Well-Known Figures Who Passed Away at the Dinner Table

There are things we do in life that are seen as hazardous – riding in cars, walking across the street, flying in planes, and much more. But what is not typically seen as a life-threatening activity is mealtime (unless, of course, you have an allergy). We often think of meals as a time of unity, when families get together after a long day of work or school, or friends reunite in celebration. Many business deals are made over lunch, engagements are made, and people raise a glass in celebration. But there are also well-known figures who passed away at the dinner table, a commonality they certainly didn't intend to share.

However, all of these deaths didn't necessarily occur at the table.Some of these unfortunate individuals choked to death, one was shot, and another was poisoned. Most simply experienced heart attacks or died of natural causes while eating.The people listed here were frequently in the company of family or friends when they passed away. Considering they were likely enjoying their meals, one could argue that there are worse ways to go. (These are the 15 leading causes of death in America.)

Here are well-known figures who passed away at the dinner table.

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, son of Roman emperor Claudius, was next in line for the throne (once he reached adulthood, typically around age 14 in Roman tradition). The throne was currently occupied by Nero, who couldn't allow Tiberius to ascend. Nero enlisted the help of the same skilled poisoner who had assisted in Claudius' demise. According to the historian Tacitus, during a dinner party attended by various nobles, the 13-year-old Britannicus was served a hot beverage.

His food taster sampled it with no ill effects. However, when Britannicus asked for it to be cooled down, poison was added to the cold water. The poison took effect immediately and the young prince passed away. Nero denied involvement and claimed that the boy had had an epileptic seizure.

The renowned Danish scientist, often regarded as a pioneer of modern astronomy despite working without a telescope (invented after his lifetime), didn't exactly die at the table but because he stayed at the table. While attending a banquet in Prague, he found nature calling, urgently, but he refused to excuse himself because he thought it impolite.

After the meal was finally over and he got home, he found himself unable to urinate. He died 11 days later from uremia, a condition caused by elevated levels of urine in the blood, the consequence of his ill-advised politeness.

Celebrated in England as one of the world's oldest men, Parr was reportedly nearly 153 years old at the time of his death. He was so famous that renowned artists Rubens and Van Dyck painted his portraits, and shortly before his passing, he was invited to London to meet King Charles I. Unfortunately, during a banquet held in his honor by the king, Parr choked on his food and passed away.

The famed French philosopher and writer, best known for his mid-18th-century Encyclopédie, or Encyclopedia, was also known for his love of food. After a lavish meal at his daughter's house, Diderot, who suffered from emphysema, reached for an apricot for dessert. Despite his wife's warning that he'd had enough to eat, he ate the fruit anyway and died.

Madison, often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution" for his significant contributions to its drafting, and later served as Secretary of State before becoming the fourth president of the United States, passed away peacefully at the breakfast table on a Tuesday morning at Virginia plantation. At the age of 83, he seemingly succumbed to natural causes.

In 1902, Saks and his brother Isadore, who had operated a men's store in Washington, D.C., launched Saks & Company on 34th Street in Manhattan. The store later relocated and evolved into Saks Fifth Avenue. However, Andrew didn't live to see it, because 12 years before the new store appeared, he died of unspecified causes while eating dinner in a private room at Sherry's, a posh New York City restaurant favored by high society.

Farouk I, the second-to-last King of Egypt and onetime brother-in-law to the Shah of Iran, was a thin boy when he ascended to the throne at 16. By the time he was deposed 16 years later, he was a bloated glutton weighing more than 325 pounds. Despite his girth, he was a notorious playboy and was dining with an attractive blonde 20 years his junior at the Île de France restaurant in Rome when he died.

His last meal is said to have consisted of oysters, lobster, lamb, cake, and fruit. He was just lighting a post-prandial cigar when death struck. Rumors that he was poisoned by Egypt's then-president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, have never been substantiated.

The infamous mafia crime boss, responsible for numerous murders and for igniting a bloody mob war with the rival Colombo crime family, was shot to death on his 43rd birthday while eating at Umberto's Clam House in New York City's Little Italy. He was dining — at 4.30 in the morning — with his sister Carmella, his new wife, her young daughter, his bodyguard, and the bodyguard's girlfriend. As Gallo was reaching for a second helping of shrimp and scungilli salad, four Colombo gunmen entered the place, riddling him with bullets.

The most famous artist of the 20th century, Picasso was still working, and planning for a new exhibition, up to the day of his death at the age of 91. Suffering from pulmonary edema (water in the lungs) and a heart condition, he succumbed at the dinner table while dining with his 47-year-old wife, Jacqueline Roque.

A respected British art historian and official curator of Queen Elizabeth's art collection, Blunt was revealed to have been a longtime Soviet spy. Unlike his fellow conspirators — Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, and Guy Burgess — he remained in England after his treachery was discovered and died of an apparent heart attack while eating breakfast in his apartment in London.

Witney was a popular movie and TV actor, primarily in Westerns, in the 1960s and '70s. He later married the British supermodel Twiggy. He died of a heart attack during an early dinner with their 4-year-old daughter at a McDonald's on New York's Upper East Side.

Like his wife, Joan Didion, Dunne was an acclaimed screenwriter, novelist, and journalist. He had just sat down to dinner with her at their Manhattan apartment when he had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital, but couldn't be resuscitated.

A distinguished historian and author, Schlesinger is best known for his political writing, most notably the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House" (he and Kennedy were close friends). He suffered cardiac arrest at the age of 89 while dining with family members at an unnamed New York City restaurant.

The country singer, actor, and one-time sausage mogul — he called his autobiography "30 Years of Sausage, 50 Years of Ham" — died of natural causes at the age of 81. He was eating dinner in front of the television at his home near Richmond, Virginia. His wife reported that she left the room for a few minutes and found him gone when she returned.

Half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep, Johnson had long suffered from sickle-cell anemia, even writing a song about it called "You Can Feel My Pain." While taking part in the Art of Rap tour in Las Vegas with fellow artists Ghostface Killah and Ice-T he became ill and was admitted to a local hospital. Tragically, he choked to death on an egg while eating lunch in his bed.