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An obituary is a notice of the death of a person, usually published in a newspaper and usually including a short biography.

The obituary usually ends with the name of the subject's wife/husband and their children.

Because of the short time between the notification of a death and the next publication deadline, most newspapers have pre-written obituaries for famous people who are still alive. Updating the "obits" is hum-drum task usually given to junior reporters.

Stories abound of obituaries accidentally published whilst the person concerned was still alive. One of the best known examples was Mark Twain, who responded "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated".

See also: recent deaths

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