20 Unusual Deaths from the History Books

1. King Bela I of Hungary suffered fatal injuries after his throne collapsed beneath him whilst he was preparing to abdicate and flee his enemies

Bela I, also known as Bela the Champion or Bela the Wisent, was briefly King of Hungary between 1060 and his death shortly after in 1063. Invited by his brother, Andrew I, who had been crowned King of Hungary, to return from exile and become a prominent duke, Bela ultimately rebelled against his generous relative in 1060. Succeeding with Polish assistance, Bela dethroned Andrew, who would die of battle-inflicted wounds, and claimed the crown himself. Introducing numerous reforms, including of monetary policy and religious practices, Bela also ended pagan revolts in Hungary.

Attempting to conclude a protracted conflict with the Holy Roman Empire, Bela released German prisoners in a show of good faith. However, undeterred, the German princes launched an expedition in 1063 to overthrow Bela. In the course of making plans to abdicate in favor of his cousin, Soloman, who enjoyed the backing of the Germans, Bela suffered a fatal injury when “his throne broke beneath him”. Enduring in a “half-dead” condition, Bela was carried into exile with his sons before dying at the western border of Hungary on September 11. His children were forced to continue their exodus, with Soloman ascending to the vacated throne.

Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

A Life of Clement L. Vallandigham”, James Vallandigham, Turnbull Brothers Publishing (1872)

“The Limits of Dissent: Clement L. Vallandigham and the Civil War”, Frank L. Klement, Fordham University Press (1999)

“Icelandic Sagas, Vol. III: The Orkenyingers’ Saga”, Sir George W. Dasent (1894)

“Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney”, Hermann Palsson, Penguin Classics (1981)

“The History of China”, David Curtis Wright, Greenwood Publishing Group (2001)

“Focus: #1 The First Law: A Robot May Not Injure A Human Being, Or, Through Inaction, Allow A Human Being To Come To Harm”, Piers Bizony, Engineering and Technology (July 2015)

“Death on the Job: Jury awards $10 million to heirs of man killed by robot at auto plant”, AP, NY Times (August 11, 1983)

“Major General John Sedgwick, U.S. Volunteers: 1813-1864”, Robert J. Jurgen and Allan Keller, Connecticut Civil War Centennial Committee (1963)

“S. Mille, “Aetheling”, in “The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England”, M. Lapidge, J. Blair, S. Keynes, and D. Scragg, Blackwell Publishing (2000)

“Frank Hayes”, in “Eleven Tragic Cases of Athletes With Bad Tickers”, Esteban de Jesus, Totalprosports (2012)

“Frank Hayes: The Jockey who won a race despite being dead”, Bianca Britton, CNN (December 13, 2018)