What's the biggest most important event that genuinely happened "in the nick of time"

[Springtime_for_Spacers]

@Morbo

How about the Icelandic island of Heimaey, in which the volcano Eldfell erupted, and the local townspeople managed to spray the approaching lava with seawater <!> until it cooled and diverted, saving the fishing village.

Even better, once they had established control over the lava flow they directed it so as to enlarge and improve the harbour. Not sure if it really qualifies as a “nick of time” event though.

[Mr.Miskatonic]

@Colibri

Columbus was the one who pulled this trick, when he was shipwrecked in Jamaica on his fourth voyage. The locals had refused to continue bringing food to his crew (mainly because they were jerks), until Columbus threatened to make the moon turn red -which it did on cue.

Mark Twain used this device in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, but I am unaware of any other instances when it was used in real life.

Let’s just say it doesn’t always work.

[Mr.Miskatonic]

aand beaten by RealityChuck…

[AK84]

@Darryl_Lict

Well, Stanislav Petrov correctly guessed that when the Oko nuclear early-warning system reported that a missile was being launched from the United States, it was a false alarm. He did not launch a retaliatory strike, thus preventing World War III.

Petrov had no authority nor ability to launch any strike. In real life he did tell the Sov leadership (he got five false alarms not one). They had realised that it was a false alarm.

Now where it really came to the last seconds was the 1995 Norwegian Rocket incident.

[Defensive_Indifference]

Richard Jewell discovered the Olympic Park bomb in the nick of time. The Wiki article was a little unclear to me, but as I understand the timeline, he discovered the bomb about 13 minutes before it exploded. He helped save untold numbers of people from being killed or injured.

For his quick thinking and heroic service, he was naturally praised as a hero. For a few days anyway.

Richard Jewell

[Superhal]

Actually come to think of it, this question can’t be answered. We don’t know if something major would have happened because whatever might have happened was averted.

Let’s say for example, a policeman tripped and took the bullet meant for JFK. Would JFK have done anything different or better than LBJ? Or, would he have started WW3 with the soviets?

[the_diego]

Ogodie’s (sp?) untimely death just when Mongols were about to attack western Europe?