History and politics are influenced by many factors. But we will consider one that does not depend on a person at all - insidious and changeable weather.
1. The strongest hurricane supported the revolution
This unnamed storm, known simply as the Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775, may have been the first turning point in the event that significantly changed the course of world history - the American Revolutionary War.
The hurricane winds were so strong that they raised a storm surge 10 meters high. 4 thousand people became victims of the disaster. The hurricane remains the eighth deadliest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and Canada's deadliest natural disaster. Most of those killed were British citizens. The hurricane sank several commercial and military ships.
2. A cold March day killed the president
In 1841 in the United States, William Henry Harrison won the presidential election with 53% of the vote. A little later, he forever took his place in history thanks to two facts - the presidency of Harrison was the shortest in the history of the United States, and he himself was the first president to die in his office.
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Harrison's inauguration took place in March. His speech consisted of 8400 words and lasted 2 hours. Wanting to show strength and inflexibility, Garrison performed without a hat or coat. The president's advanced age (68) and the cool March weather in Washington did their job - Harrison fell ill with pneumonia and died on April 4.
Fun fact: Harrison's grandson Benjamin also became president and it rained heavily during his inaugural address. Not wanting to repeat his grandfather's mistake, the 23rd President of the United States made a speech under an umbrella.
3. Lightning "slowed down" the expansion of China
By the 15th century, China was the oldest civilization, and the early years of the Ming Empire promised the country a new era of expansion and prosperity. Emperor Zhu Di set out to show his power by building a huge palace complex in the heart of Beijing. And he built it. The Forbidden City stretched over 180 hectares and contained thousands of buildings. But the heavens weren't impressed by the architectural marvel. Lightning broke out a fire that burned down three palaces and killed several people in 1421.
At the time of the unfortunate incident, China was actively involved in the life of the planet. Seven Chinese fleets sailed the Indian Ocean and promoted the influence of the Middle Kingdom in India, the East Indies, the Middle East and Africa. But the ships required huge resources. Due to political sentiments, after the fire in the Forbidden City, the maintenance of ships and the establishment of relations with the outside world was considered unnecessary. By 1433, there was no longer a fleet, and China lagged behind Western states for centuries.
4. Cyclone helped create a new country
In November 1970, an active cyclone formed in the Indian Ocean and slowly gained strength. On his way lay East Pakistan and the surrounding India.
If you've never heard of East Pakistan, don't be surprised. This is the former name of Bangladesh. Following the secession of India in the 1940s, the region became part of Pakistan, and was ruled from Islamabad.
Cyclone Bhola struck East Pakistan and West Bengal, killing 500,000 people. The government from Islamabad could not adequately cope with the rescue operations, which is why modern Bangladesh declared a war of independence, having won which, it still suffers from destructive cyclones.