Inventors who were killed by their own creations

A Polish trailblazer in the field of medicine, she achieved numerous significant accomplishments throughout her life. She earned the distinction of being the inaugural female recipient of a Nobel Prize, as well as the first woman to claim two Nobel Prizes, owing to her groundbreaking work on radioactivity.

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Marie Curie -

Curie is acknowledged for her co-discovery of radioactive elements such as radium and polonium. Tragically, she passed away from radiation exposure resulting from her research endeavors.

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Henry Smolinski -

Henry Smolinski pioneered the AVE Mizar, an innovative flying vehicle, introduced in 1973. Essentially a fusion of a Ford Pinto and an airplane, Smolinski courageously piloted the car during a fateful test flight that tragically ended in disaster.

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Max Valier -

Max Valier was an active participant in a German rocket society in the 1920s and created innovative liquid-fueled rocket engines during his membership.

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Max Valier -

In 1930, Valier tragically died when an engine fueled by alcohol exploded on his test bench in Berlin.

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Horace Lawson Hunley -

Horace Lawson Hunley, a Confederate marine, created submarines during the American Civil War. One of his creations, the H. L. Hunley, became a perilous contraption.

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Horace Lawson Hunley -

Hunley took control during a trial voyage in 1863. The submarine didn't resurface, and Hunley and his seven crew members all drowned.

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William Bullock -

The web rotary printing press played a crucial role in transforming the modern world while tragically claiming the life of its creator, William Bullock.

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William Bullock -

Bullock's foot got caught and crushed by the machine he was installing in Philadelphia, which led to gangrene. Sadly, he passed away during the subsequent surgery.

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Thomas Andrews Jr. -

This British shipbuilder was responsible for designing plans for the RMS Titanic, the colossal ship that tragically sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Thomas Andrews Jr. -

Andrews was a passenger on the ship's first journey, famously known for its tragic ending that resulted in over 1,500 deaths.

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Henry Winstanley -

Winstanley, a painter and engineer, constructed the first Eddystone lighthouse, which endured damage during the Great Storm of 1703.

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Henry Winstanley -

The storm ravaged the Eddystone Rocks, demolishing the lighthouse and claiming the lives of Winstanley and five others.

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Aurel Vlaicu -

The engineer from Romania decided to name an airplane he constructed after himself. Unfortunately, the Vlaicu II didn't perform well during a flight over the Carpathian Mountains in 1913.

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Aurel Vlaicu -

The plane never made it across the mountains and Vlaicu died. The exact cause of the accident was never confirmed.

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Franz Reichelt -

This tailor lived until 1912, when he was notoriously killed by his own invention in Paris, France. Reichelt created a coat parachute and decided to trial it off the Eiffel Tower's first deck.

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Franz Reichelt -

Unfortunately, the invention proved unsuccessful, leading to Reichelt's fatal demise. The sad event was captured on film.

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Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier -

In 1785, a French chemist and aviation pioneer created the Rozière balloon. In the same year, during a test ride over the English Channel, the balloon crashed.

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Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier -

According to reports, the balloon in Pas-de-Calais caught fire and subsequently deflated, resulting in a fatal crash that claimed the life of Rozier.

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Francis Edgar Stanley -

This individual was a co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company along with his twin brother. They produced the Stanley Steamer, a steam-powered car with impressive power.

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Francis Edgar Stanley -

Stanley passed away in 1918 while operating a Stanley Steamer car. The accident happened when he veered to avoid farm wagons and collided with a woodpile.

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Sylvester H. Roper -

Roper was an inventor of the Roper steam velocipede, a futuristic steam buggy that some say was the world's first motorcycle.

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Sylvester H. Roper -

He passed away in 1896 at the age of 72 while participating in a public steam trial. Roper suffered a heart attack as a result of the crash of his steam-powered bicycle. It is uncertain whether the heart attack or the crash led to his demise.

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Fred Duesenberg -

Fred Duesenberg, alongside his brother August, achieved renown for establishing the Duesenberg Motors Company, a manufacturer of opulent automobiles from 1913 to 1937.

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Fred Duesenberg -

Fred Duesenberg died in 1932 due to a deadly car crash while driving a Duesenberg vehicle.

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Thomas Midgley Jr. -

Mr. Midgley, an American engineer, sadly fell victim to polio, one among numerous individuals affected in the 20th century. Tragically, it was not this illness that ultimately claimed his life.

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Thomas Midgley Jr. -

Midgley developed a network of ropes and pulleys to help him in bed. One day, he became entangled in the device, and strangled himself to death at the age of 55.

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Valerian Abakovsky -

Valerian Abakovsky, a Russian inventor, died at the age of 25 due to his invention called the Aerowagon.

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Valerian Abakovsky -

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Marie Curie -

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Marie Curie -

Curie is acknowledged for her co-discovery of radioactive elements such as radium and polonium. Tragically, she passed away from radiation exposure resulting from her research endeavors.

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Henry Smolinski -

Shutterstock

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Max Valier -

Max Valier was an active participant in a German rocket society in the 1920s and created innovative liquid-fueled rocket engines during his membership.

6 / 30 Fotos

Max Valier -

In 1930, Valier tragically died when an engine fueled by alcohol exploded on his test bench in Berlin.

7 / 30 Fotos

Horace Lawson Hunley -

Horace Lawson Hunley, a Confederate marine, created submarines during the American Civil War. One of his creations, the H. L. Hunley, became a perilous contraption.

8 / 30 Fotos

Horace Lawson Hunley -

Hunley took control during a trial voyage in 1863. The submarine didn't resurface, and Hunley and his seven crew members all drowned.

9 / 30 Fotos

William Bullock -

The web rotary printing press played a crucial role in transforming the modern world while tragically claiming the life of its creator, William Bullock.

10 / 30 Fotos

William Bullock -

Bullock's foot got caught and crushed by the machine he was installing in Philadelphia, which led to gangrene. Sadly, he passed away during the subsequent surgery.

11 / 30 Fotos

Thomas Andrews Jr. -

This British shipbuilder was responsible for designing plans for the RMS Titanic, the colossal ship that tragically sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

12 / 30 Fotos

Thomas Andrews Jr. -

Andrews was a passenger on the ship's first journey, famously known for its tragic ending that resulted in over 1,500 deaths.

13 / 30 Fotos

Henry Winstanley -

Winstanley, a painter and engineer, constructed the first Eddystone lighthouse, which endured damage during the Great Storm of 1703.

14 / 30 Fotos

Henry Winstanley -

The storm ravaged the Eddystone Rocks, demolishing the lighthouse and claiming the lives of Winstanley and five others.

15 / 30 Fotos

Aurel Vlaicu -

The engineer from Romania decided to name an airplane he constructed after himself. Unfortunately, the Vlaicu II didn't perform well during a flight over the Carpathian Mountains in 1913.

16 / 30 Fotos

Aurel Vlaicu -

The plane never made it across the mountains and Vlaicu died. The exact cause of the accident was never confirmed.

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Franz Reichelt -

This tailor lived until 1912, when he was notoriously killed by his own invention in Paris, France. Reichelt created a coat parachute and decided to trial it off the Eiffel Tower's first deck.

Getty Images

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Franz Reichelt -

Unfortunately, the invention proved unsuccessful, leading to Reichelt's fatal demise. The sad event was captured on film.

19 / 30 Fotos

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier -

In 1785, a French chemist and aviation pioneer created the Rozière balloon. In the same year, during a test ride over the English Channel, the balloon crashed.

20 / 30 Fotos

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier -

According to reports, the balloon in Pas-de-Calais caught fire and subsequently deflated, resulting in a fatal crash that claimed the life of Rozier.

21 / 30 Fotos

Francis Edgar Stanley -

This individual was a co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company along with his twin brother. They produced the Stanley Steamer, a steam-powered car with impressive power.

22 / 30 Fotos

Francis Edgar Stanley -

Stanley passed away in 1918 while operating a Stanley Steamer car. The accident happened when he veered to avoid farm wagons and collided with a woodpile.

23 / 30 Fotos

Sylvester H. Roper -

Roper was an inventor of the Roper steam velocipede, a futuristic steam buggy that some say was the world's first motorcycle.

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Sylvester H. Roper -

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Fred Duesenberg -

Fred Duesenberg, alongside his brother August, achieved renown for establishing the Duesenberg Motors Company, a manufacturer of opulent automobiles from 1913 to 1937.

26 / 30 Fotos

Fred Duesenberg -

Fred Duesenberg died in 1932 due to a deadly car crash while driving a Duesenberg vehicle.

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Thomas Midgley Jr. -

Mr. Midgley, an American engineer, sadly fell victim to polio, one among numerous individuals affected in the 20th century. Tragically, it was not this illness that ultimately claimed his life.

28 / 30 Fotos

Thomas Midgley Jr. -

Midgley developed a network of ropes and pulleys to help him in bed. One day, he became entangled in the device, and strangled himself to death at the age of 55.

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Inventors who were killed by their own creations

Moonshots, missteps, and deadly consequences

24/09/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Curiosity

In recent centuries, humanity has seen remarkable progress in the realm of innovation. We've achieved feats like reaching the moon, finding cures for certain types of cancer, and even reimagining the wheel a few times over. Innovators play a crucial role in propelling society forward, yet at times, their creations can take a tragic turn. Consider the case of Franz Reichelt, who tragically lost his life attempting to leap from the Eiffel Tower wearing the parachute suit he designed. This serves as a valuable lesson for aspiring young inventors: perform thorough testing of your ideas; otherwise, you too could fall from a great height...

Continue reading to discover other brilliant inventors who met their demise due to the very creations they pioneered.