Just some interesting facts about/on death! Enjoy! :)
1) More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
(2) More people are killed each year by coconuts than sharks. Approximately 150 people are killed each year by coconuts.
(3) You are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by a poisonous spider.
(4) Fleas have the distinction of killing more people than all the wars man has ever fought. The "Black Death" plague killed 1/4 of Europe's population in the 14th century, caused by germs transmitted from rodents to humans by fleas.
(5) The animal responsible for the most human deaths worldwide is the mosquito.
(6) The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
(7) A hundred years ago, the average life expectancy in the United States was forty-seven.
(8) Today, only one in two billion people will live to be 116 or older.
(9) Your statistical chance of being murdered is 1 in 20,000.
(10) There are 5 times as many deaths due to the negligence of doctors as there are deaths due to firearms.
(11) On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
(12) Robert Hershey, of Hershey Chocolate fame, died when he fell into a vat of chocolate and drowned.
(13) Dr. Alice Chase, who wrote "Nutrition for Health" and numerous books on the science of proper eating, died of malnutrition.
(14) Adolph Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.
(15) When Mahatma Gandhi died, an autopsy revealed that his small intestine contained five gold Krugerrands.
(16) When Thomas Edison died in 1941; Henry Ford captured his last dying breath in a bottle.
(17) In 1845, President Andrew Jackson's pet parrot was removed from his funeral for swearing.
(18) Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three presidents: his father's, President Garfield's, and President McKinley's. After the last shooting, he refused ever to attend a state affair again.
(19) When Mark Twain was born on Nov 30, 1835, Halley's comet was visible over Florida, Missouri. Mark Twain predicted in 1909 that he would die when it returned. He was right. When he died on April 21, 1910, Halley's comet was once again visible in the sky.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Strange and True Facts about Death
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When I read this post, I couldn't help but think back about the Six Feet Under episode we watched in class. Knowing that more coconuts and donkeys kill people than cars and airplanes, I think we should focus on living our lives. We should not being afraid to go out and experience life. In the pilot episode of Six Feet Under, the owner of the funeral home is killed by a bus, and he ironically hid for most of his life in fear of dying because of something he was doing. It's sad that people often miss out great opportunities because of their fears, which may be unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this post! Not that I'm "fascinated" by death, but I think it's always interesting to see strange facts like this. It kind of puts life and death into perspective. You're more likely to die from a coconut then being bit by a shark. Your statistical chance of being murdered is 1 in 20,000. Mosquitos are responsible for the most deaths worldwide. Reading things like this makes me wonder why I'm always so scared of things. This type of thing really puts things into perspective and makes me want to live my life more. It makes me want to be less fearful and go out and do the things I have always wanted to do. Sure there are risks to "living life on the edge," but there are risks with everything. I learned this several years ago and it changed my perspective on everything.
ReplyDeleteI think that this post is funny because people get things in our mind and drive ourselves crazy about them, even when its not that bad. For example.. the "more people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes." I use to have a huge fear of airplanes, however after traveling I realized it is not bad at all, and got over my fear. I just wish that I knew this fact while I was having a panic attack before getting on my flight..
ReplyDeleteI love that this way posted. It just goes to show that all the things people do not do in their lives; jumping out of a plain, moving alone to the city for fear of being killed or mugged, or falling in love, dont mean anything. People need to learn that every chance you get it life should be taken, and lived to the fullest, like what we see in Tuesdays with Morrie. People are so afraid of being murdered when statistically the chances are so low. Life needs to be lived, not feared. And showing these odd and funny facts should be a lesson to all the "scaredy-cats" in this world. Life your lives, so you dont live with regret!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting Ive heard a few of these but its always a good reminder to me to take chances. like the coconut vs shark attack is one of my faves.
ReplyDeleteI found these facts about death very interesting and thought provoking. I could not even believe the fact about Adolf Hitler and his mother considering abortion but was talked out of it. Many of these facts, along with this one, are displaying the fact that life is a very tricky thing. We never know when or why we will die or how it will happen. Being more likely to get killed by a champagne cork over a poisonous spider is so shocking but apparently true. We read and it and we laugh at how silly it is. We never consider how we are going to die.
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