The desire to live forever was present throughout the course of human existence on Earth, since the certainty of death has always been frightening. However, instead of simply accepting this fate, there were people who sought immortality in different ways. These stories have turned into impressive and curious accounts of the human trajectory, so they are worth checking out.
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Isaac Newton
In addition to being responsible for developing the theory and, consequently, the Law of Gravity, Newton, one of the greatest scientists of all time, also aspired to be immortal. So much so that he dedicated a large part of his studies to alchemy, more specifically, to the Philosopher's Stone.
However, these studies resulted in a series of health problems in the scientist himself, who had to experience insomnia, paranoia, loss of appetite and the like. According to scholars, these would have been the reactions of substances such as mercury and arsenic, which Newton used in his experiments.
Diane de Poitiers
One of the most emblematic characters in history, Diana of Poitiers, was a woman who aroused intense passions in artists, politicians and even scientists in the 16th century. She even became the favorite mistress of King Henry II and responsible for practically usurping the throne of Catherine Medici.
In an attempt to live forever, she sought out the most renowned doctors and resorted to experimental practices. The most famous of these, certainly, was the consumption of potable gold, which was supposedly important for bones. However, this was precisely the cause of Diana's death in 1566, when she was 66 years old.
Chinese Emperor Qin Shihuang
Finally, we have the history of this Chinese emperor to prove that immortality is not a search for modernity, since, in 210 a. C, Qin Shiguang was already looking for her. In the case, the emperor vehemently feared death, so much so that he thought about it every day and even started building his tomb at the age of thirteen.
As an adult, he relentlessly sought the elixir of life and found scientists who claimed to have it. Without thinking twice, Shihuang tried the drink that was actually poison, and died at the age of 50.