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September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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People File • History

Evelyn McHale

Evelyn Francis McHale was an American bookkeeper who died by suicide in New York City in 1947 after jumping from the Empire State Building.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Evelyn McHale was an American bookkeeper who died by suicide in 1947 after jumping from the Empire State Building. A photograph of her body taken moments later became internationally famous and was described as 'the most beautiful suicide.'

What happened

On May 1, 1947, McHale jumped from the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building, landing on a parked United Nations limousine on 34th Street. She was 23 years old and worked as a bookkeeper in New York City.

The photograph

Photography student Robert Wiles took the image minutes after her death. It was published in Life magazine and later circulated globally, becoming one of the best-known photographs of death in modern media. Time magazine later called it 'the most beautiful suicide.'

Why it matters

McHale's image remains a powerful example of how tragedy can become iconic in mass culture. It has inspired artistic references and continues to be discussed in media and photography circles. McHale was cremated according to her wishes and has no grave marker.

In short

  • Evelyn McHale died at age 23 by jumping from the Empire State Building in 1947.
  • A photograph of her death taken by Robert Wiles was published in Life and became world-famous.
  • She was cremated and has no grave marker.
  • The image remains one of the most iconic photographs of death in modern media.

Quick questions

Who is Evelyn McHale?
Evelyn McHale was an American bookkeeper born in 1923 who became widely known after her death in 1947 was photographed and published worldwide.
Why is Evelyn McHale famous?
She is famous because a photograph of her body taken moments after her death became internationally known and was later called 'the most beautiful suicide.'
How old was Evelyn McHale when she died?
She was 23 years old.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Evelyn_McHale
    Supports: Birth and death dates, occupation, age at death, Empire State Building suicide, and worldwide fame of the photograph
  2. Codex 99 — http://www.codex99.com/photography/43.html
    Supports: Timeline of the fall, Robert Wiles photograph, publication in *Life*, and cremation/no grave
  3. The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/02/archives/empire-state-leap-ends-life-of-girl-20.html
    Supports: Contemporary account of the death, the location, the note, and identification by her sister
  4. Time — https://time.com/3456028/the-most-beautiful-suicide-a-violent-death-an-immortal-photo/
    Supports: Description of the photograph as one of the most famous images of suicide and note that there is no gravesite