If you wanna be a star, you've gotta keep 'em guessing — and some famous
figures didn't even let death stop them from pulling off one final surprise.
One of rock 'n' roll's most iconic figures, Jim Morrison was born on December 8th, 1943,
in Melbourne, Florida. A precocious child, he became deeply interested in literature, art, and
writing, and although he was a very intelligent young man, he rebelled against pretty much every
rule imposed on him. Morrison was eventually able to put his artistic passions and reckless attitude
to use after becoming the singer of the legendary rock band, the Doors, in 1965. The group became
staples on the Sunset Strip music scene and scored numerous hits throughout the rest of the decade.
Despite the fame the Doors achieved, Morrison was consumed by substance abuse, which took a heavy
toll on his mental and emotional health. In 1971, he took a break from the band and moved to Paris
to sort himself out. That year, however, Morrison was found dead in his apartment. He had suffered
heart failure, presumably caused by a drug overdose, though the exact details surrounding
his death are a little sketchy. One of the more curious aspects of Morrison's death is where he
was buried: the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. This centuries-old cemetery counts such notable
historical figures as Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde among its late "residents." At one
point, fans made an effort to move Morrison's remains back to his Florida hometown, but he
remains at Père Lachaise to this day — perhaps a fitting home for this rock 'n' roll poet.
Few actors epitomize the American Western better than John Wayne. Born in Iowa on May 26th, 1907,
Wayne and his family eventually moved to Glendale, California, which is where he
first got into acting. Wayne appeared as an extra in several silent films before getting the lead
role in 1930's The Big Trail. While his next few films were mostly ignored by the masses, it was
his turn in the acclaimed 1939 hit Stagecoach that really established his rugged qualities.
From then on, he became widely considered one of Hollywood's toughest screen icons.
"Somebody ought to belt you in the mouth. But I won't, I won't. The hell I won't!"
However, Wayne also proved himself more than capable of handling dramatic roles — such as
his turn in Sands of Iwo Jima, which won him his first Oscar nomination.
It's a little surprising, though, that one of the most recognizable
cultural figures of the 20th century would be laid to rest in such a quiet,
unassuming place. Wayne received a small service that was closed to the public,
with his remains buried in California's Pacific View Memorial Park. What makes his resting place
particularly odd is the fact that it remained unmarked for almost 20 years, with nothing more
than a shade tree to suggest where the star was buried. In 1998, a plaque featuring the actor's
image was placed over his grave, although it's still easy to miss if you're not looking closely.
Star Trek star James Doohan was born on March 3th, 1920, in Vancouver. In his youth,
he enlisted in the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, and notably took part in the storming
of Normandy on D-Day during WWII. Doohan was wounded during the war and sent back to Canada,
where he took up acting; he appeared in such shows as The Twilight Zone and Bewitched. However,
it was his role as chief engineer Montgomery Scott in Star Trek that really put Doohan on
the map. He later reprised the character in the show's six feature film sequels.
Doohan, it seems, was never meant to be kept on Earth. Whether it was serving as an unofficial
pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force or boldly going where no man has gone before,
it's only fitting that the actor would enjoy a sendoff every bit as airborne as the life
he lived. Following his death in 2005, a small amount of Doohan's ashes were secretly smuggled
onto the International Space Station. The actor's son had reached out to video game
entrepreneur Richard Garriott, who was scheduled to visit the ISS, in order to
fulfill his father's final wish. Garriott carried out the task in 2008, later telling the Times:
"As far as I know, no one has ever seen it there and no one has moved
[Doohan's ashes]. James Doohan got his resting place among the stars."
Comic legend John Belushi was taken far too soon. Born on January 24th, 1949, in Wheaton,
Illinois, Belushi displayed a knack for entertaining people at an early age. He
got his taste of theater by performing in several small local productions,
but it was his time in the Second City comedy troupe that saw his comic talents develop.
After attracting attention for his live comedy sketches, he was cast on Saturday Night Live in
1975 and quickly cemented his reputation as one of the great American rebels. He capitalized on
his success by starring in the classic comedy films, Animal House and The Blues Brothers.
"We're putting the band back together."
Unfortunately, Belushi spent his final years dealing with a troublesome drug habit,
which ultimately claimed his life on March 5th, 1982; he was only 33 years old. Belushi
was buried in an unmarked grave in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Again, the irony
of putting one of the most famous figures in a place of obscurity doesn't go unnoticed. However,
Belushi's relatively secretive resting place didn't stop fans from constantly visiting his
grave, disrupting nearby burial spots, and leaving behind beer bottles and other garbage. In fact,
the traffic to his grave was so bad that, in 1983, Belushi's surviving family decided
to have his remains relocated to a more isolated part of the cemetery.
As one of rock 'n' roll's most dynamic singers, David Bowie cultivated a
gigantic audience around the world for his unique voice, captivating stage presence,
and innovative musical style. He was born on January 8th, 1947, in Brixton, London,
and picked up music when he was still a child. Bowie played with several bands as a teenager,
but it was the release of his 1969 song "Space Oddity" that made him a household name. Part of
the reason why Bowie stayed so relevant for so long was his willingness to evolve new creative
avenues. From the outrageous glam rock stylings of his Ziggy Stardust days to his more refined New
Wave explorations in the 1980s, Bowie always kept his fans guessing about where he was going next.
Unfortunately, Bowie passed away on January 10th,
2016, at the age of 69. But as wild and extravagant as his life was,
Bowie wanted his burial to be a small, quiet affair. A source told the Mirror that:
"He would have wanted to just disappear with no fuss,
no big show, no fan-fare. This would totally be his style."
And so, the late singer was cremated, with his ashes spread in a Buddhist ritual in Bali,
without even his closest friends or family members present. It's a surprising way for
Bowie to have shuffled off this mortal coil — but then again, he always was full of surprises.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 60 years,
chances are that you've heard at least one song from the Beatles. And the band wouldn't
even exist were it not for the musical genius of John Lennon, who not only founded them,
but was also their co-lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. The Beatles conquered the
world throughout most of the 1960s with hit after hit. However, after marrying Yoko Ono,
Lennon began to drift from the band, ultimately leaving them in 1969 to embark on other projects.
Tragically, Lennon's life came to an end at the hands of a fan, Mark David Chapman, who shot
the iconic singer to death just outside of his New York City apartment on December 8th, 1980.
"Former Beatle John Lennon is dead. He was shot
a short time ago outside his Manhattan apartment building."
While Lennon was born in Liverpool, Ono chose not to return his remains to his
hometown and instead scattered his ashes in a garden in Central Park. The garden was
opened in 1985 and christened Strawberry Fields, after the beloved Beatles song,
which was itself based on the Salvation Army children's home in which Lennon played as a child.
Few voices are as instantly recognizable as Freddie Mercury's. As the singer of the
legendary rock band Queen, Mercury gave the world countless hits throughout the 1970s
and 1980s. His incredible range enabled the band to incorporate various genres
into their distinctive sound, including soulful blues, fist-pumping hard rock,
glossy pop, and even virtuosic opera. Besides his massive musical talent, Mercury's bombastic
stage presence made Queen one of the most entertaining acts around during their time.
"Basically, I just want to be happy and make a lot of money and buy a lot of things."
But all good things must come to an end, and Mercury passed away on November 24th, 1991,
from AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia. However, the location of his remains has
been a mystery to most of the world since his tragic death. Apparently, Mary Austin,
his close friend and ex-fiancé, is the only one who knows where his ashes are. She told
the Daily Mail that this was Mercury's final wish, as he was afraid that his grave would be
violated. After inviting his family to pay their last respects to the late singer, Austin absconded
with his ashes to bury them in a location that has yet to be discovered by anyone else.
Of course, folks like Freddie Mercury and John Lennon certainly weren't the first people to be
laid to rest in unexpected places. In fact, people have been doing it for centuries…
While specific details of his early past remain unknown, it's generally believed that Christopher
Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. He became married to the sea from a young
age when he began working on a merchant ship, though an attack by pirates during one voyage
left him lost in the ocean — until he landed in Portugal. While there, Columbus conceived
of the idea of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, a truly crazy notion at the time. He
eventually found support from Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, and, in 1492, Columbus
embarked on a series of important explorations of what would eventually become the Americas.
It seems that there's just no keeping a good sailor down. Even after Columbus died in 1506,
his remains kept traveling around the world. He was first buried in Valladolid, Spain,
before his son had him moved to a Seville monastery, where he remained until 1542.
It was then that his remains were taken to a then-new cathedral in Santo Domingo,
only for them to be moved again to Havana. After Cuba gained its independence in 1898,
Columbus' remains were sent back to Spain. Of course, much of this may be undermined by
the supposed evidence that it was Columbus' son's remains that were sent to Cuba, and that the real
Columbus remains are still somewhere in Santo Domingo — now known as the Dominican Republic.
Born on January 27th, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most
influential composers of all time. A natural talent, Mozart exhibited musical proficiency
at the age of three and was encouraged by his father Leopold to pursue a career in music.
Under Leopold's tutelage, little Mozart eventually became a virtuoso on the piano, organ, and viola,
and soon, a master composer. From operas to symphonies to string quartets to concertos,
there was almost no form in which Mozart could not innovate. Throughout his life,
he held numerous prominent music positions, including court composer,
concertmaster, instructor, and more. Though he enjoyed considerable success and fame,
Mozart's final years are typified by financial difficulties caused by a life of excess.
Health problems plagued Mozart until his death on December 5th,
1791. You'd think that being one of the most respected figures in Europe at the time
would warrant a grand sendoff. Unfortunately, Mozart was buried in an unmarked grave in the
St. Marx cemetery in Vienna. While it wasn't the pauper's plot that is widely purported,
it's still surprising that the great composer would be given a burial akin to that of any
other citizen at the time. He was given a formal memorial stone in 1859, but, because plots at
the time were regularly moved around, no one is actually certain where his remains now reside.