In the days of Napoleon, two Frenchmen named LePique and Grandpré decided to have a duel when they realized they were seeing the same woman. But this was to be no ordinary duel—this contest was to be held in the skies above Paris! They each got in their own hot air balloon, ascended to half a mile above the city, then drew their arms. Lepique drew first and missed. Grandpré then fired…and popped LePique’s balloon, sending him and his pilot plummeting to their deaths.

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was considered a weak ruler who failed to gain respect during his life. His death didn’t help matters. The king died after consuming a meal of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers, and champagne followed by no fewer than 14 helpings of his favorite dessert. He literally ate himself to death.

Yes.

Drown-proofing is the number one cause of death in BUD/S training. Within 2013–2016, 9 recruits died due to drowning in this event. Despite all this, it’s still incredibly rare, as BUD/S has top-notch doctors on standby, constantly checking recruits’ vitals to see how much more they can take.