Middle Ages

Sigurd I of Orkney

892: Sigurd I of Orkney, who had conquered much of northern Scotland, defeated and killed Maelbrigte of Moray, but died soon after, as, having strapped Maelbrigte's head to his saddle as a sign of triumph, he had his leg scraped by the latter's teeth — a wound which gave Sigurd bacteremia and septic shock.

Henry I of England



1135: Henry I of England is said to have died after gorging on lampreys, his favourite food.

Al-Musta'sim



1258: Al-Musta'sim was killed during the Mongol invasion of the Abbasid Caliphate. Hulagu Khan, not wanting to spill royal blood, had the Caliph wrapped in a rug and trampled to death by horses.

Martin I of Aragorn



1410: Martin I of Aragon died from a lethal combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughing.

George Plantagenet



1478: George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence reportedly was executed by drowning in a barrel of Malmsey wine at his own request.

Renaissance

Vlad Înecatul

1532: Vlad Înecatul (Vlad the Drowned), Prince of Wallachia, got severely drunk and rode his horse into the waters of the Dâmboviţa River.

Pedro de Valdivia

1543: Pedro de Valdivia, a dreaded conquistador, was captured by Native Americans and supposedly executed by pouring molten gold down his throat to satisfy his thirst for treasures.

João Rodrigues Cabrilho

1543: João Rodrigues Cabrilho, Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain (discoverer of California), died of gangrene in a broken leg. He broke the leg when jumping from one of his ships to attack hostile natives.

Humayun



1556: Humayun, a Mughal emperor, was descending from the roof of his library after observing Venus , when he heard the mu'azaan, or call to prayer. Humayun's practice was to bow his knee when he heard the azaan, and when he did his foot caught the folds of his garment, causing him to fall down several flights. He died 3 days later of the injuries at the age of 47.

Nanda Bayin

1599: Nanda Bayin, a Burman king, reportedly laughed to death when informed, by a visiting Italian merchant, that Venice was a free state without a king.

Tycho Brahe



1601: Tycho Brahe, according to legend, died of complications resulting from a strained bladder at a banquet. It would have been extremely bad etiquette to leave the table before the meal was finished, so he stayed until he became fatally ill. This version of events has since been brought into question as other causes of death (murder by Johannes Kepler, suicide, and lead poisoning among others) have come to the fore.

Francis Bacon

1626: Francis Bacon, English philosopher, statesman, and essayist, died of possible pneumonia after purchasing a chicken and stuffing it with snow to see if cold could preserve meat. Highgate is reputedly haunted by the chicken's ghost.

Thomas Urquhart



1660: Thomas Urquhart, Scottish aristocrat, polymath and first translator of Rabelais into English, is said to have died laughing upon hearing that Charles II had taken the throne.

François Vatel

1671: François Vatel, chef to Louis XIV, committed suicide because his seafood order was late and he couldn't stand the shame of a postponed meal. His body was discovered by an aide, sent to tell him of the arrival of the fish.

Molière



1673: Molière, the French actor and playwright, died after being seized by a violent coughing fit, whilst playing the title role in his play Le Malade imaginaire (The Hypochondriac or The Imaginary Invalid).

Henry Purcell

1695: Henry Purcell, composer, died of a chill after returning late from the theatre one night and finding that his wife had locked him out. It is also possible that he died of chocolate poisoning.

Age of Reason

Julien Offray de La Mettrie



1751: Julien Offray de La Mettrie, the author of L'Homme machine, a major materialist and sensualist philosopher died of overeating at a feast given in his honor. His philosophical adversaries suggested that by doing so, he had contradicted his theoretical doctrine with the effect of his practical actions.

Adolf Frederick



1771: Adolf Frederick, king of Sweden, died of digestion problems on 12 February 1771 after having consumed a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring and champagne, which was topped off with 14 servings of his favorite dessert: semla served in a bowl of hot milk. He is thus remembered by Swedish schoolchildren as "the king who ate himself to death."

Frantisek Kotzwara

1791 or 1793: Frantisek Kotzwara, double bass player and composer, erotic asphyxiation while with a prostitute.