Marie Curie made her final visit to Poland in early 1934 before passing away on July 4 at 66. Her death was attributed to aplastic anemia, likely caused by years of radiation exposure. At the time, the risks of radiation were unknown, and she often carried radioactive materials in her pockets and kept them in her desk. She was also exposed to X-rays while assisting with medical efforts during World War I. Decades later, some researchers suggested her illness was more likely caused by prolonged X-ray exposure rather than radium.
2. Wan Hu
A story from 16th-century China tells of an ambitious official named Wan Hu who attempted space travel using a chair attached to 47 rockets. The makeshift spacecraft reportedly exploded during launch, with neither the official nor any remains of his chair ever recovered.
3. Georg Wilhelm Richmann
Georg Wilhelm Richmann devised a device to study electrical charges from lightning. While conducting an experiment on how an insulated rod responded to a storm, an unexpected ball of lightning struck him in the forehead, killing him instantly.
4. Stockton Rush
Stockton Rush, an engineer and entrepreneur, was responsible for designing the OceanGate submersible Titan, which offered deep-sea tours to the Titanic wreck. On June 18, 2023, the submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing Rush and four passengers. He had previously dismissed concerns over the vessel’s safety, famously stating that prioritizing safety too much was a waste of time.
5. Franz Reichelt
Franz Reichelt, a French tailor, believed he had created a parachute suit that could save lives. To prove its effectiveness, he climbed to the first deck of the Eiffel Tower and jumped, despite initially claiming he would test it with a dummy. The parachute failed, and he fell to his death in front of a crowd and cameras.
6. Henry Smolinski
Henry Smolinski, co-founder of a company that developed a flying car, lost his life while piloting the AVE Mizar, a hybrid between a Ford Pinto and an aircraft. The flight ended in tragedy when the vehicle malfunctioned, crashing in 1973.
7. Luis Jimenez
Luis Jiménez, a sculptor known for his large-scale works, was killed in an accident involving his own art. While working on the Blue Mustang statue for Denver International Airport, a piece of the sculpture collapsed, fatally injuring him. The artwork was later completed and remains on display.
8. Henry Winstanley
Henry Winstanley, the engineer behind the first offshore lighthouse on the Eddystone Rocks, was confident in its resilience. He once expressed a desire to be inside it during the worst storm imaginable. In 1703, a powerful storm obliterated the lighthouse with Winstanley and five others inside. None of them were ever found.
9. Sabin Arnold Von Sochocky
Sabin Arnold von Sochocky, a chemist, created radium-based luminous paint, which became widely used in watch dials. His company came under fire when factory workers fell ill due to radiation poisoning. He himself suffered the effects of long-term exposure and died in 1928 from aplastic anemia, the same disease that took Marie Curie’s life.
10. Valerian Abakovsky
Valerian Abakovsky developed the Aerowagon, a high-speed railcar powered by an aircraft engine. On July 24, 1921, during a test run, the vehicle derailed at high speed, killing Abakovsky and six others on board.
11. Sophie Blanchard
Pioneering female balloonist Sophie Blanchard faced numerous dangers throughout her career, such as freezing conditions and near-drowning. Her luck ran out in 1819 when fireworks she launched during a Paris exhibition ignited her hydrogen balloon. She became the first woman to die in an aircraft accident when she fell from a rooftop after her balloon crashed.
12. Chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele began showing symptoms of kidney disease and skin conditions in late 1785. Knowing he was dying, he married his predecessor's widow in 1786 to ensure she would inherit his pharmacy. His death at age 43 on May 21, 1786, likely resulted from mercury poisoning after years of dangerous experiments where he regularly tasted and smelled toxic substances including mercury, arsenic, and lead.
13. Robert Cocking
Robert Cocking, an amateur inventor, believed he had designed an improved parachute. However, he miscalculated its weight, and when he tested it by jumping from a hot air balloon, the parachute collapsed, leading to his death.
14. Thom Andrews
Thomas Andrews, the chief architect of the Titanic, was aboard the ship on its maiden voyage. When the ship struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, he reportedly spent his last moments helping passengers before going down with the vessel. His body was never recovered.
15. Alexander Bogdanov
Alexander Bogdanov, a physician and scientist, was fascinated by blood transfusions and believed they could prolong life. In 1928, he performed a transfusion with blood from a young man who unknowingly carried tuberculosis. Bogdanov died from complications, proving his theory fatally flawed.
