From freak accidents to unbelievable twists of fate, these historical figures experienced some of history’s strangest endings.
Thomas Midgley Jr.
Thomas Midgley Jr., an American chemist and inventor, worked on the development of leaded gasoline as well as chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants. After contracting polio later in life and becoming severely disabled, he designed a complex system of ropes and pulleys which hoisted himself in and out of bed.
Midgley became entangled in this system on November 19, 1944, and died of strangulation at age 55.
John Kendrick
American explorer and sea captain John Kendrick sailed widely in the Pacific Ocean and played a key role in the early American maritime fur trade.
On December 17, 1794, Kendrick was on board the Lady Washington ship in Hawaii when ships in close proximity began exchanging cannon salutes in celebration of a military victory. Jackal, a British ship, fired a salute intended for celebration, but one of her cannons had been inadvertently loaded with grapeshot, instead of blanks.
The shot tore through the Lady Washington and killed Kendrick.
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was an American early modern dancer known for performing in loose, flowing costumes. While she entered an open sports car wearing her long scarf made of silk in Nice, France, on September 19, 1927, the scarf got caught in the back wheel or axle when the car drove off.
The scarf tightened around her neck, dragging her from the car and resulting in her death.
Frank Hayes
American jockey Frank Hayes rode a horse named Sweet Kiss to victory at a race in Belmont Park, New York, in 1923. However, Hayes died of a heart attack during the race while still riding.
The horse somehow still managed to cross the finish line first. As a result, Hayes’ death was not realized until after the race when others went to congratulate him. He is now listed (in infamy) as the only jockey to have won an official horse race while dead.
Hans Steininger
The Austrian nobleman Hans Steininger became notable for having an extremely long beard, said to have been about 4.5 feet in length. Legend has it that while rushing through Braunau am Inn during a fire in the year 1567, Steininger stepped on his beard, causing him to trip.
He normally kept his beard coiled up, but due to the chaotic situation, it must have been hanging down. He fell down a staircase and died of his injuries. His beard was preserved and displayed in a local museum.
Garry Hoy
Canadian lawyer Garry Hoy died in Toronto in 1993 after testing the strength of his office building’s windows. Hoy reportedly had a reputation for leaning his body against the glass pane to prove to visitors that it would hold up.
When doing this on the 24th floor of the Toronto-Dominion Centre one day, the glass reportedly did not shatter, but the window assembly became detached from its frame. Hoy fell to his death from the building as a result.
Gloria Ramirez
Gloria Ramirez was dubbed the “Toxic Lady” after her unusual death in California during 1994. Ramirez suffered from late-stage cervical cancer and arrived at a hospital in Riverside, California, experiencing severe medical complications.
As medical staff treated Ramirez, clusters of hospital employees began experiencing symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and fainting. A portion of the hospital’s emergency room was evacuated.
Ramirez died later that evening. Investigators came up with hypotheses related to chemicals present in or near Ramirez’s body; however, the cause of hospital staff symptoms remains debated.
Vic Morrow
Vic Morrow died while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie in California in 1982. Morrow was filming an evening scene with two child actors when special effects explosions caused a helicopter hovering low to spin out of control.
The helicopter collided with the actors, killing Morrow and the two children. The ensuing litigation spanned years and highlighted safety regulations on film sets utilizing children, helicopters, and pyrotechnics.
Tennessee Williams
American playwright Tennessee Williams (who wrote A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) died alone in his New York hotel room in February 1983.
The medical examiner ruled he choked to death on a plastic bottle cap. He apparently was using his mouth to open up a bottle of pills. Williams had drugs and alcohol in his system that may have impaired his ability to react.
Draco
The Athenian lawmaker Draco is famous today for having authored extremely harsh laws, giving us the modern term “draconian.” According to legend, when Draco visited a theater on Aegina, his admirers showered him with cloaks, hats, and other articles of clothing.
This was apparently done as a token of respect. Unfortunately for Draco, so many clothes were thrown that he choked to death under them.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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