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Different people have different timelines for their achievements. Some, like Colonel Sanders, open their first restaurant at 55, coming to fame late in life. And some manage to become world famous by their early twenties, leave behind a colossal creative legacy - and then pass away like a meteorite in the night sky.

Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Alexander the Great, Jim Morrison, John Belushi - the question is rather that the people around them didn't feel how young they actually were when they passed away. And this viral thread in the AskReddit community is about exactly such people. Many of whom we have already actually outlived...

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#1

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine The musicians on Titanic, who played on ‘til the end? Most of them were in their early twenties. Young guys with really bright futures ahead of them. Jock Hume, one of the violinists, had a pregnant fiancée back home in Scotland! The oldest was Wallace Hartley, and he was only 33 years old! 

Their legend and sacrifice looks a bit different when you realize how young they all were. Brave as hell.

gdmaria , wiki Report

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#2

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Mozart died at 35. He composed over 800 works.

applestem , Barbara Krafft Report

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#3

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Otis Redding was 26. Had just recorded “Dock of the Bay,” but didn’t live to see it released.

Listening to his music, it is absolutely astounding that his incredibly soulful voice belonged to someone so young.

MerryTexMish , Stax Records Report

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Lost Panda
Lost Panda
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He actually hadn't finished Dock of the Bay, the whistling was added in lieu of the final verse. Or so I heard.

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In fact, world history knows examples of people who achieved fame at completely different ages - both very young and extremely old. For example, the famous Byzantine commander Narses was an ordinary courtier in the emperor's palace until he was 74 years old - and only by chance did he discover his great military talent.

But still, situations when a person achieves a lot in this life at a relatively early age are much more common. And people manage to do so much in the short time allotted to them on this Earth that later, when we read their biographies, we are actually amazed - did they really die so young?
#4

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Joan of Arc was only 19 when they burned her to death.

Himeh_Canknow , Albert Lynch Report

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#5

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Buddy Holly died at 22. He left enough unfinished recordings and transcriptions behind that his label was able to release Buddy Holly singles for 10 years after his death.

probably-the-problem , Brunswick Records Report

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#6

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Princess Diana, I think she was only 35.

sideeyedi , John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com Report

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A significant part of the people presented in this list are representatives of art who led, let's say, not the healthiest lifestyle. The so-called "27 Club", which includes celebrities who passed away at this age, has acquired wide (and sad) fame. It is believed that the "27 Club" appeared in the 20th century, but in fact, similar cases occurred earlier.

It's just that the modern world, with its fixation on numbers and celebrities, simply couldn't ignore the fact that three rock'n'roll superstars (Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin) died at the same age, 10 months apart. And later, many began to consider the number "27" almost 'fatal' for the music stars.
#7

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Martin Luther King was only 39. Marilyn Monroe was 36.

Competitive_Crew_983 , Nobel Foundation Report

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Skogsrået
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read that during Kings autopsy the doctors said his heart was like the heart of a 60 year old man. Can you imagine the stress he must have gone through? Dunno is this is verified though.

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#8

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Bruce lee was only 32, crazy right.

mindfulmuserx Report

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#9

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Van Gogh was only 37 when he died.

choose2hope , Vincent van Gogh Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damn, I'm 36. I've always felt sad he wasn't really recognized while alive.

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However, deaths at a young age were more of a pattern in the old days - especially considering the state of medicine at the time. "We shouldn't forget that a couple of centuries ago there were no antibiotics or basic hygiene rules - even among doctors during abdominal surgeries," says Valery Bolgan, a historian and editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian news agency Intent, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here.

"And the average life expectancy in the old days was much shorter - so, for example, Mozart's death, which happened at the age of 35, was not perceived by his contemporaries as something out of the ordinary. Moreover, 35 years at the end of the 18th century was perceived as maturity and a rather respectable age."

And adulthood for many people began much earlier, Valery also says. "Teen years several centuries ago were already considered the age when a person was perceived as a true adult. The same Alexander the Great became a king at the age of 20. It's just now, when people's life expectancy has increased significantly, we perceive history differently."

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#10

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Freddie Mercury was only 45, I just surpassed him in age.

zerbey , Freddie Nevermore Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was the one in my head when I clicked. Was listening to Queen the otherday and thought "Man... the universe where Freddie is still alive got lucky"

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#11

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine James Dean was 23.

Impossible_Inside_42 , In-house publicity still Report

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#12

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison were all 27.

Worldly_Raccoon_479 , WatchMojo.com Report

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And still, when a person passes away at such a young age, literally in a couple of years doing so many wonderful things that many of us are not destined to do in our entire lives - this cannot but cause sadness. So let's just scroll this list to the very end, pay tribute to the memory of the famous people mentioned here - and maybe try to do something outstanding ourselves. After all, the examples of Narses and Colonel Sanders are also damn inspiring!

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#13

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Bob Marley was only 36.

12345_PIZZA , 3000deathbringer Report

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zububonsai
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1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Note to myself: make an skin doc appointment to get checked (no, seriously, i've always procrastinated in that respect and work outdoors for the last 25 years and up until I was 20 I've never even heard of sun screen lotions, so I had a lot of sun burns in my childhood...)

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#14

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine John Candy (uncle Buck) was only 44 when he died.

No-Independence-6842 , Letterman Report

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#15

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Steve Irwin was only 44.


“That’s a ripe old age for a Crocodile Hunter!”

-Norm; about 2 days after Steve was killed.

doeldougie , Lexarus Report

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#16

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Tupac was only 25 when he died.

SnooCauliflowers5174 , BETNetworks Report

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Mez
Mez
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one hit me.....absolute rap legend. His music is being passed on through the generations, kids today love him.

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#17

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Elvis. 42.

Active_Beat2222 , Akshat Luthra Report

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arthbach
arthbach
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the first one on the list that surprised me. In his last performances he looks like an old man.

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#18

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Franz Kafka was about to turn 41. Most of his works were published after his death and against his last will, so he didn’t even get to see his success.

Judith Barsi was only 10 when she was murdered by her father shortly after finishing her lines for Anne-Marie in "All Dogs Go to Heaven“.

Midnight1899 , wiki Report

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Stephanie Did It
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1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Judith Barsi is more famously known as the voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time. Her sweet, lilting voice will always be with us.

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#19

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Mama Cass from the Mama's and the Papa's was only 32.

DefendTheStar88x , wiki Report

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glowworm2
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And for the record, no, it wasn’t because she choked on a ham sandwich.

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#20

Robert Wadlow - tallest man in the world died of a foot infection at age 22. He went to high school with my husband's grandparents. He was 8' 11.1" tall when he died. He had to go up the stairs at school sideways.

catladyx65 Report

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Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Due to sepsis from a wound on his lower leg. Hard to feel pain and treat it when your head is so far away from your feet...

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#21

Ritchie Valens he was 17! Could’ve passed for 30.

CriticalStation595 Report

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#22

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine John Belushi. Hard to believe he was only 33 and I've out lived him.

Inner_thoughts_loud , wiki Report

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Julie S
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If Robin Williams hadn't given up the d***s he could have gone the same way. They used to get bombed together and go out on the town!

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#23

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine I always think about John Keats being 25 when he died. From the same disease that killed two members of his family too, he had months of knowing he was dying and even wrote his own gravestone.

waterfoul- , John Keats Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I often think of his poem "When I have fears that I may cease to be". It really gives you perspective.

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#24

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Alexander the Great was 32.

klsmv , wiki Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine people being like "damn, that guy is great...we should let him know....hey! Alexander, the Great!"

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#25

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Still can’t believe Hank Williams Senior was only 29 when he died.

impalamilk , WSM radio Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heart failure caused by the combination of alcohol, morphine and chloral hydrate.

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#26

Patsy Cline was 30. Plane crash.

gay_aquarian Report

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#27

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Al Capone was only 48 when he died. He was just 26 when he became the crime boss of Chicago.

WildBad7298 , Chicago Bureau Report

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#28

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine Aaliyah. 22.

Septlibra , Mika-photography Report

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tarryn norwich
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know its not the best movie, but she slayed in Queen of the Damned.

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#29

River Phoenix, 23.

dallas_hunter Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

D**g overdose. The scenes from the movie he was working on at the time are haunting.

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#30

"Bruce Lee": 30 People Who Were Much Younger When They Died Than People Actually Imagine The Notorious BIG was only 24. He always seemed a lot older due to his huge size, deep voice and intimidating presence.

Dabrigstar , BETNetworks Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another one that I'd forgotten was so young when he died.

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Note: this post originally had 39 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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