Top 10 Most Bizarre Deaths in History

In rare and frankly absurd cases, people have died under circumstances so strange it's hard to believe they weren't written by a darkly creative screenwriter.

Sometimes it was the pursuit of knowledge. Sometimes a rogue fruit. And once in a while, it really was laughter that did the trick.

This list collects some of the most bizarre deaths known to history. The kinds of endings that make you pause and wonder how the universe manages to have a sense of humor that dry. You get to decide which ones are the wildest of the bunch. Vote for the deaths you find the most mind-boggling, hilarious in a tragic way, or just plain absurd.

The Top Ten

Aeschylus (struck by a tortoise dropped by an eagle)

Aeschylus (c. 525/524 - c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian. He is often described as the father of tragedy. His work marks the earliest surviving examples of Greek drama, and much of what is known about early Greek tragedy is based on his surviving plays. Among his most notable works is the... read more

There's a famous story from 456 BC saying that Aeschylus died because an eagle dropped a tortoise on his head. Eagles often drop tortoises on hard objects to crack them open for eating, and the eagle mistook Aeschylus's head for a rock.

I bet people told him he was hard-headed, and what do you know?

That's hilarious.
Charondas (suicide to uphold his own law)

In the 5th century BC, Ancient Greek lawmaker Charondas established a law that whoever brought weapons into the assembly must be executed. One day, he entered the assembly unaware that he still had a sword attached to his belt. Consequently, under his own law, he killed himself.
Philitas of Cos (starved to death while studying)

Philitas of Cos was known for his paranoia and obsession with correcting errors. Apparently, he tried to polish his knowledge of word errors and arguments so intensely that he starved himself to death.

Well, I am never studying again.
Claudius Drusus (choked on a pear)

When Claudius Drusus was playing, he threw a pear skywards. As it returned, he caught it in his mouth, choked on it accidentally, and died from lack of oxygen.
Martin the Humane (indigestion and laughter)

Martin the Humane is rumored to have died of laughter around 1410 AD while suffering from indigestion. The cause of his indigestion was that he had eaten an entire goose that might have been musty. However, the exact reason for his death is vague and lacks evidence.
Adolf Frederick (digestive complications from excessive eating)

Adolf Frederick, the King of Sweden, died on February 12, 1771, due to stomach problems after eating a large meal that included lobster and 14 servings of semla desserts, a sweet roll from Sweden.
Alexander Chechik (killed by a grenade while taking a selfie)

Someone in Russia died. This is why.
Iraqi Man, August 22, 1888 (struck by a meteorite)

Recent evidence shows that on August 22, 1888, meteorites fell in Iraq, killing one man. Another person was struck and left paralyzed. This is the only confirmed evidence of a person being killed by a meteorite.

That's funny yet fascinating at the same time.
Kurt Gödel (starvation due to fear of poisoning)

Kurt Gödel was a well-known logician and mathematician with a paranoid personality. He feared being served by anyone other than his wife, fearing poisoning. When his wife was hospitalized for several months, Gödel eventually died of starvation due to his fear of being poisoned.

Why couldn't he cook his own food?
Heraclitus of Ephesus (devoured by dogs while covered in cow dung)

The exact cause of Heraclitus's death is not known. Multiple sources, however, say that he either committed suicide, was devoured by dogs, or died from dropsy.

According to one account, Heraclitus was devoured by dogs after smearing himself with cow scat in an attempt to cure his dropsy. - SoongeBill

The Newcomers

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Brandon Lee (shot by a prop gun)

Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 to March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the grandson of Cantonese opera performer Lee Hoi-chuen. Brandon died at the age of 28 in a tragic accident involving a prop gun... read more
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Elisa Lam (drowned in a water tank)

The Contenders

Tycho Brahe (burst bladder from holding urine)

Hold your pee long enough, and you might end up rupturing your bladder, resulting in an inability to empty it afterwards. People usually do not die from a bladder rupture. It is a very slim chance, if not impossible. You are most likely to excrete your urine before rupturing your bladder.
According to rumors, Tycho Brahe succumbed to his death while trying to control his bladder, compounded by sickness. The reason Brahe decided to hold his bladder was that he did not want to break his politeness at a banquet party. This may have led to his difficulty in emptying his bladder later on. A few days after that incident, Brahe died, allegedly due to his bladder bursting. However, studies suggest he died from either inflammation, poisoning, or natural causes. Since his death occurred over 400 years ago, there is no exact cause of his death, making the story of his death from a "bladder burst" a myth.
Robert Williams (killed by a robot)

Robert Williams, a factory worker, was the first documented person to be crushed and killed by a robot's arm when he climbed into a storage rack.
Hans Staininger (broke neck tripping over his own beard)

In the 16th century, Hans Staininger, a burgomaster of Braunau, stumbled on his own beard and died from breaking his neck.

Amazing. Some idiot managed to turn his own beard into a lethal weapon.
Pythagoras of Samos (killed after refusing to cross a fava bean field)

Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher and mathematician. He is the putative founder of the movement known as Pythagoreanism, which combined religious teachings with a deep interest in mathematics and natural science. He is best known for the Pythagorean theorem in geometry.
Valentinian I (stroke caused by extreme anger)

In 375, Romans built fortifications near the Quadi territory in 373. The tribe was unhappy with the Romans' trespassing, so they started a protest. When Marcellianus set up a banquet to negotiate with the Quadic leaders, he killed them, sparking a war between the Quadi tribe and the Sarmatians. Roman legions poorly countered the ravaging tribes.
In late 374, Valentinian heard about the conflict but did not consider Marcellianus' misdeeds. He took action by punishing the Quadi. When he arrived at Brigetio during a campaign, he was informed that the conflict was rooted in building fortifications on their lands. This made Valentinian so furious that he died of a stroke while screaming at the envoys in a fit of rage.
Henry I of England (illness from eating too many lampreys)
Isadora Duncan (strangled by scarf caught in car wheel)

Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 - September 14, 1927) was an American dancer known for her innovative and expressive style of modern dance. Born in California, she spent most of her adult life in Western Europe and the Soviet Union. She died tragically at age 49 or 50 when her scarf... read more
Elvis Presley (heart attack on the toilet)

Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor, widely dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll" and regarded as a pivotal cultural icon of the 20th century. His energetic musical interpretation and provocative performance style, bridging racial music traditions in a shifting era, both fueled his fame... read more
Grigori Rasputin (poisoning, shooting, and drowning)

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia. He gained considerable influence in late imperial Russia due to his close relationship with Tsarina Alexandra. Rasputin's presence at the royal court... read more