Famous Deaths Predicted Before They Happened

There's an old thought experiment that asks people about the prospect of their own demise. If you could know the when, where, and how of your death, would you want to? Would it change the way you lived your life on a daily basis? Would you do more good things, in an attempt to make your life more meaningful before facing the great hereafter, or would you, say, pick up skydiving or spelunking, knowing that's not how the end was going to come?

Obviously, it's not that simple. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given our morbid fascination with death, there have been predictions — intentional and unintentional — made on how and when famous people were going to die. And ultimately? Some of the predictions were pretty spot on. Of course, there's a million wrong ones for all the right ones, and as another old saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Still, it's pretty eerie to see any deaths predicted before they happen.

Sometimes, it was days: A not-so serious incident turned deadly, for instance. Other times, predictions have come years in advance. And sometimes, they're so specifically weird that, well, it just makes a person wonder.

Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican-born, London-educated civil rights activist who had the dubious honor of being among those targeted by J. Edgar Hoover for some good, old-fashioned spying. After serving some jail time, living in Switzerland to present his views on the necessity of a "separate but equal" organizational system for the world's races, and founding Jamaica's People's Political Party, History says he returned to London in 1935. He died five years later, at the young age of 52. Those closest to him had suggested that his death was ultimately caused because it was reported before it happened.

Face2Face Africa says that Garvey suffered a stroke in January 1940. He had been struggling with some health issues before that, but he was well enough to return home after his stroke. There, he was reportedly up, about, and in a decent way.

Until, that is, he opened a copy of the Chicago Defender — a highly regarded and respected publication founded by a Black attorney — to see the headline: "Marcus Garvey Dies in London." The article described him as dying "broke, alone, and unpopular," and those who knew him best — including his personal secretary — blamed the shock of seeing his own obituary printed as the cause of a second stroke and his death in June of 1940.

On March 5, 1994, the Los Angeles Times reported that not only had Kurt Cobain canceled some scheduled concerts in Germany because of an undisclosed illness, but that he had been admitted to a hospital in Italy. It was revealed that he was in a drug-induced coma stemming from the use of alcohol, sedatives, and painkillers; Nirvana manager Janet Billig said the drugs were a prescription given for "influenza and a throat condition," while the Italian media reported that he had also taken a rarely-prescribed sedative.

At the time, other reports started circulating in the U.S. media that claimed he had died, despite his mother's clarification that he had strong vital signs and was expected to make a full recovery. Just what had happened remained unclear, with many — including Courtney Love — believing that he had taken the potentially deadly combination with the intent to commit suicide. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Cobain's management company is among those who say otherwise, even as they admit that yes, he did leave what appeared to be a suicide note.

Just over a month later — on April 8, 1994 — Cobain's body was discovered in the room above his Seattle garage. Although his death at just 27 years old was widely reported as a result of suicide, Rolling Stone says that there have been continuing questions about whether or not it should have been ruled a homicide.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Lord Timothy Dexter — who, says Priceonomics, wasn't actually a lord, but just insisted that's what everyone called him. He was born in 1747, and was one of the most notorious eccentrics of his era. He was also a millionaire, thanks to a series of investments that never should have worked, but somehow did. That included exporting coal by ship from Connecticut all the way across the Atlantic to Newcastle ... a city known for — wait for it — their coal production. By one of the many flukes that would define his life, they just happened to be in the middle of a strike and actually needed coal — so, he made a fortune.

Along the way, he got a ton of hate from the wealthy, upper class that he wanted to be included in. He knew it, too, and came to the conclusion that he wanted to know what was going to be said about him when he died. So, he built a tomb, commissioned a coffin, and hired a handful of people to organize a fake funeral on the heels of his announcement of his own death. About 3,000 people showed up, and the whole thing was blown wide open when he was discovered caning his wife for not being sufficiently sad (via the New England Historical Society).

Dexter (who was mostly illiterate) lived long enough to write a book (which included all punctuation at the end, for the do-it-yourself reader), and died — for real — not long after, in 1806.

Zambia's third president, Levy Mwanawasa (via Britannica), became the Movement for Multiparty Democracy's presidential candidate on the heels of accusing the nation's government of things like going along with irresponsible and greedy policies. He was sworn into office in 2002, and despite constant attempts at making some serious political reform, he didn't get far, thanks to constant opposition.

In 2008, France 24 reported that he had been hospitalized in France after suffering a stroke — and they followed that up with confirmations that no, despite widespread reports, he wasn't dead. However, the reports were so adamant that he had died that they were picked up by other governments, who continued to spread the story that he had passed away. They were condemned as a move to discredit him and his work, and in July of that same year, Bloomberg was also reporting that representatives of Zambia's government were confirming that he was absolutely alive, and the person who had supposedly written the death notice didn't actually exist.

They assured everyone that he was still in the hospital as he was being treated for hypertension, but on August 19 — two months after his stroke — The Guardian reported that he had passed away, while still in France. Citing health concerns that had pre-dated his election to the presidency, the news outlet revealed that his health had taken a turn for the worse, and although he was rushed into emergency surgery, he passed away. 

Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame defensive back Orlando Thomas more than earned his spot among the Ragin' Cajuns' elite, with a slew of collegiate awards, a career with the Minnesota Vikings, and a trip to the Pro Bowl. During his rookie year as a Viking safety — 1995 — ESPN says that he led the NFL in interceptions — that's no small feat. Thomas retired surprisingly early, and after giving up football in 2001, he went back to school and graduated with the Class of 2006. Then, in 2007, he announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Two years later, the Associated Press reported that he had died from complications of the disease, at the age of 37. Only it wasn't true.

The Los Angeles Times said that the report had come from someone in Thomas's school, Louisiana Lafayette. They had told the Minnesota Vikings, who announced it through their official channels, before it was picked up by the AP. Within a few hours, alerts to stop the story had been sent out, apologies had been issued, and preparations for honoring him with a moment of silence before an upcoming game were abandoned by the Vikings, who said, "We are thankful that this report was inaccurate and he and his family continue to be in our thoughts."

Thomas did ultimately die from complications stemming from Lou Gehrig's, and his passing was confirmed by his agent in November of 2014.

When it comes to nostalgia, no decade does it quite like the 1950s. "Leave it to Beaver" captured everything that was great — and, for the most part, left out the questionable bits — of the decade, as Wally and Beaver Cleaver charmed their way through weekly adventures. Tom Dow was 12 years old when he was cast as older brother Wally, and in 2022, it was reported that he had died just a few months after being diagnosed with cancer (via NPR).

Only, he wasn't dead. What happened, reported the Independent, was that Dow's distraught wife (pictured with him) had indicated to his management team that he had died, and the news got out. Shortly after, Dow's son, Christopher, clarified that while he was still alive, he was in hospice care — and the end was nearing. Obituaries and announcements were retracted — briefly.

Dow actually died on July 27, 2022, the day after his passing was originally announced. According to The Washington Post, the cause was complications from liver cancer, and when his obituary ran again — for real, this time — he was lauded not only for his work as an actor and a producer, but also for his candid discussion of the challenges faced by child actors, the depression he struggled with for decades, and his work as a mental health advocate. He was quoted as often saying, "If Wally Cleaver can be depressed, anybody can be."