Happy Death?“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (“Declaration of Independence (1776)” 1). The quote from the Declaration of Independence clearly states that no man has the power to deprive a human being of his life and pursuit of happiness. However, when a certain circumstance arises, such as another human being's request that his life be taken away, which guarantees him the greatest happiness, what is the choice to choose? By accepting their request, deprivation of life is present, but by rejecting their request, you are depriving them of their happiness. One of the major controversies in the world today is euthanasia: the origin, the process and its morality. Euthanasia was born many years ago. During the 1600s, the word euthanasia was introduced to the world by a man named Francis Bacon. In those days, euthanasia was a term defined as natural death. It was not until the 20th century that the word came to be known as death caused by the help of another person to stop the agony (Medina 206). The first approaches to legalizing euthanasia also date back to the 20th century. A group known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Legislation Society appeared in 1935 in England. The group was founded by C. Killick Millard. Shortly after their formation, the Euthanasia Society of America (“Euthanasia.” Encyclopedia Britannica 1) emerged in the United States. Euthanasia is defined in many terms and is a choice that affects many members of society. It can be called “easy… middle of paper……b.com>.”Euthanasia”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Online school edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. January 24, 2008 .Ferguson, John E. The Right to Die. New York: Chelsea House Publisher, 2007.Landau, Elaine. The right to die. New York: Franklin Watts, 1993. Medina, Loreta M., ed. Euthanasia. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2005. “Doctor.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Online school edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. February 3, 2008. “Right to die”. American history. 2008. ABC-CLIO. February 9, 2008. Somerville, Margaret. “Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should not be legal.” At issue: the right to die. AND. John Woodward. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Storm. Klein Collins High School. January 27. 2008 .