Throughout the course of history, decisions have been made that have dramatically impacted the evolution of events to follow. We take a look at five examples from the past that, if handled in a different way, would have led to completely different outcomes.How a Long Speech Saved a LifeTheodore Roosevelt speaking from a car in Milwaukee on Oct. 14, 1912, shortly before a gunman shot and wounded him in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel. Source: WikimediaA long speech, and where it was stored, saved Theodore Roosevelts life. It was a whopping 50 page-long speech titled Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual, that Roosevelt needed to carry, and keep his hands free. So, he decided to fold the speech in half and tuck into the breast pocket of his coat. It was there that John Schrank aimed the gun and shot Roosevelt.Roosevelt for president banner, 1932. Source: Smithsonian InstitutionBetween the coat and the thick chunk of paper, the bullet didnt make it into the lung. It didnt stop him from giving his speech, delivering the famous line, Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I dont know whether you fully understand that I have just been shotbut it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose. His chances of survival would have been drastically decreased had the shot gone anywhere else, or if he decided to carry his speech somewhere else.King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinettes CarriagePortrait of Marie Antoinette, unknown author, after Jean-Baptiste Andr Gautier-Dagoty, after 1775. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Muse Antoine-Lcuyer, Saint-Quentin, FranceThe French Revolution started on May 5, 1789. France was in chaos, and things were looking dangerous for the royal family. Together King Louis XVI and family decided to leave Paris and flee to Montmedy. The plan was to connect with those loyal to royalty. This would later be known as the Flight to Varennes, at the end of June 1791 June 20-21.Even though this would be dangerous, it was decided that it would be the best decision. This whole plan was riddled with issues, such as delays due to other people or getting lost, and damaged carriages. What small decision made about the escape that could have changed history is the choice of carriage used. While they did use disguises instead of using two smaller carriages and splitting up, they decided to use a bigger fancier carriage and travel together. Not only was it slower, but they were recognized, arrested, and later executed.The unfortunate Marie Antoinette Queen of France at the place of execution, 1793. Source: The British MuseumWhile we cant for sure say what would have happened if they had used a different carriage, there are several possibilities. They might still have been recognized even disguised as they attempted to flee to safety. They might not have been given support outside of France. They might never have come back to the country and in power, or they could have ended up back on the throne and today France could have been one of the European countries to have a modern monarchy.Laundry and the Day That Music DiedThe Day that Music Died newspaper clipping on February, 3, 1959, left to right Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson. Source: Vancouver Sun, Associated PressOn February 3, 1959, a plane crash became known as the day that music died due to the deaths of three important people in the music industry. Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936. He and his band were a part of the Winter Dance Party tour that included other artists including Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson.It was a long tour, cramped conditions, and the buses were inadequately equipped. Members of the tour suffered from a variety of illnesses. Holly made the decision to charter a small plane which was going to take him and his band members, Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings to the next leg of the tour. However, Richardson was sick with the flu and Jennings made the decision to give him his spot. Allsup and Valens did a coin toss and Valens won and scored a spot on the plane.Weather conditions caused the pilot to lose control of the plane. All four on board died.. If it hadnt been for a coin toss or the flu it would have been Allsup and Jennings on board with Holly. Moreover, if the tour hadnt been so grueling Holly might never have charted the plane.How Johann Ralls Note Caused a Battle LossSurrender of Col. Johann Rall [Battle of Trenton] circa 1909 reproduction of work by E. Percy Moran. Source: Library of CongressImagine being unable to read an important war missive, and deciding to ignore it in favor of card games became the reason you lost a battle, and, indeed, an entire war. That was what happened to Johann Rall and the United States Revolutionary War. The Battle of Trenton was a major turning point in the war. Washington and others decided to surprise the British troops who were waiting for the Delaware to freeze and cross the river to surprise attack them. Except it wasnt a surprise.Colonel Johann Rall was a German stationed at Trenton, New Jersey. At the end of December in 1776, George Washington crossed the Delaware. At the time, Rall was playing a card game. Whether it was arrogance or not understanding the timing, he chose to ignore the spy who came with crucial information about the movements of George Washington. When passed the note, instead of reading it he tucked it into his pocketwhere it would be later found. What would have happened if the note had been read and the element of surprise lost? Rall did not live long enough to fully regret this decision. He died not long after the battle due to a mortal wound.How Stanislav Petrov Saved the WorldStanislav Petrov memorial stoneStanislav Petrov was born on September 7, 1939 in Russia. He became a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces. He might just be responsible for saving the world from making one quick decision to not take action.The Cold War and tension between the United States and Soviet Union was at an all-time high. Just outside of Moscow was Serpukhov-15 was a military town. Petrov was stationed there as the officer on duty on September 26, 1983 watching for attack warnings.Cartoon referring to efforts by the Soviet Union and the United States to win friends during the Cold War, 1955. Source: National Library of WalesThey used a newer system called an Oko that was designed to alert the Soviets if missiles were being sent from the United Statesa sign of nuclear weapons which would then mean the Soviets were prepared to respond in kind. That night the system went off, the data showed 5 missiles incoming. Petrovs actions were supposed to be clear. Instead, he made the decision to wait, driven by the fact that the Oko was untested and new and that it was weird that an attack would consist of only 5 missiles.If Petrov had been too quick to make the decision that the United States was sending missiles and sent an attack back, it would have started a Nuclear War that would have destroyed life as we know it. That important decision to hesitate could have cost him had his intuition not been correct. He died May 19, 2017 a hero, although it wasnt until the fall of Soviet Union that his actions became known world-wide.