- 6 days ago
From mysterious assassinations to shocking tragedies, these infamous deaths changed history forever. Join us as we explore the most notorious deaths that shook the world in the 20th century. From political figures to cultural icons, these passings sparked conspiracy theories, global mourning, and seismic cultural shifts that continue to fascinate us decades later.
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00:00A sniper's bullet cut down Dr. King as he stood on a hotel balcony in Memphis.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 10 deaths throughout the 20th century that
00:10caused an enormous cultural uproar. That was followed again a couple of minutes later by a
00:15doctor, again an unnamed doctor, confirming that Princess Diana was dead. Grigori Rasputin.
00:22Go ahead, Rasputin. Take it. I dare you.
00:27Considering the mythical status of Rasputin, it's hard to imagine that he died in the 20th
00:33century. Accounts of Rasputin's death have become, shall we say, highly sensationalized throughout
00:39the years. But basically, Rasputin was becoming a problem for Russian nobles, so he was assassinated
00:46on December 30th, 1916, supposedly by being poisoned, shot, beaten, and thrown into the river.
00:53What are you laughing at? You! You're full of poison, you fool. Don't you believe me? Look at
00:58your eyes. They're like red jelly. Didn't you eat too many cakes, holy father? They were loaded with
01:05poison, and now you stuffed them down, you swine. However, the truth of what happened has long been
01:10shrouded in mystery and conflicting reports, and the sheer theatricality of what allegedly occurred
01:17reads like a gothic horror story of a supernatural man who just wouldn't die. This myth-making has
01:23permeated pop culture, and his death serves as a chilling symbol of the chaos and eventual decline
01:29of Imperial Russia.
01:30Master? You're alive?
01:33Yeah! You're a man out of speaking!
01:36Whoa! Death fell right out there, sir.
01:39Charles Lindbergh Jr.
01:41What is it?
01:42Charles Lindbergh, Lindbergh's baby's been kidnapped.
01:49You've got to find him, Edgar. He has to be brought home alive.
01:55The Lindbergh kidnapping was called the biggest story since the resurrection, which isn't too
02:00much of a stretch. One of the most infamous crimes of the century, 20-month-old Charles
02:06Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped from his crib on the night of March 1, 1932. The resulting story was
02:12enormous. The parents were famous, the kidnapping itself was sensational, and the frenzied reaction
02:19from the media and police was unprecedented, being a major focus of the FBI.
02:24How did he get up there? Are there marks on the window and wall as well?
02:27There was a ladder. We found it 100 yards away, three pieces. We moved it inside.
02:32You moved it?
02:33Yes, for safekeeping.
02:34Well, congratulations, Mr. Schwarzkopf. You have completely contaminated the crime scene. Now,
02:39if you will, get your boots off this property. Thank you.
02:41And what-
02:41Unfortunately, Lindbergh did not make it. His body was eventually found,
02:46and evidence showed that he had likely been killed shortly after the abduction.
02:51German carpenter Bruno Hauptmann was found guilty of his murder,
02:55although many people believe that he was merely a scapegoat.
02:58According to the law of this state, I rule that Mr. Bruno Hauptmann suffered death at the time and
03:07place and in the manner provided by law.
03:11Marilyn Monroe.
03:12Your ticket, ma'am, for your return to LA this evening?
03:18This evening?
03:20But-
03:20The president's plans have changed, ma'am.
03:22So your plans have changed?
03:24The death of Marilyn Monroe is one of the most infamous in American pop culture,
03:28not just because of her status, but because of the mystery that surrounds it.
03:32Monroe was found dead on August 5th, 1962,
03:36with the official cause of death being acute barbiturate poisoning,
03:40likely the result of Monroe taking her own life.
03:43I need this.
03:44My God.
03:46Have it.
03:50You all right?
03:51But this didn't stop the conspiracy theories,
03:54like the idea that the Kennedys had her murdered to cover up a political scandal.
03:58There were also a number of inconsistencies in the investigation,
04:02like conflicting witness statements that created suspicion.
04:05Either way, the questions surrounding her death and the fascinating intersection of celebrity,
04:11exploitation, and mental health struggles have kept public fascination alive for more than 60 years.
04:17Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn.
04:27Malcolm X
04:28Apparently, two men approached the speaker's rostrum and
04:33discharged shots at him from apparently very close range.
04:38Born Malcolm Little, this revolutionary had a troubled childhood and eventually served time in prison,
04:43where he joined the Nation of Islam and adopted the moniker Malcolm X.
04:48However, he later grew disillusioned with the nation and had a very public and very bitter
04:53falling out with the group, leading to his assassination on February 21st, 1965.
04:58His death marked the loss of a major voice for black empowerment, but it also served as a tragic
05:11case of intra-black political violence during a tumultuous time when unity was absolutely vital.
05:17Many have also long suspected that the FBI and NYPD played some role by either allowing or even
05:24orchestrating the murder, lending a strong degree of enduring conspiracy to the story.
05:29He was a powerful, galvanizing figure for many, and he posed a threat
05:34to the status quo in such a way that, you know, people felt he had to be eliminated.
05:39John Lennon.
05:40Good evening. The death of a man who sang and played the guitar overshadows the news
05:45from Poland around in Washington tonight. Former Beatle John Lennon, who was 40,
05:50was shot and killed last night outside his luxury apartment in New York.
05:54The death of this ex-Beatle was always going to be a big deal,
05:57but the manner in which it happened was something no one could have predicted.
06:01On the night of December 8th, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman,
06:06a previous fan of the Beatles.
06:08Good morning, everyone. I'm Tom Brokaw. This is today, December 9th. I'm here with Jane Pauley,
06:13and this entire half hour will be devoted to the murder of John Lennon.
06:17The public response was profound, with candlelight vigils erupting around the world,
06:22and sales of Lennon's music soaring. The media also devoted extensive coverage to Lennon's death,
06:28his life, and his legacy. It is now remembered as one of the defining tragedies of the century,
06:34the end of an era. It wasn't just the loss of a cultural icon, but the loss of a major voice for
06:39peace, creativity, and countercultural values.
06:43At the hospital where Lennon was taken, young people prayed.
06:46If he's not dead, John Lennon can't be dead.
06:51Martin Luther King Jr.
06:53Good evening. Dr. Martin Luther King, the apostle of nonviolence in the civil rights movement,
06:59has been shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee.
07:01Just three years after the death of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed while
07:06visiting Memphis, sparking chaos in over 100 American cities as frustrations and grief boiled
07:13over. But in many places, the response was more peaceful, with vigils and marches being held to
07:19honor King's legacy. His assassination would have been a huge deal on its own, but the story has
07:36also endured with the help of some tantalizing mystery. King was a famous target of the FBI,
07:41and many still believe that they were somehow involved in his assassination. This is exacerbated
07:46by the cultural doubt regarding James Earl Ray, who many believe was the scapegoat for a much
07:51larger political conspiracy, including members of the King family.
07:56But you know, the assassination of Dr. King, like the assassination of President Kennedy,
08:01is something that people will always want to, do we know everything, you know?
08:06Is it just a simple cut and dried case, or was there some kind of larger conspiracy behind it?
08:12The Manson Family Victims.
08:14In a scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird religious rite,
08:18five persons, including actress Sharon Tate, were found dead at the home of Ms. Tate and her husband,
08:23screen director Roman Polianz.
08:25While actress Sharon Tate is often regarded as the public face of the infamous Manson Family killings,
08:31it's important to note that seven people lost their lives in the senseless violence of August 1969.
08:37The brutal savagery of the murders sparked immediate, if morbid fascination,
08:42with Tate's story in particular containing a horrific twist that disgusted the public.
08:53But that certainly isn't the only reason that the crime has endured.
08:56The Manson Family comes across as terrifying and almost otherworldly. The crimes have a strong
09:02connection to classic Hollywood, and they took place at the very end of the 1960s, effectively
09:07killing the hippie movement by showcasing the dark underbelly of the counterculture.
09:12Sent out from the fires of hell at Spahn Ranch. Three heartless, bloodthirsty robots.
09:19Princess Diana. We have reports from Paris that Diana, Princess of Wales, has been killed in a car accident.
09:27And that her partner, Dodie Fired, has also been killed. They were apparently being pursued by
09:34paparazzi on two motorcycles. The 36-year-old People's Princess was just entering a new,
09:40post-royal period of her life when she was killed in a car crash on August 31, 1997.
09:46The sudden and shocking circumstances of her death resulted in what could be the biggest
09:51outpouring of grief in the 20th century. The reaction was unprecedented, with millions
09:56attending her London funeral, and an estimated 2.5 billion people watching on live TV. Over 40%
10:03of the entire world's population at the time. And they're gathering now at the entrance.
10:12This is an extraordinary view we're seeing here. We've never, as far as I'm aware, seen the royal
10:18family standing like this at the gates of Buckingham Palace. Her death has long remained in the public
10:23consciousness, not only for the extraordinary reaction that it caused, but for feeding public
10:29distrust in the royal family. Giving rise to countless conspiracy theories and launching new
10:34conversations regarding media intrusion and personal privacy. At the funeral, the queen was very
10:40dignified and she bowed her head when Diana's coffin went past.
10:45And it was spectacularly done.
10:54John F. Kennedy
10:55The car breaks. The six and fatal shot. Frame 313 takes Kennedy in the head from the front.
11:03Presidential assassinations are notorious by their very natures, but there's many special aspects
11:08about the JFK assassination that have made it a cultural touchstone unlike any other. For one thing,
11:14JFK was a widely loved president, which added a further degree of tragedy to the proceedings.
11:20But of course, what has made his death so notorious is the mystery behind it.
11:25How significant is this new account if it is in fact true?
11:30Well, it is the biggest news since 1964 when the Warren Commission issued its report.
11:36The JFK assassination has possibly spawned more conspiracy theories than any other event in
11:41the 20th century, with 65 percent of Americans believing that Lee Harvey Oswald was not solely
11:47responsible, according to Gallup. The lore behind this event is also incredible and seemingly unending,
11:54including secret CIA schemes, the mafia, Zapruder films, grassy knolls, babushka ladies,
12:01umbrella men, and magic bullets. Based on those findings, Stoll says you have to look at a new
12:07hypothesis that there was a second bullet. The question? From where?
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12:27Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Sure. Most would say World War I started with a gunshot.
12:35It's extremely hard to believe that World War I occurred as recently as the 20th century,
12:39but it did. And it was all sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
12:45heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. Ferdinand was assassinated on June 28th, 1914,
12:52for political reasons tied to nationalist tensions in the Balkans.
12:56Princip can't believe his luck. He has an opportunity to finish out what he started earlier that day.
13:07He and his wife were riding through Sarajevo, when they were both shot at close range by a
13:12revolutionary named Gavrilo Princip. His shocking assassination sparked an enormous response around
13:18the world, not to mention a chain reaction that eventually culminated in the outbreak of World War I.
13:24It's no exaggeration to say that the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand altered the very
13:29course of human history. In turn, Great Britain declares war on Germany. Austria-Hungary then declares
13:34war on Russia, Serbia declares war on Germany, and France and Great Britain declare war on Austria-Hungary.
13:38What is your opinion on these deaths? Let us know in the comments!
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