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These 10 Inventors Were Killed By Their Own Creations In A Cruel Twist Of Fate
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It”s hard to imagine that inventors wouldn”t get excited by their own inventions. After pouring hours, days, or even years into a single creation, it must be thrilling to see something finally come to life as it was imagined.
However, some inventions don”t ever seem to work properly. It”s not unheard of to spend tons of time working on something new, only to have it blow up in your face. For these unfortunate few, that”s literally what happened to them. Their life”s work ultimately led to an early death.
Franz Reichelt, 1879-1912.
Austrian-born Franz Reichelt created what is now jokingly known as the “Flying Taylor” an aviator”s suit that was supposed to double as a parachute in the event of an emergency. Though tests using dummies and other inanimate objects wearing the suit proved to be successful, Reichelt unsuccessfully tested the suit himself by jumping from the top of the Eiffel Tower and falling to his death.
Horace Lawson Hunley, 1823-1863.
Hunley served as a Marine engineer for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. His creation of the first combat submarine, the aptly named CSS Hunley, seemed like it”d give the South a major advantage. However, during the craft”s tests, Hunley and seven other crew members were unable to bring the sub to the surface, causing everyone on board to drown.
Thomas Andrews, Jr., 1873-1912.
Thomas Andrews was an Irish shipbuilder who designed one of the most infamous vessels of all time the RMS Titanic. Andrews also had the unfortunate honor of traveling on the “unsinkable” ship”s maiden voyage, during which it sank after hitting an iceberg. Andrews was one of many passengers on the Titanic who died in the disaster.
Karel Soucek, 1947-1985.
Karel Soucek lived for danger. In 1984, the daredevil went over Niagara Falls in a homemade barrel, somehow surviving the 75-mph plunge. However, when Soucek attempted a similar stunt one year later from the roof of the Houston Astrodome, his contraptions failed, causing him to die shortly after landing.
Max Valier, 1895-1930.
Max Valier created rocket engines that would eventually serve as a starting point for the first spaceship engines. Valier”s mechanisms used liquid fuel, which he thought could be used for both space and land vehicles. Sadly, less than a month after testing the first “rocket car,” one of Valier”s engines exploded, killing him instantly.
Marie Curie, 1867-1934.
Marie Curie made extensive contributions and discoveries in the world of radiation and radioactivity. However, since Curie was constantly working with hazardous materials, she exposed herself to lethal amounts of radiation. She was even known to carry radioactive materials in her pocket. This eventually caused her to die of aplastic anemia, a degradation of the bone marrow.
William Bullock, 1813-1867.
William Bullock created the web rotary printing press a major improvement on a similar contraption built by Richard March Hoe. Bullock”s creation helped improve the printing industry by quickly producing quality material, which in turn would allow for greater distribution and larger volumes of texts. In 1867, as he was installing one of his printing presses, Bullock”s leg was caught in the device. Shortly after this incident, the leg developed gangrene, and Bullock later died on an operating table.
Otto Lilienthal, 1848-1896.
Otto Lilienthal became so influential in the world of aviation that historians refer to him as the “Glider King.” Lilienthal spent years creating his winged contraptions, which looked more like bird wings than the gliders we know today. Lilienthal also personally tested his gliders. This proved to be his downfall when one of his inventions failed, causing him to fall 50 feet and fracture his neck.
Aurel Vlaicu, 1882-1913.
Aurel Vlaicu was one of the first airplane constructors in the 1900s. The Romanian engineer created smaller winged crafts until the completion of his largest creation, the Vlaicu II. During an attempt to fly the craft across the Carpathian Mountains, the aging Vlaicu II failed and crashed, taking its namesake with it. The exact circumstances of the plane”s failure are still unknown.
Jimi Heselden, 1948-2010.
Jimi Heselden is often mistaken as the inventor the Segway. He was actually just a lifelong entrepreneur who bought the company that made the less-than-popular vehicles. Shortly after his purchase, Heselden accidentally rode a Segway off a cliff in Thorp Arch, West Yorkshire, England. Investigators discovered that Heselden attempted to reverse the vehicle near the cliff”s edge, but was unable to do so, causing him to fall 80 feet to an untimely end.
If you”re tinkering around with a new invention, make sure it”s completely safe before you use it yourself. You don”t want to be the person who was done in by their own creation. That would be the absolute worst and most ironic way to shuffle off this mortal coil.
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