*4-Minute Read*
When I'm feeling down, I tend to look into other people's struggles. After all, we supposedly all have them. Still, I'm always shocked that such successful people have/had such odd quirks or unexpected failures. Here are just a few I found:
1) Steve Jobs had koumpounophobia, a fear of buttons.
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| (Photo Credit: Wikipedia) |
This is why Apple products, which have revolutionized modern technology, have no buttons. And Jobs didn't just co-found Apple; he also became the majority shareholder of Pixar Animation Studios.
2) Thomas Jefferson had a fear of public speaking.
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| (Photo Credit: nhpr.org) |
Despite this, he was the third president, second vice-president, first secretary of state, second governor of Virginia, leader of the Republican party, primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, US minister to France, and author of several political works.
3) Kobe Bryant had the most missed shots in NBA history.
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| (Photo Credit: New York Post) |
Keep in mind that he probably wouldn't have this title without also being fourth on the NBA all-time scoring list. He also won five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, the 2008 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and the 2018 Academy Award for his short film "Dear Basketball."
4) William Shakespeare smoked cannabis.
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| (Photo Credit: history.com) |
This actually may have helped him write his poetry and playwrights, which have been well-known for over four centuries. He is the author of "Hamlet," "Macbeth," "A Midsummer's Night Dream," "Romeo and Juliet," and more.
5) Artist Salvador Dali once stated, "I don't do drugs. I am drugs."
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| (Photo Credit: barcelona.de) |
Like Shakespeare, this may have helped him in his craft. He was known for creating surrealism artwork, like The Persistence of Memory. Today, there are art museums exclusively for him in Figueres, Spain and St. Petersburg, Florida.
6) Madonna was fired from Dunkin' Donuts after squirting a customer with jam.
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| (Photo Credit: Vanity Fair) |
The restaurant industry wasn't a good fit, but the entertainment industry was perfect for her. In one decade, she sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and had twenty-one Top 10 hits in the US. She's also appeared in the film "Evita" and the play "Up for Grabs."
7) Usain Bolt only ate chicken nuggets while in Beijing for the Olympics.
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| (Photo Credit: India Today) |
He still won three gold medals and broke three world records in the worldwide sports contest. He has since added six additional gold medals to his collection---three in London and three in Rio de Janeiro. No wonder he's labeled as "the fastest man alive."
8) Maurice Sendak only titled his book Where the Wild Things Are because he couldn't draw horses.
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| (Photo Credit: PBS) |
That may have been a blessing in disguise; Where the Wild Things Are won a Caldecutt Medal and there is a movie adaptation. He wrote more than 50 more books, as well as illustrated over 80 books by other authors.
9) Vincent Van Gogh sold just one painting during his lifetime.
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| (Photo Credit: Architectural Digest) |
He was unknown in life but, after death, became one of the most renowned artists. His paintings now cost millions of dollars and can now be viewed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and many more.
10) None of the Beatles can read or write sheet music.
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| (Photo Credit: Time Magazine) |
This didn't stop George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr from becoming one of the most successful bands in pop history. Their very first single "Please, Please Me" was the top song in the United Kingdom, and they are the artists behind other well-known songs like "Help" and "Let It Be."
11) Author Stephen King sleeps (or slept) with the lights on.
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| (Photo Credit: IndieWire) |
He is one of, if not the greatest, horror writer of all time.
His books Carrie, Cujo, Firestarter, The Shining, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile all have movie adaptations; actress Kathy Bates even won an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie in Misery. He has written 61 novels and has also written for TV.
12) Queen Elizabeth I mistook a narwhal tusk for a magical unicorn horn.
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| (Photo Credit: EnglishHistory.net) |
Her reign lasted for 44 years, and the Elizabethan Era was named after her. While in power, she defeated the Spanish Armada and ended war with France. She also allowed the arts to flourish in England.
13) Queen Victoria was addicted to cocaine-infused chewing gum.
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| (Photo Credit: Hello Magazine) |
Queen Victoria is the second-longest reigning British monarch (the first is its current monarch Queen Elizabeth II). During her reign, industries expanded, science advanced, and the population doubled. Like Elizabeth I, she has an era named after her (the Victorian Era).
14) On at least three occasions, I've gotten in the passenger seat of my car when I needed to drive myself home.
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| (Photo Credit: Moi) |
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Okay, okay, I'm no public figure. I just thought that would make everyone feel better about themselves. Has anyone else done that same thing?
To learn more about me, you'll have to stick with this blog. For everybody else mentioned, you can go to biography.com.
- Liv
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