Great mistakes make great reading! No area of human endeavor is immune to human error, as these stories of mistakes throughout history clearly show.

Some of these mistakes are foolish or funny. Others are serious, terrifying or disastrous. Some are famous. Others are not well known. All of them are marvelously entertaining. Here is the amusing story of a triple double play, the little-known truth about the awesome angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the harrowing tale of the man who was hanged twice.

The famous and colorful mayor of New York, Fiorello La Guardia, once said, “I don’t make many mistakes, but when I make one, it’s a beaut.” Everyone makes mistakes—mayors, presidents, kings, generals, police officers, judges, scientists, explorers, millionaires, baseball players, parents and students. So remember when you make a mistake, you are not alone! You are in the company of some of the most powerful and smartest people in history!