Amazing Achievements that Destroyed their Inventors

Typically, when one invents something and it becomes successful, he/she gains fame and respect. However, over the course of history, there have been exceptions. The amazing achievements of some inventors got fame only after destroying their entire lives. Some of these unfortunate cases are discussed below.

Philo Farnsworth had Plenty of Reasons to Hate Television

Ironically, the greatest tool of laziness (the television) took a lot of hard work to invent. Primitive cumbersome television models existed for years before Philo Farnsworth perfected the technology.

Drudging up dirt on the grid-like pattern of his ranch, Farnsworth got the idea that changed his life. He found that by scanning an image line by line, we could broadcast a clear picture onto any screen. This idea was the literal groundwork for the 1927 “Television System” patent. Four years before Farnsworth’s heroics, Vladimir Zworykin developed and patented a similar system. The only difference between the two systems was that Zworykin’s machine did not work.

David Sarnoff, the head of radio giant RCA, tried to buy Farnsworth’s technology but the proposal was immediately rejected. Consequently, Zworykin and Sarnoff joined forces and tried to sue Farnsworth for patent violation. They even sent spies to monitor him. Subterfuge was not far enough so they simply released a line of TVs without Farnsworth’s permission.

Ultimately, RCA lost the suit and had to acknowledge that Farnsworth owned the rights to the patent. After decades of struggle, Farnsworth could finally relax and enjoy his invention. However, he didn’t get much time for that as he died at the age of 64 due to stress and pneumonia.

George Ferris’ Wild Ride

As fun as riding a Ferris wheel may sound, it was built out of spite. In 1891, Chicago needed an innovative display for its upcoming world’s fair. The director wanted something that could surpass the recently erected Eiffel Tower.

Many engineers around the country submitted proposals. Most of their ideas revolved around the construction of larger towers. The proposal for constructing a Ferris wheel was the most creative one but was rejected for being structurally unsound.

On 29^th November 1892, the authorities made a deal with Ferris. According to it, the World’s fair would display the prototype but Ferris would have to fund it on his own. 29 weeks and $250,000 later, Ferris revealed his exhibition. Crowds loved the idea and several amusement parks all over the US copied it without compensating Ferris.

For the next three years, Ferris fought against the imitators in court with little success. He tried to improve the design over the course of years but nobody wanted to buy his ideas. By 1906, Ferris went bankrupt and was divorced. The original Ferris wheel was demolished and its remains were unceremoniously dumped in a landfill.

The Story of Winnie the Pooh

It is one of the most depressing amazing achievements you are ever likely to encounter in your life. The essence of innocence, Winnie the Pooh is a lovable character. The only people who could possibly dislike this character just happen to be everyone involved with its making.

All totaled, A. A. Milne wrote seven novels, five nonfiction books, and 34 plays. Pigeonholed as a children’s writer, Milne hated the character. This is because he felt that he could never fully write what he wanted to after the Pooh.

Despite entertaining millions of children, he could not give proper attention to his actual child, Christopher Robins. As the namesake of the character, Christopher Robin could not escape the association. While attending boarding school in 1930, the other students constantly taunted him, physically and verbally.

The family completely broke apart when Christopher publicly announced he never felt close to his own family. His parents immediately cut off all ties with him and his mother refused to see him, even on her deathbed.

Amazing Achievements of Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr.

Winifred Sackville Stoner Sr., fluent in Esperanto, decided that the universal language was the best way to educate children. He trumpeted Stoner Jr. as a child genius and it was hard to disagree with him. Remarkably, Stoner Jr. was talking at one year old, writing at two, and typing at three. Like a lot of details about her prodigy years, Stoner Sr. likely exaggerated some facts.

When Stoner Jr. grew out of childhood, she renounced her years as a prodigy and ditched all claims of her amazing achievements. She said her mother’s experiment had damaged her for life. After going through terrible relationships and failed marriages, Stoner Jr. died alone in 1983.