Second Chances
Only US president to fail the bar exam on his first attempt (passed on the second)
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Singer who became successful again after taking a break and releasing a hit song called “Hello”
Adele
US president who had polio as a child
Franklin D. Roosevelt
telescope repaired while in space to function even better
Hubble
Was able to compose his Ninth Symphony despite his deafness
Beethoven
first country to grant women the right to vote nationwide
New Zealand
Which car was a success only after its second version was cheaper and easier for people to buy?
Ford's Model T
Exiled during WWII but returned to lead France
Charles DeGaulle
For his first audition, an MGM director provided this feedback: Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Not handsome. Can dance a little. He went on to become legendary.
Fred Astaire
space mission that safely returned after an explosion
Apollo 13
Fired in 1985. Reinstated in 1997 and led Apple to become the world’s most valuable tech company.
Steve Jobs
The genius scientist who didn’t begin to speak a word until he was 4 years old.
Albert Einstein
Which author’s manuscript was rejected by 12 publishers before it was published in 1997, eventually selling over 500 million copies?
J.K. Rowling
Retired from basketball in 1993 after his father’s death and tried then gave up baseball. Returned to the NBA in 1995, led his team through three more championships.
Michael Jordon
Came to America from Ireland to work in a thread factory for $1.20 per week and died "the richest man in America."
Andrew Carnegie
European composer who successfully premiered his second opera after the first was rejected by theaters
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
after 27 years in prison, this human rights activist was released and went on to become President of his country in 1994
Nelson Mandela
fired by a newspaper for "not being creative enough" as a cartoonist
Walt Disney
(fired before he invented Mickey)
Olympic athlete returned to competition after serious injuries and won again
Michael Phelps
Suspended from boxing but returned to regain heavyweight title
Mohammed Ali
first manned mission to land on the Moon
Apollo 11
US non-profit organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing
The Innocence Project
Lost arm in shark attack; returned to professional surfing.
Bethany Hamilton
Who said, "I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Thomas Edison
Rejected twice by USC's School of Cinematic Arts but went on to become the most successful director in Hollywood History
Steven Spielberg
first MLB team to overcome a 3–0 series deficit
Boston Red Sox
(vs. New York Yankees 2004 ALCS)
Diagnosed with a disease that doctors said would give him only a few years to live, he lived 55 more years and made groundbreaking contributions to cosmology and physics.
Stephen Hawking
first successful human to human heart transplant, the second one attempted, occurred in 1967 in which country
South Africa
After retiring from boxing and later declaring bankruptcy, he made an astonishing comeback at age 45 to regain the world heavyweight championship.
George Forman
At age 64, after multiple attempts, Diana Nyad swam 11 miles without a shark cage between which two countries?
Cuba to USA
first woman to win a Nobel Prize
Marie Curie
After 15-years of losing her voice to Lyme disease, she successfully returned to the music industry
Shania Twain
After 13 years of organized effort, the first disease to be eradicated by humans
small pox