# Who were the Most Famous Suicides of the 20th Century?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 19, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364 "2008-09-19T20:43:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![unspun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b9bd4f/32.png) [@unspun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unspun)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364/61 "2008-09-23T19:17:19Z")

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The question needs to be refined a little.  
Most famous person prior to suicide? Hitler - he was going to be well-noted in history regardless of how he died  
Most famous or rather, sensational and well-covered suicide? Cobain  
Most missed? Turing

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**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364/62 "2008-09-23T19:29:51Z")

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> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#):
>
> Sid Vicious didn’t commit suicide. He died of a drug overdose.

The case of Nancy Spungen is debatable though. While someone else (most likely, though never definitively proven Sid) did stab her, many people - including Nancy’s own mother - are of the opinion that Nancy might have wanted Sid, even coaxed him into killing her. (Ref: [And I Don’t Want to Live This Life](http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Want-Live-This-Life/dp/0449911411/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222198032&sr=1-1) by Deborah Spungen.) Not strictly suicide, but complicite in her own murder.

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**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364/63 "2008-09-23T20:28:06Z")

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Upon looking into this, I find that Wendy O. Williams offed herself. I had no idea.

Cobain’s suicide no doubt affected many of his fans, but in terms of world-wide fame, I think it have to come in far behind Marilyn Monroe, Hitler, Jim Jones, and Carlos Allende, but probably ahead of Virginia Woolf.

Also, I must add: “I am just going outside and may be some time.”  
RR

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**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364/64 "2008-09-23T20:35:56Z")

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Considering the recent “turmoil” in the financial markets, it’s only fair to mention the Swedish “Matchstick-King” [Ivar Kreuger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivar_Kreuger#The_end_of_the_Kreuger_empire).

A very influential man in his days.

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**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-most-famous-suicides-of-the-20th-century/464364/65 "2008-09-23T20:56:41Z")

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Wait just a frinking minute! That’s not how Eva Braun died!

Trying to put one over on us, eh? 😃

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