9 Inventors Who Were Killed By Their Creations

Although not some kind of device or machine, Harry Houdini reportedly met his death at the hands of one of his inventions.

As part of his act Houdini used to claim that he was able to take any strength of blow to the abdomen without injury. One day, a student named J. Gordon Whitehead came to speak to him in his dressing room and asked him if it was true that he could take any impact to his stomach. 

Houdini, who was suffering from appendicitis at the time tried to direct Whitehead's attention to his strong shoulder and back muscles instead, but the student persisted, looking for an excuse to punch Houdini.

Houdini eventually let him, but was not prepared for the repeated "hammer-like" blows that Whitehead rained down on him, having been unable to stand up and brace himself due to a broken ankle. He eventually held up a hand and said weakly "that's enough".

Houdini died on Halloween 1926 from a ruptured appendix after surgery failed to save him and was buried in the prop coffin he used in his "buried alive" trick.

No one is quite sure why Whitehead attacked Houdini the way that he did, or whether he meant to hurt him. He died a recluse and hoarder in 1954 and is buried in an unmarked grave in Canada.