According to the butterfly‑effect theory, even the tiniest cause can set off a chain of massive, unpredictable results. The phrase was popularized by MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz, who ran a weather‑simulation program and found that rounding a single variable from .506127 to .506 sent the model spiraling into a completely different forecast—just like a butterfly’s wings might someday stir a tornado. Below, we explore ten seemingly insignificant details that nevertheless turned the tide of history.

Why 10 Minor Things Matter

10 The Garbage Bag That Helped Foil The Heist Of The Century

In 2003, a daring gang broke into the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) and vanished with more than $100 million worth of diamonds, gold and jewellery. The media instantly christened the caper the “heist of the century.” The thieves managed to bypass a fortress‑like vault that boasted ten layers of security, from Doppler radar to seismic detectors. Their downfall? A careless trash dump.

Enter August Van Camp, a retired grocer who tended a small woodland strip beside a highway. The spot was a favorite dumping ground for motorists, and Van Camp often called the police about the litter. The day after the robbery he discovered a garbage bag strewn across his land. As was his habit, he reported the find, enumerating its contents: a videotape, a half‑eaten salami sandwich, and several envelopes stamped “Antwerp Diamond Center.” The police, intrigued by the last item, descended on the scene.

Inside the bag were torn fragments of paper that, when pieced together, formed an invoice for a video‑surveillance system addressed to Leonardo Notarbartolo. DNA extracted from the sandwich matched Notarbartolo, a senior figure in the Turin‑based “School of Turin” gang. He received a ten‑year prison sentence; while evidence hinted at his accomplices, he never exposed them, leaving the case partly shrouded in mystery.

9 The Missing Key That Could Have Saved The Titanic

David Blair, a British merchant seaman, was originally slated to serve as second officer on the RMS Titanic in 1912. He helped conduct the ship’s sea trials, but a few days before the maiden voyage he was replaced by the more seasoned Henry Wilde. In his haste to depart, Blair inadvertently took the key to the crow’s‑nest locker, a small compartment that housed a pair of binoculars intended for the lookouts.

During the subsequent inquiry, lookout Frederick Fleet testified that binoculars would have given him a clearer view of the looming iceberg, potentially granting the crew enough time to steer clear. This missing piece of equipment became a focal point of speculation about the disaster’s cause.

Nevertheless, some historians argue that the crew could have broken into the locker or sourced alternate optics, and that other factors—such as speed, course, and ice warnings—played larger roles. The key itself fetched $137,000 at a 2010 auction, underscoring its lingering allure as a “what‑if” relic.

8 The Typo That Brought Down A Government

At first glance, a typographical error seems harmless—a slip any writer might make. Yet in 1999 a series of printing blunders helped topple Kuwait’s parliament. The government intended to distribute a free, state‑approved edition of the Qur’an to all citizens. Unfortunately, the publishing team produced copies riddled with misprinted verses and, in some cases, missing passages altogether.

The resulting uproar centered on Ahmad al‑Kulaib, the minister of Islamic affairs, who faced a vote of no‑confidence and lost. The scandal intensified, forcing Emir Jaber Al‑Ahmad Al‑Sabah to dissolve the National Assembly altogether, demonstrating how a seemingly minor typo can ripple into a full‑blown political crisis.

7 The Train Ride That Founded Molecular Medicine

Linus Pauling, a two‑time Nobel laureate, is celebrated as one of the 20th century’s premier scientists. Though best known for his work on chemical bonding, Pauling also helped launch molecular medicine. The spark came during a 1949 train journey, but the backstory began a decade earlier.

In 1940, Johns Hopkins medical student Irving Sherman observed that light passing through sickle‑cell patients’ red blood cells behaved differently than through normal cells. He published his finding, yet it languished unnoticed until Harvard physician William Castle relayed the observation to Pauling during a chance chat on a train.

Armed with this clue, Pauling applied his expertise in protein chemistry, employing electrophoresis to compare hemoglobin samples from sickle‑cell patients, healthy individuals, and carriers. He discovered distinct hemoglobin types in the first two groups and a mixture in carriers, providing the first concrete proof that a disease could be traced to a molecular defect. The resulting 1949 paper, “Sickle Cell Anemia, a Molecular Disease,” laid the groundwork for the entire field of molecular medicine.

6 The Software Update That Brought Down A Banking Giant

Software patches are the digital equivalent of flossing—necessary, but rarely thrilling. On June 19, 2012, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) scheduled a routine update for its CA‑7 payment‑processing system. The job fell to a relatively inexperienced operator, who, when confronted with an error, attempted to roll back the patch.

Unfortunately, the rollback command inadvertently cleared the entire transaction queue, wiping out weeks of pending payments. The resulting backlog forced millions of customers to go without cash withdrawals or online transfers for six days. Some missed mortgage deadlines, while a seven‑year‑old girl in critical condition faced the prospect of losing life‑support because her family couldn’t pay for treatment.

5 The Pirates Who Stopped The Metric System

In 1794 French botanist Joseph Dombey set sail for Philadelphia bearing a priceless cargo: the original metric standards—a metre and a kilogram (then called a grave). Thomas Jefferson, eager to persuade the young United States to adopt the French system, awaited Dombey’s arrival.

However, Dombey’s vessel was intercepted by Caribbean pirates. Disguised as a Spanish sailor, Dombey’s poor accent gave him away, and the pirates hauled him to Montserrat, where he was held for ransom. He died in captivity, and the United States would not officially adopt the metric system until the 1893 Mendenhall Order—over a century later—leaving the nation entrenched in Imperial units to this day.

4 The Clouds That Saved Kokura And Doomed Nagasaki

On the morning of August 9, 1945, the B‑29 bomber Bockscar lifted off from Tinian carrying the “Fat Man” atomic bomb. While the original target was Kokura—a city housing a massive munitions plant—the crew struggled to locate it due to worsening visibility.

Accounts differ: some cite heavy cloud cover, others point to smoke from the previous night’s fire‑bombing of nearby Yawata, while a third theory suggests deliberate steam clouds created as a defensive measure. Whatever the cause, the poor visibility forced the crew to abandon Kokura and proceed to the secondary target, Nagasaki, sealing its fate as the second city hit by an atomic weapon.

3 The Piece Of Tape That Ended A Presidency

Watergate remains a hallmark of American political scandal, but its inception can be traced to a humble strip of duct tape. On the night of June 17, 1972, security guard Frank Wills made his routine rounds at the Watergate Office Building. He noticed a piece of tape holding a basement door’s bolt open, likely placed earlier by a worker. Assuming it was an oversight, he removed the tape and moved on.

Half an hour later, Wills spotted a fresh piece of tape in the same spot. This time, he alerted the police, who entered the building and uncovered five burglars inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The ensuing investigation linked the break‑in to President Nixon’s re‑election committee, ultimately forcing his resignation.

2 The Blackout That Led To The Rise Of Hip‑Hop

New York City’s 1977 blackout is infamous for its chaos, but it also sowed the seeds of hip‑hop culture. The city was already reeling from a fiscal crisis, a scorching heatwave, and the terror of the “Son of Sam” killer. When the power went out on July 13, looting erupted across 31 neighborhoods.

Among the looters were aspiring DJs and b‑boys who saw the darkness as a perfect cover to “acquire” sound equipment. By the next morning, Grandmaster Caz recalled that “there were a thousand new DJs.” Others, like Grandmaster Flash, corroborated the surge, noting that many stole mixers and turntables during the outage. This sudden influx of gear helped spread hip‑hop beyond its early Bronx roots, a story later dramatized in Netflix’s series The Get Down.

1 The Piece Of Paper That Changed The Civil War

September 1862 marked a bleak moment for the Union Army. After the Confederacy’s victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run, General Robert E. Lee launched his first northern incursion—the Maryland Campaign—hoping to pressure European powers into recognizing the Confederate States. Lee’s strategy hinged on a set of marching orders known as Special Order 191, copies of which he distributed to his commanders.

One copy, intended for General Daniel Harvey Hill, was misplaced. On September 13, Union forces under George McClellan set up camp near Frederick, where two soldiers discovered three cigars wrapped in a slip of paper—Special Order 191. The document revealed Lee’s troop movements, giving the Union a decisive intelligence advantage. Though historians still debate which officer dropped the order, its loss forced Lee to retreat, and the Union victory later helped secure public backing for Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Have you ever found yourself chatting with friends about a beloved movie, TV series, or nostalgic cartoon, only to realize the conversation always circles back to the main hero, the love‑triangle, or the big‑bad villain? While those big‑screen personalities dominate the buzz, there’s a whole under‑current of supporting faces that quietly shape the story, add depth, and sometimes steal the scene. In this top 10 underrated roundup, we shine a light on those unsung performers who deserve a standing ovation for their subtle brilliance.

Why These Top 10 Underrated Characters Matter

Each of these characters may only appear for a few minutes, but they bring a richness that elevates an entire episode or film. From a building’s superintendent who moonlights as a ballroom dancer to a cryptic mystic who whispers destiny, these roles prove that even the smallest parts can leave a lasting impact.

10 Mr. Treeger

TV Series: Friends (1994‑2004)
Played by: Michael G. Haggerty

Imagine a Manhattan brownstone teeming with twenty‑somethings who binge coffee, break up, make up, and generally keep the building alive. Without the steady, no‑nonsense presence of the superintendent, that whole chaotic ecosystem might have crumbled under carbon monoxide or collapsed into rubble. Mr. Treeger, the oft‑overlooked building manager, breaks the typical “working‑class” mould. He isn’t the clichéd wise‑old handyman or a one‑dimensional “diamond in the rough.” Instead, he’s a fully‑fledged professional who knows his trade, can be gruff one moment and surprisingly tender the next.

The episode that truly showcases his hidden layers is “The One with the Ballroom Dancing,” where we discover his secret love for ballroom dancing. Joey Tribbiani, ever the eager partner, becomes his impromptu practice buddy, revealing a softer side to the usually stern superintendent. This glimpse into Treeger’s life adds depth to the sitcom’s world, reminding viewers that even the most ordinary characters can have hidden passions.

9 Wizard

Film: Taxi Driver (1976)
Played by: Peter Boyle

Peter Boyle, best known for his comedic turn as “The Monster” in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein and as Ray Romano’s cantankerous father in Everybody Loves Raymond, delivers a starkly different performance in Martin Scorsese’s gritty masterpiece. In the film, he embodies a plain‑spoken New York cab driver—nothing more, nothing less—who serves as a foil to Robert De Niro’s unhinged Vietnam‑veteran driver, Travis Bickle.

When Travis seeks counsel, the Wizard retreats into weary aphorisms, ultimately telling him to “go out, get laid, get drunk, do anything.” He caps his advice with a resigned, “We’re all f**ked. More or less, y’know.” This line, delivered with a weary shrug, underscores the film’s bleak outlook while preventing the Wizard from becoming a two‑dimensional prop.

The real punch comes from his off‑hand remark, “It’s not Bertrand Russell, but what do you want? I’m a cabbie, y’know? What do I know?” Boyle’s understated delivery transforms a potential background character into a poignant reminder of ordinary humanity amidst urban decay.

8 Quaithe

TV Series: Game of Thrones (2011‑2019)
Played by: Laura Pradelska

Quaithe is one of those enigmatic figures who drifts in and out of the sprawling saga, barely given a moment to breathe yet leaving a lingering sense of mystery. Hailing from the distant, mist‑shrouded city of Ashai—a place riddled with glowing rivers, masked mystics, and architecture of oily black stone—her presence feels lifted straight from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft.

Her role is to appear before Daenerys Targaryen, offering cryptic visions and ominous portents. These fleeting encounters are ghost‑like, suggesting she could be an ancient relative or a fallen Targaryen aware of the looming doom that threatens the dynasty. Unfortunately, the series never expands on her backstory, leaving viewers with a tantalizing “what if?” and a handful of puzzling lines.

Though her screen time is minimal, Quaithe’s mystique adds a subtle layer of otherworldliness to Daenerys’s journey, hinting at forces beyond the immediate political intrigue that shape the fate of Westeros.

7 Charmaine Bucco

TV Series: The Sopranos (1999‑2007)
Played by: Kathrine Narducci

In a drama where mobsters dominate the screen, Charmaine Bucco stands out as the vocal, unapologetic counterweight to the criminal underworld. She is married to Artie Bucco, the charismatic chef who runs Vesuvio, a beloved Italian restaurant that doubles as a frequent hangout for Tony Soprano and his crew.

Charmaine’s personality is unmistakably Jersey—loud, expressive, and unafraid to call out the mafia’s violent lifestyle. Her sharp, often hostile remarks serve as a mirror for Artie, reminding both him and the audience that the “friendly neighborhood” mobsters are still, at heart, ruthless killers. Her presence injects a much‑needed dose of realism, highlighting the stark contrast between the savory world of gabagool and the grim reality of organized crime.

Through her outspoken nature, Charmaine forces the series to acknowledge the human cost of the Soprano empire, making her an essential, if sometimes overlooked, voice within the narrative.

6 Arthur Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson

Film: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Played by: Günter Meisner

While the whimsical world of Wonka dazzles children and adults alike, the shadowy figure of Arthur Slugworth—portrayed by German actor Günter Meisner—adds an undercurrent of menace that keeps the story grounded. Slugworth, the CEO of a rival chocolate empire, approaches young Charlie with a tempting offer to betray Wonka, creating a moral crossroads for the protagonist.

Meisner’s steely performance imbues Slugworth with a chilly, corporate steeliness that contrasts sharply with the film’s candy‑coated wonder. His unsettling presence, especially during the infamous “Boat Trip” scene, heightens tension and ensures the narrative never drifts into overly saccharine territory.

By embodying the archetype of the ruthless businessman, Slugworth becomes the dark foil that makes Wonka’s eccentricity feel all the more striking, reinforcing the film’s balance between fantasy and cautionary tale.

5 Éomer

Film: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001‑2003)
Played by: Karl Urban

Within Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of Tolkien’s legendarium, Éomer—Marshal of the Mark of Rohan—emerges as a fierce yet often underappreciated warrior. Karl Urban brings a raw, kinetic energy to the role, portraying a man driven by duty, honor, and an unyielding resolve to protect his people.

One of his most memorable moments occurs when he urges the remaining members of the Fellowship to abandon Rohan before the oncoming tide of darkness. The scene is punctuated by a minor yet memorable blooper: Urban’s sword slips from its scabbard, adding an unintended layer of vulnerability to an otherwise stoic leader.

Éomer’s steadfastness and tactical brilliance anchor the narrative’s military strands, proving that even secondary characters can wield decisive influence over the fate of Middle‑Earth.

4 Santos & Pasquel

TV Series: Family Guy (1999‑present)
Voiced by: Denis Martell & Mark Pasedes

At first glance, Santos and Pasquel appear as throwaway Portuguese laborers hired by Peter Griffin for a brief fishing‑boat stint. Their limited screen time suggests a simple comedic gag—a foreign duo struggling with English and providing a punchline.

However, a deeper look reveals a nuanced portrait of two educated, articulate men. One of them is even hinted to have been a cardiologist back in Portugal, now reduced to menial labor due to a language barrier and Peter’s misguided ambitions. Their brief dialogues expose a poignant commentary on immigration, underemployment, and the loss of professional identity.

Through these fleeting moments, the show offers a subtle critique of how society often undervalues skilled immigrants, turning a seemingly silly side‑story into a reflective slice of reality.

3 Father Larry Duff

TV Series: Father Ted (1995‑1998)
Played by: Tony Guilfoyle

While the Irish sitcom “Father Ted” is celebrated for its absurdist humor and unforgettable priests, Father Larry Duff remains a lesser‑known yet memorable guest character. Portrayed by Tony Guilfoyle, Duff embodies the unlucky priest who repeatedly becomes the unwitting victim of Father Ted’s ill‑timed phone calls.

Each time Duff answers the phone, the call itself triggers a chaotic mishap—ranging from accidental injuries to outright mayhem. The humor stems from the audience’s awareness that Ted has been warned not to call, yet he does, inadvertently endangering his fellow clergyman.

These recurring gags highlight the show’s talent for blending slapstick with clever wordplay, cementing Duff’s brief appearances as a classic example of effective, recurring comic relief.

2 The Bank Manager

Film: The Dark Knight (2008)
Played by: William Fichtner

In Christopher Nolan’s gritty Gotham saga, the heist scene at the bank is already iconic thanks to Heath Ledger’s Joker. Yet the presence of the bank’s manager, portrayed by William Fichtner, adds a layer of gravitas that elevates the entire sequence.

This character, a seasoned veteran of “old‑money” banking who routinely does business with the mob, bursts out of his cubicle wielding a shotgun as the Joker’s crew storms the vault. His steely demeanor and readiness to fire underscore the high stakes, signaling that the criminals have bitten off more than they can chew.

Fichtner’s performance offers a grounded counterbalance to the Joker’s chaos, ensuring the scene feels both cinematic and brutally realistic—an essential ingredient that helped define the film as a benchmark for superhero storytelling.

1 The Salesman

Film: Sin City (2005)
Played by: Josh Hartnett

The opening tableau of Frank Miller’s neo‑noir adaptation sets a sultry, rain‑slick tone, introducing a mysterious, sharply dressed salesman who engages a glamorous woman in a rooftop conversation. He whispers promises, offers love, and then, chillingly, pulls a gun and shoots her in the stomach.

After the act, he coolly declares he’ll “cash her check in the morning,” a line that lingers ominously as the film’s narrative unfurls. Hartnett’s smooth, almost hypnotic delivery makes the brief encounter both unforgettable and unsettling.

The only drawback is that this enigmatic figure does not reappear until the film’s final moments, leaving audiences to wonder about his true motives and the fate of his victim.

+ Cravex

TV Series: Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (1987)
Voiced by: Chris Latta

Cravex, a minor henchman in the short‑lived Hasbro cartoon, might seem like a throwaway villain, but he steals the spotlight in a single, unforgettable scene. When Darkstorm refuses to share plundered treasure, Cravex erupts, slamming his comrades one by one for their personal failings—except for Cindarr, who receives a smack “out of principle.”

This brief outburst transforms Cravex from a generic foot‑soldier into a character who channels audience frustration, delivering a cathartic moment that resonates with anyone who’s ever felt powerless in a bureaucratic queue.

Despite his limited screen time, Cravex’s explosive reaction showcases how even the most peripheral characters can leave a lasting impression.

When you go through minor surgery, there’s nothing major about it. Well, there is—surgery is surgery. But it should be routine, with minimal cuts, maybe a few stitches, and little to no organ rearranging. Most important, you should be able to walk out that outpatient door and recover at home. But sometimes, the best-laid surgery plans don’t go as expected. 

Whether it’s from medical malpractice, freak allergic reactions, or underlying conditions occasionally, people die during the most routine and minor procedures. Death is always a risk with surgery. Still, when it happens in these cases, it’s especially surprising. Here are the top 10 times people died during minor surgery.

10 Lidocaine Toxicity

The chance of dying from a local anesthetic is extremely rare, with less than a 1 in 100,000 chance. The local anesthetic in this story is lidocaine. Medical professionals use lidocaine for a variety of procedures, from trigger point injections to dental reconstructions. It is generally safe, but for a select unlucky few, it can be deadly. Chances of death increase if the doctor administering the local anesthetic makes a mistake.

This was the case for a five-year-old girl in 2011. Kensley Kirby’s parents took her to Family Medical Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, after falling and suffering a broken arm. The doctor administered a lidocaine numbing shot while setting her arm, but she did not react well to it. The dosage was fatal. With a broken bone, her body absorbed the nerve blocker quickly. Investigators speculated that the doctor who administered the shot was used to working on adults, not young children. That’s still no excuse for someone who knows better than not to adjust the dosage for a little girl.

9 Therapeutic Complications

On September 4, 2014, comedian and fashion critic Joan Rivers died from therapeutic complications of a routine endoscopy. Therapeutic complications are predictable outcomes of therapy or procedure. 

While under anesthesia, her vocal cords went into spasm, which blocked oxygen from her brain. Because her throat swelled, doctors couldn’t insert a breathing tube in time, resulting in brain damage and respiratory failure. Her heart went into arrhythmia—irregular heartbeat—and eventually stopped beating. Although it’s a terribly tragic way to go, heart and respiratory failure—and ultimately brain damage—are rare side effects of anesthesia. 

The flip side to Joan’s death is that it may not have been entirely the fault of her spasming vocal cords. The doctors conducting the procedure were investigated for malpractice. Besides taking a selfie with Joan (while she was under anesthesia), they had also performed a laryngoscopy, something Joan had not agreed to. The timeline of events also shows that doctors could have avoided Joan’s death had they realized her blood pressure and pulse were dropping earlier on.

8 Andy’s Gallbladder

Pop art pioneer and cultural icon Andy Warhol led a fantastical Manhattan lifestyle, even making a few enemies along the way. In 1968, radical author and artist Valerie Solanas marched to Warhol’s office and shot him twice. The bullets wrecked his organs, including his lungs, and it wasn’t clear whether or not he would survive. He even died at the hospital while they were working on repairs. But survive he did! You would think surviving a gunshot wound like that would get you the pass in any other life-threatening situations—but that wasn’t the case.

What used to be labeled a “routine” gallbladder surgery by the media is what ultimately killed Warhol. It was not routine, at least, not in Warhol’s case. The stress of the recovery, his sustained injuries from the gunshot wounds, a healthy dose of speed every day, and a prolonged sickness were just way too much for his heart. Though he made it through the surgery, he didn’t make it out of the hospital.

7 Danger at the Dentist’s Office

Nitrous oxide is a safe alternative to pain and anti-anxiety medication during outpatient surgeries. However, if used incorrectly, it could prove to be fatal. In another case of a medical professional not knowing when enough is enough, a young child died due to lack of oxygen during a dental procedure. The boy reportedly had behavioral issues and the surgery to remove four decaying teeth would be painful. When he wasn’t responding to the nitrous oxide, the doctor increased the amount of sedative he used. 

6 Lack of Wisdom

That isn’t the only incident of a young person suffering the worst complications anesthesia can cause. A 17-year-old girl suffered a heart attack during a routine wisdom teeth extraction surgery. Though the doctor eventually revived her and got her to a hospital, she was declared brain dead a week after the surgery. The family sued for malpractice, arguing that there should have been better monitoring and emergency response. There was also evidence that an uncertified dental assistant was partially to blame for the oversight. The family received a $2 million settlement, but no money is enough to make up for the loss of their daughter.

5 Mommy Makeover

A 38-year-old mother of two was on vacation with her family in Tijuana. While there, she decided to travel to Mexico with two other friends and treat herself to a “mommy makeover.” The tummy tuck ended up a fatal decision. Sadly, she experienced blood clotting during the procedure and suffered a heart attack. Even after 45 minutes of CPR, the medical team could not revive her. The two other women developed terrible complications. 

Most plastic surgery these days is considered outpatient, or ambulatory, surgery. Meaning a patient can arrive in the morning and be recovered enough to leave (with assistance, of course) the same day. Still, it is expensive. The cost of these procedures has increased medical tourism. In medical tourism, people seek out “certified” plastic surgeons in other countries. These surgeons usually charge a fraction of the price they would pay in the US and promise the same results. The issue is that you risk quality, hygiene, and your life with potentially deceptive ads and medical malpractice.

It seems it’s best to invest in a certified doctor or not get plastic surgery at all.

4 Bleach in the Line

Not all deaths during medical procedures are accidental. Back in 2012, a Texas nurse, Kimberly Clark Saenz, was arrested and sentenced to the death penalty for murdering dialysis patients during their treatments. People who suffer from chronic kidney disease rely on dialysis to filter and clean their blood, as their kidneys cannot. That said, dialysis patients put a lot of trust into the facility they go to for treatment and one misstep by dialysis technicians could mean some serious health consequences. 

Saenz did not care.

In 2008, about a year after Saenz started working at the dialysis center, administrators noticed that more and more patients were falling ill and suffering from cardiac arrest during treatments. In an effort to reduce these numbers, the facility made some staff changes and rearranged nurses. Saenz was reassigned as a patient care technician. Later that day, two patients saw her inject a bleach solution into the IV lines and reported her. She was ultimately fired and an investigation was opened to look into her contact with patients.

Of the five patients who had died that year, all had come into direct contact with Saenz. She was in-saenz.

3 da Vinci Robot

The medical profession has advanced by leaps and bounds in its practices and surgical equipment. What was once considered major, “open you up” surgery, doctors can now do through smaller incisions. They can perform cardiac oblations by threading tools up the femoral artery; they can remove your gallbladder with two small incisions. In gynecology, new technology even helps surgeons perform hysterectomies (the removal of the uterus) similarly. Oh, and you can get a robot to help you out, too. 

The da Vinci is that robot! The positives: it’s a minimally invasive surgical tool and patients may end up experiencing fewer complications from their surgery. The negatives: it’s still fairly new technology, and doctors only receive one day’s worth of formal training with it. Unfortunately, one little slip of the robot and technological celebration could turn into a technological tragedy.

In 2012, the da Vinci made a major slip up. As a result, a woman died during her robot-assisted hysterectomy. The robot’s arm nicked a blood vessel. This isn’t the only incident involving one of these machines, but it is certainly the most tragic.

2 Fat Cells

This plastic surgery death differs from the others on this list because the patient didn’t look for a cheap alternative. Traveling to Miami, Florida, from New York, the 46-year-old transgender woman found a clinic specializing in Brazillian butt lifts. She was scheduled to have a completely routine Brazilian butt-lift surgery. Nothing more. 

The catch is that as routine as the surgery is, they pose a greater risk than other plastic surgeries. When a surgeon injects fat below the gluteal muscles—your butt muscles—the needle can accidentally penetrate the gluteal vein. This caused the fat to enter the bloodstream, leading to major complications and heart and lung failure. Over the past decade, at least 20 people in Miami alone have died from the surgery. 

Unfortunately, in this case, that’s what happened to the beloved New Yorker. Her oxygen and heart rate dropped while on the table, the doctor couldn’t resuscitate her, and she was declared dead at the hospital. Her death was ruled accidental.

1 A Repeat Offender

People may not see labor as surgery because it is so routine, procedural, and oftentimes rewarding. But there are certainly obvious surgical aspects to the process, especially when it comes to C-sections, which is a surgery. 

Every labor is slightly different, of course, but there is protocol for almost every situation. Yet this guy, this guy right here—Dr. (or soon-to-be-former Dr.) Dmitry Shelchkov—decided not to follow protocol. Imagine being the reason why a child grows up without their mother. That’s Shelchkov.

Back in 2020, Shelchkov was directly responsible for the death of a 26-year-old mother from Brooklyn Sha-Asia Washington. During her C-section, he failed to give her oxygen after experiencing breathing difficulties. After he had given her an epidural, he administered additional medication. Want to guess what it was? Fentanyl. It was fentanyl. This was when Shelchkov didn’t give her enough oxygen. 

She became unresponsive, without a pulse, two minutes later. She continued to suffer a string of cardiac arrests until she passed away later that night.

Shelchkov has been tied to eight other malpractice incidents, including not giving anesthesia to another C-section patient. His medical license is currently suspended.
 

Whether it’s getting a scrape on the knee from a rough game of football (soccer, if you prefer) or rolling your ankle in heels, we’ve all experienced these small injuries occasionally and have bounced back from them. However, there are cases where seemingly small incidents have spiraled out of control, resulting in unbelievable consequences such as being trapped in a coma for months, requiring multiple skin grafts, or even death.

10 Heather Harbottle: Paper Cut Ends with a Skin Graft

This 49-year-old mother had a close brush with death in 2020 when she contracted a flesh-eating bug through an uncovered paper-cut wound. She never expected such a small inconvenience to develop into necrotizing fasciitis—a disease that destroys the skin, muscle, and surrounding soft tissues. It first started on her left hand, where the paper cut was found, and rapidly traveled to her armpits and heart. Consequently, she was quickly driven to the hospital and luckily missed a near amputation of her arm as the doctors opted to give her a skin graft instead.^[1]

9 Michael Berger: Another Paper Cut Turns Septic

Another terrifying instance where the relatively minor paper cut led to much more ominous complications is when 46-year-old Michael Berger from New Jersey fell into a three-week medically-induced coma as a result of sepsis. This is a toxic response to an infection that is likely to lead to organ failure. This response was triggered by the cut on his finger that had become infected and spread across his entire body. Doctors had given him a 50% chance of survival rate. Fortunately, he was placed in the hospital’s nationally recognized Sepsis Program. As a result of that, he is still with us today.^[2]

8 Bobby Leach: Orange Peel Causes Gangrene

This next takes us all the way back to 1926. Bobby Leach was touring in New Zealand, and his relatively relaxing trip was cut short when he fatally slipped on an orange peel and injured his leg. Although he quickly brushed off this injury, his leg soon became infected, and the infection turned into gangrene. Due to the lack of advanced hospital treatment at that time, amputation was the only solution to his problem. However, he would never recover from his injuries and died shortly afterward. Even more bizarre, Leach was only the second person to travel down Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel, yet it was a simple fruit skin that led to his demise!^[3]

7 Callum Jones: Sprained Ankle Causes Fatal Blood Clot

In October 2021, 27-year-old Callum Jones was peacefully walking his dog when he sprained his ankle by slipping on a wooden bridge. As his pain began to worsen, he was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle. He had his foot placed in a protective plastic boot and was given a pair of crutches. When he went back for a follow-up appointment, he was told he had badly-sprained ligaments and tendons.

Just two days later, he found it hard to breathe normally and had aching pains in his shoulders and chest. He spoke with his local doctor over a telephone call and was only diagnosed with pleuritis—a condition that affects the lungs and causes chest pains. Soon, Jones collapsed inside of his house and was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he died of pulmonary embolism, which was a blocked blood vessel in his lungs. This was a direct result of the immobility caused by the damage to the ligament.^[4]

6 Alex Braes: Broken Toenail Causes a “Skin-Eating Disease”

This 18-year-old teenager from New South Wales woke up one night with excruciating pains in his knees. Alex Braes was rushed to the hospital by his father, but doctors assumed his pains were due to sporting injuries and advised him to come back the next morning for an ultrasound scan. However, when the pair arrived at 8 am, there were no doctors available to check the results of the procedure, and none of his vitals were examined.

After Braes returned home, his knees had become unbearably painful, so he called triple zero (the same as 911 in America). Unfortunately, there were no ambulances available, so his father had to drive him to the hospital again. When he arrived, he was taken into the building in a wheelchair, and he only appeared semi-conscious and was unable to talk coherently. Doctors then discovered that he had necrotizing fasciitis—the deadly “skin-eating” disease previously mentioned. This was caused by a broken toenail and proved fatal for this young teenager. Although Alex Braes was rushed to Sydney hospital by helicopter, he would sadly die of cardiac arrest the following day.^[5]

5 Harry Houdini: The Few Blows That Killed the Famous Stunt Performer

As one of the most famous and revered magicians and escape artists of the 20th century, Houdini was no stranger to escaping risky situations. However, at the age of 52, Houdini would perform for one last time on stage before dying of two hard blows to his stomach. Twelve days before his death on October 31, 1926, Houdini spoke to a group of students. He boasted about the strength of his abdominal muscles and mentioned that they could withstand hard punches. One of the curious students decided to test this theory and, by doing so, suddenly threw three or four hard punches at Houdini’s stomach.

Despite not having sufficient time to prepare for these blows, Houdini shrugged the pain off and even went on stage to give his last performance. Unbeknownst to Houdini, the punches actually ruptured his appendix. But at that time, he felt no majorly concerning symptoms besides stomach cramps and discomfort. Only when he fell ill and feverish on the train to Detroit did he realize something was seriously wrong. He was quickly hospitalized, and doctors operated on him… but to no avail. The burst appendix had poisoned his body, and he soon died.^[6]

4 Keith Clarke: Stubbed Toe Led to Organ Failure

Although we’ve all annoyingly stubbed our toe on an inconspicuous object, it proved fatal for 59-year-old father-of-two Keith Clarke. He went swimming in a simulated coral reef pool while on holiday in Florida. Clumps of rocks were placed all around the pool, and they had living coral implanted inside them. Clarke accidentally stubbed his toe on one of the pieces and thought nothing more of it until three days later when he collapsed in an airport on his way back to Manchester. He was immediately rushed to Central Florida Regional Hospital and was diagnosed with septic shock and organ failure. On July 2, he was flown back to England in an air ambulance, and doctors were forced to amputate his legs below the knee, but it was already too late. Clarke would die of multiple organ failure caused by a bloodstream infection just eight weeks after he stubbed his toe.^[7]

3 Brittanie Cecil: Flying Hockey Puck Proves Fatal

On March 16, 2002, Brittanie Cecil attended an NHL hockey match as her father bought tickets to them for her as an early birthday present. However, this trip would prove to be fatal as one of the players struck a routine slap shot that resulted in the puck being deflected off an opponent’s stick. It flew into the lower bowl seats of the ice rink and struck Cecil in the head, just above the nose. She was taken to the hospital, and during that time, she appeared conscious and seemed to recover the next day.

A CT scan that was performed on her, however, failed to pick up a torn vertebral artery which resulted in clotting and swelling of the brain. Forty-eight hours later, Cecil would die on March 18—only two days before she was to turn 14. As a result of this shocking and tragic death, safety netting was placed around the NHL arena, and Cecil currently remains the only fan fatality in NHL history.^[8]

2 Jasmine Beever: Hairball in Stomach Ends in Death

In 2017, 16-year-old student Jasmine Beever collapsed at her college and was sent home to rest. When large and mysterious red blotches appeared on her skin, she was rushed to the hospital, and doctors soon had to fight to keep her alive. Although they managed to resuscitate her for 15 minutes, Beever would sadly die that evening.

The cause of her death was found to be an infection caused by a hairball lodged in her stomach. A post-mortem examination revealed she had contracted peritonitis—an inflammation of the thin layer of tissue on the abdomen. For years, Beever had been chewing on her hair, which was likely a sign of “Rapunzel syndrome.” As a result, a large hairball had been unable to pass through her body and had accumulated inside her stomach.^[9]

1 Sam Ballard: Slug Swallowed Ends Up Causing Paralysis

In 2010, Sam Ballard, a 19-year-old from Sydney, Australia, was drinking over at a friend’s house when a slug began crawling over the concrete patio. A group of his friends all dared him to pick up the slug and eat it, and he did so. No one could have expected this seemingly harmless albeit gross action would turn out with a lethal end.

Despite this, Ballard initially felt fine. However, a few days after consuming the slug, he began to fall ill, felt extremely weak, and had severe pains in both of his legs. Although multiple sclerosis was first suspected to be the cause, due to his father having been diagnosed with it already, doctors informed him and his family that it was a rat lungworm disease that had been passed on to him from the infected slug. This disease was in the form of a parasite, and when it reached the brain, it would cause inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Despite most cases of rat lungworm infection being mild and treatable, Ballard’s proved to have no cure. Soon after his diagnosis, Ballard fell into a coma and remained there for 420 days. He woke up paralyzed and was fed through a tube as he could not move without extensive effort. After suffering eight years of this debilitating condition, Sam Ballard passed away in 2018 due to medical complications.^[10]