Saved by the Bell: How Americans Avoided Being Buried Alive
Join us at the South Coastal Library for a 45-minute program with time for Q&A on "Saved by the Bell: How Americans Avoided Being Buried Alive". The line dividing life from death was not clearly defined in the 1800’s. In the rush to bury a corpse quickly, before contagious disease could spread, people who were comatose, catatonic, sedated, or just plain drunk were sometimes mistaken for dead. Factual and fictional accounts of unfortunate souls awakening in their coffin, combined with medical disagreements about how to test definitively for absence of life, created widespread panic and led to imaginative inventions for preventing premature burial. Learn about this historic phenomenon and how Americans tried to avoid being buried alive—including being “saved by the bell.” Presented by Delaware Humanities Speaker, Margaret Opsata. Sponsored in part by Delaware Humanities.
Registration is encouraged for this event. Ages 18+.
- Date:
- Friday, October 16, 2026
- Time:
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm Eastern Time
- Location:
- Meeting Room A & B (Combined)
- Library:
- South Coastal Public Library
- Audience:
- Adults Older Adults
- Categories:
- History and Genealogy