You might remember Phil Hartman from SNL, The Simpsons, or NewsRadio. But his life was beset with heartbreak, and it ended with an unspeakable tragedy. Here's a look at the all-too-brief and incredibly tragic life of Phil Hartman.
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Apparently he was a pretty fair soldier, but as a domestic terrorist, he was lacking. Guy Fawkes, born in 1570 in York, England, didn't even start out Catholic -- but by the end of his tragic life, he would be sentenced to death as one.
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He was the King of Rock n' Roll in life, but his death was anything but distinguished. According to musical legend Leonard Bernstein, Elvis was the "greatest cultural force in the 20th century." But he died too young.
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Life hasn't been easy for Carlos Santana. In fact, it's been a long and bumpy road to legendary status for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.
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Today we refer to leprosy as Hansen's disease, named for the Norwegian physician who first identified the causative agent back in 1873. But the disease itself has been around for millennia -- with indications found in human remains dating back to around 2000 BCE.
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Frida Kahlo’s work is known for portraying both magical realism and suffering. And speaking of suffering, Kahlo had an incredibly hard life, and while she was a talented artist, she died a pretty tragic death.
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While King Henry VIII's infamous series of unhappy couplings often gets the lion's share of the spotlight, he wasn't the only Tudor who was getting into matrimonial trouble. His sister, Margaret Tudor, had quite the track record of her own when it came to scandal at the altar.
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Eartha Kitt was a phenomenal performer. But her career was full of ups and downs, and despite her fame, Kitt’s life was pretty tragic.
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Rudyard Kipling gave us classic stories like 'The Jungle Book,' but in World War I, the man suffered a devastating tragedy: the tragic death of his son, John.
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There's an epic poem about the Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, England's Poet Laureate. It's pretty thrilling, with lines like: Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do & die, / Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred.
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Eliot Ness was a Prohibition agent working in Chicago. In his 20s, handsome, and with a knack for providing good newspaper quotes, Ness led a team that really did put a crimp on the bootlegging business. Then things turned tragic.
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Pantera originated groove metal. Guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, bassist Rex Brown, and singer Phil Anselmo provided a soundtrack for the disaffected, and a loud one at that. This is the tragic real-life story of Pantera, one of metal's greatest bands.
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John Denver was an Air Force brat, named Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., the son of an extremely accomplished career pilot. Here's how he died.
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John Henry "Doc" Holliday. Even people who don't like westerns seem to like Tombstone, and even people who don't like Val Kilmer (which is hard to believe) seem to like the former Batman's portrayal of Doc Holliday. Here's how he spent his final, tragic days.
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Howard Hughes packed a lot into his life. To say Hughes was an ambitious eccentric is an understatement. Here's the tragic real-life story of Howard Hughes.
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Will Rogers was the man who famously observed that he never met a man he didn't like, giving rise in turn to innumerable jokes about how "Will Rogers never met my brother-in-law/fill in the blank." Here's the story of his tragic death.
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Since 2014, Hong Kongers have demonstrated for democracy. But the hunger for freedom isn't the only thing fueling the unrest. The plight of many citizens echoes the dismal conditions that stoked the 1967 riots. Back then, destitute citizens lived in shanties. Now they reside in "coffin cubicles."
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The Rolling Stones have been sowing the seeds of rock 'n' roll since 1962, and they're still at it. How can a band as wild and unpredictable as this conquer problem after problem and remain at the top of the rock 'n' roll heap in their 70s? Here's the tragic real-life story of the Rolling Stones.
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Morgan Seth Earp was a bonafide frontier man of mystery. A lot of his life is poorly documented, but the rumors and conjecture make him sound like a wild dude. But he's mostly remembered as Earp who died with the biggest bullet hole in his body. Here's the tragic truth of Morgan Earp's death.
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As you may have noticed, the 2010s have been particularly rough for celebrities when it came to staying alive, and chances are at least one famous face you used to look up to has suffered an untimely, tragic death. Let's take a look at the most tragic celebrity deaths of the past decade.
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The atlas moth is sort of the Andre the Giant of the moth community. It's a remarkable species with a wingspan that can reach nearly thirty centimeters, or large enough to make anyone shudder when imagining what it would feel like to have one crawl across their face. Here is its tragic life's tale.
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The DeBarges are a big family. The musical group's biggest success was the 1985 hit "Rhythm of the Night," but the personal lives of the DeBarges have been defined by discord. Between their struggles with addiction, crime, and drama, the DeBarges have lived tragic lives.
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T.E. Lawrence was dubbed "Lawrence of Arabia" by the press following his time fighting in the Middle East. But the Lawrence of Arabia the public knows -- larger than life, braver than brave, without fault -- is only a small part of the story. This is the tragic real-life story of Lawrence of Arabia.
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Christopher Dennis was the famous Hollywood Boulevard Superman for 25 years. But Dennis' life wasn't all flowing capes and amiable photos with admiring tourists. It was filled with sad events that culminated in his untimely death. Here's the tragic real-life story of Hollywood Boulevard Superman.
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Karen Carpenter, one half of the brother-sister duo The Carpenters, and the velvet voice behind hits like "Close to You" and "Top of the World," enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in the 1970s only to literally disappear before her fans' very eyes. This is the tragic real-life story of Karen Carpenter.
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Mount Everest is one of the world's most alluring places. As the highest point on Planet Earth, it's one of the few destinations people will happily risk their lives to get to. Sometimes when the mountain's victims die in highly visible places they become landmarks. Such is the case of Green Boots.
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Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil couldn't have known what was in store for him when he started with Motley Crue in 1981, but he's certainly done his part to promote rock star living. Vince Neil's life story is one of drugs and alcohol affecting everything else. Here's Vince Neil's real-life story.
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