Adolf Hitler's rejection from Art School

Adolf Hitler, in his youth, aspired to become a professional artist and applied to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1907. He submitted a portfolio mostly filled with architectural sketches and landscapes, but the admissions committee expected strong figure drawings and creative compositions. His work was judged “unsatisfactory,” lacking the required skill in drawing human forms and artistic imagination. He applied again in 1908 but faced rejection a second time. This failure deeply affected him and altered the course of his life.
Years later, in his autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf, Hitler claimed that the rejection struck him “as a bolt from the blue,” as he had been so convinced of his success.