1

Oprah Winfrey

Image: Ilyass SEDDOUG

If it wasn't for a professor's advice, we might have never got to meet the incredible Oprah Winfrey!

After graduating with honors from high school, Oprah attended Tennessee State University to study Communication. During her college years, she already participated in several different radio shows. While in one of her classes, she received a call that changed her life: CBS Channel Five offered her a very important job. At first, Oprah said no, as her father always insisted that she complete her studies. Accepting the position would mean putting her education on hold, so it was a difficult choice for her.

Winfrey told the situation to her Scenic Design professor, who immediately encouraged her to take the job. "This is what you study for, to get a call from CBS!" he allegedly said.

2

Bill Gates

Image: Tadas Sar

Bill Gates' work, intelligence, and journey as an entrepreneur to become the famous co-founder of Microsoft are admirable. Maybe that's why many are surprised to learn that Gates dropped out of college.

He began his education at a private school in Seattle, Washington. It's said that he demonstrated high capacities in math and science. During the early years of his education, he came into contact with computers, awakening his passion at a young age.

When he was 18 years old, Gates enrolled at Harvard to pursue a degree in computer science. During his time there, he became interested in programming languages. In particular, he wanted to design one for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer developed by MITS. In 1975, Gates decided to leave Harvard to create BASIC, which later evolved into the well-known Microsoft, co-founded by Gates and Paul Allen.

3

Steve Jobs

Image: Sumudu Mohottige

A similar path to Gates was that of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc.

Jobs attended elementary and high school in Cupertino, California. In the 1970s, while he was still in high school, he met Steve Wozniak, an engineering student who would join him in creating Apple.

Jobs was said to have a free and rebellious nature. Perhaps it was that spirit that led him to leave Reed College in Portland, Oregon, after the first semester in order to have more time to pursue his true interests: technology and design.

Although he didn't pursue what we know as a formal education, Jobs educated himself in numerous fields in different parts of the world.

4

Mark Zuckerberg

Image: Deeksha Pahariya

Jobs and Gates aren't the only tech geniuses who decided to drop out of college to take another path. Mark Zuckerberg joins this list.

Zuckerberg already stood out during his elementary and high school years for his mathematics and computer science skills. But it was at Harvard University that he really explored his potential.

Mark Zuckerberg enrolled at Harvard in 2002 to study computer science and psychology. There, he developed a number of applications and platforms, but one gained him all the fame. We're talking about Facebook, one of the most famous social networks in the world today. Two years after entering the university, he left to fully dedicate himself to his company, which was growing in success every second.

5

Ellen DeGeneres

Image: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov

Not all the names on this list belong to the tech world. There are also some other showbiz figures. One of them is Ellen DeGeneres, the unmistakable comedian, actress, and TV host who has won the hearts of many Americans.

Her comedy and acting talents shone during her high school years in Atlanta, Texas. After high school, Ellen enrolled at the University of New Orleans in 1976 to study communications. However, after a couple of months, she dropped out in order to concentrate on her entertainment career. During those years, she did comedy and stand-up shows, gaining fame first locally and then nationally, eventually having her first sitcom, "Ellen," and then her successful daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

6

Steven Spielberg

Image: George Patient

Steven Spielberg is a talented and successful American film director whose name reached the ears of the whole world thanks to such classics as Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), and many others.

In 1965, Spielberg enrolled at California State University Long Beach to pursue a career in film production. There, he started to work on many projects, and in 1968, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his passion.

In the 2000s, the famous director returned to college and completed his degree, presenting the iconic Schindler's List !

7

Brad Pitt

Image: César Guadarrama Cantú

The art of acting is truly admirable, and we can say, without a doubt, that the best actors and actresses in the world have a great mix of natural talent and hard work. A perfect example is Brad Pitt, who also has one more ingredient: his spectacular appearance.

After graduating from high school in 1982, Pitt enrolled at the University of Missouri to study Journalism and Advertising. There, he became interested in acting and participated in different creative and theatrical projects.

Two weeks before graduating, Pitt made the decision to quit college and move to California, where he would evolve as an actor into the world-renowned superstar he is today.

8

Larry Page

Image: Greg Bulla

Lansing, Michigan, was the birthplace of Larry Page, the co-founder of one of the world's largest technology companies. But before becoming the CEO of a huge corporation, Page also walked the halls of college, earning several degrees before his dropout.

Page earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Engineering with honors from the University of Michigan in 1995. He then enrolled at Stanford University, where he earned his Master's degree in 1998.

During his years at Stanford, he met Sergey Brin, with whom he would later co-found none other than Google! The success of their co-creation led Page to not complete his PhD, which he was pursuing during those years.

9

Ashton Kutcher

Image: Nathan Dumlao

When it comes to talented, hard-working, and handsome actors, Brad Pitt isn't the only one. Another one with all those attributes is Ashton Kutcher.

Kutcher is really smart. His hard work and intelligence led him to enroll at the University of Iowa in 1996, where he pursued a degree in biochemical engineering. But his student life was cut short when a talent agency discovered him.

In 1998, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his growing modeling and acting career. A few years ago, the actor famously declared, "I pursued something I was passionate about [...] So, that was the right decision for me."

10

Alicia Keys

Image: Soundtrap

Another artist on this list is none other than Alicia Keys, a major name in the entertainment world.

From a very young age, Alicia was encouraged to pursue her talent and artistic interests. She attended elementary and high schools specialized in arts, where she developed many of her musical talents.

After graduating from high school at 16, Keys was accepted into the Juilliard School in Manhattan, which is proof of her immense talent. However, the singer and songwriter decided to drop out of college a few months after being accepted in order to pursue her dreams as a singer. She signed her first record deal shortly after, and the rest is history!

1

Brooklyn Bridge, New York: A family affair with an undersung heroine

Designer John Roebling died from tetanus after his foot was crushed during the initial survey in 1869, leaving his son, Washington, to complete the project. Then Washington developed debilitating "caisson disease" (the bends) from working in the underwater pressurized chambers, leaving him bedridden and barely able to speak. For the next eleven years, he directed construction from his apartment window through a telescope, while his wife Emily became his voice , learning advanced mathematics and engineering to communicate his instructions to the workers.

Emily Roebling essentially became America's first female field engineer, though she received no official title or recognition at the time. She walked the bridge on opening day in 1883, carrying a rooster as a symbol of victory—a moment that should have cemented her place in history but was largely forgotten until recently.

2

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco: They said it couldn't be built

Engineers insisted it was impossible: the water was too deep, the currents too strong, the fog too thick. Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer, was mocked by colleagues who called his design "Strauss's Folly." The Navy opposed it, claiming it would obstruct their ships. Environmentalists feared it would ruin the bay's natural beauty. Ferry operators lobbied against it, worried about losing their livelihoods.

Yet construction began in 1933, during the Great Depression, providing thousands of jobs when they were desperately needed. Strauss installed a revolutionary safety net beneath the bridge, saving nineteen men who became known as the "Halfway to Hell Club." Tragically, ten other workers still died when a section of scaffolding fell through the net near the end of construction. When it opened in 1937, the bridge was the longest suspension span in the world . Strauss died just one year after the bridge opened, worn out by the battle to build his "impossible" dream.

3

Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida: Rising from tragedy

On a foggy May morning in 1980, the freighter MV Summit Venture lost radar during a violent thunderstorm and slammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. A 1,400-foot section of the bridge collapsed into Tampa Bay , sending six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound bus plummeting 150 feet into the water below. Thirty-five people died instantly. The only survivor was a truck driver whose vehicle teetered on the broken edge.

Rather than simply repair the damaged bridge, Florida decided to build an entirely new one. The new Sunshine Skyway, completed in 1987, features massive concrete "dolphins"—protective barriers designed to absorb ship impacts and prevent another catastrophe. The old bridge's remaining sections were converted into fishing piers, now popular spots where anglers cast lines into the same waters where so many lives were lost.

4

Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Washington - Galloping Gertie's fatal dance

From the moment the Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened in July 1940, it moved—undulating, twisting, and bucking in the wind like a living thing. This rhythmic, vertical bouncing reminded locals of a galloping horse, thus earning the bridge the nickname 'Galloping Gertie.' Engineers knew about the movement but considered it within acceptable limits. For four months, Gertie galloped along, becoming a tourist attraction and a source of local pride. Then came November 7, 1940.

In 40-mph winds, the bridge entered an aeroelastic fluttering that tore it apart in spectacular fashion. The only casualty was a three-legged black Cocker Spaniel named Tubby, left in a car by his owner, who fled on foot. Film footage of the collapse became required viewing in engineering schools worldwide. A new bridge opened in 1950 with crucial design changes, and in 2007, a parallel span was added.

5

London Bridge, Arizona: The bridge they bought by mistake

American entrepreneur Robert McCulloch bought London Bridge in 1968 for $2.46 million and had it shipped, stone by stone, from London to Lake Havasu City, Arizona . Urban legend claims McCulloch thought he was buying the iconic Tower Bridge and was disappointed when his purchase turned out to be the relatively plain London Bridge. While McCulloch denied this, the story persists because it's too good not to be true.

The bridge was disassembled into 10,000 tons of granite blocks, each numbered and shipped across the Atlantic. Workers reassembled it in the Arizona desert like a giant jigsaw puzzle, creating a channel beneath it afterward to make it an actual functioning bridge.

6

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia: Engineering ambition gone mad

When engineers proposed building a crossing for the 17.6-mile-wide mouth of Chesapeake Bay, skeptics called it impossible. The crossing would need to accommodate massive naval and commercial ships heading to Norfolk, one of America's busiest ports, while also withstanding hurricanes and ocean storms. The solution was audacious: build a structure that would be partly bridge and partly tunnel, diving beneath the water at two points to allow ship traffic through .

The completed structure, opened in 1964, includes two mile-long tunnels, nearly 12 miles of trestle bridges, four man-made islands, and multiple high-level bridges—all exposed to the open Atlantic Ocean. It was immediately declared one of the "Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World."

7

Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys: Flagler's folly made real

Henry Flagler's dream of extending his railroad to Key West was called "Flagler's Folly" by critics. But Flagler, already wealthy from Standard Oil, was determined to connect the Keys to mainland Florida. Construction began in 1905, facing hurricanes, mosquitoes, brutal heat, and the challenge of building in water up to 40 feet deep. The worst disaster came in 1906 when a hurricane killed over 100 workers—mostly immigrant laborers, whose tragic deaths barely made headlines at the time.

The railroad finally reached Key West in 1912, a year before Flagler's death. For 23 years, it carried tourists and freight until the monster Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the track, killing hundreds. Rather than rebuild the railway, the state converted the route into the Overseas Highway, with the Seven Mile Bridge becoming its centerpiece . The original bridge served cars until 1982, when a new parallel bridge opened.

8

Mackinac Bridge, Michigan: The bridge that refused to die

Dreams of a bridge between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas dated back to the 1880s, but the five-mile strait seemed unbridgeable. The Great Depression killed early plans, and World War II delayed them further. By the 1950s, the project had died and been resurrected so many times that locals joked it would never happen. Then, engineer David Steinman took on the challenge, designing a suspension bridge that would span the straits despite brutal weather, thick ice, and deep water .

Construction from 1954 to 1957 employed 3,500 workers at its peak. Opening day in 1957 drew 50,000 people, and Governor G. Mennen Williams walked across alongside bridge workers. "Mighty Mac" became Michigan's symbol, though high winds remain dangerous—two vehicles have been blown off in separate incidents, leading to the bridge authority offering free transport for nervous drivers during storms.

9

New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia: The bridge that became a party

When the New River Gorge Bridge opened in 1977, it was the world's longest single-span arch bridge and the highest vehicular bridge in the Americas at 876 feet above the New River. The structure cut a 40-minute winding drive down to one minute, transforming the region's economy. But locals decided the bridge's annual achievement deserved an equally monumental celebration. Thus "Bridge Day" was born: a festival where the bridge closes to traffic and people are legally allowed to BASE jump and rappel off it.

Every third Saturday in October, up to 200,000 people descend on the tiny town of Fayetteville (population 2,800) to watch hundreds of BASE jumpers leap off the bridge . It's the largest extreme sports event in the world and the only day of the year when BASE jumping is legal in the U.S.

10

Navajo Bridge, Arizona: The bridge to nowhere that changed everything

When the original Navajo Bridge opened in 1929, the closest town was 130 miles away, and the bridge spanned a remote section of the Colorado River in northern Arizona. Critics called it the "bridge to nowhere." But the bridge had a crucial purpose: it was the only crossing of the Colorado River for 600 miles, making it essential for anyone traveling between Utah and Arizona without taking a massive detour.

Over the course of decades, it became a vital link for Navajo Nation residents accessing healthcare, education, and commerce . It also opened the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to tourists, transforming the region's economy. By the 1990s, the original bridge couldn't handle modern traffic, so a parallel span opened in 1995. Rather than demolish the original, it was converted to a pedestrian bridge where you can look straight down 467 feet to the Colorado River.

1

Rabies

Image: Samuell Morgenstern

Rabies-infected people and animals cannot swallow water. This is why rabid dogs drool at the mouth, because they are unable to swallow.

In the ancient world, a "cure" for rabies involved forcibly submerging people in bodies of water to force the liquid intake . Quite often, the consequence, as you might have guessed, was death by drowning.

2

Bloodletting

Image: David Trinks

In the days when barbers were also designated surgeons, bloodletting was a common cure for multiple conditions. This gruesome technique was performed not just using surgical tools but also by using leeches , which were directly applied on the human body , to suck blood out of the wretched individuals who required treatment.

3

Madstones

Image: Atul Vinayak

Folk remedies were common in a time when seeking professional medical help was a luxury for most people. Popular in mid-19th-century America, madstones were big hairballs extracted from the guts of goats and deer .

These objects were believed to possess medicinal properties, such as curing rabies and serving as an antidote to various poisons.

4

Chloroform

Image: Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa

Many substances that we now recognize as poisonous were once believed to be beneficial to health. During the 19th century, chloroform was commonly used as an anesthetic in surgeries .

However, later studies revealed that long-term exposure to chloroform could cause liver and kidney damage, respiratory depression, and may even increase the risk of cancer.

5

Arsenic

Image: Denise Chan

Another poisonous substance once thought to be beneficial was arsenic, which was used to treat malaria, syphilis, and other ailments during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

However, it was later discovered that arsenic exposure could lead to poisoning, causing severe health complications and even death.

6

Mercury

Image: Benjamin Hibbert-Hingston

Similar to chloroform and arsenic, mercury was once thought to be beneficial to the human body. However, as scientific understanding advanced, its harmful effects became widely known .

Today, we know that mercury is highly toxic and can cause severe damage to the kidneys and nervous system.

7

Urine

Image: Fotografía de Alimentos

Drinking urine for medicinal purposes was common in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where it was believed to have therapeutic benefits and was used as a remedy for various health conditions, including kidney and liver problems .

8

Trepanning

Image: Mathew Schwartz

Trepanning, a common medical practice in ancient civilizations, involved drilling a hole in the skull to relieve pressure or treat a variety of medical ailments such as headaches, seizures, and mental disorders .

However, due to the lack of modern anesthesia and surgical tools, the procedure was extremely dangerous and carried significant risks.

9

Cupping

Image: Katherine Hanlon

Creating a vacuum on the skin using heated glass cups was a popular therapy for various conditions, including pain, inflammation, respiratory problems, and digestive disorders . While not a particularly harmful technique, aside from the markings left on the skin, its benefits have not been scientifically proven.

10

Mummy powder

Image: Narciso Arellano

In medieval times, it was commonly believed that "mummy powder" possessed healing properties. This substance was made from ground mummies obtained from Egypt and was thought to be particularly effective in treating wounds, headaches, and digestive issues .

11

Nightshade

Image: Georg Eiermann

Nightshade is a poisonous plant with soothing properties, which was used as a pain reliever as it can induce a state of calm in the user.

However, this plant is also highly toxic and can cause hallucinations, delirium, and even death if consumed in large quantities.

12

Tobacco

Image: Juano colombo

It might be hard to believe today, but back in the 1600s, schoolchildren were encouraged to smoke cigarettes , which were then thought to be disinfectants.

Cigarettes were also believed to be beneficial for both the lungs and the mind. Thankfully, we now know better.