Curses have haunted humanity and history for centuries. Stories of misfortune and death tied to objects, families, and places refuse to fade. They spark whispers, raise goosebumps, and leave unanswered questions. Whether rooted in fact or superstition, some curses feel too strange to ignore. Here are the most infamous curses that still terrify us today.
The Hope Diamond Curse
This glittering, 45-carat gem has a violent past. Said to have been plucked from a statue of a Hindu goddess, the diamond cursed anyone who touched it. Its owners met bankruptcy, insanity, and brutal deaths.
French King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, who once owned the diamond, were executed during the French Revolution. Washington Post owner Evalyn Walsh McLean, who later possessed it, lost her son to a car crash and her daughter to suicide.
The diamond now sits in the Smithsonian. Some believe its curse ended when it was donated. Others think it’s merely dormant, waiting for its next victim.
Read also about The Most Cursed Objects and Their Terrifying True Stories
The Pharaoh’s Curse
From all the curses in history, that’s the one comes first in mind. When Howard Carter entered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, he might have unlocked ancient wrath. The tomb bore warnings about disturbing the pharaoh’s rest. Soon, people connected to the excavation started dying.
Lord Carnarvon, the expedition’s funder, was one of the first. He died from a mosquito bite that turned septic. Reports claimed that lights in Cairo flickered when he took his final breath. Carter’s own canary was allegedly eaten by a cobra—the symbol of Egyptian royalty—the same day the tomb was opened.
Experts have suggested bacteria sealed in the tomb caused sickness, but the deaths continued to baffle. Was it science, coincidence, or something sinister?
The Poltergeist Curse
Horror films rarely escape their own dark energy, but Poltergeist remains one of the most cursed productions in Hollywood. Four cast members died under tragic circumstances after the trilogy was released.
Heather O’Rourke, who played the young Carol Anne, died at age 12 from a mysterious illness. Dominique Dunne, another cast member, was murdered by her boyfriend. People have blamed the curse on the use of real human skeletons during filming.
The director claimed it saved on budget, but many wonder if it invited something darker. To this day, Poltergeist remains a warning to horror filmmakers about meddling with the unknown.
The Kennedy Curse
The Kennedy family’s name conjures power, but it also summons a long history of tragedy. Starting with the death of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. in World War II, the family’s misfortunes grew. President John F. Kennedy’s assassination shook the world, but it didn’t stop there.
His brother Robert was gunned down during his own presidential campaign. John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash with his wife and sister-in-law. In total, the family has seen nearly a dozen tragedies in just a few generations.
Is it the pressure of fame and fortune, or something darker passed down through bloodlines? The public may never know, but the curse has become part of their legacy.
Ötzi the Iceman’s Curse
Discovered in 1991, the 5,300-year-old mummy known as Ötzi became a scientific marvel—and a possible bringer of death. Since his discovery, at least seven people connected to his study have died mysteriously.
The first was forensic pathologist Rainer Henn, who handled Ötzi’s body with his bare hands. He died in a car accident shortly after. Then, mountaineer Kurt Fritz, who led researchers to the site, was killed in an avalanche. Others suffered fatal heart attacks and accidents.
The deaths raised eyebrows. Was Ötzi protecting himself, or is the curse pure paranoia? His body remains frozen in a museum, but his story chills those who study him.
The Crying Boy Painting Curse
In 1980s England, house fires became linked to one strange coincidence—a painting of a crying boy. Firefighters reported that the artwork would survive the flames, even when everything else burned to ashes.
The painting was mass-produced, found in homes across the UK. Many destroyed their copies out of fear. Some believed the boy in the painting represented a tragic spirit, others thought it was cursed by design.
Despite investigations, no one could explain the phenomenon. Was it a flammable varnish or something no one dared to name? Even today, collectors hesitate to keep it in their homes.
Are curses mere superstition, or is something unexplainable watching from the shadows? These curses though, are still haunting history.
Also, don’t miss these 9 Horrifying Traditions Around the World.
