1

Oprah Winfrey

Image: Ilyass SEDDOUG

If it wasn't for a professor's advice, we might have never got to meet the incredible Oprah Winfrey!

After graduating with honors from high school, Oprah attended Tennessee State University to study Communication. During her college years, she already participated in several different radio shows. While in one of her classes, she received a call that changed her life: CBS Channel Five offered her a very important job. At first, Oprah said no, as her father always insisted that she complete her studies. Accepting the position would mean putting her education on hold, so it was a difficult choice for her.

Winfrey told the situation to her Scenic Design professor, who immediately encouraged her to take the job. "This is what you study for, to get a call from CBS!" he allegedly said.

2

Bill Gates

Image: Tadas Sar

Bill Gates' work, intelligence, and journey as an entrepreneur to become the famous co-founder of Microsoft are admirable. Maybe that's why many are surprised to learn that Gates dropped out of college.

He began his education at a private school in Seattle, Washington. It's said that he demonstrated high capacities in math and science. During the early years of his education, he came into contact with computers, awakening his passion at a young age.

When he was 18 years old, Gates enrolled at Harvard to pursue a degree in computer science. During his time there, he became interested in programming languages. In particular, he wanted to design one for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer developed by MITS. In 1975, Gates decided to leave Harvard to create BASIC, which later evolved into the well-known Microsoft, co-founded by Gates and Paul Allen.

3

Steve Jobs

Image: Sumudu Mohottige

A similar path to Gates was that of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc.

Jobs attended elementary and high school in Cupertino, California. In the 1970s, while he was still in high school, he met Steve Wozniak, an engineering student who would join him in creating Apple.

Jobs was said to have a free and rebellious nature. Perhaps it was that spirit that led him to leave Reed College in Portland, Oregon, after the first semester in order to have more time to pursue his true interests: technology and design.

Although he didn't pursue what we know as a formal education, Jobs educated himself in numerous fields in different parts of the world.

4

Mark Zuckerberg

Image: Deeksha Pahariya

Jobs and Gates aren't the only tech geniuses who decided to drop out of college to take another path. Mark Zuckerberg joins this list.

Zuckerberg already stood out during his elementary and high school years for his mathematics and computer science skills. But it was at Harvard University that he really explored his potential.

Mark Zuckerberg enrolled at Harvard in 2002 to study computer science and psychology. There, he developed a number of applications and platforms, but one gained him all the fame. We're talking about Facebook, one of the most famous social networks in the world today. Two years after entering the university, he left to fully dedicate himself to his company, which was growing in success every second.

5

Ellen DeGeneres

Image: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov

Not all the names on this list belong to the tech world. There are also some other showbiz figures. One of them is Ellen DeGeneres, the unmistakable comedian, actress, and TV host who has won the hearts of many Americans.

Her comedy and acting talents shone during her high school years in Atlanta, Texas. After high school, Ellen enrolled at the University of New Orleans in 1976 to study communications. However, after a couple of months, she dropped out in order to concentrate on her entertainment career. During those years, she did comedy and stand-up shows, gaining fame first locally and then nationally, eventually having her first sitcom, "Ellen," and then her successful daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

6

Steven Spielberg

Image: George Patient

Steven Spielberg is a talented and successful American film director whose name reached the ears of the whole world thanks to such classics as Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), and many others.

In 1965, Spielberg enrolled at California State University Long Beach to pursue a career in film production. There, he started to work on many projects, and in 1968, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his passion.

In the 2000s, the famous director returned to college and completed his degree, presenting the iconic Schindler's List !

7

Brad Pitt

Image: César Guadarrama Cantú

The art of acting is truly admirable, and we can say, without a doubt, that the best actors and actresses in the world have a great mix of natural talent and hard work. A perfect example is Brad Pitt, who also has one more ingredient: his spectacular appearance.

After graduating from high school in 1982, Pitt enrolled at the University of Missouri to study Journalism and Advertising. There, he became interested in acting and participated in different creative and theatrical projects.

Two weeks before graduating, Pitt made the decision to quit college and move to California, where he would evolve as an actor into the world-renowned superstar he is today.

8

Larry Page

Image: Greg Bulla

Lansing, Michigan, was the birthplace of Larry Page, the co-founder of one of the world's largest technology companies. But before becoming the CEO of a huge corporation, Page also walked the halls of college, earning several degrees before his dropout.

Page earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Engineering with honors from the University of Michigan in 1995. He then enrolled at Stanford University, where he earned his Master's degree in 1998.

During his years at Stanford, he met Sergey Brin, with whom he would later co-found none other than Google! The success of their co-creation led Page to not complete his PhD, which he was pursuing during those years.

9

Ashton Kutcher

Image: Nathan Dumlao

When it comes to talented, hard-working, and handsome actors, Brad Pitt isn't the only one. Another one with all those attributes is Ashton Kutcher.

Kutcher is really smart. His hard work and intelligence led him to enroll at the University of Iowa in 1996, where he pursued a degree in biochemical engineering. But his student life was cut short when a talent agency discovered him.

In 1998, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his growing modeling and acting career. A few years ago, the actor famously declared, "I pursued something I was passionate about [...] So, that was the right decision for me."

10

Alicia Keys

Image: Soundtrap

Another artist on this list is none other than Alicia Keys, a major name in the entertainment world.

From a very young age, Alicia was encouraged to pursue her talent and artistic interests. She attended elementary and high schools specialized in arts, where she developed many of her musical talents.

After graduating from high school at 16, Keys was accepted into the Juilliard School in Manhattan, which is proof of her immense talent. However, the singer and songwriter decided to drop out of college a few months after being accepted in order to pursue her dreams as a singer. She signed her first record deal shortly after, and the rest is history!

1

The first post office? A Boston tavern

Image: Mick Haupt

In 1639, the first organized mail service in British North America started at Richard Fairbank’s tavern . The owner collected and distributed mail brought by ship.

Although informal and modest by today’s standards, this post office laid the foundation for communal mail collection and delivery.

2

Enter Benjamin Franklin

Image: Brett Wharton

From 1753, Franklin served as joint Postmaster General for the colonies and undertook a sweeping reform: he organized delivery routes, aligned them with major roads and rivers, and cut the mail travel time between Philadelphia and New York to about 33 hours .

He also introduced the first rate chart, standardizing delivery costs based on weight and distance, turning what had been a scattered courier network into a more reliable, structured mail system.

3

National Postal System founded

Image: David Trinks

With the American Revolution underway, the Second Continental Congress established the first national postal agency in 1775 , appointing Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General.

This new postal service initially handled mostly military and diplomatic correspondence, but the agency laid the groundwork for what would become a national communications service.

4

The Age of Steam: mail by steamboat

Image: mandylin

In 1813, Congress authorized the Postmaster General to contract steamboat companies to carry mail. Soon, steamboats were ferrying mail up and down the East Coast and the Mississippi River .

By 1848, mail even traveled to California via steamship and across the Isthmus of Panama, a three-week voyage.

5

Overland stagecoaches and the Butterfield Overland Mail

Image: Ricky BiggsSr

Between 1858 and 1861, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach service carried U.S. mail across the western frontier, from eastern posts like Memphis and St. Louis to San Francisco .

This service helped connect the eastern U.S. with rapidly growing western settlements long before the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

6

Railroads enter the picture

Image: Jay Kettle-Williams

As railroads expanded, the postal service started to use this new technology: in 1832, the first mail deliveries by train were made.

Rail transport vastly improved speed and reliability compared to horse and stagecoach travel , and became a key advance as mail traffic increased and the nation expanded westward.

7

First U.S. postage stamps

Image: The New York Public Library

In 1847, the first official U.S. postage stamps were issued: a 5-cent stamp featuring none Ben Franklin and a 10-cent stamp featuring George Washington .

Prepaid stamps simplified payment and collection of postage, removing complications from pay-on-delivery systems and helping the postal system function more efficiently.

8

The Pony Express

Image: The New York Public Library

In 1860, the Pony Express started its overland mail route between Missouri and California, nearly 1800 miles of relay horseback riding . The mail took 10 days between endpoints.

Although short-lived (it ended in 1861), the Pony Express demonstrated the demand for rapid cross-country communication.

9

City-wide home delivery

Image: Lesli Whitecotton

In 1863, free city mail delivery began , allowing residents in major cities to receive letters directly at their homes rather than picking them up at a post office.

This represented a major shift: mail became a part of everyday domestic life, not just something dropped off and picked up by hand.

10

Pneumatic tube mail in NYC

Image: The New York Public Library

In 1897, a pneumatic-tube mail system began operation in New York City. Mail could travel underground at high speeds, from the General Post Office to other offices in Manhattan within minutes .

At its peak, the system carried thousands of letters daily: at one point, nearly 30% of New York City mail went through this immense underground network.

11

Parcel post service launches

Image: Olivier Rouge

On New Year’s Day 1913, the U.S. Post Office inaugurated the first official parcel post service , allowing packages, not just letters, to be sent through the mail.

The impact was immediate: within the first five days, millions of packets passed through post offices, fueling mail-order business and expanding commerce everywhere.

12

First airmail route

Image: Qihao Wang

In 1918, the postal service launched the first regularly scheduled air mail route between Washington, D.C., and New York , marking the beginning of mail carried by airplane.

Airplane mail allowed far faster coast-to-coast and long-distance communication, a major leap from sailboats, stagecoaches, or railroads.

1

Cruella De Vil

Image: Helena Lopes

The Disney adventure comedy One Hundred and One Dalmatians premiered in 1961, and since then, Cruella de Vil has been one of the most iconic villains in animated film history.

This wicked woman is ambitious and capable of doing anything to get new fur for her coats. With the help of her henchmen, she steals the Dalmatian puppies her friends Anita and Roger had refused to sell her. Anyone who hurts cute little puppies to make coats deserves to be on the podium of the most evil villains in history!

2

Jafar

Image: Boris Hamer

Conspiracy and ruthlessness define any bad guy, and _Aladdin_’s villain is no exception. Jafar is capable of destroying anyone who stands in his way to gain more power.

Posing as an honest man, this evil sorcerer takes advantage of his role as the right hand of the Sultan of Agrabah and attempts to marry Princess Jasmine. His true intention, in fact, is to take over her father’s kingdom. If these traits don’t convince you that he is a true villain, just look at how he treats his sidekick, the charismatic parrot Iago.

3

Shan-Yu

Image: Stijn Dijkstra

Shan Yu is the main villain of the Disney movie Mulan (1998). This ruthless leader of the Huns is determined to conquer China. He and his army invade the land to prove his superiority to the emperor.

Cunning and sadistic, Shan-Yu feels no remorse when it comes to taking a life. Luckily, the brave Mulan manages to defeat him and ultimately saves the emperor.

4

Ursula

Image: Brian McGowan

Her tentacles and terrifying appearance are enough to make any child tremble. Ursula, the villain in The Little Mermaid (1989), uses magic to "help" others, although her deals are deceitful and become impossible to accomplish.

Ariel, the protagonist of this story, makes a deal with Ursula, who promises to turn her into a human for three days in exchange for her beautiful voice. If Ariel receives a "true love's kiss," she can be human forever. Despite the villain's attempts to make Ariel fail, she manages to keep her part of the deal by making Prince Eric fall in love with her.

5

Scar

Image: Brian McGowan

In The Lion King (1994), the second heir to the throne becomes one of the most ruthless villains when he murders his own brother and attempts to do the same to his nephew, Simba.

Although Scar only succeeds in causing Mufasa's demise, he convinces his nephew that it was his fault and that he must leave the kingdom forever. Scar orders the hyenas to destroy Simba, but what the evil lion could never have imagined is that the little boy would survive and return to avenge his father's death.

6

Queen Grimhilde

Image: Steven Beyer

Queen Grimhilde, better known as the Evil Queen, is the wicked stepmother in the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . She is considered the first Disney villain.

Obsessed with being the most beautiful in the whole kingdom, she plots to have her stepdaughter —and competition— eliminated and demands Snow White’s heart. She even uses witchcraft to transform into an old lady, which allows her to give a poisoned apple to the naive princess. Can you think of anything more terrifying?

7

Gaston

Image: brunapazini0

In the beginning, the Beast is presented as an irascible and cruel monster, but the real villain of Beauty and the Beast (1991) is Gaston.

The arrogant hunter is determined to marry Belle, even if it has to be by force. This obsession turns him into a ruthless being, capable of doing anything to have his love reciprocated. Luckily, Bella has no time to waste with this evil kind of man.

8

Maleficent

Image: professional_Designers

When it comes to villains, no one can match Maleficent. The powerful sorceress doesn't hesitate when it comes to summoning an army of monsters or using her magic for revenge.

In Sleeping Beauty (1959), Maleficent curses Princess Aurora with eternal sleep for not being invited to her christening. This villain is so popular that Disney has produced two live-action movies with Angelina Jolie in the lead role: Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019).

9

Captain Hook

Image: Lalelu2000

One of Disney's most iconic villains is, without a doubt, Captain Hook. In Peter Pan (1953), the ruthless pirate seeks to destroy the Boy Who Would Never Grow Up for being responsible for the loss of his hand and also for taunting him every time their paths cross.

Despite his inherent evilness, we can't help but laugh at Captain Hook and his irrational fear of the crocodile that ate his hand. A villain with such a weakness can't be all that terrifying, don't you think?

10

Lady Tremaine

Image: Gary Cooper

Wicked stepmothers are a classic of Disney movies and the one in Cinderella (1950) is perhaps one of the most iconic. Lady Tremaine made us shudder every time she appeared from the shadows stroking her cat, Lucifer.

To be fair, this stepmother might not have been so scary without the presence of her equally evil daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. Dead jealous, the three women make life miserable for poor Cinderella, relegated to serving and being exploited in her own home after the passing of her father. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about Lady Tremaine is that she successfully manages to inflict extreme suffering on Cinderella without laying a finger on her.

11

Governor Ratcliffe

Image: EricThriller

Governor Ratcliffe is the main villain in Disney's historical drama Pocahontas (1995). This money-hungry English settler is greedy, and he doesn't trust the "savages." He sends his men to attack them because he believes they're hiding a gold treasure.

Even when they discover that the Native Americans don't possess the riches, he still declares war on them. In a confrontation, Ratcliffe fires his musket at Chief Powhatan, but Captain John Smith —Pocahontas' love interest— takes the shot to save him. Finally, the settlers turn on Ratcliffe and arrest him for hurting their comrade.

12

Queen of Hearts

Image: Laine Cooper

Although the Queen of Hearts appears only at the end of Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland (1951), it is enough for us to notice the fear she inflicts on her subjects. This villainess is a childish, hotheaded monarch whose catchphrase is "Off with their heads!"

After feeling humiliated during a game of croquet, she loses her temper. The king convinces her to put Alice on trial before cutting off her head. Nothing seems to go right for the girl who must escape to save her life. Luckily, she finally realizes that she is in a dream and manages to wake up before she is caught by the tyrant queen.