Unusual Deaths No 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fired what they thought was an unloaded cannon in salute

To make matters worse, they fired it at Kendrick's ship. When Kendrick arrived in what is now Honolulu, there were two British ships there as well. The two nations intervened in a battle between two warring tribes on the island. When the dust settled, Kendrick fired a thirteen gun salute to honour the British - and the captain of one of the British ships fired a thirteen gun salute back.

Unfortunately, one of the British cannons, which were all supposed to be unloaded, was still loaded. The shot was a direct hit on Kendrick's ship.

It landed fair and square on the table where Kendrick was sitting, killing him instantly.

Answer: Tried to clear a blockage by sticking a whale bone up his penis

Yes, that is his name. Gouverneur Morris was born in New York in 1752. Not only was he a signatory to the Articles of Confederation, he wrote many parts of the Constitution and signed them. He also wrote its preamble and has gone down in history as the "Penman of the Constitution". In 1780, he lost a leg and it was replaced with an artificial one instead. This is believed to have happened when he jumped through a bedroom window to escape the enraged husband of a woman with whom he was taking a little bedroom exercise, so to speak. In fact, he kept a diary in which he recorded all instances of this kind with the many ladies he met. What a fascinating scallywag - perhaps he was a founding father in more ways than one.

Morris spent the following years, in between dalliances, in an honourable career in the Senate, representing the United States abroad and at home. When he was 57, he finally settled down and married Ann Cary Randolph. She was the sister of Thomas Jefferson's son-in-law. Alas though, by 1816, he was having problems with his water works. Following a troublesome blockage, he tried to relieve the problem by pushing a whale bone up into his urinary tract. What a brave man! Unfortunately, this act cost Moby Dick his life.

Answer: Beer

That would be the average Australian male's idea of paradise. Of the unfortunate Britons who died as a result of this incident however, some drowned in the fluid, some were injured beyond recovery, and one actually died of alcoholic poisoning. This incident took place when a huge vat containing beer burst open.

This set up a chain reaction and other vats prompty succumbed as well, and whoosh, out into the street all the contents poured. When relatives of the deceased took the brewery to court over the tragedy, they didn't get a brass razoo in compensation.

The courts ruled instead that the incident was an 'Act of God'. What nonsense! Everyone knows that the Lord only concentrates on wine.

Answer: Demonstrating how a murder victim could have shot himself

The unfortunate Congressman was defending a man accused of murdering another man during a brawl in a bar. In his fervour to prove the victim could have easily shot himself during this brawl, Vallandigham assumed the same position that the victim was said to be in when he died.

Then he drew his own gun in the manner in which the deceased did - and pulled the trigger. The gun, which was thought to be unloaded during this bit of courtroom showmanship, promptly went off. Vallandigham went off as well, and the defendant was acquitted. Based on irrefutable evidence of course.

Answer: That he could have continuous sex with them for 12 hours

in 2009 Sergey Tuganov, the Russian in question, wagered $4,300 on this unlikely feat. He was then lucky, or unlucky, enough (depending on one's perspective) to win this bet, but died a couple of minutes after its completion. And how did he manage this Herculean task, I hear you ask? Before the clock began ticking over, the silly dill swallowed an entire bottle of Viagara.

Answer: She fell into her recycling bin and suffocated

Poor Sheila, who had a bad back, was 62 at the time this event took place. She tumbled head first into her recycling bin and landed in such a position that she was unable to breathe properly. Death followed soon after. Her husband, when he returned home from work later that day, said he did not notice his unfortunate wife's legs sticking up out of the bin.

When he finally did, he went over to the bin and shook one of the legs to see if she was all right. All right? All right?? How often did his wife dive head first into the recycling bin?

Answer: An American black bear

Well, pigs may or may not fly, but now it seems that large American black bears may also have had that ability. The poor bear, who was believed to be a distant relative of Winnie the Pooh, had been hit by a truck which was coming towards the unlucky occupants of the car.

The force of that collision sent the creature hurtling towards them, and they "bearly" had time to register what was happening before the bear was upon them.

Answer: The unbreakable glass in his windows

To prove to his visitors that the large windows in his 24th floor office were as safe as houses and couldn't be broken, Garry hurled himself against the glass. He had carried out this demonstration on many occasions before this particular day. To the horror of all present on 9 July 1993 however, the intrepid lawyer sailed out the window and fell to his death far below. Oh no, the glass didn't break.

It remained intact but the entire sheet popped out of its frame. Perhaps, after all, the law really is a gl...ass.

Answer: Water intoxication

Oh my goodness, it's hard to believe the radio station got away with even staging this foolhardy event. The competition was held at their studio on 12 January 2007. Contestants who took part had to drink as much water as possible - without going to the toilet - for as long as possible. Every fifteen minutes, they were handed bottles filled with water to drink. Seventeen people took part in this dangerous game. Jennifer Strange, the woman who died, became the butt of the DJ's jokes during the course of the competition, as they laughed about her swollen belly.

After the competition ended, Strange went home, complaining about extreme pain and headache. An hour later she was dead. And the name of the competition? "Hold Your Wee For a Wii".

Answer: A helicopter crashed on top of him

How absolutely unlucky would you have to be, to be killed by a wonky helicopter landing on you while you were strolling through surburbia? Poor Isaiah was from Kenya. He was a student living in British Columbia at the time. He would have been safer staying in Kenya and taking his chances with the lions.

The helicopter was a two bladed aircraft manufactured in Quebec. It's known as a Bell 206. I guess Isaiah just never heard it ringing.