The World’s Weirdest Deaths

In 1911, Jack Daniel, founder of the famous Tennessee whiskey distillery, died of blood poisoning due to a toe injury he received after kicking his safe in anger when he could not remember its combination code.

Not a good entrance for this WWF Wrestler

In 1999, Owen Hart, WWF (now WWE) wrestler, died when he fell 78 feet while being lowered into the ring by a cable from the stadium rafters before an upcoming match.

Distracted by his wife, in the middle of World War I

In 1915, Luxembourgian Tour de France winner François Faber died in a trench on the western front of World War I. He received a telegram saying his wife had given birth to a daughter. He cheered, giving away his position, and was shot by a German sniper.

Decapitated by his car’s drive chain, but it was worth it!

In 1927, British racing driver J.G. Parry-Thomas was decapitated by his car’s drive chain when it snapped. He was attempting to break his own Land speed record. Incredibly enough, despite being killed in the attempt, he succeeded in setting a new record of 171 mph.

A homeless man killed to collect his life insurance

In 1933, homeless man Michael Malloy, was murdered by gassing after surviving multiple poisonings, intentional exposure, and being struck by a car. Malloy was murdered by five men in a plot to collect on life insurance policies they’d purchased.

He swallowed a toothpick on a party

In 1941, writer Sherwood Anderson, swallowed a toothpick at a party and then died of peritonitis.

4 Weeks without water on the Libyan Desert

In 1943, Lady be Good, a USAAF B-24 bomber, lost its way and crash landed in the Libyan Desert. The Mummified remains of its crew, who struggled for a week without water, were not found until 1960.

The Jockey died but the Horse kept going … and WON!

In 1953, jockey Frank Hayes suffered a heart attack during a horse race. The horse, Sweet Kiss, went on to finish first, making Hayes the only deceased jockey to win a race.

The right song for his last performance

In 1960, famed baritone Leonard Warren collapsed on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera of a massive stroke during a performance of “La forza del destino” (The force of destiny).

Apollo 1’s deadly training exercise

In 1967, a flash fire began in the pure oxygen atmosphere inside the unlaunched Apollo 1 spacecraft, killing its crew during a training exercise.

The Prime Minister can’t swim

Also in 1967, Harold Holt, the serving Prime Minister of Australia, vanished while swimming on a beach near Melbourne. His body was never found.

“Are we boring you, Mr. Rodale?”

In 1971, Jerome Irving Rodale, an American pioneer of organic farming, died of a heart attack while being interviewed on the Dick Cavett Show. When he appeared to fall asleep, Cavett quipped “Are we boring you, Mr. Rodale?”. The show was never broadcast.

And this is Live News…

In 1974, Christine Chubbuck, an American television news reporter, committed suicide during a live broadcast. 8 minutes into her talk show, she drew out a revolver and shot herself in the head.

Assassinated with an Umbrella

In 1978, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated by poisoning in London by an unknown assailant who shot him in the leg with a specially modified umbrella that fired a metal pellet full of ricin poison.

Decapitated by a helicopter blade

In 1982, actor Vic Morrow was decapitated by helicopter blade during filming of “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and was killed instantly, along with child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen.

A foil pierced his eyeball and entered his brain

Also in 1982, Olympic champion fencer Vladimir Smirnov died nine days after his opponent’s foil snapped during a match, pierced his eyeball and entered his brain.

Wasn’t that just part of the act?

In 1983, British magician Tommy Cooper died on stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre during a live television routine. Most of the audience and viewers believed it was part of his act.

The politician shot himself during a TV conference

In 1987, Republican politician R. Budd Dwyer committed suicide during a televised press conference. Facing a potential 55-year jail sentence for alleged involvement in a conspiracy, Dwyer shot himself in the head with a revolver.

Teenager killed by a MiG-23 fighter jet

In 1989, a Belgian teenager was killed by a crashing soviet MiG-23 fighter jet, which was on autopilot after the crew ejected following a false engine failure alarm.

Brandon Lee and the magic bullet

In 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was shot and killed by a prop .44 Magnum while filming the movie The Crow. The scene involved the firing of a full-powder blank (full charge of gunpowder, but no bullet) at Brandon’s character. However, unknown to the film crew, a bullet was already lodged in the barrel.

As you said: “Too bad you can only live so long”

In 1996, Richard Versalle suffered a heart attack onstage at the New York Metropolitan Opera after delivering the line “Too bad you can only live so long” during a performance of The Makropulos Case.

Too much Viagra killed the dictator

In 1998, Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha died at his residence in Abuja of a heart attack, rumored to have been caused by the ingestion of large quantities of the drug Viagra in preparation for an orgy.

Prince of Nepal didn’t like his Royal Family

In 2001, on June 1, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal, enraged from a dispute over his marriage arrangements (and possibly intoxicated), went on a rampage at dinner and massacred nearly the entire Royal Family, including his father the king. But in accordance with custom and tradition, Dipendra, then in a coma due to wounds sustained either from palace guards or a botched suicide attempt, became king for three days before dying on June 4.

Nasty weather for this environmentalist

In 2003, American environmentalist Timothy Treadwell, self-proclaimed “eco-warrior” that had lived in the wilderness among bears for thirteen summers in a remote portion of Alaska, was killed and partially consumed along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard after they had been slated to leave due to the impending harsh winter in Alaska. A critically-acclaimed documentary about the incident, Grizzly Man, was released in 2005.

(Content By Dr. Mercola, Mercola)