Our Last Will and Testament is usually a document which we use to distribute our possessions to loved ones and ensure that our families are taken care of when we pass away. However, listed below are a few people who have used their Will to make more unusual requests:
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Born in 1874, Harry Houdini is still considered to be one of the greatest escape artists of all time. After his death in 1926, his possessions were distributed between his family and friends according to his Will.
His vast libraries of books on magic were offered to the American Society for Physical Research on the condition that J. Malcolm Bird, the research officer of the facility would resign. This wish was not fulfilled, and therefore the books were instead gifted to the Library of Congress.
His most unusual gift was ‘ten words chosen at random’ which he would use as a secret code from the dead...to contact his wife. For ten years after his death, his wife continued to hold annual séances on Halloween, however to no avail.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie, one of the most famous pioneers of radioactivity, died from her work in 1934. At her point of death, her only asset of value was a gram of pure radium gifted to her previously, which she decided to give to her daughter. Her Will stated, "The value of the element being too great to transfer to a personal heritage, I desire to will the gram of radium to the University of Paris on the condition that my daughter, Irene Curie, shall have entire liberty to use this gram . . . according to the conditions under which her scientific researches shall be pursued."
John Bowman
John Bowman had a strong belief that after his death, he along with his dead wife and two daughters would be reincarnated together. When he died in 1891, a $50,000 trust fund was set up for the maintenance of his mansion in Vermont. The maintenance also required the servants to prepare a meal every evening, in case the reincarnated family were hungry when they returned from the dead. This tradition was carried out until 1950, when the money ran out.
