The shocking death of Heath Ledger continues to stir up searches. In the immediate aftermath, searchers asked whether the awful news was true. After Mr. Ledger's death was confirmed, people begun to search on other actors whose lives were cut short.

Over the past few days, we've seen spikes on Brad Renfro, Freddie Prinze, Sr., David Strickland, Jon-Erik Hexum, Jonathan Brandis, Rebecca Shaffer, Sharon Tate, River Phoenix, Chris Farley, and, of course, James Dean. Ledger's death inspired renewed interest in them all, a testament to the public's morbid fascination with dying young.

Mr. Ledger's death was a reminder of how a seemingly glamorous life can end in the most unglamorous of ways. He wasn't the first star to deliver the lesson, and, sadly, he won't be the last. Searches have already begun to spike on "celebrity obits 2008."