History’s Most Famous Suicides, From Artists To Politicians

Vincent Van Gogh

Largely considered one of the greatest Dutch painters ever, Vincent van Gogh was relatively unknown and poor during his life, and he was mentally troubled. As far as famous suicides go, at least his ushered in notoriety, as Van Gogh’s art is sometimes said to have become more popular after his death.

Towards the end of his life, van Gogh was living off coffee, bread, and absinthe, which caused his physical health to deteriorate.

His lifetime of struggling came to a crescendo on July 27, 1890. He had gone out in the morning to paint, carrying a loaded pistol with him. He shot himself in the chest, but the bullet did not kill the artist right away.

He returned to the place where he was staying at the time and was later found injured in his room. He was then taken to a hospital and his brother Theo was called.

After two days in the hospital, an infection had taken over and van Gogh died in his brother’s arms on July 29 at the age of 37.