We have put together some of the world's greatest success stories--from movie stars to scientists--who just happen to have experienced massive failure that could have easily made them give up.
But they did not and now they are the monumental successes they are remembered for. So, remember these stories when it feels like you will never make it to the top.
In Fred Astaire's (1899-1987) first screen test, the judges wrote: 'Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.' Astaire (with Cyd Charisse, in 'Silk Stockings') went on to be the most famous dancer of all time and won the hearts of American women forever.
Lucille Ball (1911-1989) spent many years on the B-list and her agent told her to pursue a new career. Then she got her big break on 'I Love Lucy.'
Charlie Chaplin's (1899-1977) act was rejected by executives because they thought it was too obscure for people to understand. But then they took a chance on him and he went on to become America's first bona fide movie star.
Dick Cheney (1941-Now) flunked out of Yale twice. George W. Bush once joked: 'So now we know -- if you graduate from Yale, you become president. If you drop out from Yale, you get to be vice president.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874-1965) failed grade six. He was also defeated in his first run for public office. Then, he became the British prime minister at 62 [and strategically crucial during the II World War].
Walt Disney (1901-1966) was fired by a newspaper editor because he 'lacked imagination and had no good ideas.' Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Today, most childhoods would not be the same without his ideas.
While developing his vacuum, Sir James Dyson (1947-Now) went through 5,126 failed prototypes and his savings over 15 years. But the 5,127th prototype worked and now the Dyson brand is the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the United States.
Thomas Edison's (1847-1931) teachers told him he was 'too stupid to learn anything.' He also famously invented 1,000 light bulbs before creating one that worked.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) did not speak until age four and did not read until age seven. His teachers labelled him 'slow' and 'mentally handicapped.' But Einstein just had a different way of thinking. He later won the Nobel Prize in physics [and is considered by most to be the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century].
After his first film, Harrison Ford (1942-Now) underwhelmed the producer and was told he would probably never succeed. But today Ford is the third highest-grossing actor of all-time.
Henry Ford's (1863-1947) first auto company went out of business. He abandoned a second due to a fight and a third went downhill due to declining sales. He became one of America’s greatest entrepreneurs ever.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) only sold one painting in his entire life, to a friend. He sometimes starved in order to create the 800 paintings he eventually made. Today, his works are priceless.
Soichiro Honda (1906-1991) was rejected for an engineering job at Toyota. Unemployed, he began making motorcycles, started a business and became a billionaire.
Stephen King (1947-Now) was initially so frustrated with his first novel, Carrie, that he threw it into the trash. King's wife found the manuscript in the trash and took it out. To date, his more than 50 books have sold some 350 million copies.
R.H. Macy (1822-1877) had a history failing businesses, including a dud Macy's in New York City, N.Y. But Macy kept up the hard work and ended up with the biggest department store in the world.
Marilyn Monroe's (1926-1962) first contract with Columbia Pictures expired because they told her she was not pretty or talented enough to be an actress. Monroe kept plugging away and is one of the most iconic actresses and sex symbols of all time.
Sir Isaac Newton was tasked with running the family farm but was a miserable failure. Newton was sent off to Cambridge University and became a physics scholar.
After Sidney Poitier's (1927-Now) first audition, the casting director instructed him to just stop wasting everyone's time and ' get a job as a dishwasher or something.' He went on [to be the first black actor] to win an Academy Award [for Best Actor] and is admired by actors everywhere.
J.K. Rowling (1965-Now) was unemployed, divorced and raising a daughter on social security while writing the first Harry Potter novel. She is now internationally renowned for her seven-book Harry Potter series and was the first female billionaire author (She recently dropped below the billion-dollar mark due to some charitable giving.).
Harland David Sanders (1890-1980), the famous KFC 'Colonel,' could not sell his chicken. More than 1,000 restaurants rejected him. But today there are KFC restaurants bearing his image all over the world.
The first time Jerry Seinfeld (1954-Now) went onstage, he was booed away by the jeering crowd. Eventually, he became a famous comic with one of the most-loved sitcoms ever.
Theodor Seuss Geisel's (1904-1991) first book was rejected by 27 different publishers. He is now one of the most popular children's book authors ever.
Steven Spielberg (1946-Now) was rejected from his dream school, the University of Southern California, three times. He sought out an education at California State University, Long Beach, and dropped out to be a director.
Vera Wang (1949-Now) failed to make the U.S. Olympic figure-skating team. Then she became an editor at Vogue and was passed over for the editor-in-chief position. She began designing wedding gowns at age 40 and today is the premier designer in the business, with a multi-billion dollar industry.
Oprah Winfrey (1954-Now) was fired from her television reporting job because she was not fit to be on screen. But Winfrey rebounded and became the undisputed queen of television talk shows. She is also a billionaire.
