Buzz
Having already released two compilations of peculiar deaths, we decided to round it off with a third installment. This new list introduces a unique entry featuring an entire group. Be sure to check out the earlier compilations before diving into this one, and don’t hesitate to share any additional entries in the comments section.
10. The Donatists
Donatism, an early Christian heretical movement, took its name from Donatus Magnus, the Bishop of Carthage in 313 AD. The Donatists held the belief that the Church should consist solely of saints, not sinners. This conviction drove many to pursue martyrdom, either through suicide or by persuading strangers, often in large groups, to execute them. Despite the prevalence of this belief, the sect managed to persist, albeit in small numbers, until the 7th or 8th century.
9. Al-Musta’sim
In 1258, Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, launched an invasion of the Abbasid region, which includes present-day Iraq and Syria. The Caliph, Al-Musta’sim, failed to assemble a defensive force and was captured by Hulagu. Although Hulagu was a relatively honorable man, he needed to execute the Caliph without spilling royal blood. His solution was to wrap Al-Musta’sim in a rug and have his soldiers trample him to death with their horses. Unfortunately, the same mercy was not extended to Al-Musta’sim’s sons, most of whom were swiftly executed.
8. Clement Vallandigham
Clement Vallandigham, a US House of Representatives member from Ohio, met an ironic and peculiar end. While defending a client accused of murder during a bar fight, Vallandigham aimed to demonstrate that the victim had accidentally shot himself while drawing a pistol from his pocket. To illustrate this, he reenacted the scene in his hotel room with what he thought was an unloaded gun. Tragically, the gun fired, and Vallandigham fatally shot himself. His argument, however, succeeded, as the defendant, Thomas McGehan, was acquitted and freed.
7. Alexander I of Greece
Alexander I, the King of the Hellenes, succumbed to sepsis after being bitten by two monkeys in the Royal Gardens. The incident occurred when his dog was attacked by a monkey, and the King intervened, receiving bites from both the monkey and its companion. His death led to the return of his father, Constantine I, whose pro-German stance significantly influenced Greece's future trajectory.
6. J G Parry-Thomas
John Godfrey Parry-Thomas, a Welsh engineer and racing driver, once held the Land Speed Record. Tragically, he died in March 1927 at Pendine Sands while attempting to reclaim his record, which Malcolm Campbell had recently broken on the same beach. Battling influenza, he declined a black cat charm from a young girl, stating, “I will put my faith in my maker!” His car, Babs, featured exposed chains linking the engine to the wheels, and its high engine cover forced him to drive with his head tilted to the right. During his final run, the right-hand chain snapped at 170 mph (270 km/h), resulting in a fatal head injury.
5. Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams, a renowned American playwright, earned numerous prestigious awards for his dramatic works. After relocating to New Orleans in 1939, he adopted the name “Tennessee,” inspired by his father’s birthplace. His most famous plays include A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Struggling with alcoholism and a 1969 nervous breakdown, Williams met an unfortunate end in 1983. While possibly disoriented from drug use, he attempted to open an eyedrop bottle with his mouth, a habitual practice. This time, the cap became stuck in his throat, leading to his death by choking.
4. Garry Hoy
Garry Hoy, a lawyer at Holden Day Wilson in Toronto, is famously remembered for the bizarre circumstances of his death. While trying to demonstrate to his colleagues that the glass walls of the Toronto-Dominion Centre were unbreakable, he hurled himself against a 24th-floor window. Unfortunately, the window frame failed, causing him to fall to his death. Hoy had performed this stunt multiple times before, bouncing off the glass safely. His unusual demise earned him a Darwin Award in 1996.
3. Mithridates
Mithridates, a Persian soldier, unintentionally caused the death of Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia. As punishment for this grave mistake, he was executed through scaphism. Below is an ancient description of his agonizing 17-day ordeal:
[The king] ordered Mithridates to be executed using boats, a method carried out as follows: Two boats are fashioned to fit together perfectly. The condemned is placed inside one boat, lying on his back, and the other boat is placed on top, leaving only the head, hands, and feet exposed. Food is offered to the prisoner, and if he refuses, his eyes are pricked to force him to eat. After eating, he is drenched with a mixture of milk and honey, applied not only to his mouth but also his entire face. His face is then constantly exposed to the sun, attracting swarms of flies. Inside the boats, the prisoner’s bodily waste generates maggots and vermin, which consume his flesh. When death finally occurs, the top boat is removed, revealing his body devoured by insects and decay. Mithridates endured this torment for seventeen days before succumbing. –Plutarch
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Text is derived from Wikipedia.
2. Frank Hayes
Frank Hayes, a jockey, is famously remembered for winning a horse race while deceased. During a race at Belmont Park in New York, Hayes suffered a fatal heart attack while riding his horse, Sweet Kiss. Despite carrying his lifeless body, Sweet Kiss surged ahead and secured victory.
1. Allan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish American detective and spy, founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, the first of its kind in the United States. In June 1884, he slipped on a Chicago sidewalk, biting his tongue. Ignoring the injury, it became infected, leading to his death from gangrene on July 1, 1884. At the time, he was developing a system to centralize criminal identification records, a concept now upheld by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
