15 of the Strangest Ways People Have Died In History

Dying is, unsurprisingly, the last thing we will do in our lives. While we all want our friends and loved ones to remember us for our achievements while alive, some people are remembered for how bizarrely they kicked the bucket. While a grim thought, it’s also that morbid curiosity that keeps the topic alive.

We’ve collected the strangest accounts of humans perishing that we’ve found online, gathered from all throughout history. You don’t have to consider these cautionary tales, since it’s extremely unlikely any of these scenarios are ever repeated. That just makes them all the more interesting.

Diogenes and the Raw Octopus

Diogenes has several legendary death stories, including one involving raw octopus that caused a fatal illness. Assuming that this one was true, it would mean that he spent his last moments on this Earth in the bathroom.

Jack Daniel’s Infected Toe

Jack Daniel injured his big toe kicking his safe after struggling to open it. The wound became infected with gangrene, eventually requiring amputations and contributing to complications that poisoned his blood and ended in his demise.

John Sedgwick’s Famous Last Words

Union General John Sedgwick was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter at Spotsylvania Court House in 1864, shortly after reportedly telling soldiers, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” They could.

Clement Vallandigham’s Courtroom Demonstration

Ohio lawyer Clement Vallandigham accidentally shot himself while demonstrating how a murder victim might have accidentally fired a pistol. He believed the weapon was unloaded. His demonstration proved his legal theory, while the wound proved fatal.

Titus and the Brain-Eating Gnat

A Talmudic legend claims Roman Emperor Titus suffered for years after an insect entered his nose and reached his brain. The story says it grew enormous inside his skull, making it quite the way to go.

Franz Reichelt’s Eiffel Tower Jump

Franz Reichelt believed his parachute suit could save aviators, then tested it personally from the Eiffel Tower in 1912. The device failed to deploy, and he fell roughly 58 meters to his death.

Alexander’s Deadly Drinking Contest

After the Indian philosopher Calanus died by self-immolation, Alexander the Great reportedly honored him with funeral games, including a drinking contest. Plutarch says forty-one contestants died afterward of alcohol poisoning, while the winner also died days later.

Caesar’s Pirate Revenge

Julius Caesar’s pirate captors demanded a ransom he considered insultingly low, so he insisted they raise it. After his release, Caesar raised a fleet, captured them, and had them crucified, fulfilling his jokes about revenge.

The Many Deaths of Rasputin

Rasputin’s assassination became legendary because Prince Felix Yusupov claimed poison, beatings, shootings, and drowning were all needed to kill him. Modern forensic analysis suggests the story was embellished and that a close-range gunshot killed him.

The Defenestration of Prague

The 1618 Defenestration of Prague saw many Catholic officials thrown from a castle window during a political confrontation. Remarkably, most survived the roughly 70-foot fall, an event that helped ignite the Bohemian Revolt.

The Duke of Clarence and the Wine Barrel

George, Duke of Clarence, was reportedly drowned in a barrel of Malmsey wine after his 1478 treason conviction. The story became famous through Shakespeare, with the method of execution itself seeming strangely wasteful.

Henry I and the Lampreys

King Henry I of England reportedly died after a “surfeit of lampreys,” according to a medieval chronicler. While modern medical analysis considers lamprey poisoning unlikely, the possibility of the matter remains the same.

Saint Peter, Upside Down

Saint Peter allegedly requested being crucified in the inverted position because he felt unworthy to die like Jesus. Being crucified is already bad enough, imagine having to go through that upside down.

James II and the Exploding Cannon

James II of Scotland was killed in 1460 when a cannon exploded beside him during the siege of Roxburgh Castle. The bursting artillery struck the king, who died before seeing the fortress fall.

Segway CEO Jimi Heselden

Segway owner Jimi Heselden died in 2010 after accidentally riding his own Segway over a cliff near his home in Yorkshire. He fell into the River Wharfe and suffered fatal injuries.