Timothy Dexter faked his own death in the late 1700s to test who truly cared for him. The eccentric businessman from Newburyport, Massachusetts, planned an elaborate fake funeral with detailed instructions for his family. Nearly 3000 people attended, unaware that Dexter watched the proceedings in secret. Displeased by the lack of genuine mourning, especially from his wife, he later revealed himself and punished her for her insufficient display of grief. | The History Page