The eponymous Bramley and McIntosh apples are both lucky accidents, and both of them have stories which stretch from the early 19th century into present day.
Research:

Robert Moses and the Shaping of New York, Part 2
42:12

Robert Moses and the Shaping of New York, Part 1
41:59

SYMHC Classics: Eradication of Smallpox
43:25