Our lives are filled with happy little accidents! Some of those happy little accidents don’t really change anything much, while others find their way into the pages of our history. Yeah, really! Take, for instance, these things created by accident - although they weren’t intended, we all know about them, use them, and adore them. So, ready to learn about these accidental inventions? Of course, you are!
So, some of these great things created by accident aren’t really tangible. For instance, the absolute banger of a song by Metallica called Nothing Else Matters was created during a phone call, or one of the most iconic scenes in The Godfather was also a complete fluke (we won’t tell you which one, though - let’s keep a bit of suspense here). However, for all these intangible things on our list, there are tons of other interesting stories about absolutely tangible, useful things created in the very same way. From actual things to accidental food inventions, we’re extremely glad that someone made those ‘mistakes’ way back when - because who could imagine their lives sans nachos or Worcestershire sauce?!
Alrighty then, time to check out our picks of things created by accident and read some cool facts about their stories of invention. Agreed? Scroll on down below, check out the submissions, vote for the accidental inventions that surprised you the most, and share this article with your friends!
This post may include affiliate links.
#21 At Some Point, Raw Milk Was Exposed To Bacteria In Warm Climates Causing The Milk’s Fermentation Into A Creamy Yogurt
You've already taken a step toward making yogurt if you've ever left a milk carton outside for too long. At least, such is the widely held explanation behind the unintentional invention of yogurt. When raw milk was eventually exposed to bacteria in warm environments, the milk fermented into creamy yogurt.
Report
16points
#22 Lara Croft's Chest Was Caused By A Slip Of The Finger
When it came to altering Lara's proportions for the original Tomb Raider game, one of the artists intended to boost the character's bust by 50%, but by accidentally typing 150%, he created the gaming symbol that players all over the world drool over.
Report
15points
#23 The PlayStation Was Planned As An Add-On For The SNES
A new console developed by Sony and Nintendo, the SNES with an integrated CD-ROM drive, was unveiled at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show. The following day, Nintendo canceled its agreement with PlayStation and teamed up with Phillips instead.
Report
14points
#24 The Konami Code Was Left In 'Gradius' By Accident
One of the developers of the Gradius home version couldn't win against his creation, leading to the creation of the famous code "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start." He built the code to grant himself a complete set of power-ups but neglected to remove it. His error is a blessing for everyone!
Report
14points
#25 Beer Was Invented By Accident During Bread Making
Beer was first mentioned in history in Sumeria around the sixth century BC. Although no one can say for sure, most people think beer was created by mistake while preparing bread. According to author and beer consultant Horst Dornbusch, bread was likely baked outside in the rain, and that's how beer was born.
Report
14points
#26 'Space Invaders' Was Supposed To Be Way Faster
Tomohiro Nishikado, a programmer, spent a year attempting to create a machine capable of running Space Invaders. Even after he was done, it wasn't adequate. The intruders moved slowly at first and only accelerated to his desired speed when there were fewer visible invaders because they had been shot.
Report
13points
#27 A Drunken Extra Threw A Can At John Malkovich In 'Being John Malkovich'
In the mind-bending movie, a puppeteer playing John Malkovich discovers a portal into the actor's mind and starts taking money for 15 minutes inside his body. Things start to become strange when Malkovich himself enters his thoughts. He eventually finds himself on the New Jersey Turnpike when a set extra who had sneaked beer cries, "Think fast Malkovich!" before hurling a beer can in his direction. The take was so well received by the director Spike Jonze that he decided to use it.
Report
13points
#28 Beck's 'Loser' Is A Bunch Of Nonsense Recorded In A Kitchen
As a joke, Beck's biggest hit was recorded in the kitchen of his friend Carl. Following the freestyle recording, he started singing the lyric, "I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me," and the rest is history.
Report
12points
#29 The 'Street Fighting Man' Sound Was Caused By Recording On Cassette
Most of the "Street Fighting Man" tracking was done on a portable tape recorder in a hotel, leading to the entirely exaggerated sound. The song's distorted sound was created when Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Brian Jones simultaneously recorded their parts (guitar, drums, and sitar) onto Richards' mono cassette recorder.
12points
