Curious and Unusual Deaths

By Their Own Invention (1x6)

Air date: Dec 05, 2009

The Flying Tailor: On 4 February 1912, Franz Reichelt tested a prototype of a potentially revolutionary invention - his combination overcoat/parachute. He decided to try it out from the Eiffel tower and plunged to his death. The Glowing Scientist: In 1903 Marie Curie pioneered the discovery of radioactivity and even coined the term. She went on to discover Polonium and Radium and became the first person to win the Nobel Prize twice. However, after experimenting with radium for over three decades, Currie succumbed to its devastating effects - radiation poisoning - in 1934. Hoarding To Death: Homer Lusk Collyer and Langley Collyer were two American brothers who had became famous because of their compulsive hoarding. Langley had built intricate booby traps and tunnels around their home in Harlem, New York, to keep invaders from stealing the 100 tonnes plus of rubbish they had amassed over several decades. 1947 both were found dead in their brownstone under the thousands of items they were attempting to protect.