Random Most Surprising Historical Celebrity Deaths (15 items)

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  (#1) Sharon Tate

  • Dec. at 26 (1943-1969)

  In an event that marked the end of the ‘60s era of peace and love for many, the world was shocked when up-and-coming actress Sharon Tate was stabbed to death while nine months pregnant. Tate was found dead in her Los Angeles home, alongside five other bodies, on August 9th, 1969.

  In the ensuing weeks, it would emerge Tate had been a victim of the Manson family cult. The cult members, acting under the instructions of Charles Manson, were committing murders in order to start the apocalyptic race war Manson believed was coming.

  The deaths were incredibly shocking to the general public due to the seemingly random nature of the attack and the gruesome details. Tate had been stabbed multiple times and there was an “X” cut into her stomach. The killers had written words like “Pig” and “Helter Skelter” on the walls using the blood of the victims.

  The tragedy led to mass paranoia in Hollywood and was one of several tragic events that led to general disillusionment with the ‘60s counterculture.
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  (#2) Marilyn Monroe

  • Dec. at 36 (1926-1962)

  A prominent actress and sex symbol during her day, Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death was one of the most shocking moments in Hollywood history. The actress was found dead in her home on August 5th, 1962, from a presumed suicide. Monroe was found naked, lying on her stomach, and surrounded by empty pill bottles with a telephone in one hand.

  The pressures of stardom had caused Monroe to slip into a depression. Monroe’s maid contacted her psychiatrist after finding her bedroom door locked. The psychiatrist discovered Monroe’s body after breaking a window. Monroe had reportedly been living as a recluse in her Brentwood, CA, home in the months leading up to her death.
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  (#3) Elvis Presley

  • Dec. at 42 (1935-1977)

  Elvis Presley’s health and weight fluctuations had been a popular tabloid subject for years before the singer was found dead in the bathroom of his Memphis estate on August 16th, 1977. While the death was initially reported as a heart attack, stories began to emerge about Presley’s drug use and how it may have contributed to the singer’s demise.

  Presley’s death was shocking as it came in the wake of a televised Vegas performance. Fans were shocked the star – whom they had just seen alive and healthy – had died, and had apparently been dealing with a drug problem for a long time.

  Over 100,000 people showed up to the public viewing of Presley’s body at his Graceland estate. The event attracted a wide array of mourners from all different ages and walks of life. The subsequent media coverage forced many people to reevaluate their view of the singer as his chronic health problems and struggles with addiction became public knowledge.
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  (#4) Buddy Holly

  • Dec. at 23 (1936-1959)

  Buddy Holly died in a tragic plane crash on February 3rd, 1959 – a date that would come to be known as “the day the music died.” In addition to killing Holly, the crash also resulted in the deaths of musical icons Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. While on tour, Holly hired a plane after getting tired of traveling via bus. The plane tragically crashed while en route to Fargo, ND, and the bodies of Holly, Valens, and Richardson were found scattered among the wreckage.
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  (#5) James Dean

  • Dec. at 24 (1931-1955)

  While James Dean only made three movies, he was on his way to becoming a major Hollywood star. Popular with fans and critics alike, the public was devastated when the 24 year old died in a car accident on September 30th, 1955. A lover of fast cars, Dean was speeding in a recently purchased Porsche when he struck another car in a Cholame, CA, intersection.

  Dean died in the accident, likely instantly, and the public was left stunned by the death of an up-and-coming icon.
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  (#6) Jim Morrison

  • Dec. at 28 (1943-1971)

  One of the better-known members of the 27 Club, Jim Morrison’s death was shrouded in mystery. The lack of answers regarding what happened and why made the loss particularly devastating. The Doors singer died in Paris on July 3rd, 1971. What happened exactly? According to reports, Morrison saw a film, listened to records, and then died of a heart attack in a bathtub. The question of what caused Morrison’s seemingly random heart failure remains unanswered.

  Stories have circulated ever since, many alleging Morrison died of an overdose and was placed in the bathtub as a cover. One story claims Morrison overdosed at a club, and the owner wanted to avoid the scandal of having a famous singer die at his business.

  Two drug dealers transported Morrison’s body back to his apartment and dumped his body in a bathtub. No autopsy was ever performed, so it’s unclear what was in his system at the time of his death.
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  (#7) Jayne Mansfield

  • Dec. at 34 (1933-1967)

  While her name is not as widely known today, Jayne Mansfield was on the way to become the next big thing in the ‘60s. She was an up-and-coming actress and model whose life unexpectedly ended on June 29th, 1967. While traveling with her boyfriend and children, her car was struck by a semi on a Mississippi highway. Mansfield and the three other adults in the car were killed instantly, but her children luckily survived - her children including none other than actress Mariska Hargitay.

  The accident spawned many gruesome rumors. Photos of Mansfield’s blond hair tangled onto the windshield led to the belief she had been decapitated in the accident. In reality, her cause of death was a crushed skull. The one positive to come out of the accident was that the National Highway and Traffic Safety Commission began requiring semis to travel with a DOT bar – otherwise known as a Mansfield bar – to make them more visible to other drivers.
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  (#8) Freddie Prinze

  • Dec. at 23 (1954-1977)

  Doctors fought for 33 hours to keep Freddie Prinze alive after he shot himself in the head, but the actor and comedian ultimately died from his injuries on January 30th, 1977. Prinze had suffered from depression, a disease that does not discriminate based on circumstances.

  An ascending star,  22-year-old Prinze shocked the American public when he took his own life as his career took off. The incident shook the public and brought public attention to mental health.
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  (#9) Sam Cooke

  • Dec. at 33 (1931-1964)

  On December 11th, 1964, legendary R&B singer Sam Cooke was shot to death in the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, claimed to have shot Cooke in self-defense. According to her story, Cooke had taken a young woman to the motel against her will. After the woman fled from his room, Cooke barged into the manager’s office demanding to know her whereabouts. Allegedly, when Franklin told Cooke she did not know where the woman was, he violently attacked her, and she shot him in self-defense with a gun kept in the office.

  Over the years, this version of events has been called into question. Some suspect Franklin and the young woman with Cooke that night were conspiring against him to rob him. Due to the limited number of witnesses, what actually occurred remains unclear to this day.
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  (#10) George Reeves

  • Dec. at 45 (1914-1959)

  On June 16th, 1959, police officers discovered Superman actor George Reeves dead in his Los Angeles home. Reeves was found lying in bed naked, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head, with blood spilling over the sheets. Several guests were present in the home at the time, who claimed Reeves had retired to bed earlier in the evening. Later, they hard a gunshot from upstairs.

  There is a lot of mystery surrounding the death. Some speculate it was suicide. Reeves was unhappy with his roll as Superman, believing the part to be beneath him, and a recent car accident could have caused brain damage. Others speculate one of the guests, possibly Reeves’s then girlfriend, shot him.

  Others proposed a game of Russian Roulette was to blame. While suicide is widely accepted as the most likely explanation, a lot of speculation and conspiracy still surrounds the mysterious death of George Reeves.
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  (#11) Bob Crane

  • Dec. at 50 (1928-1978)

  Bob Crane was seen as the picture of normalcy as the star of the family friendly program Hogan’s Heroes. This made the bizarre details surrounding his death shocking to the public. Crane was bludgeoned to death on June 29th, 1978 in his apartment in Scottsdale, AZ. In the ensuing weeks, it came out that Crane was a fan of kinky sex, seduced many women, participated in orgies, and often filmed such endeavors.

  The most likely suspect was John Henry Carpenter, a friend of Crane’s who often helped Crane tape his exploits. Carpenter was believed to have been in love with Crane, and Crane was supposedly considering ending their relationship. While Carpenter was charged with the crime, a lack of evidence ultimately led to him being found “not guilty.”
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  (#12) William Frawley

  • Dec. at 79 (1887-1966)

  William Frawley was most famous for portraying the memorable Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Known as a curmudgeon with a drinking problem, Frawley was notoriously difficult to work with. On the set of I Love Lucy, his TV wife Vivian Vance frequently squabbled with the actor.

  Frawley died very publicly, dropping dead from a heart attack while walking home from a movie on March 3rd, 1966. Anecdotal reports surfaced stating Vance heard the news and proceeded to shout, “Champagne for everyone!”
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  (#13) Ramon Novarro

  • Dec. at 69 (1899-1968)

  Film and television actor Raman Novarro was murdered in his own home on October 30th, 1968. Novarro invited a pair of brothers into his Los Angeles home. A closeted homosexual, Novarro occasionally covertly paid young men for sex. The day turned tragic when – in hopes of robbing the actor – the brothers violently beat Novarro to death before ransacking his home. Novarro allegedly recited a “Hail Mary” in terror shortly before his death. 

  The death shocked Hollywood and not just because of the violent nature of the crime. Novarro’s personal life hit headlines in trial, as he was outed to the public as gay. The murderers were only lightly punished. While the brothers were found guilty, they served minimal prison time. One was out in six years, while the other was out in nine.
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  (#14) Bobby Fuller

  • Dec. at 24 (1942-1966)

  Rock & roll star Bobby Fuller’s death on July 18th, 1966, was a mystery that remains debatably unsolved. Fuller was found dead of asphyxiation in the front seat of his mother’s car in Los Angeles, CA. The death may have been suicide or an accident, but some speculate Fuller was murdered. He had left his home earlier in the day, and his body was later found doused in gasoline.

  The most likely explanation is that the death was either a suicide or an accident. There were no signs of homicide according to coroner’s reports, but suspicious bruises generated theories that Fuller was actually murdered. Regardless of the cause, the death of an up-and-coming rock star at 23 left many Americans shocked.
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  (#15) William Desmond Taylor

  • Dec. at 50 (1872-1922)

  Silent film actor William Desmond Taylor was killed after a night out on February 1st, 1922. He was found dead outside his Los Angeles apartment. Several witnesses claimed to have seen a figure in a long winter coat lurking around the area the night of Taylor’s death, but no one could give a description that allowed police to find leads.

  While there were many suspects – including other famous actors and actresses at the time – a lack of evidence and witnesses meant Taylor’s murder was never solved.

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