5 Companies Created By Accident

Coca-Cola+by+DeusXFlorida+%2811%2C059%2C330+views%29+-+thanks+guys%21+is+licensed+under+CC+BY+2.0

“Coca-Cola” by DeusXFlorida (11,059,330 views) – thanks guys! is licensed under CC BY 2.0

By: Widad Khalid, Journalist

This story showcases 5 major companies that were formed because of mistakes.

Coca-Cola
In 1866, there was a pharmacist named John Pemberton. At the time, he couldn’t find anything to relieve headaches, so he decided to make his own. The original concoction was coca leaves with coca nuts. One day John Pemberton’s assistant accidentally mixed carbonated water into the concoction and Coca-Cola was born.

Kellogg
In 1898, brothers Will K. Kellogg and Dr. John Harvery were trying to make a breakfast granola bar. One day they left a pot of wheat cooking by mistake; later, they found the oats turned into a stale and hard consistency. That’s how corn flake cereal was created.

Play-Doh
In the 1930s, Joseph and Noah McVicker invented a wallpaper cleaner. Fortunately for us, it didn’t take off as a wallpaper cleaner but became popular amongst school teachers. It was used for art projects. In the 1950s, it was re-marketed as a toy and now is one of the children’s favorite toys.

Ferrari
In 1938, a famous race car driver named Enzo Ferrari was on his way to success, but World War II broke out. The Italian government closed down Alfa Romeo. The car company Ferrari was working for that made the cars he was using to race. So, Enzo decided to make his own cars to race. He then started selling cars to support his own career.

Lego
In 1942, Kirk Christiansen was a carpenter, but his workshop burned down. He took the chance and built a bigger workshop to expand his business. After taking that risk, he was forced to size down everything from employees to the products he built. He moved from making houses and carpenters to making small interlocking bricks. That’s how lego came to be. Today, the ratio for legos to humans is 62 to one.

All these major companies came from mistakes or accidents. This proves that you find success when you least expect it. Don’t give up at the slightest inconvenience.

Related Stories:

https://www.mic.com/articles/82389/7-incredible-companies-started-by-accident

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/85286/8-things-invented-accident

https://www.marketingmind.in/5-popular-companies-that-started-just-by-an-accident-or-mistake/