The 15 Strangest Ways People Have Died Throughout History

The last thing we will all do, whether we like it or not, is die. Of course, it often isn’t an action in and of itself, it’s more like something that happens in consequence of some other action. Throughout history, the events leading to some deaths ended up being so bizarre, that people keep them as interesting tidbits wherever they go.

Since we love collecting tidbits, we’ve gathered here some of the most interesting deaths in history, some gruesome, others amusing. Keep in mind that ancient and medieval sources were not always reliable, and colorful stories often became more famous than the evidence behind them. Still, whether firmly documented or merely preserved as historical anecdotes, these deaths are among the strangest stories history has left behind.

Attila the Hun, A Deadly Nosebleed

According to the Roman historian Jordanes, Attila married Ildico, drank heavily, and died during the night when blood from a nosebleed ran down his throat. Modern historians consider the exact cause uncertain, but the ancient account survived.

Death by Elephant

Elephants were used as executioners in parts of India for centuries. Rulers trained them to crush, dismember, or otherwise kill condemned people, turning the animals into terrifying instruments of royal punishment and demonstrating their authority.

Chrysippus, Laughed to Death

Ancient sources give Chrysippus multiple possible causes of death, but the strangest says he laughed himself to death after watching a donkey eat his figs. He joked about giving it wine, then supposedly laughed fatally.

Sigurd the Mighty, Killed by a Tooth

According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Viking earl Sigurd the Mighty strapped Máel Brigte’s severed head to his saddle. A protruding tooth grazed Sigurd’s leg, the wound became infected, and he eventually died from it.

Adolf Frederick, Too Much Dessert

Swedish King Adolf Frederick died in 1771 after an enormous meal that included lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring, champagne, and 14 servings of semla. His dessert-heavy death became one of Sweden’s strangest historical anecdotes.

Jean-Baptiste Lully, Conducting Himself to Death

While conducting his Te Deum, Jean-Baptiste Lully accidentally struck his foot with the long staff he used to keep time. The injury developed into gangrene, and he eventually died after refusing amputation.

Tycho Brahe, The Bathroom Myth

Tycho Brahe became seriously ill after a 1601 banquet where, according to a famous account, he refused to leave the table to urinate. The traditional story says his bladder ruptured, although later research has challenged that explanation.

The Viking and the Barrel

A famous account of Stamford Bridge says a lone Viking held the bridge against English attackers until a soldier floated underneath in a barrel and thrust a spear upward. The bizarre story appears in historical sources, though details remain debated.

Aeschylus, Killed by a Tortoise

Ancient writers claimed Aeschylus died in Sicily when an eagle, supposedly mistaking his bald head for a rock, dropped a tortoise onto him. The spectacular story comes from later sources and is generally treated as an anecdote.

Langley Collyer, Buried by His Own Hoard

Langley Collyer died while crawling through a narrow tunnel inside his famously cluttered Manhattan mansion. His body was found beneath debris, partly eaten by rats, after his brother Homer had already died inside the house.

The White Ship Disaster

The White Ship sank off Normandy in 1120 after its crew and passengers had been drinking heavily. Among the dead was William Adelin, Henry I’s heir, whose death ultimately helped trigger England’s succession crisis and the Anarchy.

Pyrrhus, Taken Down by a Roof Tile

During fighting at Argos, King Pyrrhus of Epirus was reportedly struck by a roof tile thrown by an elderly woman. Knocked from his horse and incapacitated, he was then killed by an enemy soldier.

Louis Slotin, Killed by a Nuclear Experiment

Louis Slotin died after a 1946 criticality accident at Los Alamos. While conducting a plutonium experiment, a screwdriver slipped and the assembly went critical, exposing him to a lethal radiation dose and causing acute radiation syndrome.

Valentinian I, Died Mid-Rant

Roman Emperor Valentinian I became furious during a meeting with Quadi envoys in 375. Ancient accounts say he suffered a fatal stroke while angrily shouting at the delegation, making a diplomatic dispute his final argument.

The Bal des Ardents, Burned at a Party

At the 1393 Bal des Ardents, French nobles dressed as wild men in highly flammable costumes. A torch accidentally ignited them; four dancers died, while King Charles VI survived after the Duchess of Berry protected him.