Wikipedia’s full list of unusual deaths

Click HERE to access the full listing of unusual deaths on Wikipedia, all the way from ancient times to present age.

Some of the deaths described in the list is so strange that it seems only possible if someone had written them off in the Death Note’s notebook.

Here are top ten which I deemed as the strangest:

458 BC: Aeschylus, greek playwright, was killed when an eagle dropped a live tortoise on him, mistaking his bald head for a stone. The tortoise survived

King of Sweden, Adolf Frederick, died of digestion problems on February 12, 1771 after having consumed a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring and champagne, which was topped off with 14 servings of his favorite dessert: semla served in a bowl of hot milk.[39] He is thus remembered by Swedish schoolchildren as “the king who ate himself to death.

1912: Franz Reichelt, tailor, fell to his death off the first deck of the Eiffel Tower while testing his invention, the coat parachute. It was his first ever attempt with the parachute and he’d told the authorities in advance he would test it first with a dummy.

1923: Martha Mansfield, an American film actress, died after sustaining severe burns on the set of the film The Warrens of Virginia after a smoker’s match, tossed by a cast member, ignited her Civil War costume of hoopskirts and ruffles.

1947: The Collyer brothers, extreme cases of compulsive hoarders were found dead in their home in New York. The younger brother, Langley, died by falling victim to a booby trap he had set up, causing a mountain of objects, books, and newspapers to fall on him crushing him to death. His blind brother, Homer, who had depended on Langley for care, died of starvation some days later. Their bodies were recovered after massive efforts in removing many tons of debris from their home.

1975: Japanese kabuki actor Bandō Mitsugorō VIII died of severe poisoning when he ate four fugu livers (also known as pufferfish). The liver is considered one of the most (if not most) poisonous part of the fish, but Mitsugorō claimed to be immune to the poison. The fugu chef felt he could not refuse Mitsugorō and lost his license as a result.

1981: A 25-year-old Dutch woman studying in Paris, Renée Hartevelt, was killed, raped, and eaten by a classmate, Issei Sagawa, when he invited her to dinner for a literary conversation. The killer was declared unfit to stand trial and extradited back to Japan, where he was released from custody within fifteen months.

2001: Bernd-Jürgen Brandes was stabbed repeatedly in the neck and then eaten by Armin Meiwes. Before the killing, both men dined on Brandes’ severed penis. Brandes had answered an internet advertisement by Meiwes looking for someone for this purpose. Brandes explicitly stated in his will that he wished to be killed and eaten.

2005: Kenneth Pinyan of Enumclaw died of acute peritonitis after submitting to anal intercourse with a stallion. Pinyan had done this before, and he delayed his visit to the hospital for several hours out of reluctance for official cognizance. The case led to the criminalization of bestiality in Washington.

2007: Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old woman from Sacramento, died of water intoxication while trying to win a Wii console in a KDND 107.9 “The End” radio station’s “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest, which involved drinking large quantities of water without urinating. She placed second in the contest.

Technorati Tags: strange death, unusual death, wikipedia, death note, aeschylus, adolf frederick, fran reichelt, martha mansfield, collyers brother, bando mitsugoro, fugu, renee hartevelt, issei sagawa, bernd-jurgen brandes, armin meiwes, kenneth pinyan, jennifer strange

alvinology

Alvin is a marketer by day and blogger by night. He is a 100% geek who spends too much time surfing the web.

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  • Talk about random!!!

    "2005: Kenneth Pinyan of Enumclaw died of acute peritonitis after submitting to anal intercourse with a stallion. Pinyan had done this before, and he delayed his visit to the hospital for several hours out of reluctance for official cognizance. The case led to the criminalization of bestiality in Washington."

    That's a bit wacked :S.... I would have said it was made up unless I saw citation..

    Nice find dude! Keep up the great work!

  • ACK SORRY! What I meant to say was: I would have trouble believing it unless I saw the citation on wikipedia (and there is that little number on the post)...... sorry man clearly my typing was faster than my brain....

    None-the-less still amazed by it and the documentary you posted :S

    Is it too much to ask to die in a respectful/peaceful manner? hehe

    Cheers!

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