Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was "too stupid to learn anything."
Edison went on to hold more than 1,000 patents like the phonograph, practical electrical lamp, and a movie camera.
Sir Isaac Newton's mother pulled him out of school as a boy so that he could run the family farm. He failed miserably.
She then let Newton finish his basic education and was eventually persuaded to allow him to enroll in Cambridge University. Newton went on to become one of the greatest scientists of all time, revolutionizing physics and mathematics.
When Sidney Poitier first auditioned for the American Negro Theatre, he flubbed his lines and spoke in a heavy Caribbean accent, which made the director angrily tell him to stop wasting his time.
Poitier worked on his craft and eventually became a hugely successful Hollywood star. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Charles Darwin was considered an average student. He gave up on a career in medicine and was going to school to become a parson.
Darwin instead studied nature and traveled the world to uncover nature's mysteries. His writings, especially "On the Origin of the Species," fundamentally changed the world of science by spreading the discovery of evolution.
Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting, "The Red Vineyard," in his life, and the sale was just months before his death.
If he had given up his artistic career early it would prove later the art world would be missing hundreds of paintings from a true master.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had his first book rejected by 27 different publishers. He went on to sell over 600 million more books.
While developing his vacuum, Sir James Dyson went through 5,126 failed prototypes and his savings over 15 years. Today he is worth over $4.5 billion.
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