History’s ‘We Can Fix It In Post’ Moments
History is full of moments that should have ended with someone saying, “Let’s try that again.” Instead, people just nodded, signed off, and moved on. From emperors to engineers, humanity has been confidently publishing rough drafts for centuries.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a permanent construction blooper that somehow became a tourist magnet. Napoleon’s winter trip to Russia was an untested feature that crashed spectacularly. The Titanic was basically an unsinkable beta test gone wrong. History, in short, is beautifully unfiltered.
Here’s a look at the times when the past really needed a reshoot but everyone just hit save and walked away.
Baby Beauty, 1910
County fairs from New York to London crowned sobbing infants as “adorable,” mostly to unsettle onlookers.
Atomic Science Kits, 1950s
Toy stores in America sold kids uranium samples so they could “learn physics” and glow slightly.
Presidential Turkey, 1960s
Every Thanksgiving in Washington, a nervous bird meets the president’s forced smile for the cameras.
Hindenburg Inferno, 1937
Above New Jersey, luxury met hydrogen and gravity at once, ending dirigibles and public optimism in seconds.
Hand-Colored Portraits, 1880s
Photo studios worldwide created nightmare art by painting rosy cheeks onto black-and-white ghosts.
Traffic Radar, 1940s
Police across the US proudly displayed speed guns the size of small cars to scare drivers.
Tacoma Narrows Collapse, 1940
Winds in Washington turned a suspension bridge into interpretive dance before a national audience.
Human Lightning, 1890s
European scientists proved curiosity fatal by using their own bodies to test thunderstorm conductivity.
Soviet Space Suit Prototype, 1960s
Engineers in Moscow improvised astronaut gear that looked like kitchenware and somehow survived orbit.
Flash Powder Photography, 1880s
Early studios filled with smoke and singed eyebrows as photographers lit portraits with literal explosions.
Disneyland Opening Day, 1955
Anaheim’s new park debuted with melting asphalt, empty water fountains, and reporters stuck in the crowds.
Painted Elephant, 1920s
Circus promoters in the United States decided a white-painted elephant was marketing, not animal cruelty.
Victorian Corset Craze, 1800s
Fashion across Europe squeezed women until fainting became both a medical crisis and social achievement.
Leaning Tower of Pisa, 1173
Builders in Pisa aimed for heaven and hit groundwater instead, creating the world’s most photogenic mistake.
New Coke Rollout, 1985
Atlanta executives swapped a century of brand loyalty for a sweeter formula and instant public revolt.
Ecce Homo Restoration, 2012
In Borja, Spain, one woman’s “touch-up” of a church fresco turned Christ into a global meme.
Columbus’s Math Error, 1492
Sailing west from Spain, Columbus missed Asia by half a planet and stumbled into a continent instead.
Maginot Line Folly, 1930s
France poured billions into bunkers only for Germany to stroll around them through Belgium.
Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961
On Cuba’s southern coast, a CIA plan to topple Castro collapsed faster than its landing craft.
Prohibition Experiment, 1920
Across the United States, banning alcohol accidentally turned bartenders into bootleggers and mayors into mob clients.
Napoleon’s Russian Winter, 1812
Marching east, the French emperor learned that confidence and frost can annihilate even the largest army.
Tay Bridge Disaster, 1879
Storms over Dundee tore apart Scotland’s proud railway bridge before the opening party was over.
Walkie Scorchie, 2013
Central London gained a skyscraper that acted as a giant magnifying glass, melting cars and nearby shops.
Nuclear Test Soldiers, 1950s
Nevada’s desert hosted troops told that sunglasses and optimism could block atomic radiation.