Top 10 Huge Events Completely Overshadowed By Other Events

So much news, so little time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 events that were completely overshadowed by other events.   For this list, we’re taking a look at significant events that could’ve been top news stories any other day, but flew under the radar due to another event that received the lion’s share of the media coverage.  

#10: The War on Waste Overshadowed by: 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

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On September 10, 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held a press conference, announcing that the US Defense Department had been unable to trace $2.3 trillion. Rumsfeld came down on Pentagon bureaucracy, stating that wasted funds could be a matter of “life and death.” But this crackdown on misspending was stopped dead in its tracks the very next day. Tragically, two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th while a third was flown into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Compared to the thousands of deaths on 9/11, the missing $2.3 trillion suddenly seemed like an inconsequential loss. The War on Waste ultimately took a backseat to the War on Terror, which cost an estimated $5 trillion.  

#9: The Death of Groucho Marx Overshadowed by: The Death of Elvis Presley

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The world lost a comedic legend on August 19, 1977 when Groucho Marx died at age 86. His death was somewhat overlooked by the media, however, as Elvis Presley had died from a heart attack three days earlier. Elvis was only 42 years old and arguably the biggest solo musical artist in the world and his death triggered a massive outpouring of emotion from fans worldwide. While Elvis had never really left the limelight, Marx had become an elder statesman of comedy and vaudeville, and as such hadn’t really been in the spotlight for nearly a decade. While both men left behind rich legacies, media attention tended to latch onto the younger, charismatic and revolutionary figure that was Elvis Presley.  

When ISIS bombed a local refugee camp on November 12, 2015, Beirut, Lebanon suffered its most severe terrorist attack since the Lebanese Civil War. With 43 total casualties, this tragedy likely would’ve been all over the news and social media if it weren’t for another act of terror committed one day later. On November 13, ISIS bombed Saint-Denis, a northern suburb in Paris, France, leaving 130 people dead and hundreds more injured. Given the higher death toll, the Paris attacks caused many people to forget about the Beirut attacks. Nevertheless, there’s no denying these were two incredibly dark days for humanity that mustn’t be ignored.  

Although “Doctor Who” would develop a passionate cult following over time, it had the misfortune of premiering the day after three influential individuals died. On November 22, 1963, fantasy author C.S. Lewis and novelist Aldous Huxley passed away. The most talked about news story that day, however, was the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy’s death shocked the world and remains one of the darkest moments in U.S. history. Coverage of the assassination briefly delayed the debut of “Doctor Who” the next evening, and led the BBC to repeat the episode the following week. It may not have had the full attention of its audience at the start, but “Doctor Who” managed to become the longest-running sci-fi series ever – bad omens aside.  

In addition to being the first woman in the United States to attain a pilot’s license, Harriet Quimby was also the first female aviator to fly across the English Channel. Taking off in Dover, England on April 16, 1912, she reached her destination in 59 minutes, landing on a beach in northern France. But where Quimby successfully completed her voyage, the same couldn’t be said about the RMS Titanic. After hitting an iceberg, this passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, claiming over 1,500 lives. Overshadowed bythis disaster, Quimby never got her moment in the sun and died in an aviation accident a couple of months later, leaving many to consider her an unsung hero.  

#5: The Death of Mother Teresa Overshadowed by: The Death of Princess Diana

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Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales had a great deal in common. Both were known for their charity work, helping to raise awareness of leprosy and HIV/AIDS. Princess Diana notably visited Mother Teresa at a New York convent in June of 1997. On August 31, just a couple of months after their meeting, the 36-year-old Lady Di died following a car crash in Paris. Less than a week after her untimely death, Teresa passed away due to heart failure on September 5. But with the public already coping with the sudden loss of Diana, Teresa’s death didn’t receive nearly as much media attention. Nonetheless, these two women are still remembered for their dedication and compassion, ultimately making the world a better place.    

#4: Man Rowing Across an Ocean Overshadowed by: Man Walking on the Moon

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John Fairfax became the first man to row solo across an entire ocean, with the journey taking 180 days. Starting his adventure at the Canary Islands, Fairfax crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Florida on July 19, 1969. Unfortunately, this just so happened to be the day before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon. Armstrong’s one small step for man might have eclipsed John Fairfax’s crossing, but his incredible feat didn’t go completely unrecognized. The Apollo 11 crew themselves sent Fairfax a congratulatory message, stating, “As fellow explorers, we salute you on this great occasion” – but few others took notice.  

#3: The Death of Farrah Fawcett Overshadowed by: The Death of Michael Jackson

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Following a battle with cancer, Farrah Fawcett died on June 25, 2009. Although Fawcett’s deteriorating health was among the most widely discussed topics in the news, she ultimately had to share the spotlight with Michael Jackson, who was pronounced dead the same day. While Fawcett was still heavily mourned, the King of Pop’s passing dominated popular culture: MJ’s death was front-page news, but Fawcett’s was relegated to back pages and entertainment sections. Worse still was the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” segment the following year, which featured Jackson but saw Fawcett controversially excluded.  

The idea of a major league final getting overshadowed might seem unthinkable, but that’s exactly what happened during the telecast of the 1994 NBA Finals. On June 13, 1994, O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and friend Ron Goldman were discovered murdered in Los Angeles, and O.J. quickly became the prime suspect. Simpson was to turn himself into police custody on Friday, June 17, but instead fled in his white Ford Bronco, triggering the now infamous low-speed chase. With CNN, ABC, and CBS covering the liveevents, NBC followed suit— interrupting Game Five between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks. While the game was still aired via split screen, the Juice breaking loose was clearly the bigger story.   Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: -          Ayatollah Khomeini’s Death, First Free Elections in Poland, Gas Explosion in Russia Overshadowed by: Tank Man   -          Electric Traffic Lights Introduced Overshadowed by: Germany Invades Belgium  

#1: The Capture of Rome Overshadowed by: Operation Overlord

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Even if you never paid attention in history class, you’re familiar with Operation Overlord, aka D-Day. Taking place on June 6, 1944, this operation commenced the Invasion of Normandy, with Allied forces storming French shores. D-Day, however, occurred only a couple of days after American troops seized Rome on June 4. Unlike the Normandy Invasion, however, this mission wasn’t entirely successful in the long run, as it resulted in German forces escaping due to a miscalculation that later resulted in Allied casualties. The Normandy landings, meanwhile, remain the largest beach invasion ever, with that day proving to be a major turning point in the course of the Second World War.   Do you agree with our list? What other events were completely overshadowed by something bigger? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.