Inventors Whom Their Own Inventions Killed

By Sneha

There were some inventors whose inventions changed our lives. But, the tragic irony of fate is that it changed theirs too. They got killed in some way or the other because of them only. The creation became the cause of the destruction of the creator. These inventors made such inventions that made our lives easier. But in the initial stage something went wrong with these famous inventions and their inventors had to pay the price for it. See how these inventors got killed at the hands of their own inventions.

Inventors Whom Their Own Inventions Killed

Franz Reichelt- He was an Austrian born French tailor and inventor who was very popular for creating a strange overcoat that he claimed could work like a parachute and make one safely land on the ground from air. This was especially designed for jumping off from air planes. He himself conducted this experiment from the first deck of Eiffel Tower in front of many people and camera. Burt the experiment failed and one of this finest inventors got killed because of his own invention.

Otto Lilienthal- Otto Lilienthal was also popularly known as the Glider King as he was one of the pioneers of aviation. He had many successful flights with a simple wing like mechanism that he had devised for flying. His actions became popular all over the world at that time. But one day on a similar manoeuvre to fly from a hill, his glider stalled and fell from the hills. Here also the invention killed the inventor as he had fractured his spine and died the next day.

Marie Curie- Marie Curie was also one of the inventors who got killed for her inventions. She is well known especially for the invention of elements like radium and polonium. And she is also the only one to have won a Noble Prize in both Physics and Chemistry. She established the theory of radioactivity and her vast researches came at the cost of her life. She died due to aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow stops producing red blood cells due to radiation exposure.

Thomas Midgley, Jr- He was a mechanical engineer turned chemist. The last invention of this inventor became the cause of his death. Contracted by severe polio he devised an elaborate system of pulleys and strings that could be used to left him from the bed. By the cruel irony of fate he got entangled in the ropes of his own invention and died. He also invented leaded petrol and CFCs (Chloroflurocarbons), both of which are very popular inventions.

Henry Winstanley- He was an English Engineer who constructed the first Eddystone lighthouse. He was eager to test the strength of the lighthouse that he had created. Hence he decided to stay inside it along with five other people during a storm. The lighthouse collapsed thus killing this inventor.

These are some of the greatest personalities who had sacrificed their lives for the benefit of humanity with their famous inventions.

Story first published: Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 14:54 [IST]
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