The renowned American singer Elvis Presley, known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” is considered a pioneer of rock music and one of the most famous and influential musicians of the 20th century. Unfortunately, he passed away at the young age of 42, found dead in the bathroom of his own home. Despite the unusual circumstances of his death, there have been other celebrities who have passed away in a similar manner.
According to a report by Mental Floss, on August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley, the self-proclaimed “King of Rock and Roll,” collapsed in the bathroom of his mansion, Graceland. His fiancée at the time, Ginger Alden, discovered the situation.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment but was ultimately pronounced dead at the age of 42. While the official cause of death was determined to be a heart attack, toxicology reports revealed that he had 10 different drugs in his system at the time of his death, including a high concentration of codeine, to which he happened to be allergic.
However, Elvis Presley’s personal physician, George C. Nichopoulos, did not believe that a drug overdose was the cause of death. He argued that if it were a drug overdose, Presley would have gradually fallen into a state of unconsciousness. He could have put on his pajamas, crawled to the door for help because death from a drug overdose usually takes several hours.
To this day, there is still no consensus on the exact cause of Elvis Presley’s death. Some even believe that he never died at all. Conspiracy theories suggest that he faked his death and is currently living in seclusion somewhere.
Throughout history, there have been other notable figures who died in the bathroom, such as:
In ancient China during the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Jing of Jin was a ruler of the state of Jin. According to the historical record “Zuo Zhuan,” Duke Jing fell ill in 581 BC and had a nightmare, prompting him to consult a sorcerer. The sorcerer prophesied that he would not live long, stating that he would “not taste the new wheat.”
When the new wheat was harvested, Duke Jing was still alive. Wanting to taste the new wheat as he summoned it, Duke Jing ordered that the sorcerer be executed in anger when he thought he would not be able to taste it. However, just before he could taste the new wheat, he suddenly felt unwell in his abdomen and rushed to the bathroom. He accidentally fell into the cesspit and drowned.
King George II ruled Great Britain and Ireland for 33 years until his life ended.
On October 25, 1760, the 76-year-old King George II woke up at Kensington Palace, drank a cup of hot chocolate, and then went to use a commode chair. Soon after, his valet heard a loud noise. Upon investigating, the valet found King George II lying unconscious on the floor.
The official autopsy report indicated that King George II died from a dissected aorta. However, modern doctors, after studying the autopsy report, believe that the actual cause of death was likely coronary artery disease, a condition not known to the medical community at that time.
American actress Judy Garland rose to fame for her role as Dorothy in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” when she was only 17 years old. However, her career led to drug addiction, ultimately leading to her death.
On June 22, 1969, in Garland’s apartment in London with her husband Mickey Deans, Deans opened the bathroom door and found Garland dead on the toilet at the age of 47.
She was leaning forward with her hands still supporting her head. She died from an overdose of barbiturates, a common sedative at the time, but the coroner ruled it as an “accidental” death caused by “carelessness,” rather than suicide.