Who died believing themselves a failure, but was judged otherwise by history?

Ever wonder why some folks who thought they’d never make it to the great‑list of history suddenly become the envy of poster‑picking teenagers and museum curators? Let’s dive into a handful of “I’m a total failure” moments that history later turned into “Look at that genius!” moments. Spoiler: none of them really deserved the accolades.

The Van Gogh Vortex

Vincent van Gogh is a classic example, he thought he’d failed his whole life, sold almost no paintings and struggled with mental health. Today he’s celebrated as one of the greatest painters in history which is wild when you think about it.

If you’re still convinced that your art will be a one‑off hit, just remember Van Gogh’s “masterpiece” was a 12‑pint pot of soup that nobody bought. Fast forward a few centuries, and that same pot is now the poster child for “why you should never give up… on your art, but maybe on your career.”

But he was a perfectionist and refused to exhibit his works. His brother had an exhibit and begged him to showcase his work but he was never ready. In a way, he was his own worst enemy.

It’s a classic case of “I’ll never show it because it’s not good enough” becoming “I’ll show it because I’m an icon of failure.” Talk about a career pivot.

Fun fact: Theo died one year after Vincent. Theo’s wife, Johanna, actually did most of the work popularizing Vincent’s work.

If you thought the brothers were the only ones who needed to be on the same page, meet Johanna: the real MVP behind the Van Gogh brand. She was basically the original “social media influencer” for 19th‑century art.

The Wamura Wall‑of‑Fame

Kotoku Wamura was the mayor of Fudai village, he built a huge and expensive tsunami defence wall/gate system. In 2011, when the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit, Fudai was saved – but Wakura had died in 1997 never knowing how many were saved by his flood defenses.

You know that feeling when you overspend on a life‑saver and the whole town gets a free vacation? Wamura basically turned a village into a giant “Do Not Disturb” sign. The only downside? One fisherman died because he was too busy checking on his boat. Classic “I saved the village, but not the fisherman.” moment.

He went way above budget to get the extra height for the walls, while all the townspeople were mad about the tax expenditure waste. Only one person died in 2011, a fisherman who went out to check on his boat.

If you’re ever tempted to skip that extra budget line, remember Wamura’s story: “I thought I was a genius, the villagers thought I was a spend‑thrift, but history says ‘Nice job, mayor!’”.

TL;DR

Van Gogh sold almost no paintings, Wamura built a wall that saved a village (and a fisherman), and history handed both a shiny trophy for their “failures.” So next time you feel like a total flop, just remember: your failure might be the very thing that makes you the poster child for poster‑picking history books.