The Intrepid, Ill-Fated Parachutist
When I was a wee child, I had always wanted to learn how to fly (and even went as far as jumping off objects with both an umbrella and a garbage bag!). Franz paid the ultimate price by taking this notion a tad bit too far … basically base jumping without a parachute. Egads!
Death by Overcoat Parachute Failure
In 1911, French tailor Franz Reichelt decided to test his invention, a combination overcoat and parachute, by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. Actually, he told the authorities that he would use a dummy, but at the last minute decided to test it himself. It was no surprise that he fell to his death.
There’s even a YouTube clip of his fatal jump.