50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later

Throughout history, sometimes even the smallest actions have turned into pivotal moments. From innovations that led to changes to groundbreaking events that sparked movements and reshaped the entire world. But while some ideas were applauded and celebrated by society at the time, others were greeted with raised eyebrows and suspicious looks.

Many wonderful people were simply ahead of their time and got teased and ridiculed for it in every possible way. User AllofaSuddenStory decided to learn more about these historical figures and posted this question on Ask Reddit: "Who is someone that was mocked at the moment, but then proven right years later?"

Hundreds of history lovers shared their knowledge about people who thought of remarkable things yet didn’t get the recognition they deserved. Whether their suggestions were put together long before our time or in the recent past, we handpicked some of the most interesting responses to remind you not to jump to conclusions too quickly. Continue scrolling, upvote your favorite ones, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later The doctor in China, Li Wenliang, who was arrested for trying to stop the spread of Covid from the start.

youburyitidigitup Report

Final score:

917points

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AnnaBanananna 2 years ago

He later died… that’s not fishy at all

462points

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Stella Liebeck, the lady who got burned with McDonald's hot coffee. The media mocked her and accused her of a frivolous lawsuit but it was an ongoing problem that McDonald's served dangerously hot coffees that had injured many others.The coffee was hot enough to cause 3rd degree burns to her pelvic region and she was hospitalized for 8 days while she had to get skin grafts, and continued medical care for 2 years related to the burns. She originally just wanted her medical bills covered but McDonald's tried giving her an insultingly low amount, so then she was forced to open a lawsuit. The courts rightfully sided with her and forced McDonald's to regulate the temperature on their hot beverages.

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Final score:

914points

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Francis 2 years ago

i hate the fact that she was mocked...

555points

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To find out why historical figures were sometimes dismissed for their ideas, we reached out to historian Bethany Moore who runs the blog History And Moore. She told Bored Panda that those who found themselves mocked and ridiculed were simply misunderstood by others. "This would mostly happen to scientists who were trying to get their ideas out to a wider audience, that necessarily didn’t have the right education to understand or the inclination to even listen," she added.

As an example, Moore mentioned a man called Ignaz Semmelweis. "He was an obstetrician (a doctor who specializes in childbirth) in the 1840s in Vienna and he noticed that fewer women were dying when they were inspected by a doctor who had washed their hands between examining patients." However, since he did not grasp why this was the case, others were reluctant to listen to him.

"He eventually ended up being lured to an asylum," the historian continued. "Tragically, after Semmelweis was removed from the hospital, more women started dying because they were not being examined by doctors who washed their hands. Handwashing didn’t become commonplace in medicine for at least another 30 years after Semmelweis first made the connection."

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Ignác Semmelweis

First doctor to champion hand washing as a means to prevent spreading infection. Everyone made fun of him.

[deleted] , wikimedia Report

Final score:

863points

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MarmotArchivist 2 years ago (edited)

He worked in a city hospital for a time, that had many poor women who couldn't afford any care. His contemporary doctors would go from an autopsy of a rotting corpse* to delivering babys without washing their hands, infecting and killing tousands of women. Semmelweiss put up a bassin to wash hands saving many lives. After his dismissal death skyrocketed again.

314points

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Henry Freeman, a lifeboatman in Whitby. He tried to get the other lifeboatmen to wear cork lifejackets, but no-one would but him.

During a great storm, the lifeboat was launched several times to help struggling vessels and sailors. On their sixth launch, disaster struck and the lifeboat capsized.

Only Henry survived thanks to his cork life jacket. They became compulsory for lifeboatmen shortly after that.

alizare , en.wikipedia.org Report

Final score:

803points

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Tofu 2 years ago

And it looks comfortable for swimming! Where can I buy one?

98points

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Johnny Rotten

Banned from the BBC for ousting Jimmy Savile as being a horrendous pedophile.

Some 500 cases of abuse. Had his own set of keys to a psychiatric hospital where he would frequently abuse vulnerable children.

Danuta_ , wikimedia Report

Final score:

801points

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Tofu 2 years ago

Whistleblowers always get chastised. Disappointing.

368points

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Moore suggested that the study of our past is not only about learning different dates and names. "Yes, those are an important part of the study of history, but there is so much more to the subject. The study of history teaches us the good and the bad of humanity; the developments by ancient civilizations that have led to our society being the way it is today; and gives us a better understanding of the world, to name but a few reasons."

"History, and the study of it, is one of the building blocks of a rounded education, teaching us to be more than just one person and to recognize the influence we have on the world."

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Joseph Lister

First proposed that germs caused post-operative infections, and recommended that surgical instruments be sterilized between operations.

People thought he was nuts.

Positive-Source8205 , wikipedia Report

Final score:

730points

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Francis 2 years ago

also Ignaz Semmelweis. Wikipedia "Described as the "saviour of mothers", Semmelweis discovered that the incidence of puerperal fever (also known as "childbed fever") could be drastically cut by the use of hand disinfection in obstetrical clinics. Puerperal fever was common in mid-19th-century hospitals and often fatal. Semmelweis proposed the practice of washing hands with chlorinated lime solutions in 1847 while working in Vienna General Hospital's First Obstetrical Clinic, where doctors' wards had three times the mortality of midwives' wards." The doctors didn't washed their hands after they performed an autopsy... this almost ruined his career

121points

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Barbara McClintock, she postulated the existence of transposons (certain types of genes) in DNA BEFORE anybody even knew what the actual structure of DNA is like, she was widely mocked by the scientific community at the time. Transposons were later confirmed to exist and she was awarded the Nobel.

ThousandSunnySenpai , getarchive Report

Final score:

711points

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Caro Caro 2 years ago

At least she was awarded the Nobel. Some brilliant people in science were given a bunch of flowers and a half hearted "sorry".

269points

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Dr Bennet Omalu who found that American football players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy/ brain concussions which were slowly affecting their neurological and psychological functions. He was strongly opposed at first but then proved right. His biographic movie is named ' Concussion'.

sweettooth_92 , getarchive Report

Final score:

647points

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SoozeeQ 2 years ago

Excellent movie. Will Smith stars in it, but don't let that sway you one way or the other.

176points

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After all, this fascinating subject is an endless source of adventure. Just think about the grand battles, significant events, and world-shaking inventions. And it’s especially interesting to learn about intriguing historical figures who were simply regular folk without an obvious connection to greatness, Moore said.

"Ordinary, everyday people like William Shakespeare who helped the English language develop into the rich tapestry it is today. People like Ada Lovelace, who is considered the first computer programmer for her work with Charles Babbage. People like Rosa Parks, who stood up to a system rigged against her. Ordinary people have become well known for a variety of reasons, and it is not unfeasible to think that any of us could have the same influences in years to come."

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Greg Lemond. In 2001 he said Lance Armstrong was probably doping. He was threatened he took a huge image hit and his business opportunities suffered.

He never let up on lance despite the media campaigns, threats, damage to his reputation and business, and the recrimination of his peers in the cycling community. Until surprise surprise in 2012 it came out that lance Armstrong was doping. Who could have foreseen that? If only someone had told us.

Oh wait. Greg Lemond did. A decade ago.

Cheeseyex , wikimedia Report

Final score:

645points

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aaaggg hhh 2 years ago

Lance Armstrong had loads of corporate backers, and they didn't want some upstart upsetting their precious cash flow.

114points

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#10

Jimmy Carter. He recognized the need for The US to become energy independent and put measures into place that would have gotten us there by now. Of course, the first thing Ronnie RayGun did was undo every f*cking one of them. Many of our problems over the last 45 years have stemmed from The Middle East and either directly or indirectly involved oil. I’m obviously simplifying things here, but in the big picture, he was spot on. Even his critics at the time have recently admitted that he was on the correct path. It’s also pretty apparent that Carter was a good man, as evidenced by how he has carried himself over half a lifetime post-presidency.

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Final score:

634points

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julien 2 years ago

Jimmy Carter STILL is a good man !!!!

367points

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#11

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Lindy Chamberlain. A dingo really did eat her baby.

TinyGreenTurtles , wikipedia Report

Final score:

630points

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Jo Johannsen 2 years ago

Poor woman. The loss of her child was horrendous, but almost pales in comparison to what she was put through afterwards.

398points

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#12

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later John Snow in 1854 tried to tell everyone about cholera, and how it was being caused by the water supply, no one believed him until he took illegal action and saved many lives

Verticlefornow , wikimedia Report

Final score:

615points

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Francis 2 years ago

you know nothing jo(h)n snow... oh well maybe you know a bit

204points

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One of the many things that makes history truly engaging is the people, the historian argued. "Studying [them] makes history far more tangible and enriching than just reeling off a collection of dates and events that happened."

"I think in the world we live in today, history continues to show how important it is as a subject and must continue to encourage those around us to study the subject. The philosopher George Santayana said in 1905 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' And that is certainly happening at the moment, with large and powerful countries choosing to forget the true version of the past and use their own version to justify their actions," Moore noted.

"Yes, history is the study of that which is in the past, and some would argue that the past should be left there. But I disagree. I think history and the study of it will continue to have an importance on us as people, and it is not something we should ever abandon," she concluded.

#13

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Richard Stallman. Warned us back in the 80s that if we allow corporations to rule the internet that nobody will have privacy or freedom on the web, among many other things.

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Final score:

591points

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Tofu 2 years ago

Just playing devil's advocate... if corporations didn't "rule" the internet, then who would? I think we were doomed to have no privacy, regardless of who "rules" the internet. 😔

117points

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#14

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Barbara Lee was the only congresswoman to vote against going to war in Afghanistan after September 11. Not going to say she was right, but at the time I remember even as a kid thinking she was crazy, and heard alot of the derisive talk much more common today, directed at her. (Not a patriot, traitor, blahblah) 20 Years later, the world seems alot less black and white, and her decision seems ferociously rational against a tide of fear and rage.

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Final score:

580points

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Ian Flynn 2 years ago

Anyone outside of the US, knew that she was right

325points

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#15

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Alexander Fleming, the man who discovered Penicillin, spent almost 10 years trying to convince the medical bodies of his time that it was worth investing time and resources to experiment with it, but was basically told to pound sand despite the respect he had prior to the discovery.

Lot of good it did me, I was lucky enough to be born allergic. Happy for the rest of you at least.

The-BIG-Plant , wikimedia Report

Final score:

513points

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Tofu 2 years ago

Even if you're allergic to penicillin, you are still reaping the benefits of its discovery because it led to the future creation of many types of antibiotics. It's a win for all of us!

300points

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#16

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Courtney Love on Weinstein.

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500points

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AnnaBanananna 2 years ago

Weinstein is an absolutely disgusting human. And his money and “influence” protected him for so long… disgusting

234points

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#17

George Bush, in 2005 he read a book about the Spanish Flu and insisted that the United States should be prepared for a pandemic. He said "If we wait for a pandemic to appear it will be too late to prepare. And one day many lives could be needlessly lost because we failed to act today."

thebiggestpinkcake Report

Final score:

491points

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Tofu 2 years ago

And then tRump gouged the Pandemic-Preparedness Systems in place.

282points

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#18

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Johnny Depp when he tried to tell people about how Amber was abusing him.

h0n3y_bunn Report

Final score:

491points

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King Kashue 2 years ago (edited)

At least this person didn't go to the "Amber abused him so he must be innocent himself" conclusion. This doesn't have to be a one good the other bad situation - they can both be abusive AHs. And judging by the testimony so far, it really does seem like that's the case (I mean, their therapist flat out said they were both abusing each other).

168points

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#19

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Al Gore.

I mean, ffs, even South Park apologized to him. And it wasnt even sarcastic.

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Final score:

482points

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Tofu 2 years ago

This!

80points

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#20

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Sherry Rowland. Discovered the effect of CFCs on ozone depletetion and received an immense level of blow back from industry. Not only that, but invited talks and collabs were rescinded within the scientific community. Poor guy was ostracized. 20 years later after his (and Molina’s) discovery, he’s finally recognized with a Nobel prize.

GadgetGo Report

Final score:

459points

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Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago

Industry doesn’t want to have to spend money to retool, and potentially lose their good thing. So they use profits to suppress information that proves them wrong, and discredit anyone who dares question them.

104points

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#21

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later My classmate in nursing school. He made a big fuss about a “coronavirus” just noticed in China. He asked about if clinicals or classes would be changed because of it. We thought he was absolutely paranoid and insane. We laughed.

cranberrysauce6 , unsplash Report

Final score:

444points

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Francis 2 years ago

my flatmate was hysterical in january 2020 and i was quite layed back. well in april 2020 we were in lockdown and he was like "i told y'all" :D didn't helped him or me. we both got corona this year...

91points

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#22

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Monica Lewinsky. That poor woman was dragged through the mud and seeing everyone reassess what was done to her has been bittersweet.

ETA: Bittersweet bc more people seem to understand she was a victim (sweet), but she was really young, and decades of her life were spent being a public punching bag (bitter)

happycos Report

Final score:

443points

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Milady Blue 2 years ago

I like that she has developed a sense of humor about the whole mess - she was the winner of some sort of online competition, "What is the worst career advice you ever received?" and her response, "A White House internship would look AMAZING on your resume."

327points

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#23

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Barry Marshall. Proved that stomach ulcers were a bacterial infection (and not stress) by ingesting (edit) with Helicobacter pylori and then curing himself with an antibiotic.

Klutzy-Barnacle7298 Report

Final score:

441points

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Tofu 2 years ago

Some stomach ulcers are an H. Pylori infection, yes. There are other reasons for stomach ulcers too though. For example, I have stomach ulcers as a result of radiation damage from cancer treatment a couple years ago. I WISH I *just* had an H. Pylori infection lol

117points

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#24

Corey feldmen was ridiculed for talking about the abuse he suffered in Hollywood and it wasn’t even a shock, it was obvious that kinda sh*t was going down.

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Final score:

434points

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James016 2 years ago

He named names back then. IIRC police found the tape where he did so as part of Michael Jackson's trial archived files

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#25

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later John Rae. Very skilled arctic explorer who unlike most of the rest of Europeans at the time wasn’t above learning from the Inuit. He was largely successful because of his willingness to learn from them and use their clothing and diet and techniques.

Anyway, about ten years after the Franklin Expedition was lost John Rae was out looking for clues what happened because the British Admiralty had a standing reward of £10,000 for anyone who had credible information about the expeditions fate. He found some physical remnants of the expedition and had met with Inuit who’d seen some of the last surviving members of the expedition. They related to him how they’d been taken by disease, lack of food, and how some of them finally succumbed to cannibalism.

Rae took this information back to England, where society was absolutely outraged how he dared to spin such drivel. Surely no sophisticated gentlemen of the hero’s character that would be in Sir John Franklin’s expedition would act so savagely!

John Rae never got the award. Years later someone else did who told of a story that was correct also to some degree, but less than Rae had been.

In modern times bone fragments have been found with telltale cut marks, thereby proving John Rae and the Inuit right.

rhutanium Report

Final score:

432points

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Who Panda 420 2 years ago

I saw this apparently as It said the British aristocrats could not believe that someone they respected so much could possibly resort to cannibalism to try to save their own lives so the story was widely trashed as a fake. Crap to not believe the Inuits when that's their home and they'd obviously know better.

133points

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#26

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Galileo Galilei.

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Final score:

419points

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AnnaBanananna 2 years ago

Brilliant! Glad he made the list

99points

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#27

Brendan Fraser, that sweet sweet man.

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Final score:

412points

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Rabbit Carrot 2 years ago

Love him. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.

121points

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#28

I would say Monika Lewinsky. I watched her TED talk and thought about it in the world we have today and honestly, can't believe how bullied she was and how much of a joke her name still is

She was in her early 20s and Clinton was in his early 50s.

I can see myself in my 20s easily falling into the trap of thinking "wow I must be so incredible, the president notices me" when in reality, that's just creepy AF

Fingerhut89 Report

Final score:

382points

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Tofu 2 years ago

Can we add this submission to the one toward the top of the post?

114points

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#29

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Alfred Wegener hypothesed plate tectonics in the 1920’s, but this wasn’t an accepted notion until the 50’s.

He was a meteorologist, and copped a lot of flak from the geological community at the time.

SaraBunks , wikipedia Report

Final score:

379points

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indiecognition 2 years ago

Can't fault him for trying

182points

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#30

Bernie Sanders. That dude complains a lot and he may not be right every time but it sure seems like most of the time.

Ralph Nader wasn't taken seriously about automobile safety. Now we have seatbelts and laws mandating them.

DefJeff702 Report

Final score:

349points

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Marco Hub-Dub 2 years ago

The fact that we’re fed a narrative that oversight and regulation only exist in polarized extremes & are an affront to liberty & freedom is one of the largest disservices ever. Nader was seen as an extremist, liberal cook simply for his work on establishing consumer protections. Imagine if it were “buyer beware” policy when it came to all our goods and services.

93points

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#31

Marshall Ferdinand Folk when speaking of the Treaty of Versailles. "This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years."

Prescience personified.

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Final score:

313points

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Vorknkx 2 years ago

"The war to end all wars" led to an even worse war.

113points

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#32

Duff Roblin, the Premier of Manitoba. After the 1950 flood, Roblin's government initiated the Red River Floodway project. The floodway diverts part of the river around the city. At the time he was mocked and a lot of people thought it was a waste of money, because "a flood like that will never happen again."

It's been estimated that it's saved $40 billion CAD in flood damages since it was completed in 1968. I was there for the '97 flood. The floodway saved my home and my in-laws' home.

deagh Report

Final score:

306points

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StarmanWaitingInTheSky 2 years ago

OH Damn! LOL You beat me to it. I didn't think anyone was going to mention "Duffy's Ditch". Yes, there was a great flood but I heard it would have flooded the downtown and much of the communities if it wasn't for the floodway. Me and my folks were volunteering with filling sandbags and we even sandbagged at a property. There's coloured bands on one of the support beams of one of the bridges showing the peak water levels comparing the 1950's flood and the '97 flood, as well as tiles on the beams of the rotunda at The Forks. It's quite interesting and scary.

86points

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#33

Janet Jackson

The whole nipplegate thing made her out to be something she wasn't whilst Timberlake faced no backlash

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Final score:

276points

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AnnaBanananna 2 years ago

Not exactly related, but why are men forgiven when exposed to be cheaters but the other woman involved cops all the blame & hate? (Khloe Kardashian forgave Tristan and the whole extended family blamed Jordan and never spoke to her again)

91points

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#34

The English physician, William Harvey

(A.D.1578–1657), discovered the

circulation of blood. The current

opinion in those days was that blood

oscillates in the vessels of the body.

For his views, Harvey was ridiculed

and was called “circulator”. He lost

most of his patients. However, before

he died, Harvey’s idea about

circulation was generally accepted as

a biological fact.

Southern_Data_3429 Report

Final score:

267points

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btaglln 2 years ago

Why is it written like a poem ??

85points

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#35

When I was in elementary school, we learned about the different areas of taste on the tongue: salty, bitter, sweet, and sour. In front of the class, I asked then "why do I taste the sweet all over my tongue when I eat candy?" She dismissed my question and the other kids said I was dumb. Who's dumb now?

moodymadam Report

Final score:

266points

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Lucas 2 years ago

Same. Argued that I couldn't see the difference at all when doing these tests.

88points

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#36

Jack Layton -Early on in the Afghanistan war when the Taliban had been largely beaten and splintered into several small groups, many of them leaderless and wanting a way out, Jack suggested negotiating with these groups to end the war. The Conservative government of Canada labeled him Taliban Jack, and he was widely ridiculed. Had they negotiated back in 2005/2006 there would have been a lot less lives lost, and an opportunity to create a lasting change in Afghanistan.

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Final score:

257points

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Abdul Rahman Falih 2 years ago

Who ridiculed him are P.O.S just like my classmates

28points

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#37

50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later Chris Crocker.

We all know the Leave Brittney Alone video. We all quoted it at the same and made fun of Chris.

But they turned out to be completely correct. Britney was being pushed too hard by the media, and the aggressive fans and invasive paparazzi were (in part) to blame for her break down. We know now that she was controlled by her family for years, and we really shouldnt have mocked someone trying to draw attention to it. I think part of the mockery came because the breakdown is "funny", but also because society did - and still does - think that celebrities deserve whatever happens to them, so the paparazzi and the fans aren't responsible for how their actions hurt celebrities.

MetalDetectorists Report

Final score:

247points

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Andy 2 years ago

This one wasn't so much the point of the message, but they way it was done. At the time it was well known that Britney was being hounded by the paparazzi, and the pressure the constant attention on celebrities was having (for example, watch the episode south park did about her). The mockery came from crying and screaming about a celebrity online

93points

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#38

Lady Gaga. She was bullied and there were Facebook groups dedicated to ridiculing her and telling her she'd never be famous. Guess they were wrong.

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Final score:

245points

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AnnaBanananna 2 years ago

I hope she doesn’t give a seconds thought to those haters

61points

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#39

Karen Carpenter, the singer. Everyone back when they were popular (myself included) mocked and sneered at how uncool The Carpenters were. But time told us she had one of the best singing voices ever. It’s a timeless voice of incredible beauty.

wokeoldster Report

Final score:

234points

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Piet Puk 2 years ago

And a relentlessly epic drummer!

76points

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#40

The “Alvarez hypothesis” two guys who 30 years before anyone had indisputable proof of it hypothesesed the dinosaurs died because of an asteroid. Well they were f*cking right on with that one.

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Final score:

206points

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Kimi Tomminello 2 years ago (edited)

They very recently found the impact site that proves the theory. *EDIT* Not a body dump as I thought but a geographical anomaly.

35points

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#41

Marie Curie

Discovered polonium and radium and was laughed at for suggesting that radiation could be used to view the human body in ways we couldn't see.

It's because of her that we have x-rays. It's also because of her that we learned that unchecked radiation could also cause cancer.

111

Barry Marshall

Helped discover h. Pylori bacteria and the link between it and ulcers. He and his research partner Robin Warren were knocked by the medical community for their beliefs in those link.

Marshall drank a cocktail containing h.pylori, willingly gave himself bacterial induced gastritis, then used antibiotics to cure himself just to prove he was right.

TheBattyWitch Report

Final score:

182points

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Jyri Hakola 2 years ago

*sigh* Marie Curie was avarded with Nobel prize of physics only 5 years after she found Polonium and Radium. And no. It was not due her that we have X-rays. First X-ray photo thru human tissues were taken by Wilhem Röntgen at 1895. Marie Skodolwskaja-Curie newertheless contributed a lot on developing mobile X-ray units but due the urgent need of field hospitals of WW-I no one definetly laughed..

116points

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#42

Richard jewel he’s why we should all know to not listen to talking heads on tv.

bobcat73 Report

Final score:

179points

POST

Marco Hub-Dub 2 years ago

The way he was treated was deplorable. It was pure cynicism on the part of law enforcement that he was even a suspect.

64points

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#43

Gregor Mendel. In the 1860s, he came up with the Principles of Segregation and Independent Assortment, saying that genetic factors are expressed via segregating alleles and different genes.

For about a good 40-ish years, everyone thought he was crazy and didn't receive much credibility from his peers. However, in the early 1900s, people began to build off of his knowledge and work. Now, he's known as the father of genetics.

GPro_Journeys Report

Final score:

178points

POST

David A Paterson 2 years ago

Mendel wasn't ridiculed. He was a complete unknown. This happens often in science, where a publication from 20 or more years before is discovered when the effect they described suddenly becomes well known.

45points

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#44

Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis . In 1847 he discovered that doctors washing their hands before delivery led to fewer deaths in women. He hypothesized germ theory, but was ridiculed and mocked by the academic establishment. He ended up having a nervous breakdown and later died in a mental institution. Probably from injuries sustained from beatings he received from the guards. (RIP)

Mango_Daiquiri Report

Final score:

167points

POST

SoozeeQ 2 years ago

So sad. Think of what else he could have discovered, if he'd accepted instead of ridiculed.

36points

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#45

Jose Canseco, when he claimed in his book that steroid use was rampant in Major League Baseball.

Keithninety Report

Final score:

166points

POST

Jerry Conaway 2 years ago

No, Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds simply had great personal trainers, ate lots of chicken, and spent all of their non-baseball playing time working out at the gym. No PED's here.

17points

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#46

Prince Charles. Banged on about the environment/organic foods and everyone took the piss mercilessly. To me, he was right about architecture too, but that’s subjective

OkTie333 Report

Final score:

155points

POST

Scagsy 2 years ago

Certainly agree about architecture. Buildings made of stone and even brick have survived for centuries and are aesthetically pleasing. Today, they actually put a shelf life on buildings. Like, it will last twenty years or so. And they are SO ugly. All this metal and glass is horrendous.

87points

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#47

J Harlen Bretz. He spent his life's work proving that the channeled scablands were formed by an absolutely biblical level flood. No one took him seriously because by that point geologists weren't really too keen on the biblical events type geology and were more in favor of gradual change hypothesis for how things came to be.

As soon as satellite photography became a thing his hypothesis was pretty quickly accepted because it's really obvious from above that its massive flood tracts. Funny enough even the famous explorers Lewis and Clark realized it was caused by floods and even wrote about it because they recognized the rippling hills and flood deposits like you'd see in a river just hundreds of times bigger.

If your interested google Missoula floods.

BiPoLaRadiation Report

Final score:

146points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

This still doesn't prove a global flood, as described in the Bible. It would be physically impossible.

58points

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#48

Chelsey ”Sully” Sullenberger - the pilot of US Airways flight 1549 that landed his plane in the Hudson river.

Damn, he was mangled before finally being aquitted of the charges and told he did a great job and the made all the right decisions.

SweSupermoosie Report

Final score:

131points

POST

Kayla J 2 years ago (edited)

I have a feeling this person watched the movie Sully and nothing else because their recollection is so ridiculously off. Landing a plane into the Hudson without breaking it apart was seen as an impressive feat and Sully was well known in the aviation community already having been a part of several highly focused NTSB investigations so he knew how the process would go. When people found out he was the pilot, they agreed he's the one they'd want in that situation and were not shocked by his calm demeanor or ability. There was of course an NTSB investigation but there always is, they were curious if he could have gotten to another airport (LaGuardia was in reach, but didn't take into several factors and they agreed ditching was the best hope and saved countless), and was not some sort of police interrogation with bright lights. Tom Hanks noted that Sully wasn't a fan of how the movie portrayed the NTSB making sure real names were not used. Another example to give you how celebrated he was? The Hudson landing happened on January 15 and the dude was at the Presidential inauguration for Obama on January 20, hardly being lambasted.

172points

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#49

Arsene Wenger. In 2002 he said his team could go a whole season unbeaten. He was roundly mocked, as it had occurred once in the 100+ year history of English football.

Two years later, they did it.

SometimesMonkeysDie Report

Final score:

121points

POST

James016 2 years ago

I'm no Arsenal fan but he was a brilliant manager for the club.

30points

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#50

megan fox being shouted down and criticised for how she spoke about the way she was treated on the transformers set.

leahm316 Report

Final score:

100points

POST

nononononm 2 years ago

Megan Fox apologized later because she said it wasn't as bad as she made it seem and she was way out of line and should have handled the situation better and if she had she could have solved her issue and kept her job?

27points

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#51

Amy Winehouse was written off as a junkie, but after she died there was a huge outpouring of love. The release of her movie Amy really brought to light the atrocities of addiction and EDs. Realize this might not fit here but I’ve been such a fan and hated seeing her called trash, etc.

MaryPain666 Report

Final score:

36points

POST

SoozeeQ 2 years ago

Oh. EDs = Eating Disorders. I thought it mean Erectile Dysfunction.

15points

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#52

Mitt Romney was heavily mocked by many for calling Russia the U.S.'s #1 geopolitical foe in a 2012 presidential debate.

TwoKindsOfTruth Report

Final score:

35points

POST

Mazer 2 years ago

Mitt Romney has done more damage to the American work force than many of his contemporaries, but then they are still at it.

12points

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#53

Alfred Wegener- Pangaea

roberto59363 Report

Final score:

33points

POST

David A Paterson 2 years ago

Yes! He wasn't believed until about 40 years later when Cambridge university did a computer fit of the South American and African continents and found them to be an exact match. Even 70 years after Wegener's proposal I was working for a professor who didn't believe in continental drift.

10points

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#54

Dixie Chicks.

edgarpickle Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Sue Hazlewood 2 years ago

"We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas."

11points

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#55

William Seward, who bought Alaska.

hastur777 Report

Final score:

30points

POST

Gabrielle Riley 2 years ago

Sewerd's icebox was what we were taught lol 😆

3points

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#56

Can’t remember his name, but he predicted the 2008 housing crash. Was laughed at on tv shows as he described the events that would happen based on then current loan practices taking place.

waner21 Report

Final score:

26points

POST

Cynthia Carter 2 years ago

I was suspicious of those lending practices too. Let's buy a nice house then pay some ridiculously high balloon payment later. Sure, that money will just magically appear, not!

2points

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#57

I'm not sure if I'm remembering this correctly as it was so long ago... But when the iPad was first launched by Steve Jobs, there was a lot of derision by the public and media. I remember friends making fun of it, and there were memes comparing it to a sanitary pad, saying it's just a giant phone, there are already kindles etc, and that nobody would buy such things.

Nowadays it has become so normal, and some schools even give out iPads to students.

idle_watcher Report

Final score:

25points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

For me, it will always be a luxury gadget that doesn't really improve anyone's life. But that's just me, so...

38points

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#58

Taylor Swift in regards to the Kimye fiasco

colleennicole93 Report

Final score:

22points

POST

Candia Lee 2 years ago

I'm anti-Kanye so didn't catch the details, would believe Taylor over that fame-seeking duo.

7points

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#59

Alex Jones. Apparently he was telling people about Epstein’s island two years before the public found out, and people were just like “more crazy Alex Jones sh*t”

Nfl_Addict Report

Final score:

19points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

This still doesn't change the fact that Alex Jones is a thoroughly evil person and has done some really disgusting things (like urging his followers to harass the parents of Sandy Hook victims).

69points

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#60

I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell out, "Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!" We all thought he was crazy. But then we had some growing up to do.

-Jack Handey

DocSaysItsDainBramuj Report

Final score:

7points

POST

NsG 2 years ago

I... have no idea what I just read....

38points

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#61

Graham hancock, his theories in the 90's about mega structures being much older than 6000 years was mocked up until 2018 Gobekli Tepe was discovered and proven him right, now they are reassessing all of earths ancient mega structures, Angkor wat was said to be 900 years old but you can add a zero onto that now. Randal Carlson is another, with the Younger Dryas impact now proven, his theories are also correct and both these men spent their lives being laughed at by scientists and their work called pseudo science but now they are considered pioneers in their field and both are getting Netflix specials highlighting their contributions.

klokar21 Report

Final score:

5points

POST

King Kashue 2 years ago

This is complete bollocks. Gobekli Tepe was discovered in 1963, not 2018. Hancock was 13 when excavations began. Hancock has not been "proven right" about anything - none of his work holds up to review, he doesn't publish in any credible journal because he's unwilling to submit his work to peer review. No, there isn't a reputable historian that thinks Angkor Wat is 9,000 years old - it absolutely was constructed with metal tools, not stone (9k would be neolithic). FFS, the bas reliefs depict kings we can definitively date. The people you mention are 100% not considered "pioneers" in anything - they're still very much mocked and dismissed because none of their work holds up to scrutiny and their evidence is s**t.

28points

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What do you think ?

Rand Johnson 2 years ago

In 1992 Sinead O'Connor tore up a picture of the pope on SNL to bring attention to the sexual abuse of children. The derision and career hit were swift and relentless. We owe her an apology. Better... We owe her thanks.

43points

Wintermute 2 years ago

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Grasie MoonFlower 2 years ago

To me, Susan Boyle´s such a great representation of this. In her first audition on BGT, she was mocked and laughed at for her appearance and age, but now she is a successful singer and constantly gives back to the community. I admire how humble and down to earth she is.

42points

Auntriarch 2 years ago

The change on Simon Cowell's face when she started singing...

A real Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story. She was deemed inferior until she proved she had value to others. None of those judges or audience get credit for "learning a lesson" or changing their tune about her after she started singing. That's like saying if she was a bad singer they'd have been right to treat her that way. Just despicable.

8points

glowworm2 2 years ago

My favorite part from that audition was that she actually just quietly starts to walk off stage afterwards and they have to bring her back to hear the judges' reactions.

4points

Kimberly 2 years ago

Her voice is heavenly

Rocky Mom 2 years ago (edited)

I tear up every time with this one. Absolutely enjoy seeking it out for a view.

0points

Mike Weber 2 years ago

I remember scoffing at them pretending not to know she could sing. So obviously staged. 🙄

marianne eliza 2 years ago

I still go back and watch that now and then.

Luke Keil 2 years ago

How is Tesla not on here. Edison is still credited with the lightbulb. his last words put it into perspective "All these years that I had spent in the service of mankind brought me nothing but insults and humiliation"

Tesla, exactly! His life ended quite sadly too.

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50 Historical Figures People Thought Were Nuts At The Time But Were Proven To Be Right Years Later

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