Exploring The Final Meals Of Famous Figures
Although it's a morbid subject, the rise of true crime documentaries and podcasts makes it clear how fascinating the grisly acts of criminals can be to people. And that fascination lends itself to curiosity about the minutiae around death row inmates, particularly when it comes to how they spent their final moments. As such, it's common for people to want to know what their last words and traditional last meals were.
However, it isn't just people on death row who inspire curiosity about their last meals before the end comes for them. Whether the subject fallen celebrities or famous historical figures, it turns out that just as many people can find themselves wondering about their last meals. And fortunately for them, this is often a subject that some people who encountered these people remember well.
Abraham Lincoln
Although The History Channel noted that Lincoln tended to be simple and practical in his dietary choices, this did not characterize the final meal he shared with friends and Illinois Governor Richard Oglesby before his fateful visit to Ford's Theater. From the sounds of it, it was an elaborate, multi-course affair.
As for what was actually eaten, Lincoln was apparently served mock turtle soup, cauliflower with cheese sauce, and baked yams. But the crowning part of the meal was a roast Virginia bird with chestnut stuffing. It sounded like a satisfying last meal, even though that's not what anyone thought he was eating.
Kurt Cobain
According to White Magic by Elissa Washuta, Nirvana star Kurt Cobain's final home was close to his favorite restaurant, a Seattle spot named Cactus that was known for southwestern cuisine. And two days before his sudden passing, he ate there with a group of friends.
Although the full extent of his meal isn't exactly known, it is clear that he had a dessert known as bananas dulce. It's also known that his credit card was declined because Courtney Love had canceled it while he completed a rehab program, so he paid by check.
Elvis Presley
Although the King of Rock and Roll was known for his adventurous eating habits and particularly for his fondness for gigantic peanut butter, jelly, and bacon sandwiches, this was not his last meal. Instead, it appeared that Presley's last day saw him indulge in his sweet tooth.
According to The Chicago Tribune, Presley ate four scoops of ice cream and six chocolate chip cookies before his lifestyle caught up with him. He was also found to have been reading a copy of A Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus by Frank O. Adams.
Napoleon Bonaparte
According to The Atlantic, any bitterness that the exiled French Emperor Napoleon may have felt after he was confined to the island of Saint Helena was soothed by some rather fancy food. Although it's true that some of this may not be considered so desirable nowadays, it certainly seemed to match his former stature.
At least, that was true of his last meal, as Napoleon ate liver and bacon chops, sauteed kidneys in sherry, baked (also called shirred) eggs with cream, and some garlic toast topped with roasted tomatoes. He may not have faced execution, but his last meal was a feast fit for such an occasion.
John Lennon
Most of what USA Today had to report about John Lennon's 1980 assassination is well known by now. On December 8, Mark David Chapman waited outside Lennon's New York City apartment until the rock star arrived alongside his wife, Yoko Ono, whereupon Chapman shot him.
However, The New York Times later mentioned what he had eaten before that tragic encounter. Although it wasn't specified which of the Big Apple's famous delis made it for him before he headed homeward, Lennon enjoyed one of the city's signature dishes: A corned beef sandwich.
Jimi Hendrix
Although some celebrities happened to enjoy some grand (and sometimes even uncharacteristically grand) meals before they met an unexpected end, that isn't always how it's gone. As frightening as it is to realize, a person's final moments can come during what otherwise seems like a normal day for them.
And judging by The Atlantic's report, that seems to characterize the last thing guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix ate before his fatal overdose. As the magazine told it, he had enjoyed a simple tuna sandwich.
Julia Child
Pioneering TV chef Julia Child was famous for making traditional French cooking accessible to Americans, and her last meal before she succumbed to kidney failure just days before her 92nd birthday is well in keeping with her legacy. Although she was at an assisted living home in Montecito, California, it wasn't prepared by the staff there.
Instead, she happened to enjoy a homemade dish prepared by her long-time assistant Stephanie Hersh before she passed away. According to Business Insider, it was a bowl of classic French onion soup, likely made as Child herself described in the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Whitney Houston
Although this discovery was in service of TMZ's ghoulish exploration into Houston's potential cause of death, the celebrity tabloid was nonetheless able to obtain a photo of her last meal. The photo was taken from the bathroom where she was discovered, and she had likely taken the food with her to eat while bathing.
The food in question was a hamburger, French fries, a turkey sandwich, and some jalapeño peppers. It sounded like she had a fairly sizable feast planned before tragedy struck.
Ernest Hemingway
As The Houston Press reported, the evening just before the legendary author's sudden passing saw him dine with friends at a restaurant called Christiania in Ketchum, Idaho. There, he enjoyed a hearty meal of a New York strip steak and a baked potato that he washed down with a fine Bordeaux.
The meal was reportedly supposed to come with a mixed green salad, but Hemingway was able to get the kitchen staff to make a substitution. Instead, he wanted a Caesar salad. He was certainly a man who did things his way, so that seems appropriate.
Marilyn Monroe
According to The Rockford Register Star, the troubled film star had indulged in a bountiful feast the night before the mysterious events that led to the discovery of her remains in her Brentwood, California, home at 5 am on August 5, 1962.
She had a Mexican buffet delivered, and its contents were quite eclectic. They included gazpacho soup, some chicken breasts that were served with avocado, some layered taco dip, meatballs, veal parmigiana, and a side of refried beans. Admittedly, not all of those dishes sound Mexican, but they nonetheless sound delicious.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
According to a website about Gandhi's life managed by the Indian government, Gandhi spent his last meal in deep conversation with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who would eventually be India's Deputy Prime Minister. As he had recently completed a fast at the time, he was sure to eat well for this chat.
As he sat on his floor and spoke with Patel, Gandhi ate an assortment of cooked and raw vegetables, oranges, and a mixture of ginger, sour lemons, aloe juice, and butter. He paired his meal with some goat's milk.
John F. Kennedy
Considering that President Kennedy's assassination occurred at around noon on November 22, 1963, the only meal he had a chance to eat that day was breakfast. According to The Rockford Register Star, Kennedy ate in Forth Worth, Texas, before he and the First Lady boarded Air Force One at Carswell Air Force Base and flew to Dallas.
Although he was in the company of some of Fort Worth's prominent Democrats at breakfast, his meal was fairly simple. He had some softboiled eggs, bacon, and toast with marmalade, as well as some orange juice and coffee to drink.
Brittany Murphy
Just days after Murphy's sudden and mysterious passing on December 20, 2009, Us Magazine reported on her last meal based on information obtained from the Los Angeles Coroner's Office. Although the means of finding out about the meal were certainly extraordinary, the food itself was fairly simple.
Apparently, the last food Murphy ate before her death was noodles and some unspecified leftover Thai food. It seemed she was thirstier than she was hungry at the time, as she also drank Gatorade, water, and some tea with lemon.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By the time of his assassination, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis, Tennessee, to support striking public works employees and was staying at the Lorraine Motel. His end came on the second-floor balcony of that very motel.
According to the book Nothing But Love In God's Water: Volume 2 by Robert Darden, Dr. King had eaten lunch with his advisor Ralph Abernathy before this occurred, eating fried catfish and drinking iced tea. However, the two men shared just one order of catfish, as the waitress had forgotten to inform the kitchen of the second platter, and King didn't want to bother her.
James Dean
The circumstances of rising actor James Dean's sudden death are well-known, as was the fact that he was driving his prized Porsche Spyder at the time of his fatal crash in San Joaquin Valley on September 30, 1955.
However, information about his last meal before the night ended in tragedy is reliant on reports at the time from The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, who interviewed the waitress at Tip's restaurant who served him. His order was a wholesome apple pie and some milk.
John Candy
According to The Oak Ridger, the beloved comic actor passed away from a likely heart attack in Durango, Mexico, on the morning of March 4, 1994. He was filming the movie Wagons East at the time, and his final shots involved some physically demanding action sequences in 90-degree heat. He continued filming until 10 pm.
Once he was finally able to retire to his hotel room, he ordered what would become his last meal. It was described as Mexican Spaghetti because the pasta had been mixed with a salsa-based sauce. The last person who saw him alive was his bodyguard, whom Candy told that he was going to shower before going to bed.
John Belushi
As author Bart Reitter wrote in The Horseman: A Travel Memoir, John Belushi was just one of an impressive collection of celebrities who were known to frequent the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood. This was particularly true of rock stars, as Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Janis Joplin, and Alice Cooper were all famous guests, and Rainbow named their band after the place.
But while that may give the Rainbow a fairly wild reputation — one shared by the actor and comedian — his last visit to the restaurant was decidedly low-key, as was his choice of order. All he apparently wanted that night was a simple bowl of lentil soup.
Michael Jackson
In an article detailing the King of Pop's final moments, Mass Live also touched on the final meal he shared with his family. The meal was shared early in the afternoon on June 25, 2009, and preceded a rehearsal for his planned comeback tour.
As such, Jackson wanted this meal to be light and healthy. So, his personal chef, Kai Chase, seared some ahi tuna for him and paired it with an organic salad. To drink, Chase gave Jackson a glass containing a mixture of carrot and orange juice.
Grigori Rasputin
The widely-reported circumstances of the intimidating Russian monk's death have given him a reputation as a nigh-indestructible juggernaut, but NPR noted that the tales of the horror movie-like process of his downfall came from the notoriously unreliable memoirs of Prince Yusupov.
However, what was fairly accurate were the accounts of what Rasputin's assassins fed him before they sprung their trap. Although the food was unlikely to be poisoned, as some accounts suggest, it is truthful that he ate honeyed cake and drank his favored Madeira before he met his end.
Frank Sinatra
Throughout his career, one of the nicknames that Sinatra picked up was the Chairman of the Board. And considering how many businesses he had stakes in and the leading role he typically had among his friends and associates, the name certainly fit.
But while that status might invite some grandiose expectations for what his last meal might be, the reality is much simpler. According to Parade, the last thing Sinatra ate before his passing was a standard grilled cheese sandwich.
Marie Antoinette
According to a comparative analysis by the website Soupsong, accounts vary wildly as to what deposed French queen Marie Antoinette's last meal was and what she actually wanted. However, it seemed that the most agreed-upon food was a rustic broth made with chicken boullion.
However, it seemed that she had to be encouraged to eat even that, as she decided that there was no point in eating as her execution neared. Indeed, Antoinette was reportedly given some vermicelli noodles to go with her chicken soup, but these remained uneaten.
Anthony Bourdain
The last meal that renowned chef Anthony Bourdain enjoyed before his tragic passing is well-known to people, largely because he posted part of it on Instagram. According to The Daily Mail, he ate at Wistub La Petite Venise in Colmar, France, which has since become a treasured place among his fans.
For his appetizer, Bourdain ate cervelat sausage, which was served with Gruyère cheese and pickled cucumber. He then moved on to a main course of braised pork knuckle, which was served with horseradish sauce and sauerkraut, before finishing with a glass of Pinot Noir Grand H.
Jim Morrison
Although the lead singer of The Doors was known as a provocative man of mystery in life, the final night he spent before his even more mysterious passing was reportedly a normal one. According to Mental Floss, it started with Morrison seeing a movie with his girlfriend, Pamela.
Although the movie wasn't specified, she mentioned that they picked up some Chinese takeout on the way home and Morrison ate some sweet-and-sour chicken with a few drinks. He was discovered in the bathtub several hours later.
Liberace
Liberace's flamboyant style of dress made him a larger-than-life personality as an entertainer, but the famous pianist was sadly robbed of his spirit in his final moments by a terrible disease. According to The Guardian, he passed away on February 4, 1987, from an AIDS-related illness.
As for his last meal before this hard end came for him, the newspaper reported that Liberace's cook made him some Cream of Wheat. Specifically, it was made with half-and-half milk and topped with brown sugar.
James Gandolfini
As The Los Angeles Times reported at the time, Sopranos star James Gandolfini passed away from a heart attack on June 19, 2013. He was in Italy at the time and reportedly lived it up as much as he could during his final evening.
He dined at the Boscolo Exedra Roma hotel in Rome, where he apparently became quite hungry. That's because he was said to eat two orders of fried king prawns and what was described as a "large portion" of foie gras. As last meals go, one could certainly do a lot worse.
Karen Carpenter
In the decades since the gentle singer and drummer Karen Carpenter's sad passing at the age of 32, her story has served as a tragic example of how deadly eating disorders can be. And reports of her last meal suggest that even when it was too late, Carpenter was fighting her condition as hard as she could.
According to Mental Floss, her final meal was shared with her parents and took place at a Bob's Big Boy location in Downey, California. It was reportedly a large meal that included a shrimp salad, but Carpenter was apparently still hungry and requested a taco once they had left.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
By the time of his sudden passing, the all-time great actor was candid about his struggles with addiction. And while People magazine reported that there was evidence around his discovered body suggesting he had succumbed to that demon, it was clear from his last days that this didn't happen without a fight.
Those around in the days before his death noted that he showed every sign of being clean and sober. And on the night before it happened, Hoffman was spotted at a restaurant called Automatic Slim's, where he and a friend enjoyed hamburgers garnished with guacamole. He was drinking a cranberry soda.
Princess Diana
Sadly, the very reason that Princess Diana is no longer with us is also the reason that everything about her final moments is so well-known: Her life was being constantly documented by paparazzi. For that reason, it was actually fairly easy for HuffPost to find out what her last meal was.
As the outlet relayed, the evening of her passing saw her dine at L'Espadon in Paris's Ritz Carlton hotel. There, she ate some Dover sole, vegetable tempura, and a mushroom and asparagus omelet. Although that all sounds lovely, her dinner was reportedly unremarkable in execution.
George Armstrong Custer
As The Canton Repository reported, Custer was infamous as an ineffective military commander who finished last in his class at West Point. This infamy was only stoked by his final offensive, which saw him lead 700 cavalry troops into battle against several thousand Native American warriors rather than await support units on June 25, 1876.
Custer would not survive this decision, which was the defining moment of the Battle of Little Bighorn. However, Custer didn't give this fatal order hungry, as he was sure to bring his personal cook with him even in times of war. Before his death, Custer reportedly enjoyed a feast of roast buffalo steaks and prairie hen, which included roasted wild corn and beans with molasses as sides.
Julius Caesar
In a series of short films titled Last Supper, director Gus Filgate presented the likely last meals of famous historical figures and pop culture icons in a stylistic fashion that wouldn't be out of place on the Food Network. And one of the most luxurious of these last meals was enjoyed by the Roman leader Gaius Julius Caesar.
According to Filgate's research, Julius enjoyed a feast of mutton, sea mussels, large shrimp, and "Baian beans," which is an antiquated term that was largely used at the time. It's unclear what sort of beans this term actually refers to, but it's clear the dictator ate well before his fateful encounter with the Ides of March.
Keith Moon
According to Louder Sound Magazine, The Who drummer Keith Moon's last night was restless and saw him severely agitated. He and his girlfriend Annette were attending the midnight premiere of The Buddy Holly Story, but Moon insisted on leaving an hour into the movie.
When the couple returned home, Moon told Annette he was hungry, which prompted her to cook his favorite meal, lamb cutlets. According to her, he awoke one more time before his passing, and although Moon argued with Annette, she nonetheless cooked more lamb for breakfast.
"Mama" Cass Elliot
According to Snopes, the Mamas And The Papas singer's passing had long been dogged by rumors that it was the result of choking on a ham sandwich. However, the unfortunate truth of the situation was that Elliot's last meal was something she hadn't even had time to eat before her heart attack.
Although Dr. Anthony Greenburgh publicly stated that Elliot had been eating a ham sandwich and drinking Coca-Cola at the time of her death, investigators would later prove that his report wasn't quite accurate. Although the sandwich was indeed in the room with her when she died, it had been untouched.
Francois Mitterand
He's not exactly a household name in America, but Mitterand served as the President of France between 1981 and 1995. According to Esquire, his final year saw him struggle with cancer, but upon his death, he made some scandalous headlines for his choice of last meal.
Although his final meal was indeed a feast fit for a French leader, there was only one dish that was so scandalous. For after he dined on fine oysters, foie gras, and a fattened chicken known as capon, Mitterand ate a controversial yet traditional delicacy known as ortolan. These are tiny, yellow-throated songbirds, and eating them is considered so cruel that France made the practice illegal.
Sid Vicious
Prior to punk musician Sid Vicious's fatal overdose, Jerry Only from the band Misfits visited Vicious at his mother's house. Although Far Out Magazine relayed that Only saw Vicious overdose twice while he was there with his 14-year-old brother, he was compelled to get them both out of the house before the episode that took Vicious's life.
However, that meant he was around for the punk icon's last meal, which was his mother's spaghetti bolognese. However, Only called it "British" spaghetti and found it unsatisfying. As he said, "I'm Italian, y’know? We made a red sauce, and his mom threw a bunch of big vegetables in. It was kinda thin, wet sauce…"
Cleopatra
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After the final queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty's dalliances with the Roman Empire's top leaders turned sour, and it was sure that the future Emperor Augustus (then Octavian) considered her a sworn enemy, Cleopatra decided she would face her end on her own terms.
According to San Jose State University, the reason why her last meal was so well-known was that it was her means of smuggling in the asp that claimed her life. She had requested a basket of figs but had secretly arranged for the snake to be slipped into the basket before she allowed it to bite her on the chest.
Saddam Hussein
Following the overthrow of his regime, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein faced execution. Before this took place, however, he was allowed the customary practice of a last meal. Curiously, reports on what he actually ate have varied wildly in the years since.
However, the most commonly reported last meal that Hussein supposedly ate was obtained by Mental Floss. According to them, he ate some boiled chicken with a side of rice. To drink, he had several cups of hot water with honey added to them.
Timothy McVeigh
McVeigh is infamous for planning and executing the nightmarish Oklahoma City explosion that claimed 168 lives in 1995. But according to Business Insider, his execution for this crime would occur in Indiana on June 11, 2001. He died by lethal injection.
As is customary, however, McVeigh was able to eat a last meal of his choosing on the night before the deed was done. He chose two pints of Ben & Jerry's mint chocolate chip ice cream and ate them in a windowless nine-foot by 14-foot holding cell.
John Wayne Gacy
A serial killer infamous for slaying 33 people, John Wayne Gacy, was executed by lethal injection in his home state of Illinois on May 10, 1994. He was 52 years old. Of course, he was able to request a last meal before this took place.
And from the sounds of things, he worked up quite the appetite. CBS News reported that he asked for 12 fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken, some French fries, and a pound of strawberries. Apparently, Gacy had managed three KFC restaurants before he was caught.
Ted Bundy
Bundy was one of the most infamous serial killers of all time and remained so long after he faced the consequences for his crimes in Florida. According to CBS News, his 35 murders saw him sentenced to death by electric chair. This took place on January 24, 1989, when Bundy was 42 years old.
The news outlet mentioned that Bundy declined to make any special requests for his last meal, which meant that he was served a traditional last meal of medium-rare steak, eggs over easy, hash browns, and toast with butter and jelly. His breakfast came with milk and orange juice.
Aileen Wuornos
Best known as the woman Charlize Theron won an Academy Award for portraying in the movie Monster, Wuornos was a Florida serial killer who claimed the lives of seven men between 1989 and 1990. Although 9 News described her last words as rambling and nonsensical, her request for her last meal was just as unusual.
Namely, her request seemed to indicate that she didn't want one at all. Instead, she simply asked for a cup of black coffee before her execution. It took place on October 9, 2002, and Wuornos was 46 years old at the time.