When he was 2 years old, he fell out of a second story window and fractured his skull.

   When he was 6 years old, he mistakenly drank boric acid.

   When he was 9 years old, he fell over a small cliff and broke his leg. 

   When he was 11 years old, he got the measles and was in a coma for nine days. 

   When he was 14 years old, he broke his arm when he caught it in a carriage door.

   When he was 19 years old, he was struck in the head with a falling brick.

   When he was 23 years old, he almost died from the effects of tainted wine.

   When he was 29 years old, Adolf Sax invented the saxophone.

   Clearly someone didn't want that saxophone invented. 

Time travelers going back in time to stop something from happening, something being invented, someone being born, etc.