6 Stories of Inventors Who Died Because of Their Own Findings

Their invention has made significant contributions to humankind

Franz Reichelt wearing his parachute suit. By Unknown author — http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ludique/espace_enfant/fiches_pedagogiques/DOSSIER04.pdf, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8706401

Before an invention reaches the public and is widely used, the inventor will carry out a very long trial and error process to ensure the tool or object he invented is safe and fit.

Many inventors get sick or suffer fatal accidents, even death, due to working on their findings in this process. The following are six stories of the inventors who died because of their discoveries.

1. Marie Curie

“Marie Curie” by Tekniska museet is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel prize in two different fields — Chemistry and Physics. She was the scientist who discovered radium with her husband, Pierre Curie.

In the early 1900s, radium was believed to have more value than platinum or gold. In early 1934 Curie visited Poland and was utterly unaware of the dangers of radioactive substances as she tried to isolate them. Curie worked with the substance with unprotected direct contact for an extended period.