Historical Deaths Attributed To Laughter
- One account of the death of Chrysippus, the third century BC Greek stoic philosopher, tells that he died of laughter after giving his donkey wine, then seeing it attempt to feed on figs.
- In 1410, King Martin of Aragon died from a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughter.
- In 1556, Pietro Aretino "is said to have died of suffocation from laughing too much".
- In 1660, Thomas Urquhart, the Scottish aristocrat, polymath and first translator of François Rabelais's writings into English, is said to have died laughing upon hearing that Charles II had taken the throne.
Read more about this topic: Death From Laughter
Famous quotes containing the words historical, deaths, attributed and/or laughter:
“Among the virtues and vices that make up the British character, we have one vice, at least, that Americans ought to view with sympathy. For they appear to be the only people who share it with us. I mean our worship of the antique. I do not refer to beauty or even historical association. I refer to age, to a quantity of years.”
—William Golding (b. 1911)
“This is the 184th Demonstration.
...
What we do is not beautiful
hurts no one makes no one desperate
we do not break the panes of safety glass
stretching between people on the street
and the deaths they hire.”
—Marge Piercy (b. 1936)
“I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to Gods will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.”
—Maya Angelou (b. 1928)
“The laughter of the aphorism is sometimes triumphant, but seldom carefree.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)