Weird Ways To Meet Your Maker: Part 1 Quiz

Answer: He drowned embracing the moon

The eighth century poet Li Po was well known for his love of liquor. One night he fell from a boat into the Yangtze River while trying to embrace a reflection of the moon in the water.
[Main source for all questions: 30 Strangest Deaths in History, 'Neatorama Only', 2007, and verified from other sources].

Answer: He tripped over his beard

Han Steininger was famous for having a long beard. One day in 1567, when his beard was four-and-a-half-feet long, there was a fire in the town. In fleeing, he tripped over his beard, fell, and broke his neck.

Answer: He crushed a toe with his conductor's staff

Before they used batons, conductors banged a staff on the stage to keep time. While conducting for King Louis XIV in 1687, Lully struck a toe with the staff. He developed gangrene and died.

Answer: Dessert

Adolf Frederick was known for his love of food. In 1771, at the age of 61, he sat down one day for a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, cabbage, smoked herring, champagne and 14 servings of a dessert called semla, a bun filled with marzipan and milk. He died, you won't be surprised to hear, from a digestive problem.

Answer: True

In 1871 Vallandigham was defending a man accused of murder during a bar room brawl. The defence was that the victim had actually shot himself accidentally. Vallandigham decided to practice in a hotel room a reenactment he would give to the jury, unfortunately the gun was loaded and he shot himself.

Although he died, Vallandigham proved the plausibility of the defence and his client was acquitted - which prompts me to ask: What's black, made of leather, and looks good on a lawyer? A doberman.

Answer: He bit his tongue and died of an infection

Pinkerton (1819-1884) was the boss of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which, for a period was one of the more effective law keeping organisations in the US. Unfortunately, he bit his tongue after slipping on a pavement in Chicago and died of an infection.

Answer: He died of an infected toe

In 1911, Daniel turned up for work one day but could not remember the combination of his safe. In a fit of anger, he kicked the safe, injured a toe and died of blood poisoning. Now, just remember that the next time you decide to reboot your PC in the literal sense while wearing carpet slippers.

Answer: Orange peel

In 1911, Leach became only the second person to go over Niagara in a barrel and survive (though he was badly injured). Then in 1926 while performing a trick in New Zealand, he slipped on orange peel and his leg became infected. It was amputated, but he died two months later. All of which probably confirmed a few Australian prejudices about life in New Zealand.

Answer: Eiffel Tower

In 1911 Reichelt set out to prove that his combination overcoat and parachute would work, unfortunately it did not open and he fell like a stone. What? You don't believe me? see for yourself on youtube. [Franz Reichelt - Eiffel Tower].

Answer: Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn was born in Buffalo, New York in 1924 and died on stage in San Diego Califoria in 1987. He had been telling jokes about politicians, and when he lay down on stage, the audience thought it was part of the routine and it was some time before anyone realised he had died of a massive heart attack..
He was not the only comedian to die in such a fashion. Tommy Cooper the British comic/magician died while performing a routine on stage - and during a live nationwide television broadcast.