Philip Evans
Death is often a taboo topic between many people, but there are many strange and interesting facts out there surrounding this subject. We compiled this list with just a few of the thousands of facts around.
It is a little known fact that one of the biggest killers in the world to date was actually the common flea. These bugs were guilty of transmitting the germs of the Black Death plague from rodents to humans, which resulted in the death of a quarter of Europe's population in the 14th century.
It is a well known fact that President Andrew Jackson died in 1845, but what isn't so well known is that this President kept a parrot as a pet, and this parrot was ejected from the funeral for swearing.
Tibetan buddhist's are strong believers in re-incarnation and believe once a person has died the body is of no use anymore. Their ritual is to cut up the body and then beat it to a pulp to be eaten by vultures.
There is now a company in the USA which specialises in burying people in Space. Memorial Space Flights will launch a small portion of your loved ones cremated remains into orbit on a shuttle. You can even choose differently priced packages, the cheapest costing $695, for this the shuttle will be launched, enjoy a brief orbit in space and then return to earth. However the most expensive package costs $12,500 and will see your loved one launched into deep space for eternity.
It has been confirmed that some humans turn into soap after they die. It is more common among people who had large fat deposits prior to their death, and can happen to both embalmed and non-embalmed bodies. it is not known why this happens exactly but there are many theories out there.
In Victorian times photography was a relatively new concept and as such was extremely expensive meaning many couldn't afford to have pictures taken. However it was common practice to have a photo taken of the corpse when a loved one died, and these photos would often be sent to relatives.
Thomas Edison (the inventor of the modern light bulb) was good friends with Henry Ford (the founder of the Ford Motor Company). When Edison died it is thought his last breath was caught in a bottle for Ford to keep and treasure.
