This is a list of bets, both verified and unverified, that have achieved fame.
Ancient world: Cleopatra supposedly bet her lover Mark Antony that she could spend the enormous sum of 10 million sesterces on a single meal. She allegedly dissolved an extremely valuable pearl in some vinegar and drank it.[1]
c. 1746: Allegedly, Earl Fitzwilliam had a 45 feet (14 m) pyramid built with an archway (The Needle's Eye) because he had wagered that he could drive a coach through a needle's eye.[2][3]
c. 1788: Thomas Whaley, an Irish gambler and politician, won bets totaling £15,000 (about £1.8 million in 2001) after he traveled to Jerusalem and back within two years. The region, part of the Ottoman Empire, was considered too dangerous for travelers.
18th century: The physically fit Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore, supposedly was challenged by a rotund butcher named Mr. Bullock to a 100-yard (91 m) foot race, the conditions being that Bullock be given a 35-yard (32 m) head start and the choice of the course to be run. Bullock selected a narrow lane. Barry quickly caught up with his opponent, but there was no room for him to get past.
1872?: Horse breeder (former governor of California and co-founder of Stanford University) Leland Stanford allegedly wagered $25,000 that a horse, while running, had all four feet off the ground at the same time; he supposedly hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge to prove it.[4][5] Whether there was a bet or - more likely - Stanford merely wanted to better analyze a horse's gait, Muybridge did take a series of photographs for him in June 1878, the basis of The Horse in Motion, which showed the horse's feet in the air at the same time.
November 1872: Not long after the end of the American Civil War, in which many of the English had sympathized with the South, Gilbert Bates wagered $1000 to $100 that he could walk the length of England carrying the American flag without being insulted. He won.
between 1957 and 1960: Bennett Cerf bet Dr. Seuss (Cerf was Seuss's publisher) that Seuss could not write a book with a vocabulary of only 50 words. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham, using and reusing exactly that number.[6][7]
c. 1977: George Lucas visited Steven Spielberg while the latter was making Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Struggling with his own production and impressed by what he saw of Spielberg's work, Lucas offered to trade 2.5% of the points (profits) of their films.[8][9]Close Encounters made a lot of money, but not as much as Star Wars. Spielberg is still collecting the difference to this day (an estimate $12.5 million as of 1978).
1980 and 1984: On September 24, 1980, William Lee Bergstrom walked into the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas with two suitcases, one containing $777,000, the other empty. The Horseshoe had a unique policy, which set a gambler's maximum bet limit at the first wager placed. Bergstrom bet the entire amount on the don't pass line in craps and, after several rolls, won. The winnings went into the second suitcase. On March 24, 1984, he returned to the Horseshoe and bet $538,000, again in craps and again won. Finally on November 16 the same year, Bergstrom placed his largest craps bet: $1,000,000. This time he lost.[10][11]
April 11, 2004: Ashley Revell sold all his possessions and bet £76,840 on one roll of the roulette wheel in Las Vegas. He doubled his money when the ball landed on a red number.[12]
^Fen Montaigne (April 9, 1985). "'Phantom Gambler' chose to die rather than be alone". Evening Independent.
^"'All or nothing' gamble succeeds". BBC News. April 12, 2004. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
August 28, 2023
list, bets, this, list, bets, both, verified, unverified, that, have, achieved, fame, ancient, world, cleopatra, supposedly, lover, mark, antony, that, could, spend, enormous, million, sesterces, single, meal, allegedly, dissolved, extremely, valuable, pearl, . This is a list of bets both verified and unverified that have achieved fame Ancient world Cleopatra supposedly bet her lover Mark Antony that she could spend the enormous sum of 10 million sesterces on a single meal She allegedly dissolved an extremely valuable pearl in some vinegar and drank it 1 c 1746 Allegedly Earl Fitzwilliam had a 45 feet 14 m pyramid built with an archway The Needle s Eye because he had wagered that he could drive a coach through a needle s eye 2 3 c 1788 Thomas Whaley an Irish gambler and politician won bets totaling 15 000 about 1 8 million in 2001 after he traveled to Jerusalem and back within two years The region part of the Ottoman Empire was considered too dangerous for travelers 18th century The physically fit Richard Barry 7th Earl of Barrymore supposedly was challenged by a rotund butcher named Mr Bullock to a 100 yard 91 m foot race the conditions being that Bullock be given a 35 yard 32 m head start and the choice of the course to be run Bullock selected a narrow lane Barry quickly caught up with his opponent but there was no room for him to get past 1872 Horse breeder former governor of California and co founder of Stanford University Leland Stanford allegedly wagered 25 000 that a horse while running had all four feet off the ground at the same time he supposedly hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge to prove it 4 5 Whether there was a bet or more likely Stanford merely wanted to better analyze a horse s gait Muybridge did take a series of photographs for him in June 1878 the basis of The Horse in Motion which showed the horse s feet in the air at the same time November 1872 Not long after the end of the American Civil War in which many of the English had sympathized with the South Gilbert Bates wagered 1000 to 100 that he could walk the length of England carrying the American flag without being insulted He won between 1957 and 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Dr Seuss Cerf was Seuss s publisher that Seuss could not write a book with a vocabulary of only 50 words Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using and reusing exactly that number 6 7 c 1977 George Lucas visited Steven Spielberg while the latter was making Close Encounters of the Third Kind Struggling with his own production and impressed by what he saw of Spielberg s work Lucas offered to trade 2 5 of the points profits of their films 8 9 Close Encounters made a lot of money but not as much as Star Wars Spielberg is still collecting the difference to this day an estimate 12 5 million as of 1978 1980 and 1984 On September 24 1980 William Lee Bergstrom walked into the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas with two suitcases one containing 777 000 the other empty The Horseshoe had a unique policy which set a gambler s maximum bet limit at the first wager placed Bergstrom bet the entire amount on the don t pass line in craps and after several rolls won The winnings went into the second suitcase On March 24 1984 he returned to the Horseshoe and bet 538 000 again in craps and again won Finally on November 16 the same year Bergstrom placed his largest craps bet 1 000 000 This time he lost 10 11 April 11 2004 Ashley Revell sold all his possessions and bet 76 840 on one roll of the roulette wheel in Las Vegas He doubled his money when the ball landed on a red number 12 Scientific wager a list of examplesSee also EditFor sale baby shoes never worn a six word story allegedly written by Ernest Hemingway on a betReferences Edit Rossella Lorenzi November 27 2012 How Cleopatra Won Her Bet Discovery Channel Retrieved February 27 2014 Britain s best architectural follies The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 2012 01 08 The Needle s Eye Wentworth Woodhouse December 5 2012 Retrieved May 8 2013 Shah Haleema December 13 2018 How a 19th Century Photographer Made the First GIF of a Galloping Horse Smithsonian Hall of Fame Leland Stanford Harness Racing Museum amp Hall of Fame 10 stories behind Dr Seuss stories CNN January 23 2009 Retrieved February 27 2014 Green Eggs and Ham snopes com Retrieved February 27 2014 Dodds Eric March 31 2014 George Lucas Lost a 40 Million Bet to Steven Spielberg Over Star Wars Time Steven Spielberg Still Cashing In On Star Wars Bet starpulse com June 25 2007 Archived from the original on June 29 2007 Retrieved June 3 2013 Tim Dahlberg Associated Press February 6 1985 Million Dollar Gambler Commits Suicide Broke at End Fen Montaigne April 9 1985 Phantom Gambler chose to die rather than be alone Evening Independent All or nothing gamble succeeds BBC News April 12 2004 Retrieved May 8 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of bets amp oldid 1136428188, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
