Inventing is a challenging and uncertain gig. There is no guarantee that what you think up will work. The madness of tinkering can perpetually leave you in the trial-and-error stage. And with all the legalities around patents, new product marketing, manufacturing, and sales, even if you manage to bring your idea to market, there is no guarantee that you will make any money from it.
Of course, many succeed, even as many more fail. And with all the love people have for tinkering with gadgets and thinking up better ways to do things, there will always be a slew of inventors ready to improve upon some ancient process or product.
But what happens when the invention itself turns lethal? Forget about failed product launches or low sales; what about the inventors for whom their own creations lead directly to their deaths? You may think that’s a very rare event, but it is surprisingly common. Here, we’ll take a look at ten of the many cases in which inventors were killed by their own inventions.
1. Car Troubles
When automobiles started to become a thing at the end of the 19th century, it wasn’t just Henry Ford tinkering away. Many inventors worked on versions of what would become cars, motorcycles, and other powered vehicles. With various styles of engines and designs, they mostly lacked safety equipment. Many people, including at least four notable inventors, died while behind the wheel of these new machines.
- Sylvester H. Roper: In 1896, he was perfecting his steam velocipede, a primitive motorcycle. During a public speed trial, he suffered a heart attack, lost control, and died in the crash.
- William Nelson: In 1903, this General Electric employee invented a motorized bicycle. On a test run, he crashed and was killed.
- Francis Edgar Stanley: In 1918, he died after driving his groundbreaking Stanley Steamer into a woodpile to avoid hitting farm wagons.
- Fred Duesenberg: In 1932, the powerful Duesenberg automobile he invented caused his high-speed crash and death.
2. Otto Lilienthal
Before the Wright brothers, there was Otto Lilienthal, the "flying man" of Germany. He pioneered the use of hang gliders, making successful flights in the 1890s. On August 9, 1896, his glider stalled and plummeted from 50 feet, breaking his neck. He died the next day, forever remembered as the “father of flight.”
3. Franz Reichelt
Known as the “Flying Tailor,” Franz Reichelt spent countless hours crafting parachutes. On February 4, 1912, he climbed the Eiffel Tower to test his parachute by jumping himself instead of using a dummy. His parachute failed to deploy, and he fell 187 feet to his death.
4. Michael Dacre
Michael Dacre invented the AVCEN Jetpod, a tiny, efficient aircraft intended for city-to-city travel. On a test flight in August 2009, after multiple failed attempts to take off, he finally lifted off but soon crashed. He was killed instantly.
5. John Day
John Day invented the first-ever submarine and died in the first-ever submarine incident. In 1774, with financial backing from gambler Christopher Blake, Day sank in his wooden diving chamber and was never heard from again.
6. William Pitt
Canadian inventor William Pitt was known for his underwater cable system for ferries in New Brunswick. In 1909, while maintaining his invention, he fell into machinery and was severely injured, leading to his death. A ferry named “William Pitt II” honors his contributions.
7. Thomas Midgley Jr.
Thomas Midgley Jr., known for leaded gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons, contracted polio in 1940 and became disabled. He invented a pulley system to help himself move but became entangled in it and died of strangulation in 1944.
8. Webster Wagner
Webster Wagner, inventor of the sleeping and parlor car for railroads, was killed in 1882 when a train car he was riding in collided with another. The crash crushed him between the cars of his own invention.
9. Valerian Abakovsky
Valerian Abakovsky invented the Aerowagon, a high-speed railcar powered by a plane-like propeller. On July 24, 1921, he and other engineers were killed in a horrific crash during a test run, just three months before his 26th birthday.
10. Michael Hughes
"Mad Mike" Hughes, a flat-earth believer and daredevil, built homemade rockets. On February 22, 2020, during a launch attempt filmed for a Science Channel show, his rocket’s parachute deployed early and detached, causing him to fall and die upon impact.
These stories of inventors tragically dying from their creations serve as a reminder of the risks and sacrifices involved in the pursuit of innovation.
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