From Kennedy to Churchill, the last words spoken by famous politicians before they died

2023-04-19 07:42:00, Blog CNA

From Kennedy to Churchill, the last words spoken by famous politicians before

Illustrative photo

There is something powerful about the last words a man speaks before he dies. Sadly, death is chaotic and painful, so even famous politicians haven't necessarily said the most profound and meaningful last words that could fit them.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, the victorious general of the Civil War and president of the United States, was a great lover of cigars. After leaving the White House, Grant had 20 cigars lined up on his desk every morning, and by the end of the day, he would smoke them all. This for 2 decades, so it's not at all surprising that he was affected. from throat cancer.

The disease caused him a long agony. As Grant himself wrote in a letter: “...nothing gives me so much pain as swallowing water. It looks like molten lead going down my throat." Moments before his death in 1885, Grant said just one word to his wife: "Water!".

Michael Collins

Collins was the leader of the Irish independence movement. But in 1921, he made the controversial decision to sign a treaty with the British, which not all Irish people agreed with. On August 24, 1922, Collins was traveling in a motorcade protected by several bodyguards. She was ambushed by about 200 Irish nationalists. Collins was seriously wounded in the head. Before he died, he reportedly said: “Forgive them. Bury me in Glasnevin with the boys."

Indira Gandhi

On October 30, 1984, India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared to a crowd of supporters: “I don't care about a long life. I am not afraid of death. I don't mind if my life is sacrificed in the service of this nation. If I die today, every drop of my blood will revive the nation."

This statement caused a stir only for a few hours. The next morning, Gandhi was assassinated by 2 of her bodyguards from the ethnic Sikh community. On October 31, Gandhi went to her office in the morning, greeted her two bodyguards saying "Namaste!". In response, they drew their guns and shot him dead. They were unhappy with Gandhi's oppressive policies towards their particular community and religion.

John F. Kennedy

The assassination of the American president took place in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. The official version is that the author of the event was Lee Harvey Oswald. He was arrested within minutes, but was killed 2 days later by Jack Ruby while being transported to court for security.

This act fueled many conspiracy theories. But what were the last words of the president? Jackie Kennedy, his widow, testified before the Warren Commission of Inquiry that seconds before the shooting, the Texas governor's wife, who was in the limousine with them, said to President Kennedy, “You certainly can't say that the citizens of Dallas don't know They welcome you.... Asked how the president answered, Jacki said: "He answered: "No, of course not".

Hugo Chavez

The death of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez on March 5, 2013, came after a long illness. Two years ago, he had announced on television that he had undergone surgery for a type of pelvic cancer, without giving further details. After that, he underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries as the cancer kept coming back.

General Jose Ornela was with Chavez when he died. Despite his battle with cancer, it was a heart attack that would be the dictator's official cause of death. The day before, Chavez fell into a coma, but before that, he managed to say his last words: "I don't want to die, don't let me die!".

Winston Churchill

During his remarkable life, Winston Churchill spent 6 decades in the British Parliament, wrote dozens of books, won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and played an essential role in winning World War II. In a 1965 article, the London Evening Standard newspaper reported that despite being in a coma for most of the 2 weeks before he died of a stroke, Churchill had a moment of lucidity, without his son-in-law. his by the bed and said: "I'm bored with everything!". Churchill died 9 days after speaking what are believed to be his last words on January 24, 1965, at the age of 90./ Adapted from CNA.al