A person would normally stay conscious around fifteen to twenty seconds more following decapitation. What a way to die!

So much for the famous curse of Tutankhamen, better known as King Tut! The belief started spreading due to news reports of death of some members of the team led by Howard Carter, who opened the tomb of boy king in 1922. However, of the fifty eight people who were present at the exhumation, only eight kicked the bucket within a dozen years. Most of the rest were able to live long and healthy lives including Howard Carter, who eventually died of lymphoma at age 64 in 1939.

In Ancient Egypt, cats were already treated as pets as early as the 22th century BC and were considered sacred. When a pet cat died, not only was it mummified with the same care as people, its owner had to shave off their eyebrow as a sign of respect. Imagine how difficult it is sometimes to grow them back!

Traditional lore claimed that if a woman is buried dressed a black, she will return to haunt her family.

And speaking of hauntings. Another traditional lore led to the use of burial wreaths. It was claimed the wreath would enclose the spirit of the deceased, thus preventing them from going back to their grave.

Henry Ford had a particularly close friendship with Thomas Edison. And so in 1931, Ford had determined to preserve his good friend’s final breath in a bottle, which is still kept in Henry Ford Museum. It is a good thing that he got it labeled.

To avoid being dragged to death by their horse was one of the chief reasons why cowboys carried pistols in the 19th century. Haven’t they thought of getting larger stirrups?

If a person plans to die by jumping off from atop Mount Everest, he would need lots and lots of patience. It would take him two and a half minutes before hitting the ground.

This is a job I certainly would not wish for. When a Pyrenees beekeeper passes away, someone has to splatter every single bee with black ink.

An old superstitious notion declared that a dying person’s soul would not be able to leave if all the doors in the house were locked up.

Another superstition advised against pointing at a funeral march, with the terrible word of warning that you will die within a month. Additional evidence for the three digits pointing back at you!

Some people have a habit of chewing their pen. Around a hundred people die annually choking on a ballpoint pen. This certainly proves the saying: “the pen is mightier than the sword.” At least in a few isolated cases.

A tanner from Vermont by the name of John Bowman believed that he would be reincarnated together with his late wife and children after his death. Upon his death in 1891, his testament provided for a fifty thousand dollar trust fund for the preservation of his mansion and mausoleum. It also required his servants to prepare dinner nightly in case they returned. The condition was carried out until 1950, when the fund was used up.

Might want to read labels more carefully. Around two thousand five hundred left-handed people die annually from using products intended for those who are right-handed. You may just want to turn away from those right-handed scissors.

A parrot pet caused quite a commotion during President Andrew Jackson’s funeral. Well, his crime was uttering profanities during the service. He should have fed Polly just one more cracker.

It seems that they are nearly indestructible. A roach is supposedly able to survive for up to nine days headless. The only reason they eventually kick over? Starvation.

You may think that sex appeal was the first to go when one dies. In reality, it is your sight that goes first and your hearing that’s last. What’s that again?