A series of random events in the early 20th century almost prevented Howard Carter’s famous discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb from happening, according to National Geographic. In 1904, Carter was forced to resign from his top archeology position in Egypt’s Department of Antiquities following a complaint by drunken tourists at Saqqara, and he ended up making a living by painting watercolors for tourists. Carter later resumed his archaeology work after partnering up with Lord Carnarvon in search for the boy king’s tomb, but once again, his search was disrupted, this time by World War I. The search resumed in 1917, but no discoveries were made. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon informed Carter he would stop financing the work out of frustration, only to agree later to fund one last season. “On November 1, 1922, Carter resumed digging in the Valley of the Kings. On November 4, they found the stairway that led to the unopened tomb of Tutankhamun.”