History TemptingFate / RealLife

* At the 2016 Republican National Convention, retired US lieutenant general Michael Flynn led a "Lock her up!" chant regarding UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton's email scandal, and said "if I did a tenth -a tenth- of what she did, I would be in jail today." In 2017, Flynn resigned as UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's National Security Advisor after it was revealed he'd lied to Vice President UsefulNote/MikePence about his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and he later pled guilty to lying to the FBI, although Trump pardoned him in 2020.

* At the 2016 Republican National Convention, retired US lieutenant general Michael Flynn led a "Lock her up!" chant regarding UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton's email scandal, and said "if I did a tenth -a tenth- of what she did, I would be in jail today." In 2017, Flynn resigned as UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's National Security Advisor after it was revealed he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and he later pled guilty to lying to the FBI, although Trump pardoned him in 2020.

* Theodore Roosevelt was chosen as William [=McKinley's=] running mate in 1900 in order to limit his power because his policies as Governor of New York were disliked by the conservatives who ran the Republican Party, and they hoped that his [[KickedUpstairs power would be limited as Vice President]] while still utilizing his popularity. Republican National Committee Chairman Mark Hanna however stated that there would be "only one life between that madman and the presidency". Queue William [=McKinley=] being assassinated.

* President [[Usefulnotes/HarrySTruman Harry Truman]] was quoted by newspapers the day after V-J-day 1945 (August 11), stating: "Today, Nazism is forever dead". He was, of course, dead wrong.

* Creator/GeorgeHWBush famously proclaimed as a campaign promise, "Read my lips: no new taxes." However, economic realities forced him to indeed consent to do so while in office, triggering a massive backlash within his own party and causing him to be hammered mercilessly for it during the 1992 campaign.

* During the 2008 campaign, UsefulNotes/BarackObama was ''repeatedly'' called the next "Lincoln" or "Kennedy". Naturally, this was a huge source of snark.

* American Presidential candidate Mitt Romney had prepared a 1,118-word victory speech, as well as a website for when he won the 2012 election. He had not prepared a concession speech. He lost.

* The last thing that [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy President Kennedy]] heard was, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you," which he acknowledged with "No, you certainly can't." He was assassinated moments later.
* Lee Harvey Oswald's last words were, "Aww, there ain't going to be anybody shooting at me. You're just being melodramatic." Then a man named Jack Ruby emerged from the crowd of reporters with a .38 Colt Cobra revolver and shot him at point blank range.
* George H.W. Bush famously proclaimed as a campaign promise, "Read my lips: no new taxes." However, economic realities forced him to indeed consent to do so while in office, triggering a massive backlash within his own party and causing him to be hammered mercilessly for it during the 1992 campaign.

* A news report on road improvements to a notorious stretch of road in the United Kingdom featured a spokesperson from the Department of Transport saying that he refused to accept that it was a dangerous road. As he was speaking, a car can be seen behind him swerving out of control and a crash occurring. (Fortunately, nobody was injured.)

* This comment from then-new Creator/{{NBC}} Entertainment president Jeff Zucker shortly after NBC lost [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]] coverage to Creator/{{ABC}} after the 2002 NBA Finals.

* Captain William "Buckey" O'Neill of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War was strolling up and down the lines in plain view. When one of his soldiers asked him to keep his head down, he responded with "Sergeant, the Spanish bullet isn't made that will kill me." A few minutes later, he caught a bullet that went in through his mouth and out the back of his head, killing him instantly.

* The Iroquois Theater in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} advertised itself as "Absolutely Fireproof" when it opened on November 23, 1903. 37 days later, during a matinee performance, sparks from a light ignited a curtain, leading to a fast-spreading fire that quickly engulfed the building. Over 600 people died in what still stands as the deadliest building fire in American history.

* Kind of an exploited inversion: The mathematician [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._H._Hardy G. H. Hardy]] was very scared of ship cruises. So when he couldn't avoid it, he announced beforehand he had a proof of the legendary Riemann hypothesis. [[InsaneTrollLogic If God would sink him, he would get instantly immortal, since that wouldn't happen, he was safe.]] He was right - he survived.

* In the United Kingdom, the coverage of the results of the General Election start with the exit polls. The start of the coverage of 2015's results showed huge losses for the Liberal Democrats and large gains for the Scottish National Party[[note]]the Lib Dems would lose all but 10 of their seats and the SNP would get all but ''one'' of Scotland's seats[[/note]]. When this was shown, two of the BBC's guests - Paddy Ashdown[[note]]the leader of the Lib Dems between 1988 and 1999[[/note]] and Alistair Campbell[[note]]Tony Blair's press secretary when he was Prime Minister[[/note]] - doubted the results. Ashdown said he would "eat his hat" if the result was right, and Campbell said he would "eat his kilt" if the Scottish National Party did as well as expected. When all the seats had been declared, the Lib Dems did ''worse'' than expected (they lost all but ''eight'' of their seats) and the SNP got all but three of Scotland's 59 seats. As a result, the BBC offered both [[http://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_medium/public/thumbnails/image/2015/05/08/21/cake.jpg Ashdown]] and [[http://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_medium/public/thumbnails/image/2015/05/08/21/kilt.jpg Campbell]] their preferred dessert on the following night's ''Question Time''.

* On 6 January 2021, all the senators and representatives in the United States had gathered in Washington, D.C., to count and verify the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. In the statements before the counting and verification, Senator Amy Klobuchar said, “January 6 is not typically a day of historical significance for our country.” [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack 2021’s would turn out to be one but for all the wrong reasons.]]

** The first two words of the Soviet national anthem were "unbreakable union". [[SarcasmMode Well, I wonder]] how that worked out...
*** The second line is "Great Russia[[note]]as in the former Russian Empire[[/note]] welded to stand forever." Really the whole song is one giant BadassBoast about how united the country is and enduring Leninist communism is. Oops.

* The last thing that [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy President Kennedy]] heard was, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you," which he acknowledged with "No, you certainly can't." He was later assassinated in Dallas.

* The Swiss managed to get a subversion with their experimental nuclear reactor at Lucens. The head of the project assured the federal council that "everything is safe, and nothing can go wrong." On the same day there was a reactor meltdown. But since they [[ProperlyParanoid feared]] something like that might happen, the reactor was built [[CrazyPrepared in a cave]] which was then simply sealed off for the next decade.

** Now [[http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/04/30/1739206/ someone is working]] on creating the ''Titanic II''. Commenters wasted no time asking WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong.

* US politician [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hart#1988_presidential_campaign_and_the_Donna_Rice_affair Gary Hart]] was the obvious choice for the 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, and a likely predicted winner of the election. Then he gave an interview in which he mocked journalists and taunted reporters, and ended by throwing them this challenge: "Follow me around. I don't care. I'm serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead.". [[BullyingADragon They did]] - and photographed the married Hart "meeting" a "model" half his age ''[[BeCarefulWhatYouSay on the evening of the very same day when he gave his taunt]]'', [[CrossesTheLineTwice on a Yacht called the S.S. Monkey Business]]. Hart's public support went down like a meteorite and Michael Dukakis became the Democrats' candidate, with known results. Hilariously, [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex Hart still seems to have hopes of running as a Democratic presidential candidate one day]].

-->"We lost [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague football]] two years ago, and we stayed a strong No. 1. We lost [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} baseball]], and we stayed a strong No. 1. Now we're about to lose basketball, and I believe we'll stay a strong No. 1. The fact is, it's had no impact on our prime time strength. . . NBC can now program all of Sunday nights without going around basketball. I think that's a huge advantage for us. We haven't been able for the last several years to put a program at 8 o'clock because we've had the NBA."
** And what happened afterwards? NBC crashed to 4th place, resulting in a new decade-long AudienceAlienatingEra for the Peacock.

** And now [[http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/04/30/1739206/ someone is working]] on creating the ''Titanic II''. Commenters wasted no time asking WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong.

* During the reign of Roman emperor Tiberius, a senator quipped it was easier to cross the bay of Naples on a horse than to UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} to become the next emperor. Not only Caligula ''did'' become emperor, one of his first orders was to have a boat bridge built across the bay of Naples just so he could cross it on a horse, and had that same senator watch him do so.

* In June 2006, the Secretary of State for Transport said: "[[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060620/halltext/60620h0010.htm Network Rail [...] does not believe that the railway sea defences in Dawlish are likely to fail in the foreseeable future]]". They failed in [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26062712 February 2014]].

* On October 16, 1929 US economist Irving Fisher was quoted in the ''New York Times'' as stating that stock prices had reached "what looks like a permanently high plateau," adding that "I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher than it is today within a few months." Wall Street suffered its calamitous crash less than two weeks later.

* On October 16, 1929 US economist Irving Fisher was quoted in the ''New York Times'' as stating, "Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau," adding that "I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher than it is today within a few months." Wall Street suffered its calamitous crash less than two weeks later.

* On October 16, 1929 US economist Irving Fisher was quoted in the ''New York Times'' as stating, "Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau […] I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher than it is today within a few months." Wall Street suffered its calamitous crash less than two weeks later.

-->'''Andy Card''', ''chief of staff, White House'': I remember literally telling him, “It should be an easy day.” Those were the words. “It should be an easy day.”

* [[http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/were-the-only-plane-in-the-sky-214230 From an article]] on what it was like to be on UsefulNotes/AirForceOne during DistancedFromCurrentEvents/SeptemberEleventh:
-->'''Andy Card''', ''chief of staff, White House'': I remember literally telling him, “It should be an easy day.” Those were the words. “It should be an easy day.”

* The exchange between Creator/RogerEbert and Creator/RobSchneider regarding the deservedly negative reviews of the latter's 2005 film ''[[Film/DeuceBigalow Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo]]'' was largely the result of Schneider's denunciation of another critic's review. Schneider had said that Patrick Goldstein of the ''Los Angeles Times'' was unqualified to review the film because he had never won a UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. At the end of his own review of the film, Ebert led off his rebuttal by naming some of Goldstein's achievements to that point, including once winning an award from the Los Angeles Press Club, and comparing it to Schneider, who at that point only had a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] nomination to his name (and [[TakeThat having lost that to]] [[Film/ThePhantomMenace Jar-Jar Binks]]). He then summed up his retaliation thusly:

* [[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rapper-who-once-declared-god-made-me-bulletproof-shot-and-killed/ Rapper who claimed God made him bulletproof gets shot to death.]]

* After [[NoOneShouldSurviveThat surviving the nuclear bomb]] that hit Hiroshima, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsutomu_Yamaguchi Tsutomu Yamaguchi's]] returned to work in Nagasaki. After telling the story to his superior, his superior questioned how a single bomb could destroy an entire city. It was right at that moment when Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki... which Yamaguchi ''also survived''.

* In 2018, the Trump administration disbanded a team meant to coordinate and respond to a possible pandemic. Two years later, the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic struck. Likewise, Trump claimed in February 2020 that the pandemic wouldn't last beyond April...more than two years have passed and it's still ongoing.