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The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures

Published November 13, 2017
Updated July 31, 2019

Many of history's most important figures have suffered strange deaths that do not seem to befit their noble legacy.

Many of history's most important figures have suffered strange deaths that do not seem to befit their noble legacy.

Though we'd hope that those who rose to great heights would be granted a dignified death, many of these prominent and respected historical figures died some truly bizarre demises.

In a time before modern medicine, for example, many of the injuries and diseases we would readily dismiss in our current were able to kill some of the greatest people in history.

From swallowing a toothpick to dying of laughter, here are some of the strangest ways that historical figures have died.


Enjoy this article on strange deaths from history? Next, learn about the living descendants of famous historical figures. Then, check out this list of historical figures you didn’t know had serious mental disorders.

author
Gabe Paoletti
author
Gabe Paoletti is a New York City-based writer and a former Editorial Intern at All That's Interesting. He holds a Bachelor's in English from Fordham University.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
Based in Brooklyn, New York, John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of expertise include modern American history and the ancient Near East. In an editing career spanning 17 years, he previously served as managing editor of Elmore Magazine in New York City for seven years.
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Paoletti, Gabe. "The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures." AllThatsInteresting.com, November 13, 2017, https://allthatsinteresting.com/strange-deaths. Accessed August 28, 2025.