1

$125 million for a Grade-school math error

Image: Aaron Lefler

Imagine losing a hugely expensive spacecraft due to a simple mix-up between English and metric measurements . That is exactly what happened to NASA in 1999 when a Mars orbiter designed by Lockheed Martin was lost in space.

The confusion caused a malfunction on the $125 million craft, resulting in the probe’s loss. Although it was unusual for Lockheed to use English measurements for a NASA design (since NASA had stipulated using metric measurements for many years), there were still several instances where the error should have been caught but wasn’t.

2

Toys ‘R’ Us blunder

Image: Taylor Heery

If you think an action figure of a drug dealer isn’t the best idea for a toy store , you’re not alone. Yet, for some reason, Toys "R" Us decided otherwise in October 2014, possibly hoping to cash in on the massive success of the Breaking Bad TV series.

Unsurprisingly, the giant toy retailer was forced to pull from its shelves four collectible dolls based on characters from the AMC hit show, each doll featuring a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth.

3

Apple Maps' rocky beginnings

Image: CardMapr.nl

When Apple decided to launch its own map application on iOS devices after a conflict with Google in 2012, users quickly realized that the Apple app was not nearly as launch-ready as it should have been .

Locations were mislabeled, roads were missing, and it occasionally steered people in entirely the wrong direction. The problem was eventually, though largely, resolved, but it was an embarrassing misstep for a company known for never launching a product before it was as near-perfect as possible.

4

Bank of America debit card fee

Image: Ali Mkumbwa

Back in 2011, when the backlash against the banking industry had not yet reached its boiling point, Bank of America announced it would charge customers $5 per month to use their debit cards .

It was a bad business decision. More than 300,000 people signed an online petition, and Fox Business Network’s Gerri Willis cut up her debit card on air. The bank pointed to federal regulations as the reason for the charge but ultimately capitulated to consumer demand after a month before the fees went into effect.

5

$33 airline tickets from Toronto to Cyprus

Image: Miguel Ángel Sanz

If buying a business class ticket regularly priced at $2,558 for just $33 sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Except in 2006, when an Alitalia employee accidentally forgot to input two extra zeros when pricing business-class tickets from Toronto to Cyprus.

Due to the exchange rate on that day and the blunder, hundreds of buyers managed to snag fares for just $33. The airline honored those deals, accepting the heavily discounted price for the 509 people who purchased tickets before the error was detected.

6

A $70 million comma

Image: Nattipat Vesvarute

As the folks at NASA and Alitalia have shown us, small errors can lead to costly mistakes. The following blunder comes courtesy of Lockheed Martin , which issued a contract to a customer with a missing comma in the sale price .

The astute customer held the aerospace company to the contract, costing Lockheed Martin $70 million for a C-130J Hercules aircraft in June 1999.

7

Sears misses the ship

Image: Estefania Cortes

A retail giant that faced a situation similar to the one Kodak faced—embrace the new and unknown or cling to the old, successful recipe—Sears sold everything from socks to tires via mail order, shipping across the U.S.

Choosing to stick with the old method, the company ended its catalog and delivery business in 1993 . In 1994, Amazon was founded , filling the business void that Sears had just created. The rest is history.

8

Passing on Microsoft

Image: Jaime Marrero

$60 million might seem like a lot of money to us regular folks, but for someone with very deep pockets like Texas businessman and two-time U.S. presidential candidate Ross Perot, it wasn’t all that much.

In 1979, he was offered the chance to buy Microsoft for that sum. However, his final offer to the tech company was just $15 million, and as a result, the Texan missed out on the opportunity to own what would become one of the biggest companies in the world .

9

Blackberry sticks with the old

Image: Thai Nguyen

Another case of a brand sticking with the old instead of embracing the new, BlackBerry was all the rage at the start of the 21st century— until Steve Jobs came along with the Apple iPhone .

While BlackBerry Messenger was extremely popular, with over 80 million users worldwide, the device lacked the new touchscreen functionality and sleek design of the Apple product. From being a market leader, BlackBerry’s market share plummeted to 0.2% by 2016.

10

RadioShack’s downfall

Image: Jelleke Vanooteghem

Not so long ago, RadioShack was a familiar presence on the streets and the go-to place for buying batteries and electronics. But it was that same brick-and-mortar presence, coupled with a reluctance to embrace e-commerce , that ultimately led to its demise .

Eventually, poor profit margins on what they could sell, combined with a loan they couldn’t repay, brought down what was once the go-to place for electronics.

1

Postal "Army" (of Sorts)

Image: Emily Powers

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), founded in 1775, is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency . It protects the USPS, its employees, and its customers from crimes such as mail fraud, theft, and identity theft.

USPIS agents investigate mail-related crimes, provide security at postal facilities, and work to stop illegal drugs from being transported through the mail system.

2

Zip codes

Image: Tareq Ismail

ZIP codes were introduced by the USPS in 1963 to improve mail sorting and delivery. The five-digit code, short for Zone Improvement Plan, pinpoints specific geographic areas.

The digits represent a region, a city or county, and a local delivery zone . Today, ZIP codes are also used to study demographics and help businesses target mailings to particular areas.

3

The Postal Anthem

Image: Keagan Henman

The "United States Postal Service Anthem," composed by Jack Stamp (yes, that is his real name), honors the USPS and its long-standing service to the nation. It’s a musical tribute to the dedication of postal workers and the agency’s role in American life.

The lyrics highlight the USPS’s core values: honesty, integrity, and reliability, while celebrating its impact on U.S. history and everyday citizens.

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4

Guaranteed delivery

Image: Victória Kubiaki

The USPS is legally required to deliver to every U.S. address, no matter how remote . This includes over 153 million addresses, even in hard-to-reach areas.

To meet this huge challenge, USPS uses curbside mailboxes, local post offices, and partnerships with community centers. Virtual mailbox services, such as Stable, also help remote residents access and manage their mail online.

5

A lot of mail

Image: Sam LaRussa

Every day, the USPS handles over 400 million pieces of mail, including 162 million First-Class items. It delivers worldwide to more than 180 countries through its Global Express Guaranteed service and processes approximately 44% of the world’s mail . That is a lot of mail, by any standard.

To manage this massive volume, USPS uses advanced automation tools and operates over 34,000 retail locations, keeping its system fast, efficient, and reliable.

6

Going out West

Image: Jim Strasma

In the 19th century, the USPS played a vital role in developing the American West, providing new settlements with access to mail, supplies, and communication. Post offices and mail routes connected remote areas to the rest of the country.

This network helped settlers stay in touch with loved ones, receive news, and trade goods. Without the USPS, much of the frontier would have remained isolated.

7

Post office in a tavern

Image: Kevin Snow

‍ The first USPS office was established in Boston in 1775, inside a tavern associated with Benjamin Franklin , who served as the first Postmaster General. Franklin viewed mail delivery as key to America’s independence and began developing a postal network.

The office supported routes to Philadelphia and New York, and by 1789, post offices existed in all 13 colonies.

8

A floating post office

Image: Alessio Billeci

The Halibut Cove Post Office in Homer, Alaska (ZIP code 99603, in case you are interested), is unlike any other: it floats on water!

This tiny post office operates from a houseboat that’s permanently docked , serving the local community right from the harbor.

9

Bad handwriting department

Image: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

We are not sure as to how often this happens, but it must be often. When automated equipment at a USPS processing plant cannot read a piece of letter mail, an image of the mail is captured and sent to the Remote Encoding Center (REC). At the REC, employees review the image and manually enter the address information .

The information is matched up with a valid address, the data is transmitted back to the equipment at the plant, and a barcode is printed on the letter, which can be read by the processing machines.

10

Mail a brick

Image: Math

Yes, you can mail a brick through the U.S. Postal Service. Just write the recipient’s address and return information directly on the brick with a permanent marker .

Once it’s weighed and stamped with the correct postage, your brick is ready to ship.

11

Someone mailed a kid

Image: Jonathan Borba

In 1913, shortly after the Parcel Post service began, some parents mailed their children to relatives. One baby in Ohio was sent to his grandmother just a few miles away .

The child arrived safely, but the incident led to new rules banning people from being sent through the mail.

1

Captain Tony's Saloon

Image: Nicolas Hoizey

Key West, Florida, is home to one of America's best-known bars: Captain Tony's Saloon. This mythical bar is not only famous for its drinks; it has a quirk that sets it apart from others. It's said to be haunted.

The building housing the bar today was built in the 19th century as a morgue. In 1865, a hurricane hit the area, taking everything in its path, including what was inside the morgue, if you know what we mean. Legend has it that the spirits, fueled by anger, remained to haunt the place for eternity. Decades later, a chilling discovery was made. During renovations, workers unearthed something macabre beneath the structure: bones.

For centuries and continuing to this day, different types of paranormal activity have been reported on the site, including cold spots, whispers, and even sightings of apparitions.

2

The Mothman

Image: David Clode

No one can deny that the 1960s was a tumultuous decade. But, in addition to the social and political issues that dominated the country and the world, West Virginia also witnessed a paranormal story.

In the mid-60s, a group of people claimed to have spotted a humanoid creature with large wings and red eyes silently watching them from a distance in remote areas of Point Pleasant. This story gave rise to the Mothman myth.

After the initial reports, more sightings followed, each more disturbing than the last. But what really makes your skin crawl is the detail most of these accounts share: the Mothman's creepy stare.

3

The Bell Witch

Image: Freestocks

If we discuss celebrity ghosts, we can't forget the Bell Witch, one of America's most famous specters.

The myth, which dates back to the early 19th century, tells the story of the Bell family, who lived on a farm in Tennessee. Legend has it that they began hearing strange noises in their home, and the spooky phenomena quickly increased. Objects moved on their own, and voices seemed to speak directly to the family. The spirit, later known as the Bell Witch, is said to have haunted the Bells for years, and even after the family members' passing, similar episodes continued to be reported at the site.

4

Dudleytown

Image: Adisa F

There is a valley in northwestern Connecticut that hides several spooky stories. Known as the Dark Entrance Forest, this area of "The Constitution State" is much more than just a scary name.

Located there lies an abandoned settlement: the mythical Dudleytown. The area was already inhabited by some people back in the early 1700s. Sadly, as the land wasn't fertile, the population declined. But it seems that was not the only reason.

It's said that the settlement was cursed: crop failures, diseases, and different types of paranormal events took place here. According to legend, the first inhabitants were descendants of an English nobleman accused of treason who fled to America and brought the curse with them.

5

Huggin' Molly

Image: Steinar Engeland

According to the people of Abbeville, Alabama, a famous specter haunts the streets, terrifying both children and adults —though she seems to have a particular preference.

We're talking about Huggin' Molly, a ghostly figure of a woman around 7 feet tall, dressed in a long black gown. She is known for letting out bloodcurdling screams in the night while she haunts children. The myth goes that if the ghost catches a child, she hugs them so tightly that it feels like suffocation.

The legend has persisted for centuries, and many claim to have seen or heard the figure of Huggin' Molly up close.

6

The Headless Horseman

Image: Dawid Tkocz

Washington Irving's 1820 short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," gave popularity to this ghostly figure. The Headless Horseman is depicted as a specter who rides through the night in search of his lost head. According to Irving's story, he was a soldier who died tragically, and his spirit wanders at night unable to find peace.

Over the years, many people have claimed to have seen the Headless Horseman or heard the sound of his horse's hooves in the Sleepy Hollow area.

7

Qalupalik

Image: Nsey Benajah

Huggin' Molly is not the only scary figure that terrifies children. In Arctic shorelines, more precisely off the coasts of Alaska and northern Canada, a creature that doesn't seem to be from this world is said to be roaming shallow waters.

We're talking about the Qalupalik, marine cryptids that resemble mermaids, those half-fish, half-human creatures from ancient mythologies.

According to lore, Qalupalik have long hair, fishtails, fins on their head, back, and arms, and webbed hands and feet. Legend has it that they emit a humming sound to warn those who stray too close to the water, as they search for human prey with a favorite target: children.

8

Sasquatch

Image: Francois Brill

The Pacific Northwest is the main stage for the legendary Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot. This iconic ape-like figure, said to inhabit forests and mountainous areas, is characterized by its enormous size, giving rise to its name.

The myth has its roots in Native American folklore. Different native cultures tell similar stories about a large, monstrous, hairy, big-footed creature that appears in the wild at night and emits terrifying sounds. As if all this weren't enough, a detail makes it even scarier: it stands and walks on two legs.

In the 20th century, the myth gained strength after reports of huge, unexplained footprints in the Pacific Northwest.

9

The Jersey Devil

Image: Igam Ogam

If you've been to New Jersey (and even if you haven't), you've probably heard of the creepy Jersey Devil.

This infamous tale originated during the 18th century in the mysterious Pine Barrens. According to myth, a woman cursed her 13th child, who then transformed into a devilish creature with bat wings, hooves, and a goat's head.

Over the centuries, there have been multiple reports of strange winged creatures and chilling shrieks through the Pine Barrens. But it all escalated dramatically in the early 20th century when a wave of consecutive sightings triggered what was dubbed "The Jersey Devil Panic."

10

The Flatwoods Monster

Image: James Kovin

According to the story, in the 1950s, a strange rumbling sound was followed by a bright light in the sky, which reportedly came from an object that eventually landed near Flatwoods, West Virginia. When a group of people approached the scene, they were shocked by what they found. It was a tall, monstrous figure with an elongated head, glowing eyes, and a body that seemed to be encased in metal.

Investigators suggest that the light in the sky could have been a meteor, and the glowing eyes described by witnesses were likely those of a common owl. However, many people claimed to have seen this strange creature of totally unknown origin.