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Athenaeum Portrait -

You're probably familiar with this portrait of the first President of the United States, George Washington.

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Athenaeum Portrait -

The unfinished portrait was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796 and depicts the President at age 65.

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Athenaeum Portrait -

The portrait was used in postage stamps, and most famously on the United States one-dollar bill.

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Chernobyl's reactors 5 and 6 -

On April 26, 1986, reactor 4 of the Chernobyl power plant exploded, resulting in the world's worst nuclear accident to date.

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Chernobyl's reactors 5 and 6 -

At the time, two new reactors were actually being built. Construction work of reactors 5 and 6 didn't stop until the morning after the disaster!

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Chernobyl's reactors 5 and 6 -

It wasn't until 1989 that the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union decided to officially abandon the construction of the new reactors.

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família -

The unfinished Roman Catholic basilica is one of Barcelona's landmarks. Designed by architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), the Sagrada Família is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família -

Work started in 1882, but the Sagrada Família basilica remains incomplete to this day. It is, however, planned to be finished in 2026.

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Unfinished portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt -

The portrait was commissioned to painter Elizabeth Shoumatoff in 1945.

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Unfinished portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt -

Shoumatoff started working on the painting on April 12, 1945, at around noon.

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Unfinished portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt -

President Roosevelt complained of a headache a few hours later. He eventually had a stroke and died later that day.

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Jodorowsky's 'Dune' -

Director Alejandro Jodorowsky failed to complete a film adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction novel 'Dune' in the 1970s. But the project was so huge and surreal that a documentary was even made about it in 2013 (titled 'Jodorowsky's Dune').

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Jodorowsky's 'Dune' -

The film was supposed to be over 10-hours long, and the cast would include Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, and Orson Welles. The soundtrack would have been written by Pink Floyd.

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Jodorowsky's 'Dune' -

David Lynch eventually filmed 'Dune' in 1984, but the movie was not as grand and bizarre as Jodorowsky had envisioned it to be.

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'Lifehouse' -

'Lifehouse' is an unfinished sci-fi rock opera by English rockers The Who.

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'Lifehouse' -

The Who were no strangers to rock operas. They had already done 'Tommy' in 1969. 'Lifehouse' was supposed to be a follow-up, but instead of going ahead with the project  the band focused on their next album, ‘Who’s Next.’

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Cincinnati Subway -

The Cincinnati Subway construction began in the early 1900s, but was never completed due to lack of funds.

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Cincinnati Subway -

The Cincinnati Subway is the largest abandoned subway tunnel system in the United States.

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'The Canterbury Tales' -

'The Canterbury Tales' is a collection of 24 stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.

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'The Canterbury Tales' -

The tales are told by a group of pilgrims who travel from London to Canterbury. But Geoffrey Chaucer never really finished his work before he died.

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'Sanditon' -

'Sanditon' is an unfinished novel by English writer Jane Austen. She stopped working on the book in March 1817, shortly before her death.

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'Sanditon' -

The book was eventually published over a century later, and numerous adaptations and continuations of her novel have been made.

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'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' -

The same goes for Charles Dickinson's last novel. The author died on June 9, 1870, leaving the novel unfinished, with only six of a planned 12 installments published.

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'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' -

Several writers tried to conclude Dickens' novel. One publisher, called T.P. James, even claimed to have done it by channeling Charles Dickens' spirit!

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Boldt Castle -

Boldt Castle is an unfinished castle, located near Alexandria Bay, New York, in the Thousand Islands.

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Boldt Castle -

George C. Boldt began its construction in 1900 as a tribute to his wife, Louise. But his wife died a few months before the completion of the castle. Boldt stopped construction immediately.

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The National Monument of Scotland -

Located on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, the monument was supposed to be a memorial to those who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars.

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National Monument of Scotland -

No surprise: it was meant to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

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The National Monument of Scotland -

Construction of the monument started in 1826, but stopped in 1929 due to lack of funds.

Sources: (Mental Floss) (English Live) 

See also: The biggest engineering mistakes of all time.

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