10 Famous People who Found Success Despite Failures

"There is no success without failure"

Abraham Lincoln: While today he is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of the United States, Lincoln's life wasn't so easy. In his youth he went to war a captain and returned a private. Lincoln didn't stop failing there, among his failure and success : 1832 Lost job, 1832 Defeated for legislature, 1833 Failed in business, 1834 Elected to legislature, 1835 Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1836 Had nervous breakdown, 1838 Defeated for Speaker, 1843 Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1846 Elected to Congress, 1848 Lost renomination, 1849 Rejected for Land Officer, 1854 Defeated for Senate, 1856 Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1858 Again defeated for Senate, 1860 Elected President.

Albert Einstein: He wasn't able to speak until he was almost 4 years old causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. His teachers said he would "never amount to much". Was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. The only job he was able to get was an entry-level position in a government patent office.

Thomas Edison: In his early years, teachers told Edison he was "too stupid to learn anything." Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. One day, an assistant asked him why he didn’t give up. After all, he failed over a thousand times. Edison replied that he had not failed once. He had discovered over 1000 things that don’t work.

Oprah Winfrey: Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position. Was demoted from her job as a news anchor because she... "Wasn't fit for television".

Walt Disney: Fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination" and "having no original ideas". After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept trying and learning and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Harland David Sanders: Perhaps better known as Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, Sanders had a hard time selling his chicken at first. In fact, his famous secret chicken recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it. He learned not to fear rejection and persevered.

Steve Jobs: At 30 years old he was left devastated and depressed after being unceremoniously removed from the company he started.

Michael Jordan: After being cut from his high school basketball team, he went home locked himself in his room and cried. Jordan didn't let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

The Beatles: Rejected by Decca Recording studios, who said "we don't like their sound" _ “”guitar groups are on the way out” _"They have no future in show business". After that the Beatles signed with EMI, brought Beatlemania to the United States, and became the greatest band in history.

J. K. Rowling: Before she published the series of novels "Harry Potter", she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel. Rowling went from depending on welfare to survive to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.