Death

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

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

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.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln just after uttering his last words.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

“All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.”

The poem “The Rainbow Bridge” has long comforted animal lovers who are mourning a pet. But for decades, its author remained a mystery.

Queen Elizabeth II sometimes went by Sharon.

When she was trying to fly under the radar, Queen Elizabeth II went by the name ‘Sharon.’

Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx star in 'Collateral' (2004).

The best hit man movies expand beyond the simple idea of murder-for-hire stories.

Recent decades have witnessed too many music festival disasters.

The Route 91 Harvest Festival, Astroworld, South by Southwest, and more have been afflicted by tragedy.

An illustration of the counting-out game “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” from Clara E. Atwood’s ‘A Book of Nursery Rhymes,’ published in 1901.

Different versions of “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” exist around the world, and there seem to be just as many theories about the rhyme’s potential origin—ranging from shepherds counting sheep to priests selecting sacrificial victims.

So, you're dead. Do you still need sunscreen?

The ruthless criminal is believed to have buried $100 million in bloody profits nearly 90 years ago. People have been looking for it ever since.

Before his death in 1990, Jim Henson gave very clear instructions about what his memorial service should look like: no attendees should wear black and a jazz band should be in attendance.

Tibetan prayer flags wave in the Himalayas.

Mount Everest’s bitter temperatures, unpredictable weather, icy terrain, and lack of oxygen make climbing it so difficult, in fact, that many don’t survive to tell the tale.

Corpses are less scary than you think.

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

14 Old Slang Terms for Coffins

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

6 Politicians Who Got Elected Despite Being Dead

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

When Scotland Yard Took On Resurrectionists

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

A Brief History of Bog Bodies

Why Does ‘Late’ Mean “Dead”?

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

10 Fabulous Ancient Tombs

What Did Aaron Burr Do After Shooting Alexander Hamilton?

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

Quiz: Can You Guess How These Famous Figures Died?

“The Rainbow Bridge”: The Emotional—and Once-Lost—History of the Popular Pet Memorial Poem

11 Royal Code Names

12 Killer Hit Man Movies

9 of the Worst Music Festival Disasters in United States History

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe”: The Dark Theories—and Racist History—Behind the Childhood Rhyme

Can a Dead Body Still Get a Suntan?

Bootlegger’s Bounty: The Hidden Treasure of Gangster Dutch Schultz

When Big Bird Sang “Bein’ Green” at Jim Henson’s Memorial Service

Mount Everest: The World’s Highest Graveyard

8 Myths About Dead Bodies, Debunked