Fun Facts Friday - What was said about successful people before their success?



Photo credit: geeksdreamgirl.com

I’m trying something different today; let’s call today Fun Facts Friday. While Reading the Metro Parent Magazine I came across an article titled Good Parents Let Their Kids Fail. Across the top of the page were photos of six people we know to have been successful in their lifetime. They included: Fred Astaire, Walter (Walt) Disney, Thomas Edison, Stephen King, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.

The take away factor of the article was that we need to let kids experience failure. In experiencing failure kids learn to “realize their limits, adjust and learn from their mistakes (Metro Parent February 2013).” So what are the facts about the six people above thought to be least likely to succeed? Here they are:

Fred Astaire:   Mr. Fancy Footwork was evaluated unfavorably after his first screen test – “can’t act. Can’t sing. Can dance a little.”

Walt Disney:   This creator of Mickey Mouse and the Disney Empire was fired from a Missouri newspaper for not being creative enough.

Side note: Did you know that originally Mickey Mouse’s name was going to be Mortimer? Walt Disney’s wife suggested he change it to something less pretentious.

Thomas Edison:          This famous inventor was labeled by his teachers as “too stupid to learn.”

Stephen King:            This best selling horror author was rejected by 30 publishers.

Steven Spielberg:      This Academy Award-winning director was rejected from the University of Southern California three times due to poor grades in school.

Oprah Winfrey:          This media mogul was discouraged by her first boss, who told her she was too emotional and not right for television.

Test your knowledge with trivia questions related to the people above.

1. What female actress did Fred Astaire dance with in many of his movies?

a.      Betty Boop

b.      Ginger Rogers

c.       Betty White

d.      Elizabeth Taylor

2. Where was the first Disney theme park built?

a.      Florida

b.      China

c.       California

d.      Africa

3. Which item below is NOT one of Thomas Edison’s creations?

a.      Phonograph

b.      Light bulb

c.       Telegraph devices

d.      Computer keyboard

4. What was Stephen King’s first book that was turned into a movie?

a.      Carrie

b.      The Shawshank Redemption

c.       The Green Mile

d.      Christine

5. Which movie below is NOT one written or produced by Steven King?

a.      ET

b.      Shrek

c.       Jaws

d.      Jurassic Park

6. Where was the Oprah show taped?

a.      Las Angeles

b.      Detroit

c.       Chicago

d.      San Francisco

Answer Key

1. b
2. c– California 1955
3. d
4. a
5. b
6. c

Did you discover any new information? What fun facts have you come across that you would add to this list? Have you let your child fail at something in order to teach a lesson?