Longest Will Ever Probated
You would think that the will of someone like John D. Rockefeller or a former president would set the record for one of the longest wills ever documented. Quite the contrary, the longest will to ever go through probate was 1,066 pages and 95,940 words long! In fact, this very will was handwritten in October of 1919 for an Englishwoman named Frederika Stilwell Cook, who was the daughter of a wealthy British merchant.
World’s Richest Dog
A German Shepherd dog named Gunther Liebenstein III inherited $80 million after his owner, Carlotta Liebenstein, passed away in 1991. The dog inherited more money than Gunther Liebenstein’s only son, Gunter IV!
Oldest Power Of Attorney/Will
Historians found a power of attorney dating back to 561 BC Mesopotamia. Additionally, the oldest will, recorded and recognized, was filed in 2458 BC in Ancient Egypt by a man named Uah. It was found when Uah’s tomb was opened, and the will left everything he owned to his wife Teta.
The Shortest Will Ever Drafted
The shortest known will was “All to Wife.” Talk about keeping it short and sweet. In fact, wills like “All to wife” and “All to Husband” are legally binding in probate and can apply to any family member as long as the will is officially filed by an estate attorney.
The Creation Of The Smithsonian
Although most people think that the United States government started the Smithsonian Institute, few know that the museum was erected with the funds and instructions left behind by the will of James Smithson, a British chemist who died in 1829.
Bonus Fact: You Can Disinherit Someone From A Will
Just like a will is used to designate assets to certain people, it can be used to categorically prohibit a person from receiving any money from an estate as long as the condition is put in writing.