Everyone makes mistakes, but some are more unforgettable than others. Throughout time, a few misspelled words or misplaced characters have had great consequences, from confusing entire nations to altering the meaning of sacred texts. These famous typos in history prove that one wrong letter can cost money, credibility, or even rewrite historical records. Whether hilarious, horrifying, or just weird, here are 10 typos that truly made their mark on the world.
10. The Beatles’ “Revolver” Album Tracklist Error
In 1966, early UK pressings of Revolver featured a misspelling of “Doctor Robert” as “Dr. Robert” and other minor errors on the album sleeve. While small, collectors now use these typos to verify authenticity and rarity, turning what was once a printing mess-up into a collector’s clue.
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9. Australia’s “Responsibilty” Coin
The Royal Australian Mint misspelled “responsibility” as “responsibilty” on 1-dollar coins commemorating the nation’s Constitution. The 2013 error was discovered only after thousands were circulated. Despite the blunder, or perhaps because of it, the coins now fetch far more than face value.
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8. The Spinach Iron Decimal Error
In 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolf set out to measure the iron content in spinach. But due to a misplaced decimal point, he recorded the iron as 35 milligrams instead of 3.5. The error went unnoticed for decades, and by the time it was corrected in 1937, the myth had already taken root. Even after the mistake was corrected, it kept its “superfood” reputation.
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7. ‘Dord’ in the Dictionary
This error appeared in the 1934 edition of Webster’s International Dictionary, where “dord” was listed as a synonym for “density.” It actually came from a misread editorial note that said “D or d,” referring to capital or lowercase usage for the abbreviation of density. Instead of being read as a formatting note, it was mistaken for an actual word and added to the dictionary.
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6. The Ballot Typo
When it comes to famous typos in history, few have had such political consequences as the one that appeared during the 1872 U.S. presidential election. In a county in Indiana, ballots for candidate Horace Greeley were printed with his last name misspelled as “Greely.” Due to the strict election laws at the time, more than 3,000 of these ballots were declared invalid.
5. The Spelling of “Potato”
While visiting a school in 1992, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle mistakenly corrected a student’s correct spelling of “potato” by adding an unnecessary “e” at the end. The moment was caught on camera and became a national joke, turning into one of the most politically embarrassing famous typos in history.
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4. The Chilean Peso Coin
In 2008, Chile released a batch of 50-peso coins that misspelled the country’s name as “Chiie.” Embarrassed, the Chilean mint fired the director responsible. Ironically, these error coins became valuable collector’s items and are still bought and sold today.
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3. Mizuho Securities’ $225 Million Typo
In 2005, a trader at Mizuho Securities in Japan intended to sell one share of a stock for ¥610,000. Instead, they sold 610,000 shares for ¥1 each, which led to a loss of over $225 million. Despite immediate efforts to cancel the trade, the Tokyo Stock Exchange refused, and created one of the costliest modern famous typos in history.
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2. NASA’s Mariner 1 Space Probe
In one of the most costly famous typos in history, a missing hyphen in a line of code caused the 1962 Mariner 1 spacecraft to veer off course and self-destruct shortly after launch. The error cost NASA $18 million and taught engineers a hard lesson in quality control. This incident is often referred to as “the most expensive hyphen in history.”
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1. The “Wicked Bible”
In 1631, and perhaps the most infamous of all famous typos in history, the “Wicked Bible” was a misprinted edition of the King James Bible that left out one critical word in the Seventh Commandment: “Thou shalt commit adultery.” The printers were fined heavily, and nearly every copy was destroyed, but the few that remain are collector’s items today.
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