10 People Who Tried to Warn Us About Terrible Disasters
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Some voices go unheard until it's too late. Join us as we explore remarkable individuals who tried to warn the world about impending disasters, from technological failures to global catastrophes, and the tragic consequences of ignored warnings. Our countdown features brave whistleblowers like Harry Markopolos exposing financial fraud, Li Wenliang warning about COVID-19, and Roger Boisjoly's unheeded cautions about the Challenger disaster. Which of these did you find the most eye opening?
10 People Who Tried to Warn Us About Terrible Disasters
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at individuals who correctly forecasted catastrophic events.
The fate of the RMS Titanic seemed all but impossible. After all, the massive British ocean liner had garnered a reputation as being “unsinkable.” But it could not withstand the impact of the iceberg it hit. Hours before this collision, Stanley Adams, the wireless operator of another ship, the SS Mesaba[a], messaged the crew, warning of "heavy pack ice and greater number larger icebergs” in the Atlantic Ocean. But while Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips received and acknowledged the message, it never made it to the bridge. However, Captain Edward Smith had ignored prior caution about the ice. Had he heeded these warnings, the untimely deaths of him and more than 1,000 other people onboard could have been prevented.
Bernie Madoff ran an investment firm that swindled roughly $65 billion from clients who had been led to believe he was helping them grow their nest eggs through shrewd financial management. Instead, he was depositing all of his clients’ money in a separate bank account, rather than investing it, while having employees fabricate trade reports, in a giant version of a Ponzi scheme. In 1999, financial analyst Harry Markopolos found very strong evidence of fraud, arguing it was mathematically impossible for his reported gains to be legitimate. From 2000 to 2005, he tried to warn the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of Madoff’s deception. While Madoff eventually admitted to his con in 2008, he could’ve been stopped much sooner had Markopolos been listened to.
On December 30, 2019, the Centres for Disease Prevention and Control in Wuhan, China, sent out warnings to all area hospitals about a mysterious trend of what they claimed was pneumonia. However, Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, received a report mentioning “SARS coronavirus.” Li shared this information in a private WeChat group with fellow medical school alumni. Though he specifically asked for the information to not be shared outside of the group, it soon spread far and wide. He was reprimanded by his employers and was coerced into signing a letter of admonition, which he later posted to social media. The following month, Li contracted COVID-19 from a patient, and on February 7, 2020, he passed away at age 34.
The global conflict lasting from 1914 until 1918 was originally commonly referred to as "the Great War" and "The war to end all wars." This, of course, wasn’t the case. As World War II broke out a little over two decades later. One person who could see it coming was Ferdinand Foch, a French general who served as the Western Front’s Supreme Allied Commander during World War I. Foch was involved in the Treaty of Versailles, which he believed should have been much harsher on Germany. He’s also been alleged to have referred to it as “an armistice for twenty years.” Which essentially was proven true. Foch passed away in 1929, meaning he didn’t live to see his post-war concerns realized.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through the southern United States, but by far the most devastation happened to the city of New Orleans, which suffered catastrophic flooding when the levees built to prevent that were destroyed by the storm. One person who could see this coming was Ivor van Heerden, then deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center. For years before Katrina hit, van Heerden had been sounding alarm bells about the impact of a potential storm and how the levees weren’t up to par, blaming the federal government for their lack of concern. Van Heerden later published a book about how his worst suspicions were realized, titled “The Storm.”
When it comes to aviation, safety is everything. And that doesn’t just go for the people flying the plane. On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 departed from Istanbul Yeşilköy[f] Airport, headed to London Heathrow Airport. An intermediate stop was made at Paris’ Orly Airport. Upon its second takeoff, the rear left cargo door blew off, starting a chain reaction that resulted in the plane crashing into the Ermenonville Forest, killing all 346 people onboard. The door's design flaw made it appear secure even when improperly locked. The baggage handler, unaware they needed to inspect the latches, failed to do so. Two years earlier, Convair engineer Dan Applegate had warned that such a failure was inevitable without critical design upgrades. Sadly, he was right.
A whole host of combined issues - from predatory lending to lack of proper oversight led to the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. In 2007, Jan Hatzius, the chief economist of Goldman Sachs said a full blown recession was unlikely. However, he argued it was still possible, pointing to a variety of potential factors. Indeed, the economy’s downward slide persisted, and in January 2008, Goldman Sachs predicted a recession was coming. Though he was by no means the only economist forecasting a recession, Hatzius’ predictions were the most accurate. Though Hatzius’ warnings alone wouldn’t be enough to prevent the economic collapse experienced around the world, they serve as an important reminder as to the crucial importance of economists.
By far the most famous individual on this list, Nikola Tesla is one of the most influential minds of his era and beyond. In addition to receiving more than 200 patents for his inventions, Tesla also had very shrewd insights about the long-term risks of burning fossil fuels for energy. His argument was simple: these were non-renewable resources that would eventually run out, even if it wasn’t in his lifetime. In 1915, Tesla wrote it would need to be curbed “in the interest of coming generations,” advocating instead for a switch to renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. Unfortunately, Tesla’s warnings weren’t heeded. Had he been listened to, there’s no telling how much better off the global environment would be thanks to renewable energy.
On the morning of January 28, 1986, millions of Americans turned on their TVs to watch the Space Shuttle Challenger take off. What should’ve been a day of triumph became one of tragedy when the vessel broke apart 73 seconds after launch, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. In the months ahead of the launch, Roger Boisjoly, a mechanical engineer whose company, Morton Thiokol, was involved in the launch, argued that the cold weather conditions of the January launch would likely lead to the failure of crucial O-rings and subsequently, the whole vessel. But the dire warnings of Boisjoly and others to cancel the launch were ignored, and his grim prediction sadly came to realization.
The attacks of September 11, 2001 sent shockwaves throughout the world. It may have seemed like it came out of nowhere, but John Patrick O'Neill certainly saw it coming. The FBI agent specialized in counter-terrorism, and helped with the apprehension of the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He would later zero in on the activities of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. But his warnings of a potential attack on U.S. soil were ignored, resulting in his leaving the FBI. On August 23, 2001, O’Neill started a new job, as chief of security at the World Trade Center, and he tragically lost his life in the attacks the following month.
[b]marka-POH-liss https://youtu.be/8pzKyfYI7y4?si=ovqYh14NurdQBINN&t=12
https://youtu.be/ab1NTIlO-FM?si=6OS3t1sKcalXANKn&t=143
[c]lee wen-lee-YAWNG https://translate.google.ca/?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&text=%E6%9D%8E%E6%96%87%E4%BA%AE%0A&op=translate
https://youtu.be/TmGkGWYW3JI?si=zuqoIyvy5kRQAgtn&t=9
[d](french) fare-dee-nawn fawsh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch
[e]EYE-vur fawn HEER-din
https://youtu.be/KvkqQws0kq0?si=JNeeS-ZQs63iZcVA&t=2897
[f]YESHY-keuil / kieux https://forvo.com/search/Ye%C5%9Filk%C3%B6y/ OR https://translate.google.ca/?sl=tr&tl=en&text=Ye%C5%9Filk%C3%B6y&op=translate
ore-LEE https://forvo.com/search/l%27a%C3%A9roport%20d%27Orly/
AIR-MEUX-NON-ville (french) https://forvo.com/search/Ermenonville/
[g]yon HAWTSY-iss https://youtu.be/a5q_TXi2Zhc?si=ZeSi5dk1eoJQRstg&t=12
[h]beaujolais https://youtu.be/1jPP7Ks6Rhk?si=rPnJpHmcQv3vt3f-&t=1789 https://youtu.be/DB8iYf_857U?si=kgEeTbn922yJw7qV&t=216 https://youtu.be/KwV2datnyb0?si=kRmNFurXcIpgMQZv&t=29
morton THY-UH-call https://youtu.be/QbtY_Wl-hYI?si=qnlkaFW_7vR4OdsC&t=26
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at individuals who correctly forecasted catastrophic events.
Stanley Adams
Titanic SinkingThe fate of the RMS Titanic seemed all but impossible. After all, the massive British ocean liner had garnered a reputation as being “unsinkable.” But it could not withstand the impact of the iceberg it hit. Hours before this collision, Stanley Adams, the wireless operator of another ship, the SS Mesaba[a], messaged the crew, warning of "heavy pack ice and greater number larger icebergs” in the Atlantic Ocean. But while Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips received and acknowledged the message, it never made it to the bridge. However, Captain Edward Smith had ignored prior caution about the ice. Had he heeded these warnings, the untimely deaths of him and more than 1,000 other people onboard could have been prevented.
Harry Markopolos[b]
Bernie Madoff Ponzi SchemeBernie Madoff ran an investment firm that swindled roughly $65 billion from clients who had been led to believe he was helping them grow their nest eggs through shrewd financial management. Instead, he was depositing all of his clients’ money in a separate bank account, rather than investing it, while having employees fabricate trade reports, in a giant version of a Ponzi scheme. In 1999, financial analyst Harry Markopolos found very strong evidence of fraud, arguing it was mathematically impossible for his reported gains to be legitimate. From 2000 to 2005, he tried to warn the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of Madoff’s deception. While Madoff eventually admitted to his con in 2008, he could’ve been stopped much sooner had Markopolos been listened to.
Li Wenliang[c]
COVID-19On December 30, 2019, the Centres for Disease Prevention and Control in Wuhan, China, sent out warnings to all area hospitals about a mysterious trend of what they claimed was pneumonia. However, Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, received a report mentioning “SARS coronavirus.” Li shared this information in a private WeChat group with fellow medical school alumni. Though he specifically asked for the information to not be shared outside of the group, it soon spread far and wide. He was reprimanded by his employers and was coerced into signing a letter of admonition, which he later posted to social media. The following month, Li contracted COVID-19 from a patient, and on February 7, 2020, he passed away at age 34.
Ferdinand Foch[d]
World War IIThe global conflict lasting from 1914 until 1918 was originally commonly referred to as "the Great War" and "The war to end all wars." This, of course, wasn’t the case. As World War II broke out a little over two decades later. One person who could see it coming was Ferdinand Foch, a French general who served as the Western Front’s Supreme Allied Commander during World War I. Foch was involved in the Treaty of Versailles, which he believed should have been much harsher on Germany. He’s also been alleged to have referred to it as “an armistice for twenty years.” Which essentially was proven true. Foch passed away in 1929, meaning he didn’t live to see his post-war concerns realized.
Ivor van Heerden[e]
Hurricane KatrinaIn August 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through the southern United States, but by far the most devastation happened to the city of New Orleans, which suffered catastrophic flooding when the levees built to prevent that were destroyed by the storm. One person who could see this coming was Ivor van Heerden, then deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center. For years before Katrina hit, van Heerden had been sounding alarm bells about the impact of a potential storm and how the levees weren’t up to par, blaming the federal government for their lack of concern. Van Heerden later published a book about how his worst suspicions were realized, titled “The Storm.”
Dan Applegate
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 CrashWhen it comes to aviation, safety is everything. And that doesn’t just go for the people flying the plane. On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 departed from Istanbul Yeşilköy[f] Airport, headed to London Heathrow Airport. An intermediate stop was made at Paris’ Orly Airport. Upon its second takeoff, the rear left cargo door blew off, starting a chain reaction that resulted in the plane crashing into the Ermenonville Forest, killing all 346 people onboard. The door's design flaw made it appear secure even when improperly locked. The baggage handler, unaware they needed to inspect the latches, failed to do so. Two years earlier, Convair engineer Dan Applegate had warned that such a failure was inevitable without critical design upgrades. Sadly, he was right.
Jan Hatzius[g]
2007-08 Financial CrisisA whole host of combined issues - from predatory lending to lack of proper oversight led to the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. In 2007, Jan Hatzius, the chief economist of Goldman Sachs said a full blown recession was unlikely. However, he argued it was still possible, pointing to a variety of potential factors. Indeed, the economy’s downward slide persisted, and in January 2008, Goldman Sachs predicted a recession was coming. Though he was by no means the only economist forecasting a recession, Hatzius’ predictions were the most accurate. Though Hatzius’ warnings alone wouldn’t be enough to prevent the economic collapse experienced around the world, they serve as an important reminder as to the crucial importance of economists.
Nikola Tesla
Fossil Fuel RisksBy far the most famous individual on this list, Nikola Tesla is one of the most influential minds of his era and beyond. In addition to receiving more than 200 patents for his inventions, Tesla also had very shrewd insights about the long-term risks of burning fossil fuels for energy. His argument was simple: these were non-renewable resources that would eventually run out, even if it wasn’t in his lifetime. In 1915, Tesla wrote it would need to be curbed “in the interest of coming generations,” advocating instead for a switch to renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. Unfortunately, Tesla’s warnings weren’t heeded. Had he been listened to, there’s no telling how much better off the global environment would be thanks to renewable energy.
Roger Boisjoly[h]
Challenger DisasterOn the morning of January 28, 1986, millions of Americans turned on their TVs to watch the Space Shuttle Challenger take off. What should’ve been a day of triumph became one of tragedy when the vessel broke apart 73 seconds after launch, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. In the months ahead of the launch, Roger Boisjoly, a mechanical engineer whose company, Morton Thiokol, was involved in the launch, argued that the cold weather conditions of the January launch would likely lead to the failure of crucial O-rings and subsequently, the whole vessel. But the dire warnings of Boisjoly and others to cancel the launch were ignored, and his grim prediction sadly came to realization.
John P. O'Neill
September 11th AttacksThe attacks of September 11, 2001 sent shockwaves throughout the world. It may have seemed like it came out of nowhere, but John Patrick O'Neill certainly saw it coming. The FBI agent specialized in counter-terrorism, and helped with the apprehension of the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He would later zero in on the activities of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. But his warnings of a potential attack on U.S. soil were ignored, resulting in his leaving the FBI. On August 23, 2001, O’Neill started a new job, as chief of security at the World Trade Center, and he tragically lost his life in the attacks the following month.
Do you remember where you were when any of these disasters were first reported? Let us know in the comments.
[a]https://youtu.be/dHdIDHYIDL4?si=NxSwOvbGb-2CCNkk&t=1145[b]marka-POH-liss https://youtu.be/8pzKyfYI7y4?si=ovqYh14NurdQBINN&t=12
https://youtu.be/ab1NTIlO-FM?si=6OS3t1sKcalXANKn&t=143
[c]lee wen-lee-YAWNG https://translate.google.ca/?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&text=%E6%9D%8E%E6%96%87%E4%BA%AE%0A&op=translate
https://youtu.be/TmGkGWYW3JI?si=zuqoIyvy5kRQAgtn&t=9
[d](french) fare-dee-nawn fawsh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch
[e]EYE-vur fawn HEER-din
https://youtu.be/KvkqQws0kq0?si=JNeeS-ZQs63iZcVA&t=2897
[f]YESHY-keuil / kieux https://forvo.com/search/Ye%C5%9Filk%C3%B6y/ OR https://translate.google.ca/?sl=tr&tl=en&text=Ye%C5%9Filk%C3%B6y&op=translate
ore-LEE https://forvo.com/search/l%27a%C3%A9roport%20d%27Orly/
AIR-MEUX-NON-ville (french) https://forvo.com/search/Ermenonville/
[g]yon HAWTSY-iss https://youtu.be/a5q_TXi2Zhc?si=ZeSi5dk1eoJQRstg&t=12
[h]beaujolais https://youtu.be/1jPP7Ks6Rhk?si=rPnJpHmcQv3vt3f-&t=1789 https://youtu.be/DB8iYf_857U?si=kgEeTbn922yJw7qV&t=216 https://youtu.be/KwV2datnyb0?si=kRmNFurXcIpgMQZv&t=29
morton THY-UH-call https://youtu.be/QbtY_Wl-hYI?si=qnlkaFW_7vR4OdsC&t=26
