The World's Most Famous Funerals

padha THE WORLD'S +MOST FAMOUS > FUNERALS Funeral costs are something that many people worry about leaving their families burdened with. And while the price of the average funeral continues to rise, it still pales in comparison to some notable funerals from the past century. We take a look at the send-offs of some of the world's most well-known figures. MICHAEL JACKSON AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: 50 £650,000 LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WATCHED ON TV: ATTENDEES: 20,000 STAPLES CENTER, 2.5 BILLION GLOBALLY LOS ANGELES, U.S. YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: A CRYPT COMING IN AT £380,000. RONALD REAGAN AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: II н н 93 £260 MILLION LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ATTENDEES: WATCHED ON TV: 20.8 200,000 MILLION U.S. VIEWERS SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, & WASHINGTON D.C., U.S. Half at the Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley; half in Washington D.C. YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: THE USE OF AIR FORCE ONE, COSTING £36,920 PER HOUR POPE JOHN PAUL II AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: 84 £5.85 MILLION LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: NUMBER OF PEOPLE 4 MILLION ONLOOKERS WHO WATCHED IN ROME ON TV: 2 BILLION ST. PETER'S BASILICA, ROME, ITALY YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: THREE CASKETS IN ONE: A CEDAR CASKET PLACED INSIDE A ZINC CASKET PLACED INSIDE A WALNUT CASKET. ELVIS PRESLEY AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: 42 £75,000 LOCATION OF FUN NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: NUMBER OF PEOPLE 80,000 FANS AND WHO WATCHED ONLOOKERS ON TV: 0 GRACELAND, TENNESSEE, U.S. The funeral wasn't televised. YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: A COFFIN WEIGHING 900 POUNDS AND MADE OF BRONZE. JOHN F. KENNEDY AGE AT DEATH: нт TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: 46 £6.5 MILLION LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WATCHED ON TV: 93% OF 800,000 PEOPLE U.S. HOUSEHOLDS WATCHED. WASHINGTON D.C., U.S. YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: (including 19 heads of state and government) 220 TOTAL FOREIGN DIGNITARIES from 92 countries, five international agencies, and the Papacy in attendance. MOTHER TEAESA AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: 87 UNKNOWN LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE ATTENDEES: WHO WATCHED ON TV: 15,000 UNKNOWN CALCUTTA, INDIA YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: A LEPER SERVING WINE for the Eucharist, a released prisoner serving water, and a handicapped man serving bread. KIM JONG IL AGE AT DEATH: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: IIII 69 UNKNOWN LOCATION OF FUNERAL: NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE ATTENDEES: WHO WATCHED 2 MILLION ONLOOKERS ON TV: 0 PYONGYANG, It wasn't televised outside North Korea. NORTH KOREA KA YOUR FUNERAL PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT: AN EMBALMMENT TAKING MORE THAN A YEAR TO CONSTRUCT AND COSTING OVER £650,000. SOURCES: LA TIMES, NY DAILY NEWS, MSNBC, BBC NEWS, CNBC, USA TODAY, GULF TIMES, MUSEUM OF BROADCAST COMMUNICATORS Confused.com