10 Famous Historical Events That Almost Happened Very Differently
History is full of "what if" moments where a twist of fate or a small change could have dramatically altered the course of events, shaping a world far different from the one we know today.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
History is a tapestry woven with moments of destiny, luck, and lost opportunities, where the big and small decisions could have re-written the future. From close calls at assassination to battles hanging in the balance between victory and defeat, the world we live in today is the result of moments that nearly played out differently. Examining these critical “what if” moments illustrates how tenuous the thread of history really is, reminding us that even the smallest event can have gigantic implications.
1. The Assassination of Adolf Hitler (1944)
Image from Wikipedia
In 1944, a conspiracy among German officers, led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, aimed to kill Adolf Hitler. They planted a bomb in a briefcase, but one of the conspirators shifted it at the last moment before it could be detonated, saving Hitler’s life. Had they succeeded, Germany could have ended World War II much sooner, and who knows, maybe changed the post-war situation in Europe.
2. The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Image from Britannica
In October 1962, the U.S. and the Soviet Union came perilously close to nuclear war over Soviet missiles in Cuba. At the height of the crisis, a Soviet submarine commander was on the verge of ordering a nuclear attack, but his officers talked him out of it. If the attack had been ordered, it might have precipitated a full-scale nuclear conflict, forever altering the course of the Cold War.
3. The Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)
Image from Britannica
In the bloody fight for Stalingrad, Nazi troops were about to win but were eventually encircled by Soviet troops. A timely disruption in the German supply lines and Hitler’s refusal to permit a retreat made what could have been a victorious conquest a catastrophic defeat. If the Germans had modified their strategy, they could have captured the city, turning the tide of the Eastern Front.
4. The D-Day Invasion (1944)
Image from Wikipedia
The D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944 might have been a huge failure because of adverse weather, poor intelligence, or miscommunication. General Dwight D. Eisenhower even went so far as to draft a speech in case the operation went wrong, but it succeeded thanks to better weather and the valor of Allied troops. The Allies’ capability to free Western Europe would have been badly compromised if it had gone wrong.
5. The American Civil War (1861-1865)
Image from Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute
General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North in 1862 nearly resulted in a Confederate victory during the American Civil War. Lee’s army was driven back at the Battle of Antietam, but it could have destroyed his army if the Union army had been more forceful. A Confederate victory in the war could have resulted in a split America for decades.
6. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941)
Image from Britannica
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II nearly missed its primary targets. The U.S. aircraft carriers, the fleet’s most valuable assets, were not in port at the time of the attack. If they had been, the Pacific War would have taken a very different turn, with Japan having an even more favorable strategic position.
7. The Rise of the Roman Empire
Image from RomeCabs
When Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C., a power vacuum was created that could have been occupied by another person—possibly his would-be heir, Octavian. However, Mark Antony’s struggle against Octavian and Octavian’s eventual victory created the Roman Empire. If Antony had emerged victorious, Rome could have evolved into a less centralized republic instead of a centralized empire based on one monarch.
8. The New World Discovery (1492)
Image from Wikipedia
Christopher Columbus’s New World discovery might have been postponed or defeated altogether. Prior to Columbus, explorers such as the Vikings had arrived in North America, but their travels were not as widely recognized. Columbus’s support from Queen Isabella of Spain could have been denied, and the discovery of the Americas may have rested on future explorers’ shoulders, altering the path of European expansion.
9. The Gunpowder Plot (1605) Failure
Image from Britannica
In 1605, a group of English Catholics sought to destroy the House of Lords using a huge gunpowder plot to assassinate King James I. The plot failed at the last minute when officials found the gunpowder barrels stored in the cellar. Had the plot been successful, England’s religious and political past could have been very different, potentially hastening a Catholic revolution.
10. The Apollo 11 Moon Landing (1969)
Image from National Geographic Kids
On the historic Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin nearly got stuck on the Moon because of a computer glitch that failed the lunar module’s guidance system. They managed to land only after the astronauts took control of the module with minimal fuel. If they had used up all their fuel, the mission could have been a tragic failure, and a successful moon landing could have been pushed back by years.