13 Historical Figures Who Were the Absolute Worst at What They Did

Ah, the 17th century. A time of exploration, discovery, and creative taxidermy. A time when a strange creature made of a rhinoceros skull, mammoth legs, and a narwhal horn could be put together without any idea of what the real animals looked like. 

And then there was the 20th century. A time when Thomas Midgley Jr. created and sold tetraethyl lead for use in gasoline, even though it was known to be poisonous. A time when the poisoning of kids, raising the risk of skin cancer, and making global warming worse became part of his legacy.

And then there other, bizarre stories of those who failed spectacularly. Angel Luis Masdeu, who tried to steal money from a bank but was caught by the cops. LTCM, a big hedge fund run by Nobel Prize-winning economists and famous Wall Street traders, which failed in 1998. And the five people who had been hired to kill someone but were put in prison for attempted murder in Nanning, Guangxi, China.

So here we are, in the 21st century, looking back at the strange and bizarre stories of people who failed spectacularly at the jobs they were supposed to do. Enjoy.