This one falls under the category be careful what you wish for. An opinionated Boston attorney, James Otis Jr., well known for the phrase "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny," reportedly told his sister that when he died, he hoped it would come by a flash of lighting. On May 23, 1783, he got his wish. He was killed by lightening when standing in the doorway of his Andover home.

Otis was also known for arguing in a Massachusetts court against the "writs of assistance," warrants that permitted British troops to enter colonists' homes to search for contraband. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to overturn the British law, but his efforts later led to the adoption of the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure.