Morbidly Funny Last Words Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. He was known for his sharp wit and satire and he championed civil liberties. He was born in 1694 and died in 1778 at the age of 83 years old. Voltaire died of disease, suffering from several medical disorders including a severe case of periodontal disease which caused him to lose almost all of his teeth. At the very end, a priest sat by his bedside and asked him to renounce Satan. His response showed that even in his final moments, he was witty and anti-clerical.

Lawrence of Rome was an archdeacon who was executed in 258 AD during the Christian persecutions of the Roman Emperor Valerian. He was responsible for caring for the poor and for the treasury of the church. At the age of approximately 32 years old, the saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted him. It was believed God gave him strength to give the judge his witty ending words.

Bob Hope was an American comedian, actor, and entertainer whose career covered over 80 years in the entertainment industry. He was on stage, in movies, on television, and toured with U.S. military troops. He died of pneumonia on July 27, 2003, at his home in Toluca Lake, California having just celebrated his 100th birthday. When his wife, Dolores, asked him where he wanted to be buried, his funny response left his family smiling.

Buddy Rich was known as one of the most influential and technically skilled drummers of all time. He was born in New York in 1917 and quickly rose to become a jazz musician, conductor, and bandleader. On April 2, 1987, he died of unexpected respiratory and cardiac failure after a treatment related to a malignant brain tumor. Before his last surgery, a nurse asked him if he was allergic to anything, referring to medications. Instead, he gave his funny response that characterized his disdain for country music.

John Sedgwick was a Union Army general during the American Civil War who commanded the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac. After graduating from West Point in 1837, he served in the U.S. Army for years. On May 9, 1864, while setting up artillery positions at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Sedgwick yelled at his troops for ducking Confederate sharpshooter fire. After his final fateful words, a bullet from a sniper killed him instantly.

John Adams was a key figure in America's fight for independence from Britain and the second President of the United States. Born in 1735, he spent his life committed to justice and fighting for the rights of the new country. Adams was on friendly terms with Thomas Jefferson early in their careers then became bitter political adversaries until reconnecting in the early 1810s. They then became fast friends and wrote every day. When Adams died on July 4, 1826 his last words were ironic as Jefferson had died that very day, which was also America's Independence Day.

Karl Marx was born in Prussia in 1818 and became a philosopher, historian, and sociologist. He would go on to found Marxism, which became the basis for socialist and communist movements worldwide. He also wrote "The Communist Manifesto" with Friedrich Engels that called for a revolution to overthrow the capitalist system. Marx died of acute bronchitis in 1883. He uttered his ironic last words to his housekeeper, who asked him for his final words to write down for posterity as he was dying.

Jack Daniels was the American distiller and founder of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery. Born in 1849, he learned the art of whisky making from a slave who he later hired after emancipation. Daniels adopted a unique charcoal mellowing process which made his offering different from bourbon and his brand won a gold medal in 1904 at the World's Fair. He died on October 9, 1911, from blood poisoning after kicking his foot against a safe in frustration. It was in the final moment of his life he muttered his last request.

Dominique Bouhors was born in 1628 in Paris, France and went on to become a Jesuit priest and grammarian. In this role, he spent years advocating for the standardization and improvement of the French language and defining the principles of good taste. He also wrote several works on the subject. He died at age 74 and his last words upheld his reputation as a meticulous grammarian, even on his deathbed.