Student Article

Inventors create new things to help people, but sometimes their inventions can be dangerous. Here are six inventors who died because of their own creations:

Karel Soucek

Karel was a stuntman who made a special barrel to go over Niagara Falls. He survived the fall, but later he tried a new barrel design and it didn't work. He died when the barrel hit the edge of a tank instead of the water.

Henry Smolinski

Henry wanted to make a flying car. He combined parts of a plane and a car. During a test flight, the car crashed and Henry died.

Thomas Midgley Jr.

Thomas invented chemicals called CFCs and leaded gasoline. These inventions hurt the environment. He also made a machine to help him get out of bed, but he got tangled in it and died.

Sabin Arnold von Sochocky

Sabin invented paint that glows in the dark using radium. Radium is dangerous, and Sabin died from being exposed to it.

Franz Reichelt

Franz made a suit that he thought could work as a parachute. He tested it by jumping off the Eiffel Tower, but the suit didn't work and he died.

Henry Winstanley

Henry built the first lighthouse on dangerous rocks. He stayed in the lighthouse during a big storm, but the lighthouse was destroyed and Henry died.

These stories show that inventing new things can be risky, but inventors keep trying to make the world better.

© Dr. Claire Asher / Our Media