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The most unusual wills in the world. Unusual wills

Light in the grave

A certain Viennese millionaire, who was afraid of the dark, demanded that a light be always on in his grave.

I will return from that world! ..

John Bowman, a Vermont entrepreneur, died after burying his beloved wife and two daughters. Absolutely confident that he would meet them in the next world and somehow manage to return to this world, he ordered that his mansion be kept in full readiness for his return and serve a late dinner on the table every evening. Bowman died in 1891. Late dinner in his mansion was stopped only in 1950, when the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.

The longest testament in the world

It was left by the American housewife Frederica Cook in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not have much wealth, and her property could be counted on the fingers. But Mrs. Cook, who had made many friends and enemies, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or evil is another matter) to all of them. She wrote a will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who nevertheless managed to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women's novel, and if it is printed, success is guaranteed!

The shortest testament

The shortest testament belongs to the German Karl Tausch. On June 19, 1967, in the presence of a notary, the dying Tausch wrote only two words on a piece of paper: “All to my wife.”

The most offensive testament

Compiled by the Australian Francis Lord, who, having written off his fortune to charitable organizations, friends and servants, only mentioned his wife at the end. He bequeathed one shilling to her - so that she "buy a ticket for the tram, go somewhere and drown herself."

Most impractical testament

In Iran or Belgium, you can never bequeath your property to a dog or cat, and in America or Europe, you can specify Osama bin Laden as the heir. However, a large number of strange wills written in Britain, America or other states whose legislation is based on Anglo-Saxon law is explained precisely by the fact that there the rights of the testator are practically unlimited. Your last will is only yours. It can be contested only if there is reason to doubt that the testator was of sound mind.

First testament to animals

The first person who bequeathed all his property to animals is a resident of the American city of Columbus Jackson, who instructed his executors to build a hostel for cats with comfortable bedrooms, a dining room, a library and a concert hall in which cats could enjoy music, and a comfortable roof for walks.

Testament to God

A certain woman from Cherokee County left her entire fortune to God. The court, having examined the will and not finding grounds for cancellation, instructed the local sheriff to find the beneficiary and ensure the transfer of the inheritance to him. A few days later, Cherokee County became famous as the only place on the planet that officially recognized its godforsakenness! INreportthe sheriff told the local judge:

After extensive and careful research, we could not find God in the territory of this district.

Testament to Satan

The Finnish government has every reason to be considered the official representative of the devil. One of the citizens of the country bequeathed all his property to Satan. The state successfully sued itself all the money!

Testament in favor of the competition "the most beautiful nose"

One Frenchman left money for an annual competition for the most beautiful nose, to which representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, are allowed, provided that the participants in the competition have red hair and black eyebrows.

Bury Sandra in the car!

California high society star Sandra West's last will was to be buried in a silk nightgown, driving her beloved Ferrari. The executor was instructed to see to it that the chair was pushed back for maximum comfort. Among other things, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who could encroach on the car.

Don't take off Dorothy's clothes!

It was much easier to fulfill the will of the American singer Dorothy Dandbridge, who wrote: “In the event of death, do not take off my clothes, no matter what I turn out to be - with a scarf, in a dressing gown or whatever. Creme as is!”

Owned by Robert Louis Stevenson, who gave one of his friends his birthday. The lady was born on Christmas Day 25 December, and her own holiday was always forgotten. Changing this date to November 13, the writer's birthday, could have changed the situation, but the court forbade satisfying the last will of the author of Treasure Island: Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.

cruel testament

The last wish of Mary Murphy, a wealthy California widow, was not granted. She ordered that her beloved dog Saido be euthanized in order to "save the latter from the moral anguish associated with the loss of its mistress."

The Society for the Fight against Cruelty to Animals stood up for the dog, which proved that the killing of a healthy and young dog violates California law.

"Educational" testament of Charles Millar

Canadian lawyer Charles Millar showed a remarkable sense of humor in his will and helped some people to better understand their own nature. His will is not just a collection of jokes on his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of his hometown of Toronto and all of Canada. Charles Millar died in 1928, and his last will became a sensation. He mentioned in his will two friends, a judge and a priest, known throughout Canada for their hatred of gambling. He left them a large stake in one of the hippodromes. In addition to the fact that both profited from gambling as a result, they automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which both had been fighting for many years. The judge and the preacher accepted the gift!

The main point of the will was an unprecedentedly large sum of money, which the lawyer bequeathed to the woman of Toronto who, within ten years from the time of his death, would give birth to the largest number of children.

To five more of his comrades, principled opponents of alcoholic beverages, Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company. Only one out of five refused the inheritance. To three more acquaintances who could not stand each other so much that they refused to be at the same time in the same place, he bequeathed his villa in Jamaica.

Before death, people talk about the most important and intimate, leave wills in which they dictate their last will. Sometimes this will is quite eccentric and can even shock.

To remember

The German poet and publicist Heinrich Heine was the most prominent representative of the Byronic trend, he gained fame during his lifetime, his fame did not fade even after his death. Heine's work was banned in Nazi Germany, the poet's books were burned.
Heinrich Heine owns one of the strangest wills in history. In 1841 he married Eugenia Mirat, a simple and rude woman, a saleswoman in a shoe store. In his will, the poet gave all his money to the widow, but with one condition: after the death of her husband, she must immediately marry. According to Heine, in this way he provided himself with the confidence that at least one person would regret his death.

Millionaire Dog

American entrepreneur and film producer Roger Dorcas was an eccentric man during his lifetime, led a rather riotous life, so his death from a heart attack did not come as a surprise. But his will was a surprise. According to him, his young wife Wendy Dietrich, whom he married a year before his death, Roger left one cent. But the producer left his dog Maximilian more than $ 60 million. This became possible due to the fact that Dorcas took care of the paperwork for his dog in advance. With the help of lawyers, he even made an insurance certificate for the dog.

Wendy Dietrich, of course, was unhappy with Roger's decision, but the 24-year-old widow did not give up without a fight. With the help of the same lawyers, she found a way out. At first she became the sole guardian of the dog, and then she married him. According to the documents, she could officially manage the money of her ex-husband, and after the death of the dog Maximilian, she became his heiress.

gonzo gun

The creator of the genre of gonzo journalism, the author of the sensational novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the American writer Hunter Thompson, could not afford to leave quietly. He committed suicide on February 20, 2005. Thompson's words, spoken by the writer in an interview with the BBC in 1978, were interpreted as the last will of Thompson. Thompson then said that he dreamed of throwing a death party for his friends; declared that his ashes should be fired from a cannon.

All expenses for this posthumous performance were borne by Johnny Depp. On August 20, 2005, from a specially built cannon mounted on a 46-meter-high crane, the ashes of the writer were shot through a huge six-fingered fist, personifying "gonzo". Johnny Depp also gave away Thompson's debts, which, by the time Hunter left, were no less than two million dollars.

Where no man has gone

On April 21, 1997, the Pegasus rocket was launched into space, on which there were 23 urns with the ashes of people who wanted to rest outside the Earth. The idea came from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in October 1991. This last will of Jin is not surprising. It is he who owns the phrase "To boldly go where no man has gone before." In addition to his remains, the remains of Timothy Leary went into Earth orbit, who also spent his whole life discovering "new worlds."

Misogynist

The American lawyer T. M. Zink, who died in 1930, was known as an ardent misogynist. In his will, he specified that his fortune ($35,000) be invested in a fund at interest for 75 years. With the money received, Ti bequeathed to build a library in which all the works would be written by men. The staff of this sexist library, at the request of the lawyer, also had to consist of men. The slogan "No Women Allowed" (Women are not allowed) was to be nailed over the entrance of the institution.

The misogynistic lawyer left his daughter only $5, but she did not accept such a strange will of the deceased father and successfully challenged the will in court. As a result, the library was never built.

In our country, the inheritance case related to the will appeared relatively recently. In the rest of the world, this is a well-established procedure. But here, too, there are people who surprise and often amaze with the demands made either on heirs or on the "last will" itself.

I offer a selection of the strangest known wills.

1. Samuel Bratt
The heavy smoker used his last wish purely for the purpose of revenge. Since his wife did not allow him to smoke during his lifetime, in his will he left her 330,000 pounds with one condition: in order to receive an inheritance, the widow must smoke 5 cigars a day.

2. Leona Hemsley
The millionaire became famous for leaving 5 million to her grandchildren and 10 million to her dog. When the dog dies, it is to be buried next to its owner in a magnificent mausoleum worth nearly a million and a half dollars.

3. Michelle Rothschild
The billionaire left the most secret testament.
In particular, it says:
“... I categorically and unequivocally forbid any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my condition ...”
So the real size of the state is still not known.

4. Thomas Jefferson
One of the founding fathers of the United States made one of the longest wills (more on the longest below). Indications regarding property were interspersed in the document with discourses on the history of America. Under this will, Jefferson's heirs received their shares of the inheritance only on the condition that they set free all their slaves.

5. Henry Ford
Bequeathed to distribute 500 million dollars among 4157 educational and charitable institutions. This is the largest amount of cash ever bequeathed by a single person.

6. Laboratory assistant of the famous physicist Niels Bohr
He wrote the most difficult will to understand. There were so many technical terms and complex phraseological turns in the will that experts-linguists had to be called in to decipher it.

7. Wife Rodenberry
The creator of the Star Trek phenomenon wished that after death his body would be cremated and sent into outer space. In 1997, a Spanish satellite delivered the ashes of the deceased into orbit, where the contents of the urn were released into the upper atmosphere.

8. Angel Pantoya
It was never determined who killed this Puerto Rican. According to his brother Carlos, Angel wanted to be happy and stand firmly in his home, which was done by his relatives - Angel was embalmed in an upright position, and now he is in his mother's house.

9. Ty Zink
In 1930, due to his bad attitude towards women, he bequeathed at his own expense to build a library in which all books would be written exclusively by men. Initially, the lawyer planned to even ban women from entering there, but changed his mind. Zink gave his capital of 35 thousand dollars to a special fund for 75 tapes, and the interest was to go to the construction of the Zink Womanless Library. But fortunately for mankind, the daughter of the deceased, who received only $ 5 under the will, was able to challenge the will of her father, and the strange library was never built.

10. Heinrich Heine
In 1841 the poet married Evgenia Mirat (Eugenie Mirat), an uneducated, rude and narrow-minded saleswoman from a shoe store. In his will, Heine transferred his entire fortune to Eugenia with one condition: she must definitely marry after his death. According to Heine, in this way, he will be sure that at least one person in the world will regret his death.

11. John Bowman

An entrepreneur from Vermont, 2 years after the funeral of his beloved wife and children, he died himself, having previously voiced his last wish. According to his considerations, in the afterlife he should meet his family, and reincarnate with them on Earth. Therefore, he ordered that the house be kept clean for the return of the owners and that the table be laid every evening for a late supper. And although the entrepreneur himself died in 1891, his last wish was fulfilled for another 59 years, until the funds allocated for the salaries of the servants and for the repair of the house ran out.

12. Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook

The man - the legend, who made the longest testament in the World, is an unknown until then housewife from America. Her author's work has more than 95 thousand words. No performer has been able to read it aloud from beginning to end. Without much wealth and luxurious real estate, Frederica managed to acquire many friends and enemies in her life. So she dedicated her will to them, writing a few lines about each. It took the housewife 20 years of her life to create such a document. Close people who noticed her at this occupation believed that she was writing a book. And some still believe that if you replicate her testament, you get a great women's novel.

13. Henry Budd
He had two sons. When the time came to rest in the Bose, the loving and wealthy dad decided to divide his fortune between the two offspring. However, not for long, because according to the terms of the will, the first of the sons to grow a mustache will take part of the brother's inheritance. We must pay tribute to the sons, none of them dared to appear in public even with the slightest stubble. Divided 200,000 pounds sterling fraternally, which for the end of the 19th century was a huge fortune

14. Rolf Eden
German businessman left with my sexual testament. He declared that he was leaving all his property to the woman in whose bed he would die. Now the 76-year-old businessman feels great and is enjoying the fruits of such a sexual testament with might and main!

15. Harry Houdini
The famous illusionist, as befits a magician, left announcement-raffle. He told everyone that all the secrets of his tricks would be kept in a safe to be opened on his centennial day. However, when the designated box was opened, it turned out that there was nothing inside it.

16. Robert Louis Stevenson
The famous English writer compiled with most touching testament. He bequeathed his own birthday to one of his girlfriends. The fact is that the lady was born on December 25, for Christmas. It was not surprising that everyone constantly forgot about her holiday. The writer "let" a girlfriend take his birthday, November 13th. Such a move would change the situation. However, the court will author "Treasure Islands" did not satisfy - after all, Stevenson was not the rightful owner of this day, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.

17. Testament to God

A divine will was written by a lady from Cherokee County, North Carolina. The woman left all her possessions to God. The court did not find good reasons to cancel the will and instructed the local sheriff to find an heir to take ownership. A few days later, the town became famous - the sheriff wrote a report in which he said that God was not found on the territory entrusted to him. As a result, the inheritance passed into the possession of the district administration.

18. Devil's Will

A satanic testament was left by one of the inhabitants of Finland. He indicated the devil as his only heir. The authorities of the country, without thinking twice, sued all the funds in their favor, becoming a kind of representative of Satan on earth.

19. Juan of the Potomac

Actor from Buenos Aires left the most theatrical testament left. He decided to remain in the theater even after his death. The administration of the cultural institution was asked to receive several tens of thousands of dollars by will, but on the condition that the skull of the deceased would be used in further productions. "Hamlet". The administration fulfilled the request of the deceased with pleasure, earning their considerable money.

20. Charles Millar

The selection is completed by a Canadian lawyer who gloriously trolled after his death. Charles bequeathed a large stake in his brewery to three priests who fought furiously in an unequal battle with alcoholism. As expected, the clergy accepted the inheritance. But that was just a warm-up! The second item in the will of the troll was a house in Jamaica (without the right to sell), which he bequeathed to three lawyers he knew, who hated each other. The third and most freaky clause in the will was an inheritance of $600,000, which would go to the mother who, legally married, would give birth to the largest number of children in Toronto in the ten years since Charles' death. Thus began the great stork race in Toronto. The country was sinking into depression, there was no work, no money for entertainment either. What was left to do? Just enter the competition! Baby boom hit Toronto. In 1938, the first results began to be summed up. First, there were two leaders of 10 children, but both women were disqualified. One for the fact that the children were from different husbands, and the other for the fact that not all children were born in Toronto. As a result, 600,000 dollars were divided among four women who had 9 children each.

Light in the grave
A certain Viennese millionaire, who was afraid of the dark, demanded that a light be always on in his grave.

I will return from that world! ..
John Bowman, a Vermont entrepreneur, died after burying his beloved wife and two daughters. Absolutely confident that he would meet them in the next world and somehow manage to return to this world, he ordered that his mansion be kept in full readiness for his return and serve a late dinner on the table every evening. Bowman died in 1891. Late dinner in his mansion was stopped only in 1950, when the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.

The longest testament in the world
It was left by the American housewife Frederica Cook in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not have much wealth, and her property could be counted on the fingers. But Mrs. Cook, who had made many friends and enemies, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or evil is another matter) to all of them. She wrote a will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who nevertheless managed to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women's novel, and if it is printed, success is guaranteed!

The shortest testament
The shortest testament belongs to the German Karl Tausch. On June 19, 1967, in the presence of a notary, the dying Tausch wrote only two words on a piece of paper: “All to my wife.”

The most offensive testament
Compiled by the Australian Francis Lord, who, having written off his fortune to charitable organizations, friends and servants, only mentioned his wife at the end. He bequeathed one shilling to her - so that she "buy a ticket for the tram, go somewhere and drown herself."
Most impractical testament
In Iran or Belgium, you can never bequeath your property to a dog or cat, and in America or Europe, you can specify Osama bin Laden as the heir. However, a large number of strange wills written in Britain, America or other states whose legislation is based on Anglo-Saxon law is explained precisely by the fact that there the rights of the testator are practically unlimited. Your last will is only yours. It can be contested only if there is reason to doubt that the testator was of sound mind.

First testament to animals
The first person who bequeathed all his property to animals is a resident of the American city of Columbus Jackson, who instructed his executors to build a hostel for cats with comfortable bedrooms, a dining room, a library and a concert hall in which cats could enjoy music, and a comfortable roof for walks.
Testament to God
A certain woman from Cherokee County left her entire fortune to God. The court, having considered the will and finding no grounds for cancellation, instructed the local sheriff to find the beneficiary and ensure the transfer of the inheritance to him. A few days later, Cherokee County became famous as the only place on the planet that officially recognized its godforsakenness! The sheriff's report to the local judge stated:

After extensive and careful research, we could not find God in the territory of this district.

Testament to Satan
The Finnish government has every reason to be considered the official representative of the devil. One of the citizens of the country bequeathed all his property to Satan. The state successfully sued itself all the money!

Testament in favor of the competition "the most beautiful nose"
One Frenchman left money for an annual competition for the most beautiful nose, to which representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, are allowed, provided that the participants in the competition have red hair and black eyebrows.

Bury Sandra in the car!
California high society star Sandra West's last will was to be buried in a silk nightgown, driving her beloved Ferrari. The executor was instructed to see to it that the chair was pushed back for maximum comfort. Among other things, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who could encroach on the car.

Don't take off Dorothy's clothes!
It was much easier to fulfill the will of the American singer Dorothy Dandbridge, who wrote: “In the event of death, do not take off my clothes, no matter what I turn out to be - with a scarf, in a dressing gown or whatever. Creme as is!”

The Most Generous Testament
belongs to Robert Louis Stevenson, who gave one of his friends his birthday. The lady was born on Christmas Day 25 December, and her own holiday was always forgotten. Changing this date to November 13, the writer's birthday, could have changed the situation, but the court forbade satisfying the last will of the author of Treasure Island: Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.
cruel testament
The last wish of Mary Murphy, a wealthy California widow, was not granted. She ordered that her beloved dog Saido be euthanized in order to "save the latter from the moral anguish associated with the loss of its mistress."
The Society for the Fight against Cruelty to Animals stood up for the dog, which proved that the killing of a healthy and young dog violates California law.

"Educational" testament of Charles Millar
Canadian lawyer Charles Millar showed a remarkable sense of humor in his will and helped some people to better understand their own nature. His will is not just a collection of jokes on his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of his hometown of Toronto and all of Canada. Charles Millar died in 1928, and his last will became a sensation. He mentioned in his will two friends, a judge and a preacher, known throughout Canada for their hatred of gambling. He left them a large stake in one of the hippodromes. In addition to the fact that both profited from gambling as a result, they automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which both had been fighting for many years. The judge and the preacher accepted the gift!
The main point of the will was an unprecedentedly large sum of money, which the lawyer bequeathed to the woman of Toronto who, within ten years from the time of his death, would give birth to the largest number of children.

What happened next in Canada was called the "Great Toronto Derby". The surge in births in Toronto and across Canada this decade has been phenomenal. On May 30, 1938, exactly ten years after Millar's death, the city court began considering probate applications. A woman who gave birth to ten children in ten years was disqualified because not all of her children were from the same man, as Millar demanded. Another woman was also disqualified: she gave birth nine times, but five children were stillborn. Both ladies received a consolation prize of $13,000. $500,000 were distributed in equal shares among four families, in which nine children were born in ten years. As the newspapers later reported, there were no more children in these families.
To five more of his comrades, principled opponents of alcoholic beverages, Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company. Only one out of five refused the inheritance. To three more acquaintances who could not stand each other so much that they refused to be at the same time in the same place, he bequeathed his villa in Jamaica.

Nobel's testament
“I, the undersigned Alfred Bernhard Nobel, after mature consideration, hereby declare:
... all my remaining property is to be invested by my executor in safe papers and will form a fund, the interest on which will be distributed annually in the form of bonuses to those who during the previous year have done the greatest benefit to mankind
… The interest should be divided into five parts, which will be distributed as follows: one part to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; one - to the one who will make the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; one - to someone who makes an important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; one - to the one who in the field of literature will create the most outstanding work of the idealistic trend; and one to the one who will make the greatest contribution to the cause that contributes to the destruction or reduction of existing armies, support or encouragement of peace congresses.
This is probably the most famous and most useful testament for all mankind.

The Most Impossible Testament
So far, it is impossible to fulfill the will of a certain Frenchman who wrote that he bequeathed all his property to "the first person who came into contact with an inhabitant of any celestial body, with the exception of Mars."

William Shakespeare left most historically useful testament: he listed all his property from furniture to shoes, disposing of each item separately.

Niels Bohr's laboratory assistant compiled the most complex testament in the world, which consisted of special terms and very complex phraseological turns - even expert linguists were called in to decipher it.
The largest amount of money specified in the will - $ 500 million - Henry Ford bequeathed this amount to be distributed among 4157 educational and charitable institutions.

"I categorically and unequivocally forbid any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my fortune" - Michel Rothschild's will was recognized the most secret testament in the world.

In the will of the famous illusionist Harry Houdini, it was said that he wrote down all the secrets and secrets of his tricks and put them in a safe, which he allowed to open on the day of his centenary. The safe was empty.

To the one who manages to release five cigarette rings from his mouth and skip the sixth inside them - the great comedian Charlie Chaplin bequeathed $ 1 million. This amount has not yet been received by anyone.

A very unusual testament
left at the beginning of the twentieth century by the German professor Paul Wolfskel: whoever is the first to present a complete proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences is obliged to award 50,000 gold marks. This prize has not yet been received by anyone.

And finally, one very funny story.
Each of 11 vintage cars from the collection of a famous lawyer was valued at $25,000. In his will, he distributed them among 3 sons as follows: half was to go to the eldest, a quarter to the middle, one sixth to the youngest. But how can you cut 11 cars in half? Or separate one-sixth from them? The sons argued for a long time, but could not come to a consensus. At this time, the famous numerologist Mrs. Zero drove past them in her new sports car. After the brothers explained the situation to her, she acted as follows: she put her car together with collection cars - there were 12 cars. In accordance with the will, she gave half of the cars - 6 - to the elder, the fourth part - 3 cars - received the middle and - 2 cars - junior. 6 plus 3 plus 2 - 11 cars - that's right!

Source

Date: 2010.04.26

The most indecent testament in history was left by a shoemaker from Marseilles. Of the 123 words recorded in it, 94 are impossible to pronounce even in a relatively decent society.

The world's longest testament was left by an unknown American housewife, Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook, in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not possess much wealth, and her movable and immovable property could be counted on the fingers. But Mrs. Cook, having made many friends and enemies in her long life, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or evil is another matter) to all of them. She wrote a will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who nevertheless managed to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women's novel, and if it is printed, then reader success is guaranteed.

The most offensive testament was made by the Australian Francis Lord, who, having written off his fortune to charitable organizations, friends and servants, also mentioned his wife at the end. He bequeathed one shilling to her - so that she "buy a ticket for the tram, go somewhere and drown herself."

The most generous testator can be considered the famous writer Robert Lewis Stevenson, who gave one of his friends his birthday. The lady was born on Christmas Day 25 December, and her own holiday was always forgotten. Changing this date to November 13, the writer's birthday, could change the situation, but the last will of the author of "Black Arrow" and "Treasure Island" was forbidden by the court to satisfy: Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.

A resident of the American city of Springfield (Oregon) in his will wished that his skin be made into a binding for his collection of poems. But the authorities refused the heirs: the will of the testator came into direct conflict with the norms of local legislation on how to deal with corpses.

Nor was the last wish of Mary Murphy, a wealthy California widow, fulfilled. She ordered that her beloved dog Saido be euthanized in order to "save the latter from the moral anguish associated with the loss of its mistress." The Society for the Fight against Cruelty to Animals stood up for the dog, which proved that the killing of a healthy and young dog violates California law.

The most difficult testament to understand was drawn up by the laboratory assistant of the famous physicist Niels Bohr. There were so many technical terms and complex phraseological turns in the will that experts-linguists had to be called in to decipher it.

The most stupid story about the inheritance is connected with the name of Roger Dorcas. The millionaire and film producer left all his $65 million to his beloved dog Maximilian. The court recognized such a decision as legal, since during his lifetime the millionaire straightened out completely human documents to Maximilian. Dorcas left 1 cent for his wife. But she, according to the same dog documents, married a dog and, after his death, calmly entered into inheritance rights, since the dog, of course, did not leave a will.

The richest animal is a dog named Gunther IV. In 1991, German millionaire Countess Carlotta von Liebenstein left DM 139 million to her dog Gunther III. From him, the money passed to his only son and heir - Gunther IV.

Heavy smoker Samuel Bratt used his last wish purely for revenge. Since during his lifetime his wife did not allow him to smoke, in his will he left her 330,000 pounds with one condition: in order to receive an inheritance, the widow must smoke 5 cigars a day.

Millionaire Leona Hemsley became famous for leaving 5 million to her grandchildren and 12 million to her dog. When the dog dies, it is to be buried next to its owner in a magnificent mausoleum worth nearly a million and a half dollars.

Gene Rodenberry, the creator of the Star Trek phenomenon, wanted his body to be cremated and sent into outer space after death. In 1997, a Spanish satellite delivered the ashes of the deceased into orbit, where the contents of the urn were released into the upper atmosphere.

The last wish of the misogynistic lawyer who died in 1930 was to build a library in which all works were written only by men, and the staff also consisted only of men. He left $35,000 for this. His daughter received a $5 bequest.

A certain woman from Cherokee County, North Carolina, left her entire fortune to God. The court, having considered the will and not finding grounds for its cancellation, instructed the local sheriff to find the beneficiary and ensure the transfer of the inheritance to him. A few days later, Cherokee County became famous throughout the world as the only place on the planet that officially recognized its godforsakenness. The sheriff's report to the local judge said, "After extensive and thorough searches, we have not been able to locate God in this county."

In turn, the Finnish government has every reason to be considered the only representative of the devil on earth. One of the citizens of the country bequeathed all his property to Satan. The state successfully sued all the money to itself.

And one of the wills still unfulfilled was made by a certain Frenchman who left all his property "to the first person who came into contact with an inhabitant of any celestial body, with the exception of Mars."

One Frenchman left money for an annual competition for the most beautiful nose, to which "representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, are allowed, provided that the participants in the competition have red hair and black eyebrows." And a certain Viennese millionaire, who was afraid of the dark, demanded that a light always be on in his grave.

California high society star Sandra West's last will was to be buried in a silk nightgown at the wheel of her beloved Ferrari, with her executor tasked with seeing to it that the seat was retracted for maximum comfort. The last wish was fulfilled. True, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who could encroach on an expensive car.

One of the theaters in Buenos Aires gladly accepted several tens of thousands of dollars from the former artist Juan Potomacy, agreeing to the condition of the will that Mr. Potomacy's skull would be used in productions of Hamlet.

With all the many eccentric wills, the Canadian lawyer Charles Millar can rightly be considered the champion among testators, whose will is not just a collection of not-too-kind jokes on his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of not only his hometown of Toronto, but also throughout Canada.

Charles Millar died in 1928, and his last will became an instant sensation. He mentioned in his will two friends, a judge and a priest, known throughout Canada for their hatred of any form of gambling. He left them a large stake in one of the hippodromes. In addition to both profiting from gambling as a result, they automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which both had been fighting for many years. The judge and the preacher accepted the gift. To five more of his comrades, principled opponents of drunkenness and alcoholic beverages, Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company. Only one out of five refused the inheritance. To three more acquaintances who could not stand each other so much that they refused to be at the same time in the same place, he bequeathed his villa in Jamaica. But the most important point was an unprecedentedly large sum of money, which the lawyer bequeathed "to that of the residents of Toronto, who within ten years from the time of my death will produce the largest number of children." This clause of the will was repeatedly tried to be challenged in court, but Millar was a good lawyer, so there was nothing to complain about. What happened next in Canada was called the "Great Toronto Derby". The surge in births in Toronto, and indeed across Canada, this decade has been phenomenal. As a result, on May 30, 1938, exactly ten years after Millar's death, the city court began to consider applications for inheritance. A woman who managed to give birth to ten children in ten years was disqualified - it turned out that not all of her children were from the same man, as Millar demanded. Another woman was also disqualified: she gave birth nine times, but five children were stillborn. Both ladies received a consolation prize of $13,000. $500,000 were distributed in equal shares among four families, in which nine children were born in ten years. As the newspapers later reported, there were no more children in these families.

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