These are lists of

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ings, deliberate and accidental, in chronological order by the date of death of the victim(s). They include mass poisonings, confirmed attempted poisonings, suicides, fictional poisonings and people who are known or suspected to have killed multiple people.

Non-fiction

Fatal

* Socrates (d. 399 BC), Greek philosopher; according to Plato, he was sentenced to kill himself by drinking poison hemlock * Artaxerxes III (d. 338 BC), Persian king; possibly poisoned by his vizier Bagoas * Artaxerxes IV (d. 336 BC), Persian king; poisoned by his vizier Bagoas * Bagoas (d. 336 BC), Persian vizier and king-maker; poisoned by

Darius III Darius III ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; c. 380 – 330 BC) was the last Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia, reigning from 336 BC to his death in 330 BC. Contrary to his predecessor Artaxerxes IV Arses, Dar ...

* Demosthenes (d. 322 BC), Athenian politician *

Xu Pingjun Xu Pingjun () (89 BC – 71 BC), formally Empress Gong'ai (; literally, the Respectful and Lamentable Empress) and sometimes (but not at all times) Empress Xiaoxuan (), was an empress of the Chinese Western Han dynasty. She was the first wife of ...

(d. 71 BC), first empress of Emperor Xuan of Han. * Antipater the Idumaean (d. 43 BC), father of Herod the Great * Drusus Julius Caesar (d. 23), son of Tiberius * Emperor Claudius (d. 54), allegedly poisoned by his wife

Agrippina Agrippina is an ancient Roman cognomen and a feminine given name. People with either the cognomen or the given name include: Cognomen Relatives of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: * Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC–20 AD), first wife of th ...

with mushrooms or with the poisoned feather used to provoke vomiting * Emperor Zhi of Han (d.146) * Emperor Hui of Jin China (d. 304) *

Ali ibn Abi Talib ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

(d. 661), fourth caliph of the

Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...

and first of the Twelve Imams of Shia Islam * Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (d. 720), eighth caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate * Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 733), fifth

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

of Twelver Shia Islam; supposedly died after being given a poisoned saddle * Mūsá al-Kāẓim (d. 799), seventh

of Twelver Shia Islam * Beorhtric of Wessex (d. 802), unintentionally poisoned by his wife, Eadburh * Muhammad al-Jawad (d. 835), ninth

of Twelver Shia Islam; supposedly poisoned by his wife on orders from the new caliph *

Romanus II Romanos II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Ρωμανός, 938 – 15 March 963) was Byzantine Emperor from 959 to 963. He succeeded his father Constantine VII at the age of twenty-one and died suddenly and mysteriously four years later. His son Bas ...

(d. 963), Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty *

Alan III, Duke of Brittany Alan III of Rennes (c. 997 – 1 October 1040) ( French: ''Alain III de Bretagne'') was Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany, by right of succession from 1008 to his death. Life Alan was the son of Duke Geoffrey I and Hawise of Normandy.Detlev Sc ...

(d. 1040) * Constantine II of Armenia (d. 1129) * Alphonse I, Count of Toulouse (d. 1148) * Baldwin III of Jerusalem (d. 1162) * Blanche of Bourbon (d. 1361), first wife of King

Pedro of Castile Peter ( es, Pedro; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for ...

Louis, Count of Gravina Louis of Durazzo (1324 – 22 July 1362) was Count of Gravina and Morrone. He was the son of John of Durazzo and Agnes of Périgord. In 1337, he was named Vicar- and Captain-General of the Kingdom of Albania (medieval), Kingdom of Albania. Duri ...

(d. 1362) * Robert, Count of Eu (d. 1387) * Ladislaus, King of Naples (d. 1414) * Dmitry Shemyaka (d. 1453), Grand Duke of Moscow; poisoned with arsenic by Vasily Tyomniy's agents in Great Novgorod * Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (d. 1494) * Margaret Drummond (d. 1502), mistress of King

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...

* Timoji (d. 1512), Hindu privateer and Portuguese ally *

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...

(d. 1521), Spanish

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

; died after being wounded by a poisoned arrow * Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky (d. 1610), Russian general and statesman * Yamada Nagamasa (d. 1630), Japanese adventurer *

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor , house = Habsburg , spouse = , issue = , issue-link = #Children , issue-pipe = , father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg , birth_date ...

(d. 1740), ate poisonous mushrooms * Johann Schobert (d. 1767), German composer; ate poisonous mushrooms believing them to be edible * Bradford sweets poisoning (1858); 21 people died and more than 200 others became ill when confections accidentally made with arsenic trioxide were sold from a market stall in Bradford, England * Charles Francis Hall (d. 1871), American

Arctic explorer Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle. Historical records suggest that humankind have explored ...

poisoned with arsenic by members of the Polaris expedition. *Nine children killed on 28 May 1879 in Newark, Vermont after drinking from a polluted stream. * Guangxu Emperor (d. 1908), Emperor of the Qing dynasty; poisoned with arsenic by unidentified persons * Olive Thomas (d. 1920), American silent film actress; accidentally ingested a large dose of mercury(II) chloride * Madge Oberholtzer (d. 1925), rape victim of Ku Klux Klan leader

D.C. Stephenson David Curtis "Steve" Stephenson (August 21, 1891 – June 28, 1966) was an American Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader, convicted rapist and murderer. In 1923 he was appointed Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan and head of Klan recruiting for seven other ...

; died after attempting to commit suicide with mercury(II) chloride *Nine killed by apple cider contaminated by a pesticide at

Elks National Home Spring Oak Senior Living Community - Elks Home (formerly The Elks National Home) is a retirement home and national historic district located at Bedford, Virginia. History The Elks National Home was built in 1916 by the Benevolent and Protectiv ...

in Bedford, Virginia in November 1923. *

Nestor Lakoba Nestor Apollonovich Lakoba; ; ab, Нестор Аполлон-иԥа Лакоба; ( Georgian: ნესტორ აპოლონის ძე ლაკობა est'or Ap'olonis Dze Lak'oba 1 May 189328 December 1936) was an Abkhaz comm ...

(d. 1936), Abkhaz Communist leader; poisoned by NKVD chief Lavrenti Beria * Abram Slutsky (d.1938), head of Soviet spy service; poisoned with

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

by NKVD * Nikolai Koltsov (d. 1940), Russian biologist; poisoned by NKVD secret police *

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

(d. 1944), German general; opted to commit suicide with cyanide after facing trial for his involvement in the

20 July plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

* Eva Hitler (née Braun) (d. 1945), wife of Adolf Hitler; committed suicide by cyanide capsule at Hitler's side *The six Goebbels children (d. 1945); poisoned by their parents Magda and

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

, who then killed themselves by poison and gunshots shortly afterwards * Heinrich Himmler (d. 1945), leader of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS); suicide by cyanide capsule after being captured * Odilo Globocnik (d. 1945) * Hermann Göring (d. 1946), leader of the Nazi Luftwaffe; suicide by cyanide capsule, long after being captured and only hours before his sentenced hanging was to take place *

Theodore Romzha Theodore George Romzha ( uk, Теодор Юрій Ромжа, hu, Romzsa Tódor György, 14 April 1911 – 31 October 1947) was the bishop of the Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Mukacheve from 1944 to 1947. Assassinated by the NKVD, he was bea ...

(d. 1947), bishop of the

Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church ( rue, Русиньска ґрекокатолицька церьков; la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Ruthenica), also known in the United States simply as the Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Cath ...

; poisoned by NKVD agents, who injected him with curare on orders from Nikita Khrushchev * Alan Turing (d. 1954), British mathematician; apparently committed suicide by injecting an apple with

cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a ...

and taking a bite, though it has also been speculated that the poisoning was accidental * Stepan Bandera (d. 1959); poisoned by a cyanide capsule shot from a gun by KGB agents * 1971 Iraq poison grain disaster; at least 650 people died after eating

methylmercury Methylmercury (sometimes methyl mercury) is an organometallic cation with the formula . It is the simplest organomercury compound. Methylmercury is extremely toxic, and its derivatives are the major source of organic mercury for humans. It is a ...

-treated grain intended for seeding *

Bandō Mitsugorō VIII (19 October 1906 – 16 January 1975) was one of Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of ...

(d. 1975), Japanese kabuki actor; ate four livers of

fugu The fugu (; ; ) in Japanese, ''bogeo'' (; 鰒魚) or ''bok'' () in Korean, and ''hétún'' (河豚; 河魨) in Standard Modern Chinese is a pufferfish, normally of the genus ''Takifugu'', ''Lagocephalus'', or ''Sphoeroides'', or a porcupinefish ...

fish *Nine killed in Denver City, Texas due to an accidental release of

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The unde ...

. * Jayanta Hazarika (d. 1977),

Assamese Assamese may refer to: * Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India * People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam * Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...

singer and musician * Georgi Markov (d. 1978), Bulgarian dissident; assassinated in London with

ricin Ricin ( ) is a lectin (a carbohydrate-binding protein) and a highly potent toxin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, ''Ricinus communis''. The median lethal dose (LD50) of ricin for mice is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body ...

* Peoples Temple members (1978); over 900 died by cyanide-laced punch at Jonestown * Love Canal (up to 1978); buried toxic waste was covered and used as a building site for housing and a school in

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

, resulting in claims of chronic poisoning that led to a massive environmental cleanup * Bhopal disaster (1984); accidental release of poisonous gas from a pesticide plant in India that killed over 10,000 people and injured many more *

Matsumoto incident The Matsumoto sarin attack was an attempted assassination perpetrated by members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan on the night of June 27, 1994. Eight people were killed

(1994);

Sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB G-series, "B"">Nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for Nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound.Aum Shinrikyo group killed 7 people and injured approximately 200 * Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway (1995); attack carried out by members of the Aum Shinrikyo group killed 12 and injured 1,034 * Marshall Applewhite (d. 1997) * Moscow theater hostage crisis (2002); to end the crisis, the Federal Security Service (FSB) pumped an undisclosed chemical agent into the building's ventilation system, killing 40 militants and 133 hostages * Ibn al-Khattab (d. 2002), Sunni jihadi fighter; died from a poisoned letter sent by Russian FSB agency * Koodathayi Cyanide Murders (d. 2002–2016); 6 people were allegedly killed by Jolly Joseph using potassium cyanide * Roman Tsepov (d. 2004), Russian businessman; poisoned by unspecified radioactive material *

2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump The 2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump was a health crisis in Ivory Coast in which a ship registered in Panama, the ''Probo Koala'', chartered by the Singaporean-based oil and commodity shipping company Trafigura Beheer BV, offloaded toxic waste ...

killed seventeen * Alexander Litvinenko (d. 2006), Russian ex-spy and investigator; died three weeks after being poisoned by radioactive

polonium-210 Polonium-210 (210Po, Po-210, historically radium F) is an isotope of polonium. It undergoes alpha decay to stable 206Pb with a half-life of 138.376 days (about months), the longest half-life of all naturally occurring polonium isotopes. First i ...

Zamfara State lead poisoning epidemic A series of lead poisonings in Zamfara State, Nigeria, led to the deaths of at least 163 people between March and June 2010, including 111 children. Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health figures, state the discovery of 355 cases with 46 percent pro ...

(2010); at least 163 people died in Zamfara State, Nigeria *

Murder of Garnett Spears Garnett-Paul Thompson Spears (December 3, 2008 – January 23, 2014) was a 5-year-old boy who died at a hospital in suburban Valhalla, New York. He was murdered by his mother, Lacey Spears, who injected him with high levels of sodium, leading to ...

(2014), a boy in New York whose mother suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, eventually leading her to give her son a fatal amount of table salt *

Slobodan Praljak Slobodan Praljak (; 2 January 1945 – 29 November 2017) was a Bosnian Croat who served in the Croatian Army and the Croatian Defence Council, an army of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, between 1992 and 1995. Praljak was found guilty of ...

(d. 2017), former

Bosnian Croat The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats () are the third most populous ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ethnic group in the country after Bosniaks and Serbs of Bosnia and H ...

retired general in the Croatian Army and the Croatian Defence Council; upon hearing of the guilty verdict upheld in his trial for war crimes, he drank poison in the courtroom and died a few hours later *

Dawn Sturgess On 30 June 2018, in Amesbury, two British nationals, Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, were admitted to Salisbury District Hospital in Wiltshire, England. Police determined that they were poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent of the same kind ...

(d. 2018), accidentally poisoned with the same Novichok nerve agent used in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal * Tribistovo poisoning (2021); carbon monoxide leak from a power generator killed eight teenagers in the

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

night

Non-fatal

Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus g ...

, Russian mystic; survived being poisoned with

potassium cyanide Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. This colorless crystalline salt, similar in appearance to sugar, is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications includ ...

, as well as being shot, bludgeoned, and being thrown into a frozen river before he finally died by drowning * Clare Boothe Luce, fell ill from arsenic poisoning in 1956 but did not die *

Nikolay Khokhlov Nikolai Yevgenievich Khokhlov (Cyrillic: Николай Евгеньевич Хохлов; 7 June 1922 – 17 September 2007) was a KGB officer who defected to the United States in 1954. He testified about KGB activities. The KGB unsuccessfully ...

, poisoned by radioactive thallium in Germany in 1957 for refusing to work as a KGB assassin * Alexander Dubček, Slovak politician; survived an attempt to poison him with strontium-90 in 1968 * Hafizullah Amin, second President of Afghanistan; survived a poisoning by a Soviet agent in 1979 * Zhu Ling, Chinese university student poisoned with thallium in 1995 * Khaled Mashal, leader of Palestinian fundamentalist organization Hamas; survived being poisoned by Israeli assassins in 1997 after two of the assassins were captured and an antidote was supplied by Israel in exchange for their release * Anna Politkovskaya, Russian journalist; poisoned during a flight to Beslan in 2004 * Viktor Yushchenko, Ukrainian politician; poisoned with

dioxin Dioxin may refer to: * 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-Dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings where two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, giving the molecular formula C4H4O2 *Dibenzo-1,4-dioxin, the parent compound also known as ...

during the 2004 Ukrainian electoral campaign *

Viktor Kalashnikov Viktor Kalashnikov (russian: Виктор Калашников) is a Russian freelance journalist and a former KGB colonel. In the autumn of 2010, he and his wife Marina Kalashnikova were treated in hospital in Germany for mercury poisoning in what ...

, Russian ex-KGB colonel; both he and his wife survived being poisoned with

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

in 2010 * Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian opposition politician; poisoned in 2017 (also possibly in 2015) with an unknown toxin * Sergei and Yulia Skripal, Russian former double-agent and his daughter; poisoned in 2018 in Salisbury, England with Novichok nerve agent *

Alexei Navalny Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Russian opposition ...

, Russian opposition leader, poisoned in 2020 with Novichok, during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow * Unnamed Taylor Child deliberate destruction of a child's liver caused by her mother, Shauna Taylor, in an act of

Munchausen by proxy Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), also known as fabricated or induced illness by carers (FII), and first named as Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP), is a condition in which a caregiver creates the appearance of health problems in ...

and intentional iron poisoning.

Alleged

* Alexander the Great (d. 323 BC) *

Mithridates VI of Pontus Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator ( grc-gre, Μιθραδάτης; 135–63 BC) was ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an e ...

(d. 63 BC), king of Pontus and Armenia Minor * Ptolemy XIV of Egypt (d. 44 BC); if so, by his sister

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

* Augustus (d. 14), Roman Emperor, with poisoned figs by his wife

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC – 28 September AD 29) was a Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Roman emperor, Emperor Augustus Caesar. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption in ancient Rome, adoption into the J ...

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the Patric ...

(d. 19), Roman general *

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

(d. 54), Roman Emperor, by his wife

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claud ...

Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as ()), was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She ...

(d. 60 or 61), Queen of the Iceni tribe and leader of the rebellion against Roman rule in Britain; committed suicide by poison according to Tacitus, though

Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

claimed natural illness * Constance of Normandy (d. 1090), daughter of King William I of England * King John of England (d. 1216); with peaches * Pope Benedict XI (d. 1304) *

Stefan Dusan Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

(d. 1355), Serbian king * Anne Neville (d. 1485), Queen Consort of England, died of tuberculosis but said to have been poisoned by her husband

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

* Matthias Corvinus (d. 1490), King of Hungary *

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...

(d. 1536), Queen Consort of England, thought to have been poisoned by her former husband Henry VIII of England or his wife Anne Boleyn *

Barbara Radziwiłł Barbara Radziwiłł ( pl, Barbara Radziwiłłówna, lt, Barbora Radvilaitė; 6 December 1520/23 – 8 May 1551) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as consort of Sigismund II Augustus, the last male monarch of the Jagiellon dynas ...

(d. 1551), Queen of Poland * King Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577); according to folklore, he was killed from poisoning by arsenic hidden in pea soup * Tycho Brahe (d. 1601), Danish astronomer *

Jamestown colonists On May 14, 1607, 104 English men and boys established the Jamestown Settlement for the Virginia Company, on a slender peninsula on the bank of the Jamestown River. It became the first long-term English settlement in North America. The settlemen ...

(1607–1610); standard historical accounts suggest many early colonists died of starvation, but the possibility of arsenic poisoning by rat poison (or of death by

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

) has also been reported *

Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, (1 June 156324 May 1612), was an English statesman noted for his direction of the government during the Union of the Crowns, as Tudor England gave way to Stuart period, Stuart rule (1603). Lord Salisbury s ...

(d. 1612) * Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1637) * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (d. 1791), Austrian composer; with antimony *

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

(d. 1821); some claim he was killed with arsenic by someone on his staff, though the evidence is inconclusive * Pope Pius VIII (d. 1830) * Zachary Taylor (d. 1850), 12th President of the United States; theorized by author Clara Rising that his milk was poisoned during an Independence Day celebration *

John Gallagher Montgomery John Gallagher Montgomery (June 27, 1805 – April 24, 1857) was a lawyer who represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Congress briefly in 1857. Biography Montgomery was born in Northumberland, Pennsylvania on June 27, 1805. After studying under ...

(d. 1857), U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * Charles Darwin (d. 1882), English naturalist; possibly died due to self-medication with Fowler's solution, one-percent potassium arsenite * Hanoi Poison Plot (1908), a group of local Vietnamese tried to poison the entire French colonial army's garrison in the Citadel of Hanoi * Huo Yuanjia (d. 1910), wushu master and Chinese national hero; arsenic * Emperor Gojong of Korea (d. 1919); allegedly poisoned by the Japanese * Maxim Gorky (d. 1936), Russian writer; NKVD chief Genrikh Yagoda admitted at the Trial of the Twenty One that he ordered to poison Gorky and his son * Robert Johnson (d. 1938), American musician * Raoul Wallenberg (d. c. 1947), Swedish humanitarian who saved tens of thousands of Jews during World War II; reportedly poisoned in Lubyanka prison by Grigory Mairanovsky * Joseph Stalin (d. 1953); officially

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

, but according to Vyacheslav Molotov's memoirs and historians Radzinsky and

Antonov-Ovseenko Vladimir Alexandrovich Antonov-Ovseenko (russian: Влади́мир Алекса́ндрович Анто́нов-Овсе́енко; ua, Володимир Антонов-Овсєєнко; 9 March 1883 – 10 February 1938), real surna ...

, Stalin was poisoned on Lavrenty Beria's orders *

Vasili Blokhin Vasily Mikhailovich Blokhin (russian: Васи́лий Миха́йлович Блохи́н; 7 January 1895 – 3 February 1955) was a Soviet and Russian major general who served as the chief executioner of the NKVD under the administration ...

(d. 1955), former executioner of NKVD * Lal Bahadur Shastri (d. 1966), second Prime Minister of India * João Goulart (d. 1976), former Brazilian president ousted by 1964 coup d'état *

Carlos Lacerda Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda (30 April 1914 – 21 May 1977) was a Brazilian journalist and politician. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro state. He was the ...

(d. 1977), Brazilian journalist and presidential nominee * Pope John Paul I (d. 1978) * Gulf War syndrome, a chronic multi-symptom disorder afflicting more than 250,000 returning veterans and civilian workers of the Gulf War of 1990–1991; while the etiology of the condition continues to be debated, various manmade poisons have been suggested as possible causes *

Yuri Shchekochikhin Yuri Petrovich Shchekochikhin ( rus, Ю́рий Петро́вич Щекочи́хин, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ɕːɪkɐˈtɕixʲɪn; 9 June 1950 – 3 July 2003) was a Soviet and later Russian investigative journalist, writer, and libe ...

(d. 2003), Russian investigative journalist; died presumably from poisoning by radioactive thallium * Yasser Arafat (d. 2004); reputedly died from liver cirrhosis, which may be a consequence of chronic

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

use or poisoning. Some Arafat supporters feel it is unlikely that Arafat habitually used alcohol (forbidden by

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

), and so suspect poisoning. However, it is also important to note that cirrhosis is not necessarily caused by alcohol use, or indeed any poison at all. * Ardeshir Hosseinpour (d. 2007), Iranian nuclear scientist; possibly assassinated by

Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...

with "radioactive poisoning" or "gas poisoning"

Poisoners

* Locusta, professional poisoner hired by Roman emperor Nero and his mother

for several murders *

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Govern ...

(d. 1519), alleged by rivals of the Borgia family to be a poisoner, using a hollow ring to poison drinks with white arsenic *

Edward Squire Edward Squire (died 1598) was an English scrivener and sailor, and an alleged conspirator against the life of Elizabeth I of England. He was executed, after an investigation of a series of obscure circumstances led to conviction for his apparent a ...

(d. 1598), English scrivener and sailor executed for conspiring to poison Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex * George Chapman, hanged after murdering three common-law wives * Mary Ann Cotton, 19th-century woman who poisoned family members for financial gain *

Maria Swanenburg Maria Catherina van der Linden-Swanenburg (9 September 1839 – 11 April 1915) was a Dutch serial killer who murdered at least 27 people and was suspected of killing more than 90 people. Early life Maria Swanenburg was the daughter of Cl ...

, Dutch serial killer who murdered at least 27 and was suspected of killing more than 90 people * Thomas Neill Cream (d. 1892), British serial killer *

Vera Renczi Vera Renczi (dubbed the Black Widow, Mrs. Poison or Chatelaine of Berkerekul), was a Romanian serial killer who was charged with poisoning 35 individuals including her two husbands, multiple lovers, and her son with arsenic during the 1920s. J ...

, Romanian serial killer who used arsenic to kill two husbands, a son, and 32 suitors *

Nannie Doss Nannie Doss (born Nancy Hazel; November 4, 1905 – June 2, 1965) was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 11 people between some time in the 1920s and 1954. Doss was also referred to as the Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts ...

, black widow * Anna Marie Hahn (d. 1938), American serial killer *Dr.

John Bodkin Adams John Bodkin Adams (21 January 18994 July 1983) was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster, and suspected serial killer. Between 1946 and 1956, 163 of his patients died while in comas, which was deemed to be worthy of i ...

, British doctor acquitted in 1957 but suspected of killing 163 patients via

morphia Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. The ...

and

barbiturates Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as ...

. * Anjette Lyles, American restauranteur responsible for the poisoning deaths of four relatives between 1952–1958 in Macon, Georgia, apprehended on May 6, 1958 and sentenced to death yet later was involuntary commitmented due her to diagnosis of

paranoid schizophrenic Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. ...

, died aged 52 on December 4, 1977 at the Central State Hospital, Milledgeville in Georgia. Criminal History: Anjette Lyles poisoned 4 family members for money
Beimfohr, Chelsea. WMAZ-TV. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2022."Georgia's most notorious murderess". Wilkes, Donald E. ''Flagpole'' magazine. 22 December 1999. *

Genene Jones Genene Anne Jones (born July 13, 1950) is an American serial killer, responsible for the deaths of up to 60 infants and children in her care as a licensed vocational nurse during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, Jones was convicted of murder and ...

, homicidal nurse * Grigory Mairanovsky, received Soviet PhD degree for testing poisons on political prisoners *

Stella Nickell Stella Maudine Nickell (née Stephenson; born August 7, 1943) is an American woman who was sentenced to ninety years in prison for product tampering after she poisoned Excedrin capsules with lethal cyanide, resulting in the deaths of her husband ...

, used cyanide-laced Excedrin to kill her husband and another woman in suburban Seattle in 1986 *

Charles Sobhraj Charles Sobhraj (born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj, 6 April 1944) is a French serial killer, fraudster, and thief of Indian-Vietnamese descent, who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of South Asia during the 1970s. ...

, serial killer who preyed on Western tourists throughout Southeast Asia during the 1970s * Jim Jones, cult leader responsible for the mass murder–suicide of 918 of his followers in 1978, using cyanide-laced

Flavor-Aid Flavor Aid is a non-carbonated soft drink beverage made by The Jel Sert Company in West Chicago, Illinois. It was introduced in 1929. It is sold throughout the United States as an unsweetened, powdered concentrate drink mix, similar to Ko ...

at Jonestown,

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

* Michael Swango, American physician and surgeon who fatally poisoned at least thirty of his patients and colleagues *

Graham Frederick Young Graham Frederick Young (7 September 1947 – 1 August 1990), best known as the Teacup Poisoner and later the St Albans Poisoner, was an English serial killer who used poison to kill his victims. Obsessed with poisons from an early age, Young be ...

(d. 1990), British serial killer *Members of the Aum Shinrikyo religious group in Japan in the 1990s often used poisons for murder, including chemical weapons such as VX and

Sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB G-series, "B"">Nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for Nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound.Daisuke Mori is a Japanese nurse, who was convicted for giving lethal doses of the muscle relaxant drug vecuronium to his patients in a clinic in Izumi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Although he was convicted of only one murder, he is suspected to be a medica ...

, Japanese nurse convicted of one murder and four attempted murders by muscle relaxant * Harold Shipman (d. 2004), English general practitioner and one of the most prolific known serial killers in modern history * Richard Kuklinski (d. 2006), American contract killer who was associated with the

Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Ame ...

Fiction

''As poisoning is a long-established plot device in crime fiction, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list.''

Novels

Crime

Anthony Berkeley Anthony Berkeley Cox (5 July 1893 – 9 March 1971) was an English crime writer. He wrote under several pen-names, including Francis Iles, Anthony Berkeley and A. Monmouth Platts. Early life and education Anthony Berkeley Cox was born 5 July ...

: ''

The Poisoned Chocolates Case ''The Poisoned Chocolates Case'' (1929) is a detective novel by Anthony Berkeley set in 1920s London in which a group of armchair detectives, who have founded the "Crimes Circle", formulate theories on a recent murder case Scotland Yard has been ...

'' * Ann Granger: '' Say It With Poison'' * Francis Iles: ''

Before the Fact ''Before the Fact'' (1932) is an English novel by Anthony Berkeley Cox writing under the pen name "Francis Iles". It tells the story of a woman marrying a man who is after her inherited money and prepared, it seems, to kill her for it. Whether he ...

'' (filmed as '' Suspicion''), '' Malice Aforethought'' *

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

: '' Three Act Tragedy'', '' Sad Cypress'', '' A Pocket Full of Rye'', '' Crooked House'', '' And Then There Were None'' * John Dickson Carr: ''

The Burning Court ''The Burning Court'' (1937) is a famous locked room mystery by John Dickson Carr. However, it contains neither Gideon Fell nor Henry Merrivale, Carr's two major detectives. It was published in the United States, and was highly controversial upon ...

'', ''The Black Spectacles'' (U.S. title: ''The Problem of the Green Capsule'') * Raymond Postgate: ''

Verdict of Twelve ''Verdict of Twelve'' is a novel by Raymond Postgate first published in 1940 about a trial by jury seen through the eyes of each of the twelve jurors as they listen to the evidence and try to reach a unanimous verdict of either "Guilty" or "Not ...

'' * Freeman Wills Crofts: ''

The 12.30 from Croydon ''The 12.30 from Croydon'' (U.S. title: ''Wilful and Premeditated'') is a detective novel by Freeman Wills Crofts first published in 1934. It is about a murder which is committed during a flight over the English Channel. The identity of the kill ...

'' * Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: '' A Study in Scarlet'', ''The Adventure of the Devil's Foot'' * Dashiell Hammett: ''Fly Paper'' * Dorothy Sayers: '' The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club'', '' Strong Poison'' * Gosho Aoyama: ''Case Closed/Detective Conan'' * Rex Stout: ''Fer-de-Lance'', ''The Red Box'', ''Black Orchids'' * Cornell Woolrich: '' Waltz into Darkness'' (filmed as '' Mississippi Mermaid'' and ''

Original Sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...

'') *

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

: '' The Death Dealers'', The Naked Sun, David Starr, Space Ranger

Other

V.C. Andrews Cleo Virginia Andrews (June 6, 1923 – December 19, 1986), better known as V. C. Andrews or Virginia C. Andrews, was an American novelist. Profile Andrews's novels combine Gothic horror and family saga, revolving around family secrets and forb ...

: ''

Flowers in the Attic ''Flowers in the Attic'' is a 1979 Gothic novel by V. C. Andrews. It is the first book in the Dollanganger Series, and was followed by '' Petals on the Wind'', ''If There Be Thorns'', ''Seeds of Yesterday'', ''Garden of Shadows'', '' Christopher's ...

'' *

Alexandre Dumas, père Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where ''Suffix (name)#Generational titles, '' is French language, French for 'father', to distinguish him from ...

: ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...

'' and '' The Three Musketeers'' * Gustave Flaubert: '' Madame Bovary'' * Kaori Yuki: '' Count Cain (GodChild after vol. 5)'' Protagonist Cain Hargreaves is known as the Count/Earl of Poisons. He has quite a collection of poisons, and frequently solves murder cases, almost all of which involve poisons. * Snow White ate a poisoned apple *Mingo Swieter in Ricarda Huch's 1917 novel, ''

The Deruga Case ''Der Fall Deruga'' (''The Deruga Case'') is a novel by Ricarda Huch first published in German in 1917 about a physician charged with killing his ex-wife. An early courtroom drama, it depicts a trial by jury in which the defendant is reluctant, if ...

'' ( curare) *Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'' by

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...

*Unsuccessful poisoning of Ron Weasley in '' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince''. The intended victim was Albus Dumbledore. * David Eddings sagas: In the ''Belgariad'', the Nyissan people poison each other on a regular basis; some work as professional poisoners. *

: "

Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

", "

Sucker Bait ''Sucker Bait'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first serialized in the February and March 1954 issues of ''Astounding Science Fiction'', and reprinted in the 1955 collection ''The Martian Way and Other Stori ...

", "

The Winnowing "The Winnowing" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. Plot summary In the year 2005, the world's population of six billion is suffering from acute famine. The World Food Organization decides on desperate measures to d ...

Films

''Poisoning Paradis''e 10
*'' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1944) *'' D.O.A.'' (1950) *'' The Young Poisoner's Handbook'' (1995) *''

Crank Crank may refer to: Mechanisms * Crank (mechanism), in mechanical engineering, a bent portion of an axle or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it * Crankset, the compone ...

'' (2006) * Jill Tracy's
The Fine Art of Poisoning
'

Television

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

and Tenth Doctors in ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' regenerated due to radiation poisoning. The Fifth Doctor regenerated due to poisoning from the substance Spectrox, giving the antidote to his also poisoned companion Peri Brown. * King Joffrey, Olenna Tyrell, Gregor Clegane, and Jon Arryn in ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

'' *

Peter III of Russia Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

in ''The Great''

Plays

* Joseph Kesselring: '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' * William Shakespeare: ** Romeo commits suicide by poison in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' ** Hamlet, King Claudius, Gertrude and Laertes in '' Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'' **Imogen in '' Cymbeline''

References

10.Journey to the seemingly idyllic world of Native Hawaiians. Synopsis https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8084776/plotsummary#synopsis{{Toxicology

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

Non-fiction

Fatal

Non-fatal

Alleged

Poisoners

Fiction

Novels

Crime

Other

Films

Television

Plays

See also

References