Death by Invention: 5 Innovators Who Perished Due to Their Own Creations

In 1698, Henry Winstanley illuminated 50 candles atop his groundbreaking creation, the Eddystone Lighthouse, the first-ever lighthouse constructed on rocky terrain. Tragically, during the infamous "Great Storm" five years later, the lighthouse crumbled, claiming his life as he was conducting repairs.

On July 4, 1934, Marie Curie, a dual Nobel Prize recipient, passed away at 66. Her death was attributed to radiation exposure resulting from her lifelong work with the radioactive substances she discovered: radium and polonium.

In 1945, radiation claimed another inventor: physicist Harry Daghlian, who was working on the plutonium bomb core of the Manhattan Project, famously called the "Demon Core." While arranging tungsten carbide bricks around the core, Daghlian accidentally dropped one, causing the assembly to reach a critical state. Though he quickly removed the brick and prevented an explosion, he couldn't save himself; he succumbed to radiation poisoning a month later.

While modern safety standards have significantly improved, the pursuit of scientific discovery and invention has historically been fraught with danger. Inventors have often dedicated their lives to advancing knowledge, and some have even paid the ultimate price. Here, we highlight five such individuals.

5: Li Si

In 221 B.C., the Qin Dynasty transformed China from a collection of warring states into a unified nation. This achievement was driven by the principles of Legalism, a system of governance that enforced strict rewards and punishments both within the government and among the populace.

Li Si, one of the key architects of the Qin Dynasty's expansion, rose from humble beginnings. Born around 280 B.C. to a common family, he started as a local clerk and eventually became one of the most powerful figures in the imperial court.

Li Si, a persuasive political strategist, gained the favor of Zheng, the King of Qin and its inaugural emperor. He convinced the king to adopt several controversial policies, including bribing susceptible enemies and assassinating those who resisted, deceiving neighboring states into submission through falsehoods, and ordering the destruction of all books except those on medicine, divination, and agriculture. Li Si's influence was evident when he was appointed chancellor between 219 and 213 B.C., making him one of the empire's two most powerful figures.

While Li Si is primarily remembered by Chinese scholars for the burning of books, his creation of The Five Pains has captured widespread attention. This brutal method of torture and execution involved cutting off the criminal's nose, followed by a hand and a foot, then castration, and finally, death by being sliced in half.

In a twist of fate, Li Si faced the horrors of his own invention in 208 B.C. when he was found guilty of treason and executed using The Five Pains.

4: Franz Reichelt

In the late 18th century, Joseph Montgolfier, a French inventor, famously leaped from his house's roof and hot air balloon gondolas, testing various parachute designs to cushion his falls. Around the same time, Louis-Sebastian Lenormand jumped from the Montpelier Observatory in Paris, showcasing a similar device. In 1804, another Frenchman, Bourget, successfully demonstrated a collapsible parachute during a jump in Germany.

Nearly a century later, as parachute designs became more advanced, another Frenchman, Franz Reichelt, grew captivated by them. A tailor by profession, Reichelt harbored an unfortunate passion for invention.

In 1912, Reichelt ascended the Eiffel Tower, claiming to authorities that he intended to drop a dummy outfitted with a "flying suit." However, it became clear that Reichelt planned to test the suit on himself. This decision proved fatal, as the suit failed to slow his 190-foot (57.9-meter) plunge from what was then the tallest structure in the world.

Reichelt's skills as a tailor far surpassed his abilities as an inventor. He appeared to disregard earlier parachute designs when creating his "flying suit." Ironically, just a year before his death, an American named Grant Morton became the first person to successfully parachute from an airplane.

3: Max Valier

Max Valier, born on February 9, 1895, in Bozen, Austria-Hungary (now Bolzano, Italy), lacked formal scientific training. Yet, his fascination with rockets was ignited after reading Hermann Oberth's book, "The Rocket into Interplanetary Space." Inspired, Valier devised a four-stage plan, starting with static engines and progressing to rocket-powered ground vehicles.

Collaborating with Opel, a car manufacturer seeking publicity for its vehicles, Valier constructed the world's first rocket-powered car. He later developed additional rocket cars, with one achieving a speed of 145 miles per hour (233.4 km/h) in 1928. The following year, a rocket-propelled sled he designed reached an astonishing 250 miles per hour (402.3 km/h).

Valier advanced to the third phase of his plan, focusing on rocket-assisted aircraft. However, this stage marked the end of his research. On May 17, 1920, while experimenting with a liquid oxygen-gasoline rocket motor, the device exploded. A piece of shrapnel pierced his aorta, resulting in his instant death.

2: William Bullock

In 1832, Richard Hoe transformed the printing industry with his invention of the cylinder press, replacing flat-surface printing. This innovation increased production from around 400 sheets per hour to between 1,000 and 4,000 pages in the same timeframe.

In 1865, William Bullock revolutionized the printing industry with his "Bullock Press," a rotary press that utilized continuous paper rolls. This innovation eliminated the need for manual single-sheet feeding, significantly boosting printing speeds. The Bullock Press could print around 12,000 sheets per hour, double-sided, using paper rolls up to 5 miles (8.04 kilometers) long.

Tragically, Bullock's success was short-lived. In 1867, while adjusting a Bullock Press at the Philadelphia Public Ledger, his leg became trapped and crushed in the machine. The injury led to gangrene, and the prolific inventor—known for creations like the grain drill, seed planter, and hay press—passed away days later.

1: Michael Dacre

We’ve all imagined them in futuristic films: sleek, rocket-like vehicles transporting passengers through city skies. Thanks to inventor Michael Dacre, this futuristic vision could have become a reality much sooner.

Born in the U.K. in 1956, Dacre joined the British army in 1975, eventually becoming a pilot who flew aircraft such as the Gazelle, Lynx, and Beaver during assignments in Germany, the Falkland Islands, and Canada. After his military service, he launched a flight crewing business and later founded Avcen Ltd.

At Avcen, Dacre developed the Jetpod, a compact, quiet aircraft designed to take off in just 125 meters (410.1 feet) and land in 300 meters (984.3 feet), a concept he termed VQSTOL (very quiet short take-off and landing). He envisioned urban runways enabling rapid transport between airports and city centers, reducing highway congestion. For instance, the Jetpod, with a top speed of 350 mph (563.3 km/h), could travel from Heathrow Airport to central London in about four minutes at an estimated cost of 50 GBP.

Avcen planned to produce three Jetpod models. The T-100, a commuter plane with ultra-light seating, aimed to complete up to 50 daily trips between airports and city centers. The M-300, a heavier variant, was intended for military use, transporting battlefield casualties to medical facilities. The E-400, designed for civilian medical transport, could land on cleared roads near hospitals.

Sadly, Dacre never witnessed his planes enter production. On August 16, 2009, he took an eight-seater Jetpod prototype to a test runway north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After three unsuccessful attempts to take off, the aircraft soared vertically on the fourth try before plummeting back to the ground, ending the life of its creator and his dream of a "flying taxi."