Go Ahead--Blame It on the Weather

This spring, the weather seems to have taken on a life of its own.  Storms, heat, floods, fires, tornadoes, you name it, we've had it!  Many of us have had to rearrange plans, or have had parties or important ceremonies rained on or blown away!

The weather has had a hand in changing many important events in history.  Once in a while, Mother Nature truly lets us know she is definitely in charge!

Witch Trials
We all know the history behind the Salem Witch Trials.  The misguided Puritan magistrates who accused innocent people of witchcraft. The witch trials that occurred in Europe may have been a result of meteorological ignorance! 

The "Little Ice Age" that lasted from the 15th through 17th centuries caused the weather to become unseasonably cold.    Historian Wolfgang Behringer who studied  European witch trails found that there was a direct correlation between persecution of witches and periods of cold during  the years 1560-1574, 1583-1589,1623-1630, and 1678-1690.

The innocent victims in these particular cases were accused of changing the weather!   Beginning in about 1730, the climate began to stabilize, and so did the general mood of the population.  The witch trails gradually faded out until finally coming to an end in Europe in 1770. 

Saving Song
Have you ever been in an extremely bad storm, and promise the man upstairs that "if you make it through this..." and you then proceed to promise to change your ways, devote your life to doing good for others, etc?

Here's an interesting anecdote to history-- a former slaver named John Newton was working on a slave ship when a wicked storm struck.  Newton prayed to God saying that if he made it through this storm, he would devote his life to God and service.  Newton survived, and made good on his promise!  He became a minister and in  a 1773 sermon wrote the words, or recitation for the song Amazing Grace.

End of an Era
After the Wright brothers took that historic flight at Kitty Hawk, man was obsessed with finding a better way to fly.  During the 1920s and 30s, flying ships called dirigibles seemed to be the wave of the future.  The Hindenburg's flight on May 6, 1937 brought that to an end.  The skin of the aircraft was made of  iron oxide covered in cellulose acetate.  The purpose of this material was that it was thought that it would protect the craft from moisture.  Unfortunately, it was highly flammable and similar to rocket fuel.  The paint used to cover the skin was made of another highly flammable material, powdered aluminum.

As  the Hindenburg tried to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, it circled for more than an hour due to stormy weather that prevented docking.  As the craft passed through the storm clouds, it became negatively charged. When the crew dropped the wet lines for docking, they acted as a ground.  The metal frame of the ship earthed its charge, the skin heated up, and the paint on the skin ignited.  A short ten seconds later, the ship was consumed in flames, and 33 seconds later, the entire craft was in flames on the ground.

As has been proved over and over again, weather cannot be tamed.  Unfortunately, weather over the past few months have been extremely violent and deadly.  Has it had an effect on history?  Too early to tell--if it does, blame it on the weather!!