?

See if these famous last words really are as famous as people think.

6 Politicians Who Got Elected Despite Being Dead

Several politicians have won elections posthumously. And no, fraud was not to blame.

Abraham Lincoln just after uttering his last words.

The Last Words and Final Moments of 39 U.S. Presidents

Some presidents’ last words have been profound (“This is the last of earth; I am content”) and others have been merely practical (“Help!”).

Resurrectionists raiding a cemetery to provide a cadaver for dissection, 1887.

When Scotland Yard Took On Resurrectionists

In this excerpt from Simon Read’s book ‘Scotland Yard,’ detectives try to determine if the men who turned up at a medical college with a fresh corpse are body snatchers—or murderers.

Dance marathons and walkathons were all the rage in the 1920s and 1930s.

Death, Desperation, and Dollars: The Walkathon Craze of the 1920s and ’30s

In the 1930s, millions of Americans were glued to the first reality show: walking contests where you didn’t stop until you dropped.

Tollund Man on display at the Silkeborg Museum, Denmark.

A Brief History of Bog Bodies

The bodies of Iron Age Europeans are so well preserved in peat bogs that they’re sometimes mistaken for modern murder victims.

Everyone here is someone's late someone.

Why Does ‘Late’ Mean “Dead”?

There’s a historical reason, but there may be a social one as well.

There’s the Rub: How One Murder Victim’s Risqué Grave Became a French Fertility Icon

Victor Noir was killed by a Bonaparte. These days, he’s more famous for something else.

10 Fabulous Ancient Tombs

From King Tut’s treasure-stuffed tomb to one of the world's oldest human burial sites, these ancient resting places sent their occupants to the afterlife in style.

Aaron Burr shoots Alexander Hamilton in the infamous duel.

What Did Aaron Burr Do After Shooting Alexander Hamilton?

The first thing Burr did after fatally shooting Hamilton was go home and eat some breakfast. His later years included treason and a drawn-out divorce.

An illustration of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914), Archduke of Austria, and his wife Sophie, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914.

Murder in Sarajevo: How the Death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lit the Fuse of World War I

The First World War was an unprecedented catastrophe that shaped our modern world. The assassination of an Austrian duke on June 28, 1914, put the events in motion.

Quiz: Can You Guess How These Famous Figures Died?

Whatever a person’s accomplishments in life, death tends to be a humbling experience. Can you guess how these notables expired?

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