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A premature obituary occurs when someone's death is reported while they are still alive. Such situations have various causes, such as hoaxes or mix-ups over names, and usually produce great embarrassment or sometimes more dramatic consequences. Examples range from arms manufacturer Alfred Nobel, whose premature obituary condemning him as a 'merchant of death' may have caused him to create the Nobel Prize[1], to black nationalist Marcus Garvey, whose actual death was apparently caused by reading his own obituary.[2]

This article lists the recipients of incorrect death reports (not just formal obituaries) from publications, media organisations, official bodies, and widely-used information sources such as Internet Movie Database; but not mere rumours of deaths. People who were presumed (though not categorically declared) to be dead, and joke death reports that were widely believed, are also included.

edit] Causes

Each premature obituary listed below has one of the following causes (where the cause is known):

Brush with death : when the subject unexpectedly survives a serious illness or accident which made them appear to be dead or certain to die.

: when the subject unexpectedly survives a serious illness or accident which made them appear to be dead or certain to die. Name confusion : where someone with an identical or similar name has died. Usually the subject of the obituary is famous, and the real victim is not.

: where someone with an identical or similar name has died. Usually the subject of the obituary is famous, and the real victim is not. Prank : though the prankster is usually unknown, it is often either a radio DJ (who is typically fired as a result), or the subject of the obituary himself.

: though the prankster is usually unknown, it is often either a radio DJ (who is typically fired as a result), or the subject of the obituary himself. Pseudocide : when the subject fakes his own death in order to evade legal, financial or marital difficulties and start a new life. This usually involves a fake drowning, as it provides a plausible reason why no body was found.

: when the subject fakes his own death in order to evade legal, financial or marital difficulties and start a new life. This usually involves a fake drowning, as it provides a plausible reason why no body was found. Pressing the wrong button : accidental release of a pre-written obituary, usually on a news web site, as a result of technical or human error. The most egregious example was when, in 2003, CNN accidentally released draft obituaries for no fewer than seven major world figures.

: accidental release of a pre-written obituary, usually on a news web site, as a result of technical or human error. The most egregious example was when, in 2003, CNN accidentally released draft obituaries for no fewer than seven major world figures. Impostor : when an ordinary person who for years has passed himself off to family and friends as a retired minor celebrity dies, it can prompt an erroneous obituary for the real (but still-living) celebrity.

: when an ordinary person who for years has passed himself off to family and friends as a retired minor celebrity dies, it can prompt an erroneous obituary for the real (but still-living) celebrity. Missing in action : soldiers who go missing in war are sometimes incorrectly declared dead if no body is found. In particular, a number of Japanese soldiers thought to have died in World War II in fact survived - typically hiding in remote jungle for years or even decades, believing that the war had not ended.

: soldiers who go missing in war are sometimes incorrectly declared dead if no body is found. In particular, a number of Japanese soldiers thought to have died in World War II in fact survived - typically hiding in remote jungle for years or even decades, believing that the war had not ended. Misidentified body : when a corpse (often from a road crash) is misidentified as someone else who was involved in the same incident or who happened to go missing at the same time.

: when a corpse (often from a road crash) is misidentified as someone else who was involved in the same incident or who happened to go missing at the same time. Land theft victims : many people from Uttar Pradesh, India have been registered dead by officials who are bribed by relatives who want to steal the victim's land. The ensuing legal disputes often continue for many years, with victims growing elderly and sometimes dying in reality before they are resolved. (See Association of the Dead).

: many people from Uttar Pradesh, India have been registered dead by officials who are bribed by relatives who want to steal the victim's land. The ensuing legal disputes often continue for many years, with victims growing elderly and sometimes dying in reality before they are resolved. (See Association of the Dead). Misunderstandings: such as when a Sky News employee thought that an internal rehearsal for the future death of the Queen Mother was for real.

edit] Multiple recipients

Celebrities sometimes receive obituaries from more than one media outlet arising from the same error. On two separate occasions pre-written obituaries of entertainer Bob Hope were accidentally released on news web sites. Pope John Paul II is the only known recipient of three separate death reports.

Though writer Mark Twain was twice feared dead by newspapers, on only one of these occasions did they report that he might be dead.

There are unverified reports that actor Abe Vigoda received a second premature obituary (when he was referred to as 'the late Abe Vigoda' on television); he says there was a widespread belief throughout the 1980s that he was dead, which cost him work.

Humphrey the Downing Street cat was twice feared dead by politicians and the media: once when he went missing for three months, and a second time following allegations that he had been killed by Cherie Blair.

Cricketer Frederick Fane and his father each independently received a premature obituary.

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Fidel Castro, inaccurately described by CNN as 'lifeguard, athlete, movie star'

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Marjorie Elphinstone : this 17th-century resident of Ardtannies, Scotland was buried (having presumably been declared dead). But she revived and let out a groan when robbers tried to steal jewellery from her grave. They fled, and she walked home. [33]

: this 17th-century resident of Ardtannies, Scotland was buried (having presumably been declared dead). But she revived and let out a groan when robbers tried to steal jewellery from her grave. They fled, and she walked home. Marjorie Halcrow Erskine : having presumably been declared dead, this resident of Chirnside, Scotland was buried in 1674 in a shallow grave by a sexton, who returned later to steal her jewellery. When he tried to cut off her finger to remove a ring, she awoke. [33]

: having presumably been declared dead, this resident of Chirnside, Scotland was buried in 1674 in a shallow grave by a sexton, who returned later to steal her jewellery. When he tried to cut off her finger to remove a ring, she awoke. David Ervine: the Northern Irish politician suffered a heart attack and brain haemorrhage on January 7 2007. The RTÉ News at 9pm led with the news that he had died, correcting the error later in the bulletin. RTÉ's web site also reported him dead. Ervine died the following afternoon.[51]

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S. Gandaruban: this Sri Lankan man living in Singapore faked his own death in 1987 and fled the country to escape creditors after his car rental business collapsed. He then arranged for a fake death certificate stating that he had been shot dead in crossfire. His brother and wife were convicted of their involvement. In 2007 he was charged with conspiring to claim extensive life insurance arising from the fake death.[60]

Marcus Garvey - died after reading his own obituary

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In 1998 his obituary appeared on the Associated Press web site, leading to the announcement of his death in the United States House of Representatives, broadcast live on C-SPAN.[79] In the 2003 CNN.com incident. Hope's draft obituary, which had used the Queen Mother's as a template, described him as 'Queen Consort' and the 'UK's favorite grandmother'. In fact Hope died just three months later.

In September 1995 a government press spokesman announced that Humphrey was presumed dead, as he had been missing since June. After the ensuing publicity, he was found to be alive and residing in the nearby Royal Army Medical College where he had been taken in as a stray. A statement was issued quoting Humphrey as saying: "I have had a wonderful holiday at the Royal Army Medical College, but it is nice to be back and I am looking forward to the new parliamentary session."[81] In November 1997, there were media allegations that Cherie Blair disliked the cat so much that she had had him killed; the government claimed he had merely gone into retirement away from the public spotlight. In Parliament, Alan Clark MP demanded that the government prove Humphrey was still alive. As a result, the government released photographs of Humphrey posing with the day's newspapers as proof.[82]

William Hung: in 2004, a satirical news report on the Broken Newz web site claiming that the American Idol contestant had died of a heroin overdose was widely believed, forcing Hung to issue a denial.[83]

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Mackayala Jespersen : this 20-month-old Californian girl who had apparently drowned in a swimming pool in 2003 revived 39 minutes after being pronounced dead by doctors at Anaheim Memorial Hospital. [84]

: this 20-month-old Californian girl who had apparently drowned in a swimming pool in 2003 revived 39 minutes after being pronounced dead by doctors at Anaheim Memorial Hospital. Pope John Paul II is the only known triple recipient:

Immediately after the 1981 attempt on his life, despite heightened caution due to CBS's embarrassing premature obituary of James Brady only weeks earlier, CNN implied the Pope had died by repeatedly referring to him in the past tense.[85] In 2003, by CNN again, this time in the CNN.com incident. The draft obituary, which had used the Queen Mother's as a template, noted the Pope's 'love of racing'. On the eve of his actual death on April 1, 2005, Fox News claimed he had died after it received incorrect reports from the Italian media that his ECG had gone flat.[86]

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Paul McCartney is one of several reported dead by radio DJs

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Jayaprakash Narayan : the politician's death was erroneously announced by India's prime minister in 1979, causing a brief wave of national mourning, including the suspension of parliament and regular radio broadcasting, and closure of schools and shops. The mistake arose when the director of the Intelligence Bureau saw a body looking like Narayan being carried from hospital. [117]

: the politician's death was erroneously announced by India's prime minister in 1979, causing a brief wave of national mourning, including the suspension of parliament and regular radio broadcasting, and closure of schools and shops. The mistake arose when the director of the Intelligence Bureau saw a body looking like Narayan being carried from hospital. Alfred Nobel (arms manufacturer and founder of the Nobel Prize): in 1888, the death of his brother Ludvig caused several newspapers to publish obituaries of Alfred in error. A French obituary stated Le marchand de la mort est mort ("The merchant of death is dead") and that Nobel "became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before". [1] It is sometimes said that Nobel's unhappiness with the obituaries prompted his founding of the Nobel Prize in order to improve his posthumous legacy, though it is not clear whether this is true. (Incidentally, several Nobel Prize winners have also received premature obituaries, including Bertrand Russell, Nelson Mandela and Harold Pinter.)

(arms manufacturer and founder of the Nobel Prize): in 1888, the death of his brother Ludvig caused several newspapers to publish obituaries of Alfred in error. A French obituary stated ("The merchant of death is dead") and that Nobel "became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before". It is sometimes said that Nobel's unhappiness with the obituaries prompted his founding of the Nobel Prize in order to improve his posthumous legacy, though it is not clear whether this is true. (Incidentally, several Nobel Prize winners have also received premature obituaries, including Bertrand Russell, Nelson Mandela and Harold Pinter.) Joseph Norton: the death of the 89-year-old University at Albany professor emeritus was incorrectly reported in the Summer 2007 edition of the university's alumni magazine. When asked whether he knew anyone who wanted him dead, Norton replied, "I haven't any idea. There might well be. I've been rather active in the gay world, which not everybody approves of."[118][119]

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Maureen O'Hara : the film actress was listed as dead on the Internet Movie Database in 1998, apparently due to confusion with Maureen O'Sullivan. [120]

: the film actress was listed as dead on the Internet Movie Database in 1998, apparently due to confusion with Maureen O'Sullivan. Hiroo Onoda : this Japanese soldier survived for decades in the Philippines jungle, believing that World War II had not ended. Onoda, with three other soldiers who accompanied him for some years, continued to fight the war, killing many local Filipinos. Though numerous attempts were made ( e.g. , by leaving leaflets) to persuade them that the war was over, every such effort was regarded as an enemy trick. Onoda - who was officially declared dead in 1959 - only gave himself up in 1974 when his commanding officer, who had long since retired from the military and become a bookseller, was sent to the island to order Onoda to surrender. He returned to Japan a national hero, and wrote a book No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War . [121]

: this Japanese soldier survived for decades in the Philippines jungle, believing that World War II had not ended. Onoda, with three other soldiers who accompanied him for some years, continued to fight the war, killing many local Filipinos. Though numerous attempts were made ( , by leaving leaflets) to persuade them that the war was over, every such effort was regarded as an enemy trick. Onoda - who was officially declared dead in 1959 - only gave himself up in 1974 when his commanding officer, who had long since retired from the military and become a bookseller, was sent to the island to order Onoda to surrender. He returned to Japan a national hero, and wrote a book . Oran , a sixth-century monk on Iona: having presumably been declared dead, he was buried, but was dug up again the following day and found to be alive. He is said to have subsequently been re-buried for heresy when he claimed that after his first burial he had seen heaven and hell. [33]

, a sixth-century monk on Iona: having presumably been declared dead, he was buried, but was dug up again the following day and found to be alive. He is said to have subsequently been re-buried for heresy when he claimed that after his first burial he had seen heaven and hell. Sharon Osbourne: in October 2004, a draft obituary of rock star Ozzy Osbourne's wife was accidentally published on the ABC News web site due to a technical error.[122]

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's death was erroneously announced in the Australian media in 1993 after a London-based Sky News employee saw an internal rehearsal for her future death (one of many conducted by the UK media over the years). Thinking it was for real, he phoned his mother in Australia with the 'news', who passed it on to the media.[133] The time zone difference may have made it difficult for the Australian media to check the story during UK night-time. The employee was sacked for the mistake, but then won a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal. (Fragments of the Queen Mother's life history also appeared in several other world figures' premature obituaries in the CNN.com incident.)

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Mark Twain: "The report of my death is an exaggeration"

In 1897 a journalist was sent to enquire after Twain's health, thinking he was near to death; in fact it was his cousin who was very ill. Though (contrary to popular belief) no obituary was published, Twain recounted the event in the New York Journal of June 2, 1897, including his famous words "The report of my death is an exaggeration" (which is usually misquoted, e.g. as "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated", or "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated").[162][163][164] On May 4, 1907, when people lost track of a yacht he was travelling on, the New York Times published an article saying he might have been lost at sea.[165] In fact, the yacht had been held up by fog, and Twain had disembarked. Twain read the article, and cleared up the story by writing a humorous account in the New York Times the following day.[166][167]

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Ishinosuke Uwano: in April 2006 this Japanese soldier, missing since World War II, was found to be living in Ukraine aged 83, where he had married and had a family. He had been officially declared dead in 2000. At the end of the war he had remained in the Soviet Union for unknown reasons; he said the Soviet government subsequently prevented him contacting his Japanese relatives. Following his discovery he visited Japan for the first time in over 60 years; he could remember little of Japan and had even largely forgotten how to speak Japanese. [168]

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Paul Vance , composer of the song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", was reported dead in September 2006 by Associated Press, followed by the rest of the media. The reports even caused racehorses owned by Vance to be scratched from races. In fact the dead man was a former salesman and painting contractor called Paul Van Valkenburgh, who had told his wife he had written the song many years earlier under the stage name Paul Vance. The impostor's widow maintained that she wasn't certain whether it was Vance or her husband who had really written the song, though she would not pursue Vance for her husband's royalties. [169] [170]

, composer of the song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", was reported dead in September 2006 by Associated Press, followed by the rest of the media. The reports even caused racehorses owned by Vance to be scratched from races. In fact the dead man was a former salesman and painting contractor called Paul Van Valkenburgh, who had told his wife he had written the song many years earlier under the stage name Paul Vance. The impostor's widow maintained that she wasn't certain whether it was Vance or her husband who had really written the song, though she would not pursue Vance for her husband's royalties. Amir Vehabovic : this Bosnian man faked his own death - including having a death certificate forged, and bribing undertakers - in order to see who would turn up to his funeral. However, only his elderly mother attended. He wrote to 45 people who had been invited, saying: "I really thought a lot more of you, my so-called friends, would turn up to pay their last respects. It just goes to show who you can really count on." [171]

: this Bosnian man faked his own death - including having a death certificate forged, and bribing undertakers - in order to see who would turn up to his funeral. However, only his elderly mother attended. He wrote to 45 people who had been invited, saying: "I really thought a lot more of you, my so-called friends, would turn up to pay their last respects. It just goes to show who you can really count on." Edison Vicuna , an Ecuadorian man who, after going missing for three days in 2002, was thought to have died in a car crash when a disfigured body was misidentified as his. Vicuna showed up to his own funeral, drunk; mourners screamed and fainted. [172]

, an Ecuadorian man who, after going missing for three days in 2002, was thought to have died in a car crash when a disfigured body was misidentified as his. Vicuna showed up to his own funeral, drunk; mourners screamed and fainted. Abe Vigoda (actor): in 1982, People magazine referred to him as 'the late Abe Vigoda'. He then posed for a photograph showing him sitting up in a coffin, holding the magazine in question. Vigoda claims that during the 1980s the widespread belief that he was dead cost him work.[173] Erroneous reports of Vigoda's death have become something of a running joke, such as in television sketches. An unofficial web site, abevigoda.com, continuously provides Vigoda's 'current status' (alive or dead) to avoid doubt in future.

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Whistler said reading his obituary made him feel better

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Paltan Yadav was officially declared dead in 1980 by relatives in order to steal his land in Uttar Pradesh, India. Rendered penniless and unable to afford to marry, he became a holy man. After years of legal delays, his 'death' was only annulled in 1999 after intervention by the Association of the Dead, an organisation that protests such cases. (See also Lal Bihari.) [185] [186]

was officially declared dead in 1980 by relatives in order to steal his land in Uttar Pradesh, India. Rendered penniless and unable to afford to marry, he became a holy man. After years of legal delays, his 'death' was only annulled in 1999 after intervention by the Association of the Dead, an organisation that protests such cases. (See also Lal Bihari.) Shoichi Yokoi : trapped on Guam when U.S. troops recaptured it near the end of World War II, this Japanese soldier lived in an underground cave in the jungle until 1972, believing that the war had not ended and that leaflets reporting Japan's surrender were enemy propaganda. He had been reported killed in action. On his return home, Yokoi was treated as a national hero for his extreme tenacity and loyalty. However, he felt he had not served the Emperor and army adequately, saying "It is with much embarrassment that I have returned alive" - which instantly became a popular saying in Japan. Yokoi's experiences enabled him to become a television commentator on survival skills. His discovery also prompted a search for other missing Japanese soldiers such as Hiroo Onoda. [187]

: trapped on Guam when U.S. troops recaptured it near the end of World War II, this Japanese soldier lived in an underground cave in the jungle until 1972, believing that the war had not ended and that leaflets reporting Japan's surrender were enemy propaganda. He had been reported killed in action. On his return home, Yokoi was treated as a national hero for his extreme tenacity and loyalty. However, he felt he had not served the Emperor and army adequately, saying "It is with much embarrassment that I have returned alive" - which instantly became a popular saying in Japan. Yokoi's experiences enabled him to become a television commentator on survival skills. His discovery also prompted a search for other missing Japanese soldiers such as Hiroo Onoda. Carl Gabriel Yorke was one of four actors who the Italian police believed had been murdered in the making of the 1980 horror film Cannibal Holocaust. So realistic was the film that shortly after it was released its director Ruggero Deodato was arrested for murder. The actors had signed contracts to stay out of the media for a year in order to fuel rumours that the film was a snuff movie. The court was only convinced that they were alive when the contracts were cancelled and the actors appeared on a television show as proof.[11][12]

edit] The CNN.com incident

CNN's obituary of Dick Cheney, identifying him as the "UK's favorite grandmother".

Multiple premature obituaries came to light on April 16, 2003, when it was discovered that pre-written draft memorials to several world figures were available on the development area of the CNN website without requiring a password (and may have been accessible for some time before).[188] The pages included tributes to Fidel Castro, Dick Cheney, Nelson Mandela, Bob Hope, Gerald Ford, Pope John Paul II, and Ronald Reagan.

Some of these obituaries contained fragments taken from others, particularly from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's obituary, which had apparently been used as a template. Dick Cheney for example was described as the 'UK's favorite grandmother', the site noted the Pope's 'love of racing', and described Castro as 'lifeguard, athlete, movie star' (a reference to Ronald Reagan). Though the Queen Mother was already dead, in an unrelated incident she had previously received a premature obituary of her own (see above).

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