Tripped Up Tourist
One man’s untied shoes led to the collapse of artifacts from a major Chinese dynasty. In January 2006, Nick Flynn was visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge when he became lost and tried to correct his mistake while climbing a flight of stairs. Losing his balance and finding no railing to prevent his fall, Flynn accidentally swung at three Qing Dynasty vases that were on display nearby that had previously been left undisturbed for almost 60 years. After a lengthy restoration process, the vases were put back on display the following year.