GREAT PEOPLE OF HISTORY WHO DIED ON
THE TOILET
By ELIZABETH MAXHAM
History - Science
KING GEORGE II
King George II had the earliest recorded instance of aortic dissection — his main artery burst open while trying to pass a bowel movement. Frank Nicholls, his physician, wrote in his report, “His majesty was found fallen on the ground [...] with a slight contused wound on his right temple.”
KING EDMUND IRONSIDE
11th-century history maintains that England’s King Edmund II was assassinated on the toilet, with the assassin hiding — well, you can guess. However, today’s historians believe that Edmund died of natural causes, although it still could have been on the toilet.
ELVIS PRESLEY
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, was likely straining to pass a bowel movement when he had a massive heart attack and keeled over. Presley was suffering from chronic constipation at the time of his death, a side effect of painkillers that his shady doctor had prescribed.
ARIUS OF ALEXANDRIA
When the Alexandrian priest Arius had to relieve himself, he went into a water closet and suddenly "falling face first, he burst in the middle," according to his contemporary Athanasius. However, Arius was considered a heretic by many Christians of the time, and they may have embellished on his death to make it more resemble that of Judas in the Acts of the Apostles.
EVELYN WAUGH
On April 10, 1966 satirical writer Evelyn Waugh died mysteriously in his bathroom, with the official cause of death listed as coronary thrombosis. However, friend and fellow author Graham Greene said there was water in Waugh’s lungs, and Waugh’s son simply said he cleaned up the excrement on the floor, never speaking about the details.