Random Last-Minute Decisions That Changed World History (13 items)

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  (#11) Marie-Antoinette’s Last-Minute Decisions Doomed Her Family

  History has not shined very brightly on Marie-Antoinette, and while not all of her reputation is deserved, the story of her passing definitely doesn’t help matters. Marie-Antoinette was famously beheaded during the French Revolution, at which time she definitely didn’t say “Let them eat cake.”

  She and her family could have totally avoided perishing, however, had she not made some bold choices. The royals were set to flee in an ordinary carriage, but Marie insisted on the fancier model, which was slower and way more conspicuous. Antoinette did not want to split the family up, which would have happened if they had taken two of the smaller, faster carriages.

  This most likely played into the family's ultimate capture and slaying.
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  (#8) The 'Desert Fox,' Erwin Rommel, Decided To Surprise His Wife With Vacation Right Before D-Day

  The storming of Normandy on D-Day is perhaps the single most important moment in WWII - at least from an Allied perspective. It also may have gone a completely different way if not for a surprise birthday party. German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, was in charge of the defense at Normandy, but he decided on a whim to surprise his wife with a vacation for her birthday.

  This caused him to leave his post for a few days, coincidentally right before the Allies attacked. Had the most skilled German military tactician been present, things could have turned out differently. The Third Reich troops were unable to gauge weather conditions without the expertise of Rommel, and the Allies took advantage of this lack of foresight.
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  (#13) Hannibal Created A Battle-Losing Avalanche By Striking A Snow Drift With A Walking Cane

  Hannibal Barca was a famed Carthaginian military leader who notably led combat elephants over the Pyrenees and Alps into Rome. He was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempts to take Rome, but he may not have been if not for a single poke he made with his cane. While crossing the Alps, Hannibal’s army encountered a large snowfall, which slowed them right down.

  Wanting to prove that the ground they traveled on was still solid, Hannibal struck a large snow drift with his walking cane. This touched off an avalanche, which took out a large portion of his army.
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  (#3) Buddy Holly’s Desire To Do Laundry Changed Rock History

  One of the most infamous moments in music history is February 3, 1959, otherwise known as “The Day the Music Died.” That day, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and JP Richardson, Jr. (also known as the Big Bopper), all famous musicians, perished when their small plane crashed in Iowa. As it turns out, they were only on that plane due to a rash, and seemingly inconsequential, decision by Holly.

  They had all been on the road for a while and were beginning to run out of clean clothes. They were scheduled to take a bus to their next show in Minnesota, but Holly really wanted some clean clothes and convinced the others to charter a plane with him so they could arrive early and do everyone’s laundry. This desire for fresh skivvies proved to be fatal.
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  (#2) Teddy Roosevelt Saved His Own Life By Putting A Thick Speech In His Breast Pocket

  Teddy Roosevelt, easily America’s most action movie-esque president, loved to make grand speeches. In 1912, while making another run at the presidency as the leader of a new political party, the Progressives, Roosevelt had prepared a 50-page diatribe that he aimed to deliver to a waiting audience. Before heading there, Roosevelt randomly decided to fold up the speech and place it in his breast pocket, a small decision that soon saved his life.

  When standing to address the crowd, an assailant shot Roosevelt in the chest, but the bullet was greatly slowed by the massive hunk of paper in his pocket. Of course, being the bull moose that he was, Teddy still got up on that stage and delivered a rousing speech, even with a piece of lead lodged inside his body.
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  (#4) A Last-Minute Officer Change Doomed The Titanic

  The sinking of the Titanic is one of the greatest naval tragedies in history. The ship, famously described as “unsinkable,” hit an iceberg in the Atlantic and sank shortly thereafter. There is plenty of blame to be passed around for the massive loss of life on that night, but one portion belongs to a last-minute decision to switch officers.

  Second Officer David Blair was removed from the crew just before the ship set sail, and he forgot to hand in his key to a locker that contained binoculars for the lookout. The ship had set off before he realized, and so the crew had to watch for icebergs using only their eyes. Obviously, this proved woefully inadequate.

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