30 Strangest Deaths in History

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Death by Embracing the Reflection of the Moon

Chinese poet Li Po (701-706) is regarded as one of the two greatest poets in China's literary history. He was well known for his love of liquor and often spouted his greatest poems while drunk.

One night, Li Po fell from his boat and drowned in the Yangtze River while trying to embrace the reflection of the moon in the water.
Death by Beard

Austrian Hans Steininger was famous for having the world's longest beard (it was 4.5 feet or nearly 1.4 m long) and for dying because of it.

One day in 1567, there was a fire in town and in his haste Hans forgot to roll up his beard. He accidentally stepped on his beard, lost balance, stumbled, broke his neck and died!
Death From Holding a Pee In

Danish nobleman and astronomer Tycho Brahe [wiki] was one interesting fellow. He kept a dwarf as a court jester who sat under the table during dinner. He even had a tame pet moose.

Tycho also lost the tip of his nose in a duel with another Danish nobleman and had to wear a "dummy" nose made from silver and gold, but that's another story.

It was said that Tycho had to hold his pee during one particularly long banquet in 1601 (getting up in the middle of a dinner was considered really rude) that his bladder, strained to its limits, developed an infection which later killed him!

Later analyses suggested that Tycho died because of mercury poisoning but that's not nearly as interesting as the original story.
Death by Conductor's Cane

While conducting the hymnal Te Deum for French King Louis XIV in 1687, Jean-Baptiste Lully was so focused in keeping the rhythm by banging a staff against the floor (this was the method before conductor's baton came into use), that he struck his toe hard but refused to stop.

The toe developed an abscess, which later turned gangrenous, but Lully refused to have it amputated. The gangrene spread and killed the stubborn musician.

Ironically, the hymn he was conducting was in celebration of the recovery of Louis XIV from an illness.
Death by Dessert

King Adolf Frederick [wiki] of Sweden loved to eat and died from it too!

The "King Who Ate Himself to Death" died in 1771 at the age of 61 from a digestive problem after eating a giant meal consisting of lobster, caviar, saurkraut, cabbage soup, smoked herring, champagne and 14 servings of his favorite dessert: semla [wiki], a bun filled with marzipan and milk.
Death by Jury Demonstration

After the Civil War, controversial Ohio politician Clement Vallandigham [wiki] became a highly successful lawyer who rarely lost a case.

In 1871, he defended Thomas McGehan who was accused of shooting one Tom Myers during a barroom brawl. Vallandigham's defense was that Myers had accidentally shot himself while drawing his pistol from a kneeling position.

To convince the jury, Vallandigham decided to demonstrate his theory. Unfortunately, he grabbed a loaded gun by mistake and ended up shooting himself!

By dying, Vallandigham succeeded in demonstrating the plausibility of the accidental shooting and got his client acquitted.
Death from Biting One's Tongue

Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884)[wiki], famous for creating the Pinkerton detective agency and developing investigative techniques such as surveilling a suspect and doing undercover work, died of an infection after biting his tongue when he slipped on a sidewalk!
Death from Stubbing One's Toe

Famous Tennessee whiskey distiller Jack Daniel [wiki] decided to come in to work early one morning in 1911. He wanted to open his safe but couldn't remember the combination. In anger, Daniel kicked the safe and injured his toe, which later developed an infection that killed him!

Moral of the story? Don't go to work early.
Death by Orange Peel



Bobby Leach [wiki] wasn't afraid to court death: in 1911, he was the second person in the world to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The daredevil went on to perform many other death-defying stunts, so his death is especially ironic.

One day while walking down a street in New Zealand, Leach slipped on a piece of orange peel. He broke his leg so badly it had to be amputated. Leach died due to complications that developed afterwards.
Death by Overcoat Parachute Failure

In 1911, French tailor Franz Reichelt decided to test his invention, a combination overcoat and parachute, by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. Actually, he told the authorities that he would use a dummy, but at the last minute decided to test it himself. It was no surprise that he fell to his death.

There's even a YouTube clip of his fatal jump.
Death by 1) Poison, 2) Gunshot Wound (4x), 3) Beating by Clubs, 4) Drowning.

According to legends, Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) was first poisoned with enough cyanide to kill ten men, but he wasn't affected.

So his killers shot him in the back with a revolver. Rasputin fell but later revived. So, he was shot again three more times, but Rasputin still lived. He was then clubbed, and for good measure thrown into the icy Neva River.

Rasputin was finally dead for good.
Death by Baseball

Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman [wiki] was the only man ever killed by a baseball pitch.

At that time, baseball pitchers dirtied up a ball before it was thrown at the batter to make it harder to see. On August 6, 1920 in a game against the New York Yankees, Carl Mays pitched such a ball towards Chapman that fatally hit his skull.
Death by Scarf

"Mother of modern dance" Isadora Duncan [wiki] was killed in 1927 by her trademark scarf she loved to wear:
As the New York Times noted in its obituary of the dancer on 15 September 1927, "The automobile was going at full speed when the scarf of strong silk began winding around the wheel and with terrific force dragged Miss Duncan, around whom it was securely wrapped, bodily over the side of the car, precipitating her with violence against the cobblestone street. She was dragged for several yards before the chauffeur halted, attracted by her cries in the street. Medical aid was summoned, but it was stated that she had been strangled and killed instantly."

Death by Garbage



Homer and Langley Collyer [wiki] were compulsive hoarders. The two brothers had a fear of throwing anything away and obsessively collected newspapers and other junk in their house. They even set up booby-traps in corridors and doorways to protect against intruders.

In 1947, an anonymous tip called that there was a dead body in the Collyer house, and after much initial difficulty getting in, the police found Homer Collyer dead and Langley no where to be found. About two weeks later, after removing nearly 100 tons of garbage from the house, workers found Langley Collyer's partialy decomposed (and rat-chewed) body just 10 feet away from where they had found his brother.

Apparently, Langley had been crawling through tunnels of newspapers to bring food to his paralyzed brother when he set off one of his own booby-traps. Homer died several days later from starvation.
Death at a Talk Show

Jerome Irving Rodale [wiki] was a proponent of healthy eating. He was an early advocate for organic farming and sustainable agriculture, founder of Organic Farming and Gardening magazine and Rodale Press.

After bragging that he would "live to 100, unless I'm run down by a a sugar-crazy taxi driver", Rodale died of a heart attack while being interviewed on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971. Appearing fast asleep, Dick Cavett joked "Are we boring you, Mr. Rodale?" before discovering that his 72-year-old guest had indeed died. The show was never aired.
Death by Suicide During a Live TV News Broadcast

Christine Chubbuck [wiki] was the first and only TV news reporter to commit suicide during a live television broadcast.

On July 15, 1974, eight minutes into the broadcast, the depressed reporter said "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide." With that, Chubbuck drew up a revolver and shot herself in the head.
Death on the Toilet

There are several examples of death on the toilet, but that of Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977) was the most famous.

The King of Rock 'n Roll was found lying on the floor of his Graceland mansion's bathroom after throwing up while being seated on the toilet, taking care of business.

Doctors attributed his death to a heart attack from weight gain and taking too many prescription drugs.
Death by Robot

Robert Williams [wiki] was the first man ever killed by a robot. On January 25, 1979, Williams climbed into a storage rack at the Ford Motor's Flat Rock casting plant to retrieve a part because the parts-retrieval robot malfunctioned. Suddenly, the robot reactivated and slammed its arm into Williams' head, killing him instantly.

The second death by robot happened just a couple of years afterwards in 1981. Kenji Urada [wiki], a 37-year-old Japanese maintenance engineer was working on a broken robot at a Kawasaki plant when he failed to turn it off. The robot's mechanical arm accidentally pushed him into a grinding machine.
Death by Decapitation by Helicopter Rotor Blades

Actor Vic Morrow [wiki] died on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie when a helicopter spun out of control due to special effect explosions, crashed, and decapitated him with its rotor blades.

Two other child actors also died at the event, which triggered a massive reform in US child labor laws and safety regulations on movie sets.
Death by Cactus

In 1982, 27-year-old David Grundman and a roommate decided to do a little "cactus plugging," by shooting the desert plant with a shotgun.

The first one, a small cactus, went off without a hitch and Grundman was encouraged to try a larger prey: a 26-foot-tall Saguaro cactus, probably a 100-year-old plant. Unfortunately, Grundman blasted off a large chuck of the cactus that fell on him and crushed him to death!

To date, this was probably the only known instance of revenge killing by a plant.
Death by Bottle Cap

American playwright Tennessee Williams [wiki] died in 1983 after he choked on a bottle cap in his hotel room. Yes, he had been drinking.
Death by Drowning at a Lifeguards' Party.

In 1985, to celebrate their first drowning-free season ever, the lifeguards of the New Orleans recreation department decided to throw themselves a party.

When the party ended, a 31-year-old guest named Jerome Moody was found dead on the bottom of the recreation department's pool.

We suppose when it's your time to go, then it's your time to go: there were four lifeguards on duty and more than half of the 200 party-goers were themselves lifeguards!
Death on Stage, While Telling a Joke

Dick Shawn (1924-1987) was a comedian who had a heart attack and died during a joke that seemed strangely appropriate:

He was making fun of politicians by saying campaign cliches ending with "I will not lay down on the job!" Shawn then laid down on the floor face down. At first, the audience thought that it was all part of the show, until some time later a theater employee checked him for a pulse and began administering CPR.

The paramedics then arrived, and the audience were told to go home - Dick Shawn was dead.

(Image credit)
Death by Belly Slam.

British pro wrestler Mal "King Kong" Kirk died underneath the big belly of Shirley "Big Daddy" Crabtree.

In August 1987, during the final moments of the match, Crabtree delivered his signature "Belly-Splash" move (basically jumping up and down, slamming his belly onto a guy) on Kirk, who then had a heart attack and died.

Crabtree was cleared after it was revealed that Kirk had a serious heart condition prior to the match. However, Crabtree blamed himself for Kirk's death and retired from pro wrestling.

Before the match, Kirk had told his friends: "If I have to go, I hope it is in the ring."
Death by Giant Umbrellas

In 1991, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude put up an environmental installation art of thousands of giant yellow and blue umbrellas in California and Japan.

The giant umbrellas, which measured about 20 foot (6 m) in height, 28 foot (8.7 m) in diameter and weighed about 500 lb, became a huge tourist attraction.

Less than two months after the installation opened, Lori Rae Keevil-Mathews, a 33-year-old woman drove out to see the umbrellas in California. A wind gust uprooted one of the umbrellas and blew it straight at her, crushing her against a boulder and killing her.

Christo immediately ordered all of the umbrellas taken down. The umbrellas, however, took another life - this time in Japan. Crane operator Masaaki Nakamura was electrocuted when the machine's arm touched a 65,000-volt high-tension line when removing the umbrellas.
Death by Re-creation

In 1991, a 57-year-old Thai woman Yooket Paen was walking in her farm when she accidentally slipped on a cow dung, grabbed a naked live wire and got electrocuted to death.

Soon after Paen's funeral, her 52-year-old-sister Yooket Pan was showing her neighbors how the accident happened when she herself slipped, grabbed the same live wire and also got electrocuted to death!
Death by Sheep

In 1999, Betty Stobbs, 67, of Durham, England, took a bale of hay to feed her flock of sheep on the back of her motorcycle.

Apparently, the sheep were very hungry. About forty of them rushed the hay and knocked her off a cliff into a 100-feet deep quarry. Stobbs survived the fall only to be killed when the motorcycle, which was also knocked off the cliff, tumbled down after her.
Death by Necklace Bomb

On the afternoon of August 28, 2003, pizza deliveryman Brian Wells [wiki] tried to rob a bank with a home-made shotgun disguised as a cane.

When he was caught by the police, Wells revealed that he had been forced by some people he delivered pizza to earlier to rob the bank. A necklace with an explosive device was attached to his neck.

The necklace bomb blew up before the bomb squad could deactivate it (indeed, there was controversy whether the police took his story seriously and delayed calling the bomb squad). Until today, it's unclear whether Wells was a victim, a co-conspirator or the lone perpetrator of the robbery and subsequent death.

Update 3/12/07: Case solved, said the authorities, with indictments expected soon: Link
Death by Stingray

In 2006, Australian wildlife expert and TV personality Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin [wiki] died when he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray spine while filming a documentary Ocean's Deadliest.
Death by Bookcase

Mariesa Weber was reported missing by her family for nearly two weeks before they found her in her bedroom, wedged behind a bookcase.
"I'm sleeping in the same house as her for 11 days, looking for her," her mother, Connie Weber, told the St. Petersburg Times. "And she's right in the bedroom."

Both Weber and her sister had previously adjusted the television plug by standing on a bureau next to the shelf and leaning over the top. Her family believes Weber, who was 5-foot-3 and barely 100 pounds, may have fallen headfirst into the space.

See also / Sources: List of Unusual Deaths | 10 Strangest Sporting Deaths | It Gets Weirder: Weird eath/Neared death | Deaths of Remarkable People.

If you have any more strange and unusual stories of deaths, please let me know!

Cool! I know of another famous "death by bookcase". Composer Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888) was a concert pianist who became a recluse (like the non-paralyzed Collyer brother). When he wasn't playing for a few close friends or composing, he studied the Kabbalah (a book of Hassidic Jewish mysticism). One day he climbed a stepladder to reach a book about the Kabbalah that he kept on the top shelf of a bookcase. Humidity had caused the books to swell, and he tugged and tugged to free the weighty tome, ultimately pulling the bookcase away from the wall...

I always found it ironic that he died a decidedly "smushed by the Hand of God"-style death while searching for God.
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Another one is the death of Harry Houdini. He claimed to be able to take the punch of any man in the stomach. One day someone punched him in the stomach when he wasn't ready, and he died several days later as a result of a ruptured appendix.

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houdini#Death
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You state that "Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman [wiki] was the only man ever killed by a baseball pitch." ... I believe this to be false.

The below info is from http://www.peterga.com/baseball/numbers.htm

People killed by pitches ("Bill James Baseball Abstract" 1985 p.131):

* at least 4 in the minors between 1909 & 1920
* 1920 Ray Chapman (Carl Mays)
* 1951 Ottis Johnson (of Dothan) last player in org. ball to be killed by pitch

see BJBA p.137 for full list

... I bothered to look this up because my own cousin was struck by a pitch during a pick-up game and developed a brain aneurysm was sadly took his life.
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How bout the medieval Chinese dude who strapped 47 rockets to a chair so he could travel into space. Mythbusters on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LznBfmpSdhk
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U.S. Civil War Union General John Sedgewick, who, in 1862, was overlooking the Battle of Spotsylvania and whose last words were reportedly "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist--."

Some accounts say that he actually said "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance," turned, walked a couple steps and was then killed instantly by a Minie ball, but it hardly matters under the circumstances for the smashing irony.

One would like to go out with a modicum of humor, but the joke probably shouldn't be quite so clearly on you.
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Regarding Death by Necklace Bomb, a few weeks ago, that was finally solved and I'm pretty sure that the people who strapped the bomb to the guy's neck were arrested.
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Pyrrhus of Epirus was a great king in greece who fought the Romans. on his return home a great parade was thrown in his self proclaimed victory and as he marched down the streets of Epirus a old lady on a balkany leaned over to see him accidently knocking a flower pot over which hit the king in the head killing him. Also its said that Atilla the Hun died of a nose bleed.
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Capitaine Bonhomme (Michel Noël) who died on stage during a show... the first after he returned from a trip around the world.

The guy was known from his extraordinary adventures he kept telling everyone. The location of his death and the timing was something extraordinary by itself.

He died of a heart attack.

( It's funny how they got no information on him on the web... more proof that the french canadians sell the information instead of spreading it. Im ashamed to be one of them right now )
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An earlier death on stage telling a joke was Parkyarkus (Harold Einstein ... father of Super Dave Osborne & Albert Brooks). He was at the dais at the Friar's Club Roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz when he collapsed onto Milton Berle and died.
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Strange still, Vic Morrow aparently had premonition that he was going to be killed in a helicopter accident.

Check it: http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/m/Vic%20Morrow/vic_morrow.htm
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There was a man in Kansas city who was walking down the street, in the rain. The road crossed a bridge, which was over a river, hs slipped on a Mc.Donalds napkin, fell over, knocked three people in besides himself, and all died.
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The wealthy gambling executive Ted Binion was burked while also on Xanax and heroin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Binion

The death, as chronicled int he book Positively Fifth Street is most macabre and bizare.
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Draco, an important figure in greek law, was known for his harsh punishments of death for almost every infraction. The word draconian comes from this. Despite his oppressive laws draco was much loved by the greek people and died after giving a speech by suffocating under a pile of hats which had been thrown by members of the audience.

By far the most bizzare death I have ever heard of.
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i thought this list was fantastic... until i reached the one about the Crocodile Hunter. His death was the second by a stingray in Australia, and if you ask me its still a little soon to be laughing at the way he died.
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50-year-old bricklayer Alex Mitchell died of heart failure brought on by uncontrollable laughter while watching the 'Kung Fu Kapers' episode of the british comedy 'The Goodies'. Hiw wife wrote to them and thanked them for making his final minutes so pleasant.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goodies
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i agree with the crocodile hunter remark, being an Australian myself, and the devastation that incident caused it is much too soon to even attempt to make his death out to be some sort of amusement.

anyway in relation to the Rasputin death, yes he was poisoned, shot mulitple times, bashed by russian government officials, but he survived all of that.
It was when they threw him into the icy river that he died, due to the surface of the river freezing over while he was attempting to resurface.

He was a creepy perverted man anyway. Studying him and having to look at his portrait was scary enough.
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I also recall a Roman general, on a warpath to Persia to loot the gold off a sultan. His army was defeated and the general captured. The sultan sentenced him to death by pooring liquid gold down his throat. I don't remember the names but Marc Anthony makes a remark about it during the second season of Rome.
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No offence but mister crocodile hunter was just stupid with his way of interacting with animals..

It was bound to happen and his own stupid fault , so no mercy for that ...
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Ont of the most unusual deaths I have head of was that of my 53rd great-grandfather, Fjölnir. Fjölnir lived at the turn from BC to AD. He drowned in a vat of mead (a big barrel of beer).
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Li Bo (or Li Bai) died in 762, not 706. A five year old being one of China's preeminent poets would be something indeed. Some say he died of mercury poisoning. The rumor of his death by drowning while seeking to embrace the moon has been present since his death.
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Great list -- one of my favourites that isn't here:

207 BC: Chrysippus, a Greek stoic philosopher, is believed to have died of laughter after watching his drunken donkey attempt to eat figs. Like Tycho Brahe, this one is probably a myth.
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@ Esmoreit:
The man who you are referring to was Crassus. His head was first cut off and then melted gold was poured down his throat. It is said that he was one of the richest and greediest men of all time. He was also a member of the first triumvirate alongside Julius Caesar and Pompey. All the members of this triumvirate were murdered. Julius Caesar was killed by a group of conspirators and Pompey by decapitation in Egypt. I think.
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There was a wrestler named Yusuf Ismail of Turkey (died July 1898) who was hugely successful and undefeated (he lost but once in a suspected rigged match). Refusing to put his earnings in the bank, he had a special "money belt" made to hold his gold, which he never removed. When the boat SS La Bourgogne sank he was among the passengers. Due to his heavy gold belt he was lost to Davey Jones' locker forever!
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To those who say the crocodile hunter’s death is too recent to make fun of; Are you saying it’s ok to make fun of all of these other people’s deaths? I don’t find the death of the pizza man funny, or most of the other people on this list either. I didn’t think this list was supposed to be humorous, but instead more of an interesting/fascinating list. I know those from Australia are sensitive about Steve Orwin, and in many ways it was a tragedy, but why would his death not deserve to be on here. He was a wild life expert that was killed by a seemingly harmless sting ray.
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FYI,

There was an article in Rolling Stone recently, an expose on the giant corporate slaughterhouses down south, in it they detail the death of several people. I think it was a father, sons, uncle... who all died after jumping in to a pond of pig or cow fecal matter and/or butcher slurry trying to save the first one who fell in. Great article btw. And I think that tops all these.
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French President Faure (1841/1899):
"He is rumoured to have died while receiving oral sex from Marguerite Steinheil. This incident was the theme of numerous jokes and rumours:.../..."
wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Faure
no comments....
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Freddric Barbarossa, He died from drowning aswell, It was a hot day, and he and his army had been riding for hours without water, when they found this savannah, he was so hasty to get into the water, he forgot to take his armor off, and drowned.
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To end the Stevie wonder argument:
The man made his living interacting with dangerous animals. Though tragic, his death was, like everyone else's, inevitable; he simply chose a lifestyle that accelerated the process considerably.
Summary: Yeah, it's sad; but yeah, he totally had that one coming.

Tycho wasn't a myth, #38. He was a noted astrologer, and his death is the stuff of laughed-at legend amongst astrologers and physicists. Incidentally, the reason he wouldn't relieve himself was because to rise from the meal before the king did was a serious faux pas, a disrespect to the crown. Ironically, punishments for this were sometimes as extreme as death.
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LLLLL, Jeff, Mike & Sarah obviously don't get it. It's a list of strange deaths. It's NOT the list of hilarious deaths! For those of you who get it, there are so few of us. Anonymous, call your congressman or congresswoman and have them fight to have this pulled of immediately. By the way, how long is it before Jay Leno or other comedians can make fun of Steve? We sure as hell don't care about the Goldman family? I mean that was years ago but the joke were flying days after it occurred.
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How about "Pistol" Pete Maravich?

He died while playing a pick-up game of basketball. After all those points scored in college and the NBA, he fell to his death while playing one-on-one with a Christian evangelist. It was found that he had a major heart defect.
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Two to look into, there was a king of Germany named Ludwig II who died mysteriously by drowning in 3 feet of water while taking a bath. He was over 6 feet tall and he had his body guards watching. I also remember a guy in Japan talking on his cell phone not paying attention walked into a telephone pole and broke his neck.
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lots of kids have died after playing video games for hours, but i know this one kid that played for 3 days straight (literally), and then he got hungry and was gonna get something to eat, he stood up, took 2-3 steps and Boom... heart failure
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yeah, the kid was kneeling while playing and basicly cut off the blood to his legs and he died of a massive blood clot after about 8 hours of sitting like that
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Then there's the case of R. Budd Dwyer, treasurer of PA in the 80s. Was indicted and convicted on bribery charges and was constant in his claims of innocence. I'll sapre you the details. The day before his sentencing (which would end his ability to serve as treasurer) he called a press conference, which was carried live on PA t.v. stations. Says he's innocent, takes a gun out of a bag and blows his brains onto the wall behind him on live t.v. Wikipedia: "Since Dwyer died in office before being removed upon sentencing, his widow, Joanne, was able to collect full survivor benefits totaling over $1.28 million. A spokesman for Dwyer, immediately after the suicide, suggested Dwyer may have killed himself to retain the state-provided pension for his household, which had been ruined by legal defense costs."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Bud_Dwyer
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Comment #11 is completely untrue. After losing to the Romans and leaving Italy, Pyrrhus attempted to conquer the Peloponnese in Southern Greece. He invaded Argos, and when his army entered the city of Argos, he was hit by a roof tile thrown by a civilian. He was not killed, but he was stunned, so the soldiers of Argos were able to kill him. This isn't really a big deal, it just kind of annoyed me.
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One very strange death is a woman from my town who entered a radio contest to drink as much water as possible in order to win a Wii for her children. She drank two gallons of water and died of water intoxication.
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Interesting tidbit about Dwyer...Im really suprised that his family was entitled to the benefits since he committed suicide. Well at least he was thoughtful....
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The reason that Tycho Brahe couldn't leave the banquet to go to the bath room was that the King was present. It wouldn't just have been really rude; it would have been insulting to the majesty if anyone were to stand up before he did.
Regarding Isadora Duncan: How could the driver's attention be "attracted by her cries in the street" when it is also stated that she had been "had been strangled and killed instantly"?
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This one time at bandcamp..

Half of everything here are rumours and speculations. But look at all you fuckers trying to come of as intellectuals.
The list is entertaining but the comments are not.

Oh yeah. Too early to mention Steve Irwin? Hey Australia; he was concidered a moron every place else. He proved us all right when he died like one. He was being aired for our entertainment. Like a fool. No-one took him seriously. Okie-dokie, mate!
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There's one strange death I've read of. Don't know if it's true, but here we go.

A man was cheating on his wife and the wife found out. She walked to the top of the building and jumped off the roof attempting to take her own life...but she landed on her husband that stood on the ground, talking to his mistress.
The man died and the wife survived.
How's that for irony?
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Well, one of my all-time favorite deaths seems to be made up: the one about Mama Cass from Mamas and the Papas, who was said to been choked to death by a ham sandwich. Anyhoo, Mr. Neil Young had to cancel a tour in Europe some ten years ago when he cut himself in a finger while preparing a ham sandwich
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hehehe liked this a lot. i just found a little error. In "Death by dessert" it says that "...semla is a bun filled with marzipan and milk." That is not completly true, Semla is a bun filled with marzipan and whipped creame.
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In an old Book of Lists I used to have, there was a list of these, including the man who was riding his horse and fell off and impailed his head on a nail that was standing point-up outside a blacksmith shop. Talk about freak accident!
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Hey Stoney... I wasn't even going to leave a comment, but then I see that you try to belittle Steve Irwin's death with your petty comment.... fact is Steve Irwin was a wonderful man, who gave me much enjoyment throughout my childhood, at most he was unconventional, but then again he needed to be to get the attention of so many people. Steve Irwin in his life and times was a great father and husband, and also a great humanitarian.... what have you done?
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Wow...way to belittle Steve Irwin...Only for our entertainment...why do you think so much of yourself...ovbiously you arn't that important or I would have looked your name up again....Since you seem to have been asleep your whole life lets set some facts straight... Steve Irwin was a wonderful person who loved animls more then I've ever seen anyone else do and who dedicated his life to them. He was an icon and a role model to many people and I personally was upset that hi sdeath was on this list..Its to soon...Beleive it or not alot of people (myself included) watched his shows for educational purposes. He was and still is a respected man.
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Chris, to say that Irwin is a great model is going a bit far... You should understand that anyone who hugs crocodiles and swins with stingrays - fully knowing the danger they pose - ins't really the greatest of role models for anyone.

Who are your other Role models? Michael Jackson perhaps...
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And why is no-one sticking up for the Pizza delivery man. His death has all the same criteria as Irwins, and whats more, he was forced into it unlike Irwin.

Your making a point about Irwin because you want to argue and like to think your on the moral high ground.

And at the end of the day, those of you offended by seeing Steve Irwin on the list should realize that you searched for 'Strange Deaths' which is inevitably going to be somewhat morbid.
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I personally think that Steve Irwin was a very brillant man... he knew the dangers and he knew how to keep in control of the situation. His death was an accident... a crew memeber was under the sting ray which made the creature defensive when Steve swam over it.. It is a very strange death and I don't see anything wrong with him being on the list. I just dont' like seeing people bashing him because they think he was foolish. many people love to see the extreme olympics and to me that is foolishness.. but hey.. who is to say that jumping from a plan isn't just as foolish?
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why dosen't anybody mention the "Darwin Awards"?
for example the french guy who tried to kill himself by ingesting poison, hanging himself, and shooting himself in the head simultaneaously.
His gunshot missed and cut the rope, and he fell into the cold water which made him vomit up the poison. he was rescued from the water but then died of hypothermia. Or how about the 2 mechanics who, noticing that gasoline took out oil stains, decided to add a gallon to the wash. the bomb scattered pieces of the house throughout a mile radius.
that's about as dumb as defending steve irwin.
i feel sorry for his kids but, he made a living molesting, grabbing, and generally pissing off wildlife for amusement. If I were an animal i certainly wouldn't appreciate a hyperactive screaming blonde creature pouncing out of nowhere and grappling and manhandling me. We should be surprised he made it as long as he did. he ticked off the wrong dasyatid
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Actually there is almond paste in semla and not marzipan.First of all, there is a BIG taste different between these two, second of all marzipan taste like shit taken from G W Bush rear end...
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this was supposed to be about wierd deaths and it turned in to a circus of bumbbling fools and idiots.this post should just be deleted.this is nothing but useless information ,but some of you turned it in to a way to vent your anger,from your misserable pathitic life.assssss WHOLES
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Steve Irwin was a jerkwad. Father image? Exposing an infant boy to within three-four feet of a crocodile and other aggressive creatures. What a loser! His own "accidental" death probably saved his son's life, in the long run.
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Steve Irwin: The title of this list is "100 STRANGEST DEATHS"

It does not state "hey laugh at this" or anything else that would lend to making fun of someone or trivializing their death. Steve probably knew he would one day die doing what he loved. Whether anyone agrees with what he chose to do is neither here nor there. As deaths go I guess it could be considered a strange way to go considering a sting by a Sting Ray is nearly never fatal. Personally I don't find it that strange - to me same as death by any animal / shark , etc. But I do not feel that inclusion on this list is being disrespectful to anyone.
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correction on King Adolf Frederick: The semla (or fastlagsbulle) is a bun filled with marzipan and cream. King Adolf Frederick ate it with milk, in most cases warm milk.
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If you mess with mother nature long enough she will get you good. Just ask Steve Irwin and heed the warning. I warned him but he didn't listen and now he is dead. Not strange at all, in fact I expected it to happen a lot sooner. So, if you also have a death wish, go play with the world's deadliest critters and see what happens...
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A friend of mine had an aunt who was killed sitting in her car at a traffic light. Ahead of her on an uphill slope was a dump truck hauling gravel. Somehow the back of the truck tilted up and all the gravel instantly started covering the woman's car, burying her completely. She died of suffication before they could dig her out.
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Bob Marley ultimately died from a friendly soccer game with a couple of Germans. He got an infection in his toe and being a Rastafarian did not believe in amputation. Due to the religion he created, I don't think he did much suffering though... rather he died happy.

Not going to touch the Steve Irwin subject, but will say that he made me smile.

Wasn't there a U.S. Senator or Congressman who died from a heart attack right after he orgasmed with/in his mistress. What a way to go!
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in reply to your comment #25 roger, catherine the great death is shown on this site http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/catherinethegreat/a/histmyths1.htm
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HAHA these are all mad.
I think the steve irwin thing is a bit out of controll, personally i did think he was a bit of a idiot, but he loved what he did, he loved the animals, thats the lifestyle he chose. There are plenty of other people out there who do things like that though, like the bull riders, stunt people, even driving a car is dangerous. Do you people who think steve deserved to die, or had this comming look at people who droive down the road on their was to work and think to yourselves "oh theyll get in a crash one day"
Give the guy a break, he did dangerous things because he loved the animals, and he did not "have this comming". It was a strange and unfotrunate death, deserving to be on this list, but just leave him alone.
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my best mates grandma died in a zed-bed (one of those beds that folds in three places) when she unfolded it, laydown on it, and then it snaped closed (they have big springs on them to keep them from opening up accidently). she died of a heart attack at the shock of it. brian heard it, looked in, went back to his mum and dad and simply said: "grandma's dead in a zed-bed". and these are all deaths, and death is tragic no matter how it happens. pity them all, not just steve irwin. (though he was tempting fate)
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People, please!

Enough with the semla corrections/facts! No one cares whether it was filled with creme or milk or almond paste nor what other names it goes by... I can't believe there are so many comments trying to educate us or correct the post.
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Additional death by cactus: In the late 80's at the Lake Pleasant Glider Port (just North of Phoenix) a glider pilot landed off runway; the right wing impacted a very large Saguaro cactus (weighing several tons) which collapsed onto the plexiglass canopy - killing the pilot. I believe the glass ship was a Grob 109 (to the best of my memory).
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