Tycho Brahe: An important Danish astronomer of the 16th century.
His ground breaking research allowed Sir Isaac Newton to come up
with the theory of gravity.
How he died: Didn't get to the bathroom in time.
Details: In the 16th century, it was considered an insult to leave
a banquet table before the meal was over. Brahe, known to drink
excessively, had a bladder condition -- but failed to relieve
himself before the banquet started. He made matters worse by
drinking too much at dinner, and was too polite to ask to be
excused. His bladder finally burst, killing him slowly and
painfully over the next 11 days.
Horace Wells: Pioneered the use of anesthesia in the 1840's.
How he died: Used anesthetics to commit suicide.
Details: While experimenting with various gases during his
anesthesia research, Wells became addicted to chloroform. In 1848
he was arrested for spraying two women with sulfuric acid. In a
letter he wrote from jail, he blamed chloroform for his problems,
claiming that he'd gotten high before the attack. Four days later
he was found dead in his cell. He'd anaesthetized himself with
chloroform and slashed open his thigh with a razor.
Francis Bacon: One of the most influential minds of the late 16th
century. A statesman, a philosopher, a writer, and a scientist, he
was even rumored to have written some of Shakespeare's plays.
How he died: Stuffing snow into a chicken.
Details: One afternoon in 1625, Bacon was watching a snowstorm and
was struck by the wondrous notion that maybe snow could be used to
preserve meat in the same way that salt was used. Determined to
find out, he purchased a chicken from a nearby village, killed it,
and then, standing outside in the snow, attempted to stuff the
chicken full of snow to freeze it. The chicken never froze, but
Bacon did.
Jerome Irving Rodale: Founding father of the organic food
movement, creator of "Organic Farming and Gardening" magazine, and
founder of Rodale Press, a major publishing corporation.
How he died: On the Dick Cavett Show, while discussing the
benefits of organic foods.
Details: Rodale, who bragged, "I'm going to live to be 100 unless
I'm run down by a sugar-crazed taxi driver, "was only 72 when he
appeared on the Dick Cavett Show in January 1971. Part way through
the interview, he dropped dead in his chair. Cause of death:
Heart attack. The show was never aired.
Aeschylus: A Greek playwright back in 500 BC. Many historians
consider him the father of Greek tragedies.
How he died: An eagle dropped a tortoise on his head.
Details: According to legend, eagles picked up tortoises and
attempt to crack them open by dropping them on rocks. An eagle
mistook Aeschylus' [bald] head for a rock and dropped it on him
instead.
Jim Fixx: Author of the best selling, Complete Book of Running,
which started the jogging craze of the 1970's.
How he died: A heart attack... while jogging.
Details: Fixx was visiting Greensboro, Vermont when he walked out
of his house and began jogging. He'd only gone a short distance
when he had a massive coronary. His autopsy revealed that one of
his coronary arteries was 99% clogged, another was 80% obstructed,
and a third was 70% blocked... and that Fixx had had three other
attacks in the weeks prior to his death.
Lully: One of our favorite 16th-century composers, who wrote music
for the King of France.
How he died: Infection.
Details: While rehearsing the musicians, he got too serious
beating time with his staff, and drove it right through his foot.
He died of infection.