In recent history, many events have been documented and continue to live through photos that are taken. In this gallery, you will see many photos that were taken right before tragic events like deaths, accidents, and other tragedies. With events that are iconic to us and will go down in history, were nothing at the time that the photos were taken.
Steve Irwin, 2006
On September 4th, 2006, the famed and beloved Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray for what was meant to be the closing shot of a segment they were shooting for the show. This last photo was taken just hours before the accident.
Paul Walker, 2013
On November 30th, Fast and Furious franchise actor Paul Walker is pictured getting into the car that would end up crashing and engulfing the driver and Walker in flames. This photo was snapped just half an hour before the accident occurred.
Tupac Shakur, 1996
Tupac was known for his music, personality, and sense of style as he was climbing the charts. This is the last photo of him ever taken, moments before he was shot and killed, and to this day his killer is unidentified.
Heath Ledger, 2008
This is the last known photo of actor Heath Ledger, who died two days later from cardiac arrest in a hotel room. He struggled with drug addiction, which led to his death.
The Titanic, 1912
This photo was taken of the RMS Titanic and is the last known photo of the ship before the tragic accident it suffered during its maiden voyage. Irish Jesuit Priest Francis Browne sailed with the ship on the first leg of the voyage but had to depart when they were in Queenstown (Cobh) in Ireland. He took the photo as it sailed away, where three days later it would suffer massive damage after hitting an iceberg and sinking, losing 1,514 lives.
John F. Kennedy, 1963
This was one of the last photo’s taken of President John F. Kennedy before his assassination in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with his murder, yet, to this day, conspiracy theories continue to question this scenario.
Andrew McAuley, 2007
The Australian kayaker attempted to kayak 994 miles across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in February 2007 but was presumed lost at sea. Authorities recovered the kayak but not his body. They believe he got caught by a rogue wave which tore open the kayak that was specially designed to keep him safe and dry while he was asleep. A tape from the kayak was recovered, where McAuley detailed his voyage and regrets.
Freddy Mercury, 1991
This is the last known photo of the Queen singer, just days before he passed away due to AIDS complications. He was a respected singer and one-of-a-kind performer in the music community.
Amelia Earheart, 1937
The famous pilot was photographed in front of the plane that would carry her to her demise right before her voyage. Many believed her plane crashed and sunk after she ran out of fuel while searching for the island she was supposed to land on. Other conspiracies about her death have also been tossed around.
Korean Airlines Flight 007, 1983
This is the last photo of the Korean Airlines flight that took off from New York. When the plane was in Soviet airspace, it was shot down. Thirteen bodies were found within the next week but were too damaged to identify. In 1991, Russian authorities claimed that the rest of the bodies were eaten by crabs when they found the wreckage.
The ARA San Juan, 2017
The Argentinian submarine, the ARA San Juan, set off for its voyage in 2017. It was last seen in the San Jorge Gulf, where it was recorded that they experienced electrical problems. The San Juan was then considered missing for a while, until the Argentinian government concluded that the sub exploded, killing all on board.
The U.S.S. Maine, 1898
In the event that brought on the Spanish-American war, the American battleship, the U.S.S. Maine is seen here in utter despair. On February 15th, 1898, the ship was destroyed in Havana Harbor, with 260 crew members killed in the act, likely caused by a mine.
Flight 19, 1945
The crews of five Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers vanished over the Bermuda Triangle on December 5, 1945. Named the “Lost Squadron,†the crew lost radio connections with the Navy and were then deemed missing. A Martin PBM Mariner flying boat was sent to search for them, but also ended up disappearing. No one knows what happened to these missing men, even to this day.
Lee Harvey Oswald, 1963
Harvey Oswald because a household name after he shot and killed President John F. Kennedy in 1963. This photo was taken mere moments before Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby on November 24th.
Marilyn Monroe, 1962
This is the last known photo of the famed actress and model. The photo shoot was with photographer George Barris, taking place three weeks before she died.
Michael Hutchence, 1997
The lead singer of INXS is pictured here at his last band rehearsal, just a day before he was found dead. His death was ruled a suicide.
Akhmad Kadyrov, 2004
This photo was taken at a WWII memorial victory parade in 2004 in Chechnya in Russia. Moments after this photo, a bomb went off. Chechen Islamists detonated it during the parade, killing President Akhmad Kadyrov (center middle).
Chris Cornell, 2017
Cornell, who has had issues with drugs and depression, hanged himself while on tour with his hand. The vocalist of Soundgarden is pictured here at his very last performance, just two hours before he was found dead on his tour bus.
Uruguayan Flight 571, 1972
Flight 571 crashed into the Andes Mountains on October 13th, 1972. Out of the 45 passengers on board, 28 of them survived the initial crash. After 72 days on the glacier, sixteen people were rescued, having survived through cannibalism.
David Bowie, 2016
The famed rockstar was battling cancer at the time of his death. This is the last known photo of the singer, who is in good spirits and looking great. He died two days after his 69th birthday and release of his final album, Blackstar, where many songs were veiled about his illness and death.
Rosa Parks, 2005
This is the last known photo of famed civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who is known for not giving up her bus seat to a white man in 1955. She died in her Detroit apartment in 2005, at the age of 92.
Challenger Space Crew, 1986
The NASA crew is photographed here before moments their space shuttle blew up during take off. The event was televised, making the incident worldwide news and putting all of America in mourning.
Robin Williams, 2014
Abby Albers has the last known photo with Robin Williams before he committed suicide in 2014. She was a server at Dairy Queen near the rehab center where Robin Williams was receiving treatment.
George Harrison, 2001
Harrison, pictured with the remaining Beatles, died seventeen days after this photo was taken of the three of them in 2001. He was battling cancer.
Vicki Weaver, 1992
Vicki Weaver is shown in her yard the day that she was killed by the FBI and U.S. Marshals. Her fourteen-year-old son and family dog were also victims of what is known as the Ruby Ridge Siege, where Randy Weaver resisted authorities and failed to show up in court on weapons charges.
John Lennon, 1980
This photo of John Lennon captured him with Mark David Chapman, his soon-to-be murderer. Soon after the photo was taken of Lennon giving Chapman his autograph, Chapman fired five bullets into Lennon’s back at close range and killed the Beatle in front of Lennon’s apartment.
Adolf Hitler, 1945
Taken two days before Hitler’s death, this photo is believed to be the last known photo of the dictator. He is standing with his adjutant, Julius Schaub, in Berlin. Hitler shot himself in the head while his new wife, Eva Braun, consumed a cyanide capsule.
Gary Box, 2001
September 11th, 2001 is a day and event that no one can forget. Tons of news reports, videos, and images will forever memorialize this day, including this one of first-responder Gary Box. Box is seen running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel towards the carnage, where he would later lose his life.
Japan Air Flight 123, 1985
The flight collided with a mountain thirty minutes after this photo was taken. Out of the 509 passengers, only four survived. All crew members perished in the crash.
Anton Dostler, 1945
Dostler was the first Nazi general to be executed in WWII. He was convicted and sentenced to death after nearing the end of the war and was executed by Italy’s firing squad. This photo was captured just moments before he died.
Sharon Tate, 1969
In one of the most gruesome and high profile murders in Hollywood history, actress Sharon Tate was brutally murdered by the Manson Family the night that this photo was taken. Four other people in the house were also murdered by the cult.
Jimi Hendrix, 1970
Hendrix asphyxiated in London after taking a mixture of drugs, including sleeping tablets, a day after this photo was taken on September 17, 1970. The photo was taken by his girlfriend Monika Danneman in the garden behind her apartment.
Apollo 1 Crew, 1967
This photo was taken as the crew conducted a rehearsal test for the Apollo 1 space mission that would take them to the moon. A fire erupted in the cabin and all crew members on board died.
Aaliyah, 2001
The R&B singer and her friends were vacationing in the Bahamas when their return flight to the states crashed and everyone on board was killed.
Otto Von Bismarck, 1898
A huge political leader for Prussia and Germany, Otto Von Bismarck is pictured here on his deathbed in 1898. His health was failing as he was getting older, and he eventually succumbed at the age of 83.
William McKinley, 1901
President William McKinley was shot moments after this photo was taken on September 14th, 1901. The president survived the shooting but ended up dying due to later complications from the wound. His death was ruled an assassination, and Leon Czolgosz was tried for his death, found guilty, and put in the electric chair.
Stolen Caravaggio, 1968
The Nativity with St Francis and St Lawrence was stolen by the Mafia in 1969 but was never found again. A replica was painted in 2015 to replace it but was based on this tiny, 4×5 inch photograph from 1968.
The Burning Monk, 1963
In a process called self-immolation, the monk pictured is doing so to protest the Vietnam war. He went into a peaceful state before being lit on fire as others watched it take place. He warned everyone to not disrupt him, as it would be disrespectful to his protest.
Deaths of Kris Kremers & Lisanne Froon, 2014
Two Dutch students disappeared on April 1st, 2014 in Panama. Portions of their bodies were later found in the woods, but authorities could not say for sure what lead to their deaths. Foul play was not entirely ruled out, but Panama officials believe they fell while hiking.
Carrie Fisher, 2016
This photo of Carrie Fisher was taken by a fan in London the day before she boarded a flight to LA. On the flight, the Star Wars actress suffered a heart attack and passed away four days later.
Nicola Tesla, 1943
This is the last known image of Nicola Tesla, the famous inventor, physicist, and futurist. By the end of his life, he was poor and lonely, living on a diet of only milk, bread, honey, and vegetable juices. He died alone in. 1943 in the New Yorker Hotel.
Chester Bennington, 2017
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park took his own life in the summer of 2017. He was open about his struggles with depression and addiction, but those close to him were shocked by his suicide. He was just 41 years old at the time of his death.
Alan Rickman, 2016
Alan Rickman passed in January of 2016 from pancreatic cancer. In this last photo, he appeared to be doing well, but unfortunately the terminal cancer took his life.
Muhammad Ali, 2016
Hana, Muhammad Ali’s daughter, took this screenshot of her father during a Facetime call on May 22, 2016. Ali had been suffering from the effects Parkinson’s disease since 1984, but remained active in civic and political life until he was hospitalized on June 2, 2016, from a respiratory illness and passed the next day.
Anne Frank, 1945
This photo taken of Anne Frank in 1942 was one of the last captured of her alive. She died three years later in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March of 1945 when her family was discovered and arrested.
Christopher Mccandless, 1992
You might know Chris as face behind the book and film, Into the Wild. This photo was found in his undeveloped camera after he died of starvation in August of 1992 while traveling down an old mining road hoping to live off the land.
Steve Jobs, 2011
Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in October of 2011. His family was by his side when he passed and his last words were said to be “oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.”
James Dean, 1955
This photo of James Dean was taken on the day he died. He passed away suddenly when he crashed the Porsche (in the photo) swerving to get away from on oncoming vehicle. Curiously, when Dean introduced himself to British actor Alec Guinness during an encounter in Hollywood, he asked him to take a look at the car. Guinness thought the car appeared “sinister” and told Dean: “If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.” This happened on September 23, 1955, seven days before Dean’s death.
Amy Winehouse, 2011
This photo of Amy Winehouse was taken 11 days before she passed away from what the coroner believes was accidental alcohol poisoning. Her brother, Alex, revealed that the songstress also suffered from bulimia, which he believes left her weaker and more susceptible to health issues.
Michael Jackson, 2009
Two days before his death, Michael Jackson was photographed during his rehearsal for his upcoming sold out shows. The pop star went into cardiac arrest after a case of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his home in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009.
Leonard Cohen, 2016
This image of Leonard Cohen was taken at the launch party for his final album, “You Want It Darker,” on October 13th, 2016. On November 7th, he passed away in his sleep after battling cancer.
Anton Yelchin, 2016
Actor, Anton Yelchin, posted this selfie to instagram just three days before a freak accident occurred at his home. Yelchin’s Jeep rolled backwards down his driveway, trapping him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence. The Jeep crushed his lungs, and he is believed to have died within a minute of impact.
Bob Marley, 1981
Marley passed away on May 11th, 1981 from a rare form of melanoma, and this image was taken three months prior in Munich, Germany.
Candy Darling, 1974
This image was taken shortly before Candy Darling, the transgender actress, passed away from lymphoma. She was most well-known for her roles in Andy Warhol films.
Kurt Cobain, 1994
This photo of the famous Nirvana bandmate, was taken just at a band photo shoot just five months before Cobain took his own life at the age of 27 after struggling with addiction and substance abuse for a long time.
John Candy, 1994
This photo of John Candy was taken on the set for the film ‘Wagons East.’ Before wrapping production, Candy suffered a heart attack in his hotel room in Mexico.
Lucille Ball, 1989
Lucille Ball was photographed at the Academy Awards on March 29th, 1989. Less than one month after the awards show, she suffered an aortic rupture and died in her home in LA.
Whitney Houston, 2013
Two days before her death, which was ruled an accidental drowning, Whitney Houston was spotted leaving Tru Hollywood club. She passed away at the age of 48.
Jim Morrison, 1971
This photo of Jim Morrison and his girlfriend was taken in Paris just a few days before he passed on July 3, 1971. He was found in the bathtub and passed from heart failure relative to drug use.
Princess Diana, 1997
On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. This photo shows her car speeding away from the Ritz in Paris At around 12:20 a.m. Princess Diana is looking back at the pursuing paparazzi. Seconds after the picture was taken, the car went into the tunnel, where the driver lost control and crashed into a pillar.