Category:
Death
Death
Tests theory that he cannot die
Having recently got religion, and consequently filled with the fire of faith, young Albert Strate decided that "God would not let him die." So he took strychnine to test the theory. The coroner pronounced it suicide. Give Albert a Darwin Award.Source: Lincoln Evening Journal - Apr 19, 1926
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Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 15, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Death, 1920s
Death at the Cathedral, 1964
October 2, 1964: One minute Veronica McConnell, 22, was happy and carefree. The young American woman had just arrived in Paris the night before on vacation and was visiting Notre Dame Cathedral. It was the first stop on the city bus tour.After seeing the inside of the cathedral, she stopped to buy some candles at a stand in the plaza. Having made her purchase, she began walking back towards the tour group. The next second she was dead, killed by suicide jumper Denise Rey-Herme, 37, who had leapt off the cathedral's north tower. Rey-Herme was despondent, having learned that because of chronic ill health she would never achieve her ambition of becoming a nun.
Goes to show that death can strike at any moment, anywhere.
Note: there's some confusion about McConnell's age. Different accounts of the event list it as either 21, 22, or 24. The NY Times says she was 22, so I'm trusting they were right.
Veronica McConnell
The Odessa American - Oct 4, 1964
The Terre Haute Tribune - Oct 3, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jul 12, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Nuns, 1960s
The Plot to Steal Abe Lincoln’s Corpse
Once upon a time, some crooks thought it would be a good idea to rob the grave of Abe Lincoln and hold the corpse for ransom.
One account here.
More detailed account here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 03, 2015 -
Comments (1)
Category: Death, Politics, Stupid Criminals, Nineteenth Century
Beware of Killer Umbrellas
About five years ago (on June 30, 2010), Lynn Stevens was sitting on the beach, minding her own business, when an umbrella came plummeting out of the sky and impaled her leg. Here's her account of the incident:
"It was a very windy day and the umbrella was lifted straight up in the air. It came straight back down and went through my thigh. The pole went into my leg about four inches and it just missed my femoral artery. It didn’t tumble like you see them do so often. Instead, it went straight up and came straight down... It took four men to hold the umbrella steady in the wind to prevent it from doing more damage. They literally sawed off the pole right there on the beach and left about a 12-inch length of the pole sticking out of my leg. They took me to PRMC and the rest of it was taken out in the operating room. It was a little unnerving because the nurses and doctors looked a little astonished to see the umbrella pole sticking out of my leg because I figured they had probably seen everything."
That's pretty terrifying. The worst part is that there's not much you can do to prevent randomly being attacked by an umbrella that falls silently from the sky, because it's other people's umbrellas (improperly set in the sand) that are going to get you. You're at the mercy of their stupidity.
Image source: Nikos Patsiouris, Flickr.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 02, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Violence
Killed by falling tombstone
People who manage to get killed while digging graves for others seems to be a recurring theme in weird news. Here's an example from 1925:
Source: The Ottawa Journal - Feb 21, 1925
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 18, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Death, 1920s
A Strange Pet
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 06, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Death, Children, 1910s, Australia
Life & Death Quiz
Take the Ubble UK Longevity Quiz and see how you score mortality wise over the next five years. Share results in extended if you'd like.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 04, 2015 -
Comments (15)
Category: Death, Predictions, Quizzes
Coffin Bride
When not using the coffin as a wedding prop, the couple hitch it to their car and use it as a trailer to pull camping gear. [Irish Mirror]
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jun 02, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Weddings and Marriage
A wedding and a funeral
The Washington Park East Cemetery provides a full range of services for the burial of your loved one. They cater to all faiths and income levels, and can host an after-service meal with many food and beverage choices.Added bonus: while you're there, you can stay and get married, because this cemetery also boasts that it's "one of the hottest places in Indianapolis for weddings." And I'm not sure if that's meant to be some kind of pun, because they also offer cremation services.
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 22, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Death, Weddings and Marriage
What A Ride
A Chinese theme park has a ride that simulates cremation. It ends with the rider being passed through a 'womb' and being reborn.
Posted By: Alex - Thu May 07, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Death, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |