Human history has, to a remarkable extent, been shaped by natural disasters. Whether it’s volcanic eruptions or floods, plague or environmental devastation caused by human activity, human life has proven to be both remarkably precarious and, paradoxically, remarkably resilient. Some natural disasters have come dangerously close to ending the world as humanity has known it but, somehow, people continue on, working to rebuild the damaged world left behind. Strangely enough, natural disasters can end up influencing history in some strange and unexpected ways.