Francis
Bacon; statesman, philosopher, creator of the English essay, and advocate for
the scientific revolution (he established “The Scientific Method” still used
today), was one of very few people to die as a result of one of their own
experiments.
In
1625, whilst gazing out the window at a snowy afternoon, Sir Francis Bacon had
an epiphany of sorts. Why would snow not work as preservative of meat in much
the same way salt is used? Needing to know and unheeding of the weather, Bacon
rushed to town to purchase a chicken, brought it home and began the experiment.
Standing outside in the snow, he killed the chicken and tried to stuff it with
snow. The experiment was a failure; the chicken didn’t freeze, and as a
consequence of standing around in the freezing weather, Bacon developed a
terminal case of pneumonia.
Trying to stave off the inevitable, Bacon roasted and ate the chicken. That too
was a failed experiment. He died.
Bacon; statesman, philosopher, creator of the English essay, and advocate for
the scientific revolution (he established “The Scientific Method” still used
today), was one of very few people to die as a result of one of their own
experiments.
In
1625, whilst gazing out the window at a snowy afternoon, Sir Francis Bacon had
an epiphany of sorts. Why would snow not work as preservative of meat in much
the same way salt is used? Needing to know and unheeding of the weather, Bacon
rushed to town to purchase a chicken, brought it home and began the experiment.
Standing outside in the snow, he killed the chicken and tried to stuff it with
snow. The experiment was a failure; the chicken didn’t freeze, and as a
consequence of standing around in the freezing weather, Bacon developed a
terminal case of pneumonia.
Trying to stave off the inevitable, Bacon roasted and ate the chicken. That too
was a failed experiment. He died.
Attila the Hun (406
– 453) History’s
most brilliant tactician, warlord, and notorious villain, Attila the Hun
conquered all of Asia by 450 AD. Using a combination of fierce combat and
ruthless assimilation, Mongolia to the very edge of the Russian Empire fell to
Attila and his armies.
Known
for his frugal eating and drinking habits, Attila must have thought that his own
wedding was an occasion to celebrate. Marrying a young girl named Ildico, in 453
AD; he over-indulged in both food and drink. Sometime after retiring for the
evening, his nose started to bleed. Too drunk to notice, it continued to bleed,
ultimately drowning him in his own blood.
– 453) History’s
most brilliant tactician, warlord, and notorious villain, Attila the Hun
conquered all of Asia by 450 AD. Using a combination of fierce combat and
ruthless assimilation, Mongolia to the very edge of the Russian Empire fell to
Attila and his armies.
Known
for his frugal eating and drinking habits, Attila must have thought that his own
wedding was an occasion to celebrate. Marrying a young girl named Ildico, in 453
AD; he over-indulged in both food and drink. Sometime after retiring for the
evening, his nose started to bleed. Too drunk to notice, it continued to bleed,
ultimately drowning him in his own blood.
. Grigori
Rasputin (January 22, 1869 –
December 29, 1916) The
Mad Monk, Grigori Rasputin, was a peasant and mystic healer who found favor with
the royal court of Russia by providing relief to Crown Prince Aleksey, a
hemophiliac and heir to the throne.
Wielding
much influence on the royal court, the unkempt, vulgar, and amazingly resilient
Rasputin made many political enemies. He had to go; much easier said than done.
The conspirators first tried poison, enough poison to kill a man three times his
size, but he seemed unaffected. Next they snuck up behind him and shot him in
the head. This should have done it, but no; while one of the assassins was
checking his pulse, the mystic grabbed the conspirator by the neck and proceeded
to strangle him. Running away, the would-be assassins took up the chase,
shooting him 3 times in the process. The gunshots slowed him down enough to
allow his pursuers to catch-up. They then proceeded to bludgeon him before
throwing him in the icy cold river (Russian winter). When his body was recovered
an autopsy showed that the cause of death was drowning.
Rasputin (January 22, 1869 –
December 29, 1916) The
Mad Monk, Grigori Rasputin, was a peasant and mystic healer who found favor with
the royal court of Russia by providing relief to Crown Prince Aleksey, a
hemophiliac and heir to the throne.
Wielding
much influence on the royal court, the unkempt, vulgar, and amazingly resilient
Rasputin made many political enemies. He had to go; much easier said than done.
The conspirators first tried poison, enough poison to kill a man three times his
size, but he seemed unaffected. Next they snuck up behind him and shot him in
the head. This should have done it, but no; while one of the assassins was
checking his pulse, the mystic grabbed the conspirator by the neck and proceeded
to strangle him. Running away, the would-be assassins took up the chase,
shooting him 3 times in the process. The gunshots slowed him down enough to
allow his pursuers to catch-up. They then proceeded to bludgeon him before
throwing him in the icy cold river (Russian winter). When his body was recovered
an autopsy showed that the cause of death was drowning.