Whitney Houston’s Death: What Happened on the Day of Her Passing Revisited

The world looked back on the day Whitney Houston died as they celebrated her life and legacy on what would have been her 60th birthday.

The Whitney E. Houston Foundation has been keeping the singer's legacy burning a decade after the singer's death. Houston's loved ones also held an event to pay tribute to her on her supposed 60th birthday, leading others to recall what happened on the day she died.

Whitney Houston's Death: What Happened?

Houston, who earned the nickname The Voice, struggled with drug use and personal problems amid her success in the music industry.

The "I Will Always Love You" hitmaker died and left behind her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown.

According to the 42-page coroner's report, they found cocaine and metabolites in her system that contributed to her passing as well as traces of other substances like Flexeril, Xanax, Benadryl, and marijuana.

Los Angeles County chief coroner Craig Harvey said Houston, who died of an accidental drowning, had water in her lungs indicating she was still alive when she was submerged underwater.

"According to our tests, the level of cocaine was not necessarily a lethal level of cocaine. But her death was complicated by chronic cocaine use and heart disease," he continued.

Coroner assistant chief Ed Winter gave two scenarios that possibly happened at the time of the singer's death, including how she could have passed out due to intoxication or suffered a heart attack before drowning.

Celebrating Whitney Houston's What Would Have Been 60th Birthday

On August 9, Houston's family and friends paid tribute to her as they celebrated what would have been her 60th birthday. The singer's estate worked with Primary Wave Music and Sony Corporation to launch the second annual Legacy of Love gala at St. Regis in Atlanta, Georgia.

"We are honored that so many people traveled to Atlanta to be with us for this monumental and momentous occasion," Pat Houston told People. "Whitney would have been honored by the love and support of everyone. More importantly she would have been proud of the outstanding work demonstrated by our young people."

Her family formed the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation in 2020 to help young people with their needs while empowering and assisting them in "living productive lives." It chose Living Live Foundation as its 2023 grant recipient for its Lighting the Way Youth Mentor program initiative.