A cartoonist who was told by the editor of the Kansas City newspaper, “It’s easy to see from these sketches that you have no talent.”

An author whose first children’s book was rejected by 23 different publishers?

A famous singer who was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry?

A famous actress who dropped out of high school and held a variety of odd jobs, including doing the hair and make-up for corpses, before finally succeeding in show business?

A famous author who lived on welfare for years in an apartment infested with mice?

A famous athlete who was cut from the varsity basketball team his sophomore year in high school?

An inventor who was thrown out of school in the early grades because his teachers thought he couldn’t learn?

A famous Harvard University drop out?

An inventor of a fried chicken recipe that was rejected by more than 1000 restaurant owners?