According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than half a million Americans are permanently without a roof over their heads, and at any given moment over a million people are staying in shelters, even if only temporarily.^[1] These 10 inspirational stories illustrate that, no matter how dire the circumstances, the human spirit can find a way to rise above homelessness.

10 Inspirational Stories of Resilience

10 Braheam Murphy

Braheam Murphy was a standout football prospect at Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. When his grades began to slip, Coach Sam Greiner nearly cut him from the roster, unaware that Braheam was battling a nightly scramble for a place to sleep. He lost his mother at five, and his father’s remarriage meant the family was squeezed into a one‑bedroom apartment that could barely accommodate Braheam, his older sister, and a half‑sister with cerebral palsy.

To keep his head above water, Braheam took a part‑time job after practice and bounced between relatives’ couches and floors, staying a night or two wherever there was space. The constant instability left little room for homework, extra practice, or any semblance of a normal teen life. Without a stable base, his future looked bleak.

Eventually, Braheam confided in Coach Greiner about his housing crisis, pleading for a place to stay so he could stay on the team. The coach welcomed him into his home, giving Braheam the stability he needed. His grades surged to a 3.7 GPA, he earned the quarterback spot, and his leadership helped Harding clinch the North Carolina state championship for the first time since the 1950s. A West Point recruiter spotted his talent and awarded him a full scholarship to play for the Army.

9 Elijah Arnold

In October 2017, a gun‑wielding thief stormed an IHOP in San Antonio, Texas, firing two warning shots and forcing the cash register open with a crowbar. While the gun was momentarily out of the robber’s grasp, 22‑year‑old employee Elijah Arnold lunged, grappling the thief’s legs as he tried to flee. The crook struck Elijah in the face with the crowbar, shattering his nose and splattering blood, but Elijah, a black‑belt in karate, managed to hold the man long enough for police to arrive.

Elijah earns a meager $2.50 an hour plus tips, and he lives out of his car parked at a 24‑hour Walmart. He’s been in foster care his whole life, and the IHOP job is his only lifeline. When patrons learned of his bravery, they rushed over with cash and gift cards, and a local news crew interviewed him on the spot.

The station awarded him a $1,000 reward. With tears in his eyes, Elijah said the money would finally let him secure a roof over his head, ending a long stretch of living in his vehicle.

8 Raymond Pates

Vietnam‑era veterans rarely received parades or fanfare on returning home. Many wrestled with undiagnosed PTSD, feeling the weight of senseless death and struggling to reintegrate into civilian life—a crisis so widespread it birthed the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

After his draft stint in Vietnam, Raymond Pates came back to Birmingham, Alabama, where he fell into a spiral of drinking and drug use that eventually left him on the streets. A turning point arrived when he began attending church and asked the pastor if he could volunteer with the outreach program. The community’s support helped him land a job at the Social Security Administration. Now in his sixties, Raymond still delivers food to fellow homeless individuals and shares a simple mantra: “Everyone can be a hero; when you see a need, fill it.”

7 Joey

One bitterly cold winter night on a London platform, a young couple—Charlotte and Taylor—missed their train. While they waited, a homeless man in his twenties named Joey offered them a spot under his blanket to keep warm.

During their conversation, Joey revealed he’d lost his job, endured a painful breakup, and been kicked out of his ex‑girlfriend’s flat. With no money and no place to go, he’d been sleeping on the station’s benches. Charlotte, shivering despite the blanket, couldn’t imagine enduring that night, let alone months, and invited Joey to stay at her parents’ guest apartment.

Living with Charlotte and Taylor’s family opened doors for Joey: a friend connected him with a job, and he gradually rebuilt his life. Their simple act of kindness proved the power of family support in lifting someone out of rock bottom.

6 Liz Murray

Liz Murray grew up in the Bronx under the shadow of heroin‑addicted parents. Her mother, battling schizophrenia and AIDS from dirty needles, required constant care, while her father eventually abandoned the family, leaving them to shuffle between shelters. When Liz was 16, her mother died, freeing her from caregiving duties but thrusting her into deeper homelessness.

Determined to change her fate, Liz threw herself into school. She was so far behind that her high school allowed her to test out of multiple grades she’d missed. Her relentless focus paid off, and she earned a place at Harvard University.

Today, Liz is married to her high‑school sweetheart, raises two children in New York City, and has authored a memoir about her journey. She sums up her philosophy: “If I had a religion, it would be gratitude… I grew up broke. We didn’t have food in the fridge. We didn’t have a lot of stuff, but we had each other. And when you have that, you have everything.”

5 Amanda Richer

After surviving a traumatic brain injury, Amanda Richer found herself unable to hold steady employment because of chronic pain and disability. She lost her home and was forced to set up a tent beneath a Seattle bridge. Determined to survive, she began volunteering at soup kitchens, where she met Mark Horvath of the nonprofit Invisible People, which produces YouTube interviews with people experiencing homelessness.

Mark was struck by Amanda’s radiant, bubbly demeanor. During their interview, he asked how she stays positive despite her circumstances. She answered, “You have to get through it. Remind yourself you’re a person, not an object. It doesn’t matter who threw you away… You’re worthy. Love yourself, because no one is coming to save you… If you have to be a Disney princess to do it, be a Disney princess.”

The interview went viral, and Mark helped set up a GoFundMe campaign that secured an apartment for Amanda. She continues to post update videos, still embracing her cheerful “Disney princess” spirit.

4 Amos Reed

Amos Reed is a self‑described nerd who loves board games and sci‑fi lore. Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, he was raised by a single mother who shuffled the family between streets, shelters, and the occasional motel. By age 23, Amos found himself sleeping on park benches rather than sharing a cramped motel room with his mother.

He never finished high school, which blocked steady employment. One day he walked into a local shop called Game Seeker and asked for a job. After receiving his first paycheck, he rented a shared bedroom and finally escaped homelessness. With a roof over his head, Amos pursued his GED and continues to work at Game Seeker, turning his passion for tabletop gaming into a career.

3 Jean Manganaro

At 15, Jean Manganaro came home to find his alcoholic, abusive parents had vanished, leaving an empty apartment. With no adult safety net, he fell in with other wayward teens, eventually spiraling into drug and alcohol addiction and ending up in a juvenile detention center. As an adult, homelessness continued to shadow his life.

When he turned 29, Jean decided enough was enough. He relocated to Florida in search of a long‑lost older brother and began attending AA meetings. After sharing his story, an AA member offered him a two‑week couch‑surfing trial: crash on the couch for free, then find a job and pay rent or move on. Jean seized the chance, secured employment almost immediately, and never looked back.

Motivated by his own turnaround, Jean founded The Gratitude House, an organization that helps people break addiction cycles, secure jobs, and regain stability. He uses the same two‑week “do‑or‑die” model that saved him, and today he enjoys a stable career, a loving wife, and children.

2 Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner was a single dad whose wife abandoned him, leaving him to care for their toddler in San Francisco. With a single paycheck that barely covered basics, he was evicted and spent a year living in public restrooms, homeless shelters, and on park benches. He landed an unpaid internship at a stock brokerage, using his last dollars to pay for his son’s daycare.

During the internship, Chris sometimes slipped his son under his desk so the boy could sleep. After a year of relentless hard work, the firm offered him a full‑time position, recognizing his talent for trading. Today, Chris is worth over $60 million, donates generously to homelessness charities, and his story inspired the film *The Pursuit of Happyness* starring Will Smith.

1 Daerys

A single mother named Dionna lived in Detroit, Michigan, with her young son, Daerys. When she lost her job as a nurse, Dionna couldn’t afford childcare and had no nearby family to help. Refusing to place Daerys in foster care, the pair ended up living in homeless shelters together until Daerys was old enough for a few hours of public school each day.

Even after Dionna secured a new job, the wages weren’t enough to climb out of rock bottom. After years on a waiting list, they finally received a low‑income apartment through state assistance. Dionna’s entire paycheck went toward rent, food, and necessities, leaving no budget for furniture. A nonprofit called Humble Design stepped in, furnishing their home—including a bedroom for Daerys. Overwhelmed, Daerys burst into tears, a reaction echoed by many families the organization has helped; since 2009, Humble Design has furnished apartments for 724 families in the Detroit area.

Shannon Quinn, the writer of this piece, is a Philadelphia‑based entrepreneur. You can follow her on Twitter @ShannQ.

When you think of dangerous fugitives, you probably picture escaped convicts, but the animal kingdom has its own roster of breakout villains. In this roundup of 10 dangerous animals that have slipped their chains, we explore the most jaw‑dropping escapes and the chaos they caused.

The List of 10 Dangerous Animals

10. Eagle

Back in 1965, a golden eagle affectionately called Goldie burst free from London’s Regent’s Park Zoo while its enclosure was being cleaned after five years of residency.

The bird’s sudden freedom sparked a nation‑wide frenzy, drawing roughly a thousand onlookers as keepers, police, firefighters and even a BBC correspondent scrambled to recapture the soaring intruder; the navy even offered a net and line‑firing rifles for assistance.

Eventually, deputy head keeper lured Goldie with a dead rabbit tied to a rope, approached silently, and seized the raptor with his bare hands, returning the unhurt eagle to the zoo where visitor numbers surged in the following days.

During its brief reign, Goldie snatched a duck from the American ambassador’s garden, clashed with two terriers defended by the crowd, and later made a second escape later that year before being recaptured within four days.

9. Takin

Takins, the goat‑like ungulates native to the highlands of Bhutan, Myanmar, northern India and southern China, usually inhabit elevations between 1,500 and 3,600 metres, though their wild numbers are dwindling because of hunting.

In May 2018, a hefty 363‑kilogram takin broke free from a Rhode Island zoo, charging for about an hour before staff sedated it; two employees suffered minor injuries on the scene.

The breakout occurred early morning before visitors arrived, apparently triggered by a routine hoof‑care visit that prompted the animal to slam against reinforced doors repeatedly until it finally burst through and roamed the grounds.

Having been introduced to the zoo in 2012 without prior escape attempts, the takin’s incident prompted officials to reassure that, had the zoo been open, guests would have been directed to secure buildings.

8. Python

Most captive animals that manage to slip away cause little harm, but an African rock python’s 2013 escape from a Canadian pet shop proved deadly.

The 4.3‑metre serpent slithered through a ventilation shaft into a bedroom, strangling two boys aged five and seven who were staying for a sleepover at a friend’s apartment above the Reptile Ocean shop in Campbellton, New Brunswick.

The shop owner, Mr. Savoie, found the children’s bodies the next morning; his own son, who slept in a different room, escaped unharmed, and Savoie expressed that he felt the boys were like his own children.

7. Crocodile

Crocodiles aren’t the first creatures you imagine sneaking out, given their size and lumbering gait, yet nature can rewrite expectations.

At the start of 2017, a flood in southern Thailand forced ten crocodiles—some as long as five metres—to flee a zoo, alongside escaped deer and rare birds.

Authorities warned locals to stay clear of deeper waters, but shifting water levels hampered efforts to locate the reptiles.

The disaster impacted nearly a million people, causing thousands of partially submerged villages and at least 18 deaths; armed forces provided shelter, emergency aid, and even deployed helicopters to deliver food to trapped residents.

6. Wolf

In January 2018, a Berkshire wolf named Torak bolted from the Wolf Conservation Trust after strong winds damaged its enclosure, though sanctuary staff suspect the gate may have been deliberately left open.

Police recaptured Torak six hours later, tracking him over roughly 13 kilometres before finding him near a motorway; officials noted they would have shot him had he entered traffic.

Sanctuary founder Teresa Palmer helped with the capture and suggested the gate might have been opened on purpose, reflecting some public opposition to captive wolves.

A separate 2017 incident at Cotswold Wildlife Park saw a three‑year‑old wolf, Ember, breach the perimeter; attempts to tranquilize failed, and staff were forced to shoot her as a last resort, sparking criticism despite the tragic necessity.

5. Gorilla

In 2016, a silverback gorilla called Kumbuka slipped through an open door at London Zoo, prompting staff to keep visitors safe by moving them into nearby buildings.

Although described as a ‘gentle giant,’ armed police were called in to locate and tranquillise the 184‑kilogram ape, which was safely sedated and returned to its enclosure within thirty minutes.

No injuries occurred, and the only mishap was the loss of five litres of undiluted blackcurrant squash that Kumbuka drank in a staff‑only service corridor.

4. Elephant

Imagine waking up to see an elephant strolling down your street—this became reality for residents near a Baraboo, Wisconsin circus in summer 2017.

Kelly, a 3,810‑kilogram Asian elephant, slipped out after a companion named Isla, fascinated by shiny bolts, pried loose the latch bolts on their enclosure, giving Kelly a chance to wander.

Kelly wandered the neighborhood, nibbling on plants, until her trainer called her name; she promptly returned to the circus, still munching on greenery along the way.

3. Bear

In 2017, a German zoo in Osnabrück faced a tense situation when a bear named Taps escaped through a hole in its cage.

Zoo personnel quickly shot the bear dead to prevent any danger, while police helped evacuate visitors and investigate; the animal was a cappuccino‑bear with a brown bear mother and a polar bear father.

The incident forced staff to usher patrons into the monkey house for safety, and a second bear remained safely inside its enclosure.

2. Tiger

Large, agile predators like tigers pose serious threats when they break free, and two high‑profile escapes illustrate the danger.

During a 2015 flood in Tbilisi, Georgia, a tiger escaped and fatally attacked a 43‑year‑old man in a warehouse, killing him by crushing his throat before police intervened.

Another escape occurred at San Francisco Zoo in 2007, where a tiger mauled three visitors, killing one; investigators suspect the animal was provoked, noting a shoe and blood inside the enclosure that hinted at a possible aid for the leap over a 4.6‑metre moat.

1. Lion

Routine can lull workers into a false sense of security, but a single lapse can prove deadly, as a 2015 Chinese zoo incident showed.

A 65‑year‑old keeper turned his back while cleaning a lion’s cage, only for the king of the jungle to bite his shoulder and neck, leading to his death.

The lion roamed the park for over an hour, prompting special forces and steel barriers to seal the entrance; police ultimately shot the animal to protect the public, and the zoo reopened later that day amid debate over animal welfare and cage conditions.

When headlines scream, “Avoid reptiles as a holiday gift,” you know the Sunshine State is wrestling with a wild problem. The 10 exotic pets that have slipped out of cages and into Florida’s wetlands have turned the Everglades and beyond into a living zoo of surprise predators, bizarre primates, and oversized rodents. Over the past decade more than 260 exotic creatures have been documented roaming free, but only a handful have managed to set up shop, breed, and multiply. As Jeff Goldblum warned in Jurassic Park, life always finds a way – and in Florida, that way is usually through a backyard fence.

10 Exotic Pets That Have Gone Wild in Florida

10 Burmese Python

The most massive Burmese python ever recorded in the wilds of Florida stretched an astonishing 5.4 meters (18 feet) and tipped the scales at 58 kilograms (128 pounds). A local farmer who stumbled upon the beast decided to show off, gripping it by the neck for a quick photo op. The snake promptly coiled twice around his legs, then slithered up to his waist. A quick‑thinking buddy tossed him a 23‑centimeter (9‑inch) blade, and the startled man was forced to behead the monster to save himself.

Buying a Burmese python in the state is now illegal, and for good reason. These snakes start out tiny, but within a single year they can balloon to roughly 1.8 meters (6 feet). Many owners, overwhelmed by the rapid growth and looming maintenance, simply dumped their pets into the Everglades. The warm, swampy climate proved perfect, and the snakes began reproducing in droves. Each female can lay up to a hundred hatchlings at a time, quickly establishing the species as an apex predator in the marshes.

Early hopes that native alligators might keep the python population in check have evaporated. In a notorious 2005 incident, a python attempted to swallow a 1.8‑meter (6‑foot) alligator whole, only to burst in the process. Such deadly encounters are now routine. With pythons devouring marsh rabbits, bobcats, and other small mammals, the Everglades have turned to a state‑funded bounty program: hunters earn a base wage plus $50 for every 1.2‑meter (4‑foot) snake captured and $25 for each additional foot. In just a year, over a thousand pythons have been harvested.

9 Rhesus Macaque

Picture yourself drifting down Ocala’s Silver River on an inner tube, only to spot a troop of monkeys swinging overhead. Back in the 1930s, a privately owned park released a whole colony of rhesus macaques as a quirky tourist draw. The staff, ever‑resourceful, kept the primates on a river island for safety—little did they know these monkeys could actually swim. Today, hundreds of them ripple through Central Florida, forming large, noisy bands.

These rambunctious primates can become aggressive when threatened, and they’ve been known to terrorize backyard owners. The real kicker? Researchers have discovered that the macaques carry a herpes virus transmissible to humans via feces or other bodily fluids. Imagine being pelted with monkey poop and worrying about a viral infection—that’s the reality for many Floridians. A viral video of the macaques chasing a terrified family has gone viral, highlighting just how chaotic these escaped pets can become.

8 Green Iguana

Green iguanas have earned the dubious honor of being Florida’s most invasive reptile. They turn suburban yards into disaster zones—dropping unwanted “gifts” into swimming pools, munching on garden foliage, and even short‑circuiting power lines, causing outages. Owners often abandon them once they realize the lizards can grow up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) and require massive amounts of food. During mating season, the reptiles become especially hostile, sometimes biting their keepers or slipping out through a doggie door.

To combat this burgeoning menace, the state has funded a blunt‑force control initiative. Wildlife biologists, like Jenny Ketterlin, head a $63,000 program where trained personnel sneak up on sleeping iguanas at night and deliver a swift, lethal blow to the skull. While it sounds grim, officials argue that this method is the most humane way to curb the population, and it also doubles as a practice run for any future zombie‑apocalypse scenarios.

7 Nile Monitor: Largest Lizard In Africa

The Nile monitor, a hefty African lizard, escaped the pet trade and has been cruising Florida’s canal networks since the 1990s. Instead of basking along the Nile Delta, these 2.1‑meter (7‑foot) swimmers now zip through Cape Coral’s waterways, feasting on anything from wasp nests to poisonous cane toads and even venomous rattlesnakes. Much like wolves, they sometimes hunt in packs, and they’re known to pop up in residential backyards, startling unsuspecting homeowners. Their diet even includes cats and dogs on occasion.

Eradicating them has proven near‑impossible. Researchers have never located a monitor lizard nest, and estimates suggest at least a thousand of these giants lurk in Florida’s canals, tidal creeks, and mangroves. Their arboreal skills mean they can be spotted high up in trees, adding another layer of challenge for anyone trying to control their spread.

6 Capybara

Meet the world’s largest rodent: the capybara. Think of a 45‑kilogram (100‑pound) guinea pig that loves water. While they’re adorable in South America, Florida’s climate turned them into a nuisance. As of 2016, roughly fifty capybaras were roaming the state’s wetlands. In their native range, predators like pumas and jaguars keep numbers in check, but Florida lacks sufficiently large carnivores to curb their growth.

These sociable herbivores travel in tight-knit groups, foraging through dense forest and swamp. Their presence adds another layer of difficulty for hunters already juggling abundant game, and some enterprising entrepreneurs have even started serving up these massive rodents as premium pork, jokingly dubbing them “Florida’s next gourmet delicacy.”

5 ‘Testicle‑Eating’ Pacu Fish

The South American pacu fish looks like a piranha’s cousin, but instead of razor‑sharp teeth, it sports a set of blunt, human‑like molars. These fish can swell to a hefty 22.7 kilograms (50 pounds) in the warm waters of South‑Central Florida, making them a formidable presence in local ponds and lakes.

The nickname “testicle‑eating” isn’t just for show. According to Henrik Carl, a fish expert at Denmark’s National History Museum, there have been incidents in places like Papua New Guinea where men have lost their testicles to a hungry pacu. The fish’s preference for soft, fleshy parts makes male genitalia a tempting target, which is why many owners who released them now regret the decision.

4 Giant African Land Snails

The giant African land snail is the world’s largest terrestrial mollusk, measuring up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide. These hefty gastropods carry a parasitic worm capable of causing meningitis in humans. They gorge on at least 500 plant species and can devastate building plaster and stucco, leaving a permanent mark on homes. A single adult can lay up to 1,200 eggs annually, and with no natural predators in Florida, their numbers have exploded.

How did they get here? Importing these snails without a permit is illegal, yet no permits have ever been issued for them. The most plausible theory points to the pet trade: a boy in 1966 smuggled three snails home as secret pets, and when his grandmother discovered them, she set them free in the garden. The resulting infestation cost over $1 million to eradicate, with roughly 18,000 snails eliminated.

Another, more mysterious explanation links the snails to Santería, an Afro‑Caribbean religion. Rituals sometimes use snail juice, suggesting that smugglers may have been bringing the creatures into Florida for ceremonial purposes, further fueling the massive outbreak.

3 Wild Boars

Wild boars have been roaming Florida since the 1500s, when explorer Hernando de Soto introduced them as a food source. Fast forward five centuries, and half a million feral pigs now thunder across the state, a fraction of the four million spread across the United States.

These muscular swine, weighing up to 91 kilograms (200 pounds), carry up to 24 diseases, from tuberculosis to cholera, and will gnaw through farmer feed, livestock, and native plants alike. Their relentless foraging disrupts ecosystems, outcompeting native species and damaging the delicate balance of Florida’s habitats.

To keep them in check, Florida hunters have trained bloodhounds to track boars at night. There are no seasonal limits, bag restrictions, or gender quotas—wild boars are the second most popular game animal after white‑tailed deer. Some enterprising chefs have even turned the problem into profit, serving up the meat as “prime pork” and jokingly asking, “Bacon anyone?”

2 African Clawed Frog

Before at‑home pregnancy tests hit the market, doctors relied on the African clawed frog to detect pregnancy. By exposing the amphibian to a woman’s urine—often via injection—researchers could watch the frog’s response. If the frog laid eggs, it signaled a positive result. This method persisted until the 1970s, when modern kits made the process obsolete.

The demand for these frogs surged, prompting massive shipments from South Africa to labs worldwide. Their ease of care sparked a pet trade in the 1950s and 1960s, and when owners could no longer manage them—or when labs retired the amphibians due to new technology—many were released into the wild. The result: a rapid multiplication of an already adaptable species.

In Florida’s ecosystems, these frogs can live up to 15 years, and a single female can produce a staggering 27,000 eggs per breeding cycle. Their burgeoning numbers have raised alarms among biologists, who warn of the potential ecological impact.

1 ‘Man‑Eater’ Nile Crocodile

The Nile crocodile, capable of exceeding 6 meters (20 feet) in length and weighing as much as a compact car, has taken up residence in South Florida’s swamps. Unlike the native American alligator, this African predator will readily devour anything it can, including unsuspecting humans, earning it the moniker “man‑eater.”

While American alligators and native crocodiles have been responsible for 33 human fatalities over six years, the introduced Nile crocodile has claimed 268 lives in the same period. Evidence suggests they have been breeding and thriving in Florida’s wetlands for at least six years, adding a terrifying new apex predator to an already perilous environment.

When you think of assassinations, you probably picture meticulous planning, perfect timing, and grim outcomes. Yet history is peppered with moments when the would‑be killers slipped on a banana peel of fate, mis‑placed a bomb, or simply got out‑smarted by a royal’s quick wit. Below we tally 10 bizarre ways assassination attempts spectacularly back‑fired, proving that sometimes the universe has a sense of humor.

10 Bizarre Ways Assassination Plots Fell Apart

10 King Hassan II Ordered His Attackers To Stop Firing Because He Was Dead

Monarch Hassan II ascended to Morocco’s throne on 26 February 1961, initially viewed as a precarious ruler who might not survive six months. Defying those dark forecasts, he held power for an impressive 38 years.

Discontented Moroccan officers didn’t merely wait for his demise; they staged a series of coups. On 10 July 1971, roughly 2,000 rebel soldiers stormed the king’s palace amid his 42nd birthday celebration, opening fire on the assembled guests.

Although the onslaught claimed at least a hundred lives, the monarch emerged unscathed. Legend has it that Hassan confronted the coup leader, locking eyes while reciting verses from the Quran, which caused the assailant to lose his nerve and refrain from shooting the king.

A second attempt unfolded a year later, on 16 August 1972. While piloting his own aircraft from Paris to Morocco, Hassan’s plane was intercepted by four Royal Moroccan Air Force F‑5 fighters near Rabat. The rebels fired at the aircraft, damaging the engine and other components. In a bold move, Hassan seized the radio, shouted, “Stop firing! The tyrant is dead!” The interceptors, believing they’d succeeded, broke off the attack. Hassan’s plane landed safely, and the conspirators were promptly arrested.^[1]

9 Poor Bomb Placement Saved The Saudi Prince

Abdullah and Ibrahim al‑Asiri, two notorious brothers wanted by Saudi authorities, were members of Al‑Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). AQAP’s inaugural operation targeted Crown Prince Nayef Bin Abdul‑Aziz Al Saud, who oversaw Saudi security at the time.

Abdullah approached the prince under the pretense of denouncing terrorism, securing a private‑jet invitation to meet him in Jeddah. The prince, unsuspecting, welcomed the ruse.

In a grisly twist, Abdullah concealed an explosive device inside his underwear, intending to detonate it at close range. When the moment arrived, he triggered the bomb, but the blast’s force was directed downward, tearing his own body in half while sparing the prince, who suffered only minor injuries.^[2]

8 Qin Shi Huang Ran Around A Pillar To Escape An Assassin

Emperor Qin Shi Huang, ruler of China from 220‑210 BC, unified the warring states, gave China its name, and launched the Great Wall’s construction. His conquests earned him formidable enemies, chief among them the crown prince of Yan, whom Qin held hostage.

The Yan prince fled, aligning with General Fan, a former Qin commander who had defected after falling out of favor. Fearing the emperor might wage war against Yan to recapture Fan, the prince commissioned an assassination.

Assassin Jing Ke secured General Fan’s severed head as a grim offering, presenting it alongside a map to Qin. Intrigued, the emperor examined the gifts, only to discover Jing brandishing a poisoned dagger hidden within the scrolls. Instead of a swift murder, Jing attempted negotiation, but Qin, startled, fled the hall.

Because weapons were forbidden near the sovereign, no guard challenged Jing. Qin’s voluminous robes hindered his own sword draw, forcing him to sprint around a massive marble pillar while the assassin pursued, dagger in hand. The chase continued until a court physician hurled a medicine bag at Jing, creating a distraction that allowed Qin to finally draw his sword, wounding Jing’s thigh. Jing’s poisoned dagger missed its mark, and he was slain by the emperor’s guards after a blood‑soaked confession.^[3]

7 Thick Winter Clothing Saved King Louis XV

On 5 January 1757, French monarch Louis XV fell victim to a knife attack orchestrated by Robert‑François Damiens. The king, unpopular and often targeted, had been visiting his ailing daughter, Madame Victoire, when the assault occurred.

Returning to his palace, Damiens thrust a blade into Louis’s side. The wound caused the king to bleed profusely, prompting him to fear imminent death. In his private chambers, he confessed his infidelities to the queen, pleading for forgiveness and vowing further confession if he survived.

Louis survived because the frigid day had him dressed in heavy winter attire. The knife’s blade became lodged in the thick clothing, allowing only a small portion to pierce his flesh, resulting in a relatively minor injury that ultimately proved non‑lethal.^[4]

6 Charles De Gaulle Survived Because Of His Car’s Suspension

Sometimes, engineering saves lives more efficiently than bodyguards. French president Charles de Gaulle, elected in 1958, became a target of the Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS) after he granted Algeria independence, a move the OAS vehemently opposed.

In August 1962, twelve OAS gunmen unleashed a barrage of 140 rounds at de Gaulle’s convoy as it traveled from the Élysée Palace to Orly Airport. The vehicle under fire was a Citroën DS, renowned for its groundbreaking hydropneumatic suspension system.

Although the hail of bullets shredded two to four tires, the DS’s independent suspension kept the car level and maneuverable, allowing the driver to escape the ambush. Tragically, two of de Gaulle’s bodyguards were killed, but the president himself survived thanks to the car’s remarkable engineering.^[5]

5 Nazi Salute Saves Hitler From Gunshot

Adolf Hitler survived a multitude of assassination attempts, yet one in 1938 stands out for its sheer absurdity. Maurice Bavaud positioned himself on an overpass during a Nuremberg rally, intent on shooting the Führer as he passed.

Just as Bavaud prepared to fire, a sea of onlookers raised their arms in the Nazi salute, unintentionally obscuring his view of Hitler. The gesture blocked his line of sight, preventing him from taking aim.

Undeterred, Bavaud chased Hitler to Berchtesgaden, then to Munich, only to be arrested for vagrancy. Police recovered his firearm, a letter addressed to Hitler, and a forged introduction. He was sentenced to death and guillotined in 1941.^[6]

4 Assassination Attempt Ends After The Target Relocates

During apartheid, South Africa’s repressive regime commissioned the Civil Co‑operation Bureau (CCB) to eliminate anti‑apartheid leaders Dr. Pallo Jordan and Ronnie Kasrils, both based in London. The plot involved a “Bulgarian umbrella”—an umbrella modified to fire poison‑tipped darts.

Assassin Trevor Floyd flew to Britain, meeting Jan Lourens for training. The operation went awry when poison spilled on Lourens, though he recovered. Floyd then proceeded to London, only to discover that Jordan had moved out of the city, while Kasrils was not where Floyd expected.

Realizing the plan was compromised, Floyd discarded the weapon into the River Thames, ending the mission in failure.^[7]

3 Margaret Thatcher Escaped Assassination Because She Worked Late

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once benefitted from a quirky genetic quirk dubbed the “Thatcher gene,” which supposedly reduces sleep needs. On 12 October 1984, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a 9‑kilogram (20 lb) bomb in the Grand Hotel, Brighton, where Thatcher’s Conservative Party conference was underway.

The bomb, set by Patrick Magee and a female accomplice, detonated at 2:53 AM, targeting the hotel’s sleeping quarters. Thatcher, however, was in her suite’s sitting room with her private secretary, a space the blast missed. The explosion devastated the bedroom and bathroom, killing five people and injuring 34 others.

Thatcher’s late‑night work habit inadvertently placed her in a safe part of the hotel, sparing her life while the tragedy unfolded around her.^[8]

2 An Assassination Attempt Failed Because The Assassins Were Idiots

In July 1835, Giuseppe Marco Fieschi plotted to murder French King Louis Philippe, driven by personal frustration. He teamed up with accomplices Morey and Pepin to construct a massive volley gun dubbed the “infernal machine,” essentially a bundle of more than twenty guns fused into a single barrel.

On 28 July, as Louis Philippe, his three sons, and their entourage rode past, Fieschi fired the contraption. A projectile missed the king’s head, though it struck the horses of the monarch and a prince, killing eighteen bystanders and wounding several others.

Fieschi himself suffered severe injuries from his own device. Believing he could bargain for leniency, he implicated his co‑conspirators during trial, only to receive a death sentence alongside Morey and Pepin. A fourth accomplice earned twenty years, while a fifth was acquitted.^[9]

1 Nero’s Attempt To Kill His Mother Failed After She Swam Ashore

Roman Emperor Nero’s relationship with his mother, Agrippina the Younger, was fraught with power struggles. Agrippina sought to dominate Nero’s regime, even spreading rumors about his sexuality, while Nero resented her interference.

Initially, Nero tried to eliminate her by rigging the ceiling above her bed to collapse, a scheme that failed. He later presented her with a party boat as a conciliatory gesture, but the vessel was secretly weighted to sink once at sea.

When the weight was released, Agrippina swam to safety, escaping death. Frustrated, Nero finally ordered assassins to stab her, then blamed her loyal bodyguard Agermus for the murder and had him executed.^[10]

When luck steps in at the very edge of danger, the story that follows is nothing short of extraordinary. In the world of ocean encounters, a handful of individuals have walked away from a shark’s bite by the skin of their teeth—literally. This roundup celebrates ten such daring survivors, each of whom proved that fate can be a surprisingly generous ally. These are the 10 people who narrowly escaped a shark attack, ranging from high‑tech drone warnings to heroic punches that turned a predator’s appetite into a fleeting brush with death.

10 People Who Survived Shark Attacks

1 Year-Old Shark Attack Survivor

In the summer of 2018, thirteen‑year‑old Keane Webre‑Hayes was hunting lobsters off the coast of Leucadia, California, just north of San Diego, when a great white surged up and clamped onto his leg. Three men paddling nearby in a kayak sprang into action, hauling the terrified teen to shore before emergency services could arrive. Keane was airlifted straight to a hospital where surgeons repaired the deep lacerations.

Defying the trauma, the youngster declared he wanted to plunge back into the sea as soon as possible. It took nine months of recovery, but he finally returned to the ocean, this time spearfishing in deep water—proof that courage can outlast even the most terrifying of bites.

2 Punching for Survival

At Bells Beach, Australia, in 2020, Dylan Nacass found himself face‑to‑face with a hungry shark that latched onto his leg while he rode a wave. Reacting in pure instinct, Dylan threw two solid punches at the predator’s head, buying himself precious seconds. A nearby surfer, Matt Sedunary, heard Dylan’s screams, scanned the water, and spotted a glinting dorsal fin.

Realizing a shark attack was underway, Sedunary surged toward Dylan, helping to pull him free and guide him toward safety. Dylan’s quick‑thinking blows and Sedunary’s timely rescue turned what could have been a fatal encounter into a story of resilience and teamwork.

3 Man Fights Off Shark to Save Partner’s Life

On a bright August morning in 2020, environmental scientist Chantelle Doyle was surfing at Shelly Beach, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, when a ten‑foot great white bit deep into her right leg, leaving severe lacerations. Her partner, Mark Rapley, instantly saw the danger and lunged onto her back, delivering a flurry of punches to the shark’s head and eye.

The relentless assault forced the predator to release its grip, and nearby surfers quickly gathered to assist. Doyle’s harrowing experience sparked a renewed commitment from both her and Rapley to shark research and conservation, turning terror into purpose.

4 To-Face with a Great White

Back in December 1963, a twenty‑three‑year‑old Rodney Fox was competing in the South Australian Spearfishing Championship at Aldinga Beach when a massive great white ambushed him. Fox fought back fiercely, even attempting to gouge the shark’s eyes, but the beast snapped his hand shut in its jaws, tearing muscle and bone.

The shark dragged him toward the ocean floor, yet Fox managed to break free before the fatal moment. He emerged with 462 stitches, shattered ribs, a punctured diaphragm, and a ruptured lung. Rather than abandon the sea, Fox devoted the next six decades to championing shark protection, turning his near‑death into a lifelong mission.

5 Overboard for 28 Hours

During a night surf trip to Indonesia in 2013, Brett Archibald slipped overboard after a bout of food‑borne illness and seasickness left him disoriented. He awoke on the boat’s railing, only to realize he was floating alone in the dark, surrounded by churning waves.

For twelve agonizing hours, Brett battled hunger, vomiting, and even a brief encounter with a shark that, perhaps deeming him an unappetizing snack, swam past without striking. After a staggering twenty‑eight hours adrift, an Australian skipper finally sighted him, pulling the exhausted survivor aboard for urgent medical care.

6 Really…in the Middle of a Competition

Three‑time world surfing champion Mick Fanning was riding the finals of the J‑Bay Open in South Africa when a shark burst from the surf, colliding with his board and sending him sprawling into the water. The predator chased him, but Fanning managed to jab the shark’s back, forcing the animal to retreat.

Rescue boats raced to the scene, whisking the stunned champion to safety while his mother watched the drama unfold on live television, her heart pounding as the world saw a sporting legend confront nature’s fiercest hunter head‑on.

7 Fight Off a Shark, Take Selfie.

In 2015, Hawaiian spear‑fisherman Braxton Rocha found himself within a tiger shark’s jaws just 60 yards off the Big Island’s coast. The shark clamped onto his leg, but Braxton’s reflexes kicked in; he punched the predator’s head, coaxing it to release its grip.

After swimming back to shore, he documented his torn leg with selfies and videos, later sharing the harrowing footage on YouTube and Instagram. A friend, Shannon Pasco, rushed him to an ambulance, where a three‑hour surgery sealed the 100 staples that held his wound together.

8 Missed Me by a…Foot

North Carolina’s Ocean Isle Beach became the backdrop for a terrifying 2019 incident when 19‑year‑old surfer Austin Reed felt a shark clamp onto his foot. The bite left a gash that resembled a clean, knife‑like cut across both sides of his leg.

Rushed to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, Reed underwent surgery to repair the damage. The United States logged the most unprovoked attacks in 2020—33 in total—though only three were fatal, underscoring how close many could have come to tragedy.

9 Spearfishing Surprise

Florida‑born boat captain Jonathan Hernandez was spearfishing near Abaco Island, Bahamas, in 2019 when a shark lunged at his left calf, delivering a bite that felt like a vehicle had run him over. His friends acted swiftly, applying a tourniquet within ninety seconds, staunching the bleeding.

Hernandez believes the attack stemmed from local shark‑feeding operations that conditioned the predators to associate humans with food. His narrow escape occurred just days before a college student in the same region was fatally attacked, highlighting the perils of feeding wild sharks.

10 Saved by a Drone

Australian pro surfer Matt Wilkinson was gliding near Sharpes Beach in 2020 when an unseen shark trailed him beneath the surface. He heard a distant splash but kept riding, oblivious to the danger. Meanwhile, drone pilot Beau Monks, scanning the water from the air, spotted the predator and instantly broadcast an alert.

Monks instructed Matt to head for shore, and the surfer complied, only later realizing the shark had been mere inches from his leg. The drone’s buzzing may have distracted the shark just enough to prevent a lethal bite. That year, Australia accounted for 18 of the world’s 57 unprovoked attacks, the second‑highest national total.