FAMOUS PREDICTIONS

"You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married"
--Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency, in 1944
to modeling hopeful Norma Jean Baker, better known to us as Marilyn Monroe.

"You ain't goin' nowhere son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck."
--Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, 1954, upon firing a singer
after one performance. The singer? Elvis Presley.

"We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
--Decca executive, 1962, after turning down the Beatles.

"Computers may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
--Popular Mechanics, 1949

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp. 1977

"This telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication."
--Western Union memo, 1876

"No imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
--David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urging investment in the radio in the 1920's.

"We don't need you. You haven't got through college yet."
--Hewlett Packard excuse to Steve Jobs, who founded Apple Computers instead.

"I think there's a world market for about five computers."
--Thomas J. Watson, chairman of the board of IBM.

"Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax."
--William Thomson, Lord Kelvin English scientist, 1899