This chapter explores how death, burial, and commemoration shape historical narratives, social movements, and cultural identities through the mortuary performances and legacies of specific individuals. Using case studies, it examines how death rituals surrounding figures like Marie Skłodowska Curie, Frank Little, Marie Laveau, Richard Leroy McKinley, John Byres, Richard Legg, Emmett Till, and Elvis Presley have left lasting imprints on collective memory. The case studies here highlight the tension between individual and nationalistic needs as well as the use of the body for political purposes and as reflections of pop culture. Through these cases, the chapter explores how memorialization practices embody tensions between public commemoration, private wishes, and historical contexts, shedding light on the broader social forces at play in constructing historical legacies.