Before 1920, most people didn't live to a ripe old age. And many didn't die in bed. In fact, some died suddenly, in unusual ways and odd places. Your ancestors might have been struck by lightning, blown to bits in a steamboat explosion, run over by a train, burned to death, murdered, or cut in half by a sawmill. Or they might have blown their brains out with a pistol, taken poison, or drowned. Deadly diseases like typhoid and tuberculosis were common; infections from injuries could be fatal, and medical care was minimal. Our ancestors had to contend with hazards like severe weather, obstinate farm animals, fires, machinery, explosives-life was not easy. They had to adjust to rapid technological development brought by the Industrial Revolution-stagecoaches gave way to steamboats, railroads, and automobiles; candles to kerosene lamps, gaslights, and electricity. With all this, plus unregulated firearms, narcotics, and alcohol, no wonder so many people died unexpected, traumatic deaths.