Epic Failures: 50 Spectacular Backfires Throughout History

In 1880, Queen Sunandha Kumariratana of Thailand and her daughter drowned in the Chao Phraya River when their boat capsized. Tragically, they could have been saved, but a law prevented anyone from touching royal family members, leading to their demise.

27. MI5 once planned to use gerbils to detect terrorists or spies at airports, as their sense of smell can acutely detect increased adrenaline in people. However, the project was scrapped when the gerbils couldn't distinguish between terrorists and individuals afraid of flying.

28. NFL player Todd Marinovich used to disguise his drug use by using his friends' urine samples at drug tests, but this strategy backfired when he used a sample from a man with four times the legal blood alcohol content, leading to him being forced into rehab for 45 days.

29. In the Middle Ages, cardinals often voted for a random candidate on the first papal ballot to gauge the preferences of other cardinals. In 1334, this practice backfired when they all voted for the same person: the very surprised Pope Benedict XII.

30. Soy Cuba was a Soviet-Cuban propaganda film from the early 1960s intended to glorify communism and denounce American capitalism. The movie, however, backfired by making capitalism appear too appealing to impoverished Cubans. The director's elaborate filming techniques made "American excess" look attractive compared to the "heroic" peasant lifestyle. Even Americans loved it when it was later rediscovered by Hollywood, inspiring scenes in films like "Goodfellas" and "Boogie Nights."

During British colonial rule in India, British officials initiated a bounty program to address the cobra population in Delhi. This plan unexpectedly backfired and instead led to the establishment of secret cobra farms created to exploit the bounty system. When the authorities shut down the program, the farms released their snakes, resulting in even more cobras than before.

32. In 1986, the United Way released 1.5 million balloons into the Cleveland sky as a charity fundraiser. However, this grand gesture backfired as the dense mass of balloons obstructed Coast Guard helicopters from reaching an overturned boat, leading to the tragic deaths of two fishermen. The balloons also disrupted airport operations and congested the region's land and waterways, causing significant problems.

33. In 1935, the Nazis organized a competition to select the "most beautiful Aryan baby" from submitted baby pictures. Joseph Goebbels chose the winning baby, which was later used for Nazi propaganda. Years later, it was revealed that the chosen baby was actually Jewish, and the photo had been sent in to mock and ridicule the Nazi party.

34. After Argentina's invasion of the Falklands in 1982, the U.K. deployed Gurkha soldiers known for their combat prowess. In response, Argentinean commanders launched a propaganda campaign painting Gurkhas as savage drug addicts who cannibalized their foes. However, this campaign backfired as the Gurkhas' fearsome reputation led Argentinean troops to panic and retreat, ultimately contributing to British victories.

35. The 1988 Democratic nominee in the USA, Michael Dukakis, tried to bolster his image by appearing in a tank during a photo opportunity. This image failed to resonate with the public, and he subsequently lost the election to George H.W. Bush. The term "Dukakis in the tank" continues to symbolize public relations efforts that backfire.

In an attempt to legitimize his rule, Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet allowed an open election in 1988, believing the opposition's appearance on TV would be ineffective. However, opposition politician Ricardo Lagos seized the opportunity, challenging Pinochet's regime on live television. The ballot had only one name, Augusto Pinochet, with "yes" or "no" options. Lagos became a symbol of the "No" campaign, which ultimately led to Pinochet's removal from power.

37. In 1996, the US government created a special Superman comic to distribute to children in the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo to raise landmine awareness. This campaign backfired when children ran into minefields, hoping to be rescued by Superman.

38. In 1902, French authorities in Hanoi, Vietnam, concerned about a large rat population, offered a bounty for rat tails as proof. Thousands of tails were submitted daily, but the rat issue worsened. They discovered that hunters were breeding rats rather than hunting them for their tails. The rat population grew to the point where a bubonic plague outbreak in 1906 killed 263 locals.

39. In 2002, British authorities in Afghanistan offered Afghan poppy farmers $700 per acre to destroy their poppy crops. This incentive led to a surge in poppy cultivation as farmers aimed to maximize their earnings through the cash-for-poppies program, even collecting poppy sap before eliminating the crops to receive double payment for their produce.

40. In 1919, US Marines killed Charlemange Péralte, a leader of the resistance against the US occupation of Haiti. These troops then distributed the photo of Péralte's strung-up body to intimidate rebels, but it had the opposite effect. Péralte's appearance resembled a crucifixion, turning him into an icon and martyr, and he was even featured on Haitian coins in the 1990s.

In 2005, the UN's greenhouse gas reduction incentive program offered carbon credits for pollutant disposal, particularly HFC-23, a byproduct of HCFC-22 coolant. This strategy backfired as companies increased coolant production to earn more credits, driving down refrigerant prices, and consequently, refrigeration companies continued using it despite its environmental impact, prolonging its use. The European Union suspended HFC-23 destruction credits in 2013 to rectify the unintended environmental consequences.

42. Legalizing prostitution is thought to curb human trafficking, but in countries like Germany and Denmark, where it's legalized, it has the opposite effect. Studies reveal increased human trafficking post-legalization, providing traffickers with more opportunities. In contrast, Sweden's criminalization of prostitution saw a reduction in trafficking.

43. In the United States, government policies aimed at encouraging smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce oil consumption and carbon emissions had unintended consequences during the 1973 oil crisis. These policies, known as CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) regulations, were designed to promote fuel efficiency. However, automakers responded by producing larger vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks, which faced less stringent fuel efficiency checks. Consequently, consumers began to prefer larger cars, resulting in the opposite of the intended conservation efforts.

44. Addressing the pressing issue of bullying in England, Bullywatch introduced distinctive wristbands in 2004 as symbols of unity against bullies and donated proceeds to victims' families. Unfortunately, the campaign backfired, as bullies saw the wristbands as targets, leading to increased harassment of wearers. The organization's well-intentioned efforts to combat bullying inadvertently exacerbated the situation for those it intended to protect.

45. In 1979, the Institute For Historical Review, a Holocaust-denial group, offered $50,000 to anyone who could prove that gas chambers were used to intentionally kill people at Auschwitz. When a concentration camp survivor, Mel Mermelstein, sent them definitive proof, they refused to pay. He then sued them and was awarded $90,000 when the court noted, "It is simply a fact."

To promote the Splinter Cell: Conviction video game in New Zealand in 2010, a marketing "prank" set up an actor to point a black imitation gun at random passersby. Armed police were soon called, and the actor was arrested.

47. In 1973, Johnny Carson joked on national television, "You know what's disappearing from the supermarket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." This joke backfired, resulting in people stocking up on toilet paper, causing an actual shortage in many areas.

48. When the nuns at the Coldingham monastery in Scotland learned that the Vikings were going to raid them, they resorted to a desperate measure and cut off their noses and upper lips in an effort to avoid potential rape and maintain their chastity. This was in 867 A.D. However, the Vikings, horrified by the gruesome sight, responded by burning down the monastery with all the nuns inside.

49. Operation Valkyrie was a plot to assassinate Hitler, but it failed because a Nazi official moved the bomb's bag at the last second, saving Hitler.

50. Pepsi ran an advertisement promising a Harrier jet to anyone who collected 7,000,000 Pepsi Points, a gag that backfired when a participant attempted to take advantage of the ability to buy additional points for 10 cents each to claim a jet for $700,000.