Some deaths change more than just the lives of those closest to them—they change the course of history. In this episode, we’re diving into the funerals, embalming, and lasting legacies of three men whose deaths shook America: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
💀 Abraham Lincoln: From a midnight autopsy in the White House to a 1,600-mile funeral train and multiple re-embalmings, Lincoln’s farewell was unlike anything Americans had ever seen.
🕊️ John F. Kennedy: A closed casket, Jackie Kennedy’s bloodstained pink suit, and the first globally televised funeral turned JFK’s death into a worldwide moment of mourning.
✊ Martin Luther King Jr.: An open casket, a mule-drawn wagon, and more than 100,000 mourners transformed MLK’s funeral into both a farewell and a civil rights march.
Along the way, we’ll talk embalming science, historical oddities, and the symbols that made each funeral unforgettable.
⚰️ What you’ll learn in this video:
• Why Lincoln’s body had to be re-embalmed multiple times on his funeral tour
• The hidden details of JFK’s autopsy and why his casket was sealed
• Why Jackie Kennedy’s pink suit remains preserved in a vault to this day
• How MLK’s funeral blurred the line between protest and mourning
• The lasting cultural impact these funerals had on the way America grieves
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👻 Welcome to my channel—I’m Lauren the Mortician. I make videos that blend mortuary science, dark history, and morbid curiosity. If you’re new here, hit subscribe and join our little morbid classroom.
💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments: Which funeral do you think left the biggest mark on history?
📌 And don’t forget—the Morbid Suggestion Box is always open. If there’s a death, funeral, or spooky history you want me to cover, let me know.
#Lincoln #JFK #MLK #History #Funerals #LaurenTheMortician
That makes me wonder about Charlie Kirk’s body, and if it will forever be hidden for the same reasons?? I feel like you could do a video on that and why they have to keep the bodies hidden.
An EXCELLENT example of embalming/preservation is Medgar Evers.
13 times?
Well, he was very tall.
Interesting Factoid: The word Ebenezer means "stone of remembrance" in Hebrew. His church was his tombstone.
Wait, didn’t Marge Simpson were the very same suit?! Why did the writers choose THAT Chanel suit??
Formaldehyde wasn't discovered until 1859 by a Russian Chemist, and my sources say it's use as an embalming agent didn't begin until 1893 in Germany, and spread from there.
As a Tissue Fixative/Biocide, Formaldehyde, at that time was without compare. Unfortunately, while it preserved the dead, it was highly carcinogenic and poisonous to the living.
The Riderless Horse that led Lincon's Procession through Springfield, IL, was named Old Bob. He was Lincoln's personal horse as Commander in Chief.
De Gaulle = Da-gall
Ebenezer = Eben-sneezer
Learning the difference between casket and coffin has oddly changed my life today…?? Mind blown! Thank you Lauren! You do SUCH a stellar job of communicating the most interesting information, mixed with humor, yet also respect. And honestly, learning the science behind death and all that comes after it has made me less afraid and creeped out by it, so thank you. I do have a question (apologies if this has been asked/answered before): what kind of makeup do Morticians use? Is there like a universal kind/brand? Also, if a family absolutely wants an open casket, but there's extreme facial damage (like part of the nose, etc. is missing) how does it get "built" back in? I'm an artist (painter and sculptor) so I'm morbidly artistically curious. Thank you!! 🙂
I love how you snuck a Lincoln quote in there 😊