6. Mark Twain
Faulty reports of celebrity deaths happened long before the internet. Mark Twain was reported to be on his deathbed with thirteen years before he actually was.
In reality, it was Twain’s cousin that was ill, which newspapers presented as if Mark was the one dying. Twain telegrammed a friend to assure him that he was in fact, alright, signing off with one of his most famous obituaries: “The report of my illness grew out of his illness. The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
This story had a happy ending eventually, because, according to Twain, his cousin made a full recovery.
