American factory worker Robert Williams became the first human to be killed by a robot on this day in 1979 — man crushed by a robot’s mechanical arm at the Ford plant in Flat Rock

On this day in 1979, Ford Motor Company factory worker Robert Williams became the first human to be killed by a robot. The incident occurred at Ford’s casting plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, when Williams was struck by a robotic arm while climbing a shelf. His family was awarded $10 million in compensation in 1984, a record at the time.