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10 Worst Deaths in History and the Stories Behind Them
Death is an inevitable part of life. One day, everyone on this Earth will leave the world behind. Death is one of those guarantees in life. The lucky ones get to live a long and happy life, dying peacefully in their sleep with loved ones surrounding them. Sadly, that’s not the case for everyone. Throughout history, individuals have endured painful and torturous deaths. The worst deaths in history include murder, accidents, genocide, and radiation poisoning.
In many cases, they’re the victims of gruesome murders or negligence. There are also historical figures who endured violent and painful executions. While many individuals suffered terrible deaths, large groups died due to famine, disease, and mass murder. Other times people suffer a freak accident or a rare disease. These deaths often end in excruciating pain and suffering. It’s not a secret that life can end without any notice. In life, we don’t get to choose the way it ends. These tragic and heartbreaking deaths leave a lasting impact on families, friends, and communities, as you will discover below.
10 Worst Deaths in History and the Stories Behind Them
1. The Death of John Jones
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The tragic death of John Jones inside Nutty Putty Cave is a truly heartbreaking tale. The cave was infamous for its tight twists and turns. This helped it become a popular location with cavers who loved the narrow passages. In 2009, Jones became stuck in a narrow passageway hanging upside down. He was stuck in that position for 28 hours as rescuers attempted to free him.
Sadly, Jones suffered a heart attack due to his injuries and position before rescuers could free him. Since it was too dangerous to release the body with explosives, the family and cave owners came to an agreement. They closed the cave and sealed Jones’s body inside as a memorial.
2. The Holocaust
From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany murdered six million Jewish people across Germany-controlled Europe. Known as the Holocaust, the genocide intensified in the 40s, but the Nazi party had been targeting the Jewish population since the 1930s.
When Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor in 1933, he initiated policies targeting the Jewish community by boycotting their businesses and enacting the antisemitic Nuremberg Laws. Then they began isolating Jewish people in ghettos and destroying their businesses.
After invading the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany began to murder the Jewish population through mass shootings and forced labor in concentration camps. They also used German extermination camps with gas vans and gas chambers to kill large groups of Jewish people. This is one of the darkest periods in German history.
3. The Execution of György Dózsa
György Dózsa had one of the most gruesome deaths in history. He’s best known for leading a rebellion of peasants against the Kingdom of Hungary in the 1500s. At times the revolt was successful, with Dózsa gaining more power, but eventually, the kingdom captured Dózsa and he endured a brutal death.
As punishment, the kingdom forced him to sit on a heated, burning iron throne. To further mock his ambitions to be king, they made Dózsa hold a heated scepter while wearing a smoldering iron crown. That was just the beginning as they brought in other rebels and killed them in front of Dózsa, continuing to torture him until he finally died.
4. The Death of Hisashi Ouchi
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The Tokaimura nuclear plant in Japan was the site of one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. The incident resulted in a technician, Hisashi Ouchi, suffering a painful and brutal death due to one of the worst cases of radiation poisoning.
On September 30, 1999, Ouchi and two other lab technicians were mixing nuclear material but skipping several steps and ignoring protocol. They were rushing to complete the project to meet a deadline. Suddenly, a blue flash occurred as Ouchi was leaning over a tank while improperly mixing chemicals. He immediately showed signs of radiation poisoning as he became incoherent and lost consciousness.
He was in the hospital for 83 days and had his heart revived several times. In addition, Ouchi suffered severe radiation burns and damage to his internal organs. He eventually succumbed to his injuries and died on December 21, 1999.
5. The Great Leap Forward
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In 1958, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Mae Zedong, initiated a social and economic movement known as the Great Leap Forward. He planned to transform China from an economy fueled by farming and agriculture to a leader in industrialization. However, these policies resulted in the deaths of millions of people around the country.
Experts estimate the death toll at 15 to 55 million. Various factors led to these devastating deaths, notably widespread famine, and violence. As one of the most significant losses of life, some view the event as a large mass murder.
Until his death in 1976, Mae defended his policies and blamed execution and weather for its failure. Many farmers and the lower class starved to death while Mae and other officials looked the other way. The Great Leap Forward ended in 1962 but had a lasting impact still felt in areas of China today.
6. The Murder of Junko Furuta
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The kidnapping and murder of Junko Furuta rocked Japan in the late 80s. The case even gained international attention due to the brutal nature of the crimes. In November 1988, four teenage boys, Hiroshi Miyano, Nobuharu Minato, Yasushi Watanabe, and Jō Ogura kidnapped Furuta, who was on her way home from work.
They held her captive for 40 days, continuously beating, torturing, and raping her. She died in January of 1989 due to a combination of disgusting behavior from the four friends. All four boys received light sentences for their crimes, with the leader, Miyano, receiving just 20 years in prison.
7. The Murder of Shanda Sharer
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The violent and brutal murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer shocked the town of Madison, Indiana. It became an international story with the revelation of the young teenage killers. In 1991, Sharer became the target of troubled teen Melinda Loveless when Sharer began spending time with her ex-girlfriend. Loveless endured abuse from her father and had a difficult childhood and started lashing out erratically with violent tendencies.
It all led to Loveless and her friends kidnapping Sharer in January 1992. They tortured and burned Sharer alive before leaving her body by the side of the road. After two of the young girls confessed, authorities arrested Loveless.
8. The Death of William I
In 1066, William I led a successful invasion of England to become the first Norman King of England. Also known as William the Conqueror, his reign included difficulties holding on to his land, rebellions, warring with France, and issues with his eldest son, Robert. William reigned as King until his brutal and gruesome death in 1087.
William’s horse reared up during the battle, throwing him into his saddle pommel. William hit the saddle pommel with such force that it ruptured his intestines. He soon developed an infection and died a few weeks later.
At the funeral, priests had difficulty putting William in the casket because it was too small. They tried to force his body into the coffin by pushing on his abdomen, causing his body to explode. The smell was so awful that mourners ran for the door.
9. The Death of Sean Doyle
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In 2002, New York City became the site of one of the most brutal deaths. After a shift, bartender Sean Doyle was walking home with his friend, Michael Wright, and his girlfriend.
As the story goes, Doyle was flirting with Wright’s girlfriend leading to a fight. According to witnesses, Wright beat Doyle up and threw him into an open utility hole. He fell 18 feet into a pool of boiling water, where he burned to death after four excruciating hours.
10. Plagues During the Roman Empire
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Few kingdoms in history compare with the great Roman Empire. From 395 to 476 AD, the Roman Empire was the cultural and political center of the world. Throughout its existence, it faced many internal and external threats. However, nothing hurt the flourishing Roman Empire more than disease.
As the Empire expanded throughout the world, soldiers and civilians would bring new diseases back with them. Most Romans didn’t have immunity to these new illnesses, causing several plagues to kill thousands, nearly bringing down the Roman Empire.
From 165 to 180 AD, the Antonine Plague, or smallpox, was so devastating that it led to a decrease in population and a loss of revenue. Several more diseases and plagues would nearly wipe out the Empire. Several factors played a role in the illnesses, including deforestation, air pollution, alcohol, and the sewage system.
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