12 Famous Moments in History That Were Just Dumb Luck
Some of the biggest turning points in history came down to pure, ridiculous luck.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
History books love to talk about strategy and genius, but sometimes, fate just flipped a coin and called it. From happy accidents to last-minute saves, a few key moments owe everything to dumb luck. Here are twelve times history tripped over itself—and landed in a textbook.
1. A Drunk Guy Saved Napoleon’s Life
Andrea Appiani on Wikimedia Commons
When Napoleon was facing a royalist uprising, things looked bad—until a drunken officer named Joachim Murat stumbled onto some cannons and decided to roll them into place. His random action gave Napoleon the firepower he needed to crush the revolt. The victory made Napoleon a hero overnight. Basically, a tipsy cannon guy helped launch an empire.
2. The Weather Took Down the Spanish Armada
Broichmore on Wikimedia Commons
England didn’t actually beat the massive Spanish Armada with strength—it was the weather. A sudden storm scattered the Spanish fleet before they could attack, smashing ships against rocks. The English took credit, of course, but nature did the heavy lifting. If the weather had behaved, history might’ve been written in Spanish.
3. A Sandwich Saved Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s Assassin
Achille Beltrame on Wikimedia Commons
Gavrilo Princip had failed to assassinate the Archduke earlier in the day and was literally grabbing a sandwich to sulk. Just as he stood outside the deli, the Archduke’s car took a wrong turn and stopped right in front of him. Princip pulled out his gun and changed world history with one shot. World War I kicked off because someone got hungry, and someone else got lost.
4. The US Bought Alaska for Pennies—And Gold Came Later
Diego Delso on Wikimedia Commons
America bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, and people mocked it as a giant icebox. Then came the gold rush, followed by oil. Suddenly, that frosty land turned into a jackpot. The lucky part? Nobody had a clue what was under all that snow.
5. Penicillin Was Discovered Because of a Messy Lab
Hohum on Wikimedia Commons
Alexander Fleming wasn’t trying to cure anything when he went on vacation and left his lab dirty. He came back to find mold had killed the bacteria in one of his petri dishes. That mold became penicillin, the first true antibiotic. Simply speaking, a global medical breakthrough started because a guy didn’t clean up.
6. A Typo Saved the Apollo 11 Astronauts
Project Apollo Archive on Wikimedia Commons
The original lunar landing program had a small typo that caused a system overload just before the moon landing. Luckily, a computer engineer noticed the issue and told them to ignore the alarms. If he hadn’t, Neil Armstrong might’ve never stepped off that ladder. One keystroke almost ended the moonwalk before it began.
7. The Berlin Wall Fell Because of a Press Conference Mix-Up
Vedha242424 on Wikimedia Commons
A confused East German official misread a note and told the media that citizens could cross the border “immediately.” Reporters ran with it, and within hours, crowds swarmed the wall. Guards didn’t know what to do and just let people through. One guy’s bad phrasing basically ended the Cold War.
8. A Broken Gas Gauge Saved JFK’s Life—Once
Walt Cisco on Wikimedia Commons
Before the tragic Dallas parade, JFK had a close call in Miami when his limo’s gas gauge broke. Because of it, the car got swapped out at the last second. The original limo had a faulty rear platform—perfect for a sniper. That one little part glitch gave him a temporary escape from fate.
9. The Rosetta Stone Was Found by Bored Soldiers
RickDikeman on Wikimedia Commons
While digging in Egypt, a group of French soldiers stumbled on the Rosetta Stone. They weren’t looking for history—they were just building a fort. That stone unlocked the secret to reading ancient hieroglyphs. World-changing knowledge came out of what was basically a construction accident.
10. The Beatles Got Signed Because Someone Else Didn’t Show Up
United Press International on Wikimedia Commons
A rival band missed their audition at EMI, so the Beatles got a last-minute shot. George Martin gave them a chance, thinking he had nothing to lose. That one open spot launched a global music revolution. If the other band showed up, we might never have heard of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
11. Churchill Almost Died in a Car Accident—Twice
Yousuf Karsh on Wikimedia Commons
Winston Churchill once looked the wrong way crossing a New York street and was nearly hit by a car. He also once tripped and fell into a trench during WWI but somehow wasn’t hurt. These weren’t brave escapes—they were dumb luck. The man who helped save the world kept nearly killing himself by accident.
12. A Wrong Turn Saved Genghis Khan’s Enemy
Bernard Gagnon on Wikimedia Commons
Genghis Khan’s army cornered Jalal ad-Din at a river. He fled the wrong way—straight off a cliff—and into the water below. The Mongols assumed he drowned, but he swam to safety. That fluke escape let him build another army and fight again.