Happy accidents

These people hit rock bottom—and built empires there

Credit: Chiara Guercio

They say every crisis hides an opportunity—and sometimes, a small mistake or a twist of fate can become the turning point in an otherwise ordinary life. From career shifts sparked by injury to small moments of curiosity that led to breakthroughs in science and culture, these 10 stories prove that even the most unexpected setbacks can lead to extraordinary outcomes.

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In 1941, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral noticed burrs clinging to his clothes during a walk with his dog—an observation that sparked a revolutionary invention. Curious, he examined the seeds under a microscope and saw their tiny hooks, which eventually inspired the hook-and-loop fastener now known as Velcro.

He patented the invention in 1955, and it was later adopted by NASA and the military, ultimately earning de Mestral a fortune and a lasting legacy in textile innovation.

Credit: Art Institute of Chicago

In the early 1700s, a German chemist accidentally created a deep blue pigment while trying to make red—but the mixture oxidized into a striking new hue. Impressed by its richness, he preserved the formula and named it Prussian Blue.

Artists quickly embraced the color, which became widely used in paintings and later in blueprints. Prussian Blue appears in famous works like Hokusai’s The Great Wave and Van Gogh’s The Night Café.

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In 1928, Alexander Fleming accidentally left a petri dish uncovered before leaving on vacation.

When he returned, he noticed mold had killed the bacteria around it—a chance observation that led to the groundbreaking discovery of penicillin.

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Louis Braille was blinded at age 3 after an accident in his father's workshop. Sharp-minded and eager to learn, he impressed his teachers and was granted access to higher education.

By age 15, he had developed a tactile alphabet that became the Braille system. His method revolutionized accessibility for the blind and is still used worldwide today.

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Ambroise Paré, a 16th-century battlefield surgeon, once ran out of boiling oil used to cauterize wounds. In its place, he tried an old Roman remedy made of egg yolk, oil, and turpentine—and found it healed wounds far better than the traditional method.

He also introduced the use of ligatures (silk threads) to tie off blood vessels during amputations, helping shift surgery toward gentler, more effective treatments.

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While studying pitchblende, a uranium-rich ore, Marie Curie accidentally discovered the strange, invisible energy we now know as radioactivity. Her groundbreaking research revealed that certain elements could emit powerful, previously unknown forms of energy.

Unaware of the risks, Curie handled radioactive materials without protection for years. Her prolonged exposure eventually led to leukemia, which caused her death in 1934.

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While experimenting with the telegraph, Alexander Graham Bell accidentally heard sound vibrations transmitted through wires. This unexpected moment sparked his interest in sending the human voice electrically.

Building on this idea, Bell developed the first practical telephone, changing global communication forever.

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At 18, Frida Kahlo was severely injured in a bus accident, suffering multiple broken bones and internal injuries. The trauma left her in chronic pain and required long periods of bed rest.

During her recovery, she began painting from her hospital bed, using a special easel and mirror. What started as a form of therapy soon evolved into a powerful artistic voice, launching her legendary career.

Credit: Jon Vio

In 1935, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry crashed in the Libyan desert while flying a mail route. He and his mechanic nearly died of dehydration before being rescued by Bedouins after several days.

The harrowing experience left a lasting impact on Saint-Exupéry, who later wrote The Little Prince. The book became one of the most translated and cherished works in literary history.

Credit: Brett Jordan

While working near an active radar set, Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer noticed a candy bar had melted in his pocket. Intrigued, he directed the microwaves at some popcorn—and watched it pop.

That curious accident led to the invention of the microwave oven, a now-essential household appliance born entirely by chance.

Nature's workforce

9 animals with human professions in their names

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We often compare animals to ourselves, sometimes to the point where we assign them actual human professions. From birds that sound like office workers to fish that double as surgeons, nature seems to be handing out CVs left and right. Here are some creatures whose names make it sound like they should be getting a paycheck.

Credit: Elize Bezuidenhout

This tall African bird looks like it just left a board meeting: long legs, tidy feathers, and a quill-like crest behind its head. Its "secretary" title dates back to colonial observers who thought the feathers resembled pens tucked behind an accountant's ear. However, there's nothing bureaucratic about these birds: they are efficient predators that hunt venomous snakes with terrifying precision.

Credit: Paul Engel

Without even bothering with wearing hard hats, these buzzing builders drill into wood with perfect, round precision to build their nests. Their name comes, of course, from their uncanny craftsmanship: they are dedicated workers who toil tirelessly for the benefit of their colony.

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The common name "army ant" is applied to over 200 ant species that share a common characteristic: they form aggressive, predatory foraging groups that detect and overwhelm their prey at once. Among army ants, the members of the soldier caste are larger than the workers, with much bigger mandibles, tasked with protecting the colony and carrying the heaviest loads of prey back to it.

Credit: Ryan Geller

This species of shark doesn't owe its nickname to their looks or behavior, but simply to changes in spelling conventions. The Old English word husse or nusse was used to describe dogfish and other sharks. The word eventually mutated into nurse, and the name stuck. No funny stories about sharks wearing stethoscopes here.

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Another medically oriented fish, surgeonfish are named after the sharp, retractable spines near their tails that look like built-in scalpels. They use these razor-sharp spines to defend themselves from predators while grazing algae with surgical neatness in coral reefs.

Credit: Tam Minton

These hardworking little creatures congregate in coral reefs in what researchers call "cleaning stations." At these locations, larger aquatic wildlife, such as fish, sea turtles, and even sharks, line up for the cleaner shrimp's special service: it eats their parasites. Everyone leaves the cleaning station happy; the clients have their parasites removed, and the shrimp enjoys a hearty meal.

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Long before we invented crop rotation, some species of leafcutting ants discovered that they could take their forage back to their nests and use it to grow fungi, on which they could later feed. Scientists believe that this agricultural behavior evolved in ants over 50 million years ago.

Credit: Michal Robak

Unlike their more social cousins, the honey bees, miner bees lead solitary lives. The female bee builds a chimney-like structure in well-drained soils, which acts as an access to a single nest. Each bee tends to her nest alone and cares only for her own offspring. Their tunnels can stretch several feet, earning them their industrious miner reputation.

Credit: Hongbin

This tiny Asian songbird sews together leaves using plant fibers and spider silk to create a cradle for its nest, like something straight out of a children's tale. British colonists in India were so enchanted by its craftsmanship that they named it the "tailorbird."