Astronomer Percival Lowell believed that he was the first person to observe canals on Venus, but because of a faulty adjustment of the eyepiece on his telescope, he was in fact looking at the blood vessels in his own eye.
3
Jeremy Clarkson once published his bank account number and sort code to prove that the information couldn't be used to steal money. Someone used it to set up a monthly direct debit from his bank account to a charity.
17
Stephen Hawking once tried to find potential time travellers by throwing a party and only sending out invitations after the party.
17
After Germany surrendered in WW2, people in Moscow partied until the entire city actually ran out of vodka.
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