Lifespan-wanks

William Henry Harrison. That dude who served a month as President could seriously change everything. Everything. The US was so fragile leading up to the Civil War that even something (relatively) small, like who's elected senator for Virginia, could change a whole lot.
 
Your favorite historical figure with a too-short life gets a little genetic tweak or is standing two feet to the left at the right time or decides not to visit that little town by Mosquito Marsh and lives to be 80 (preferably without going blithering senile, unless you find that a cool idea). What happens?

(And let's not make this all about Alexander the Greatly Overrated :) )

Bruce

We're looking for people who would have had impact if they survived, not people whose survival would have impact (i.e., not royal heirs who didn't make it or officeholders whose successors were impactful). So no Princess Charlotte, no William McKinley. And no one whose survival would require a PoD with other effects that would be big.

Preferably, some one who died of natural causes or accident of battle at a relatively young age.

Giangaleazzo Visconti

Frederick Townsend Ward
 
We're looking for people who would have had impact if they survived, not people whose survival would have impact (i.e., not royal heirs who didn't make it or officeholders whose successors were impactful). So no Princess Charlotte, no William McKinley. And no one whose survival would require a PoD with other effects that would be big.

Preferably, some one who died of natural causes or accident of battle at a relatively young age.

Giangaleazzo Visconti

Frederick Townsend Ward

Henry V probably isn't quite what we're looking for here, then, but worth mentioning that if he'd lived 2 months longer (quite easy: have him escape dysentry at the Siege of Meaux) he would have become undisputed King of England and France, probably butterflying Jeanne d'Arc. Even if it doesn't last long (In La Muerte De Mí I have an alternate War of the Roses drive the Lancasters from Britain) it would change the dynamic between Britain and France considerably. If he lives to age 80 he gets another 44 years to cement his grip over the Continent and the OTL infant king Henry VI is 45 when he ascends to the throne; a pretty good recipe for a Brit-wank in Europe.

Zuvarq mentions Ogedei Khan, who should probably get more prominence - every month longer he lives screws Europe over just a little more as a future power. By all accounts Vienna was saved only because the Mongols turned back on his death - they had already smashed all the resistance the Poles and Teutonic Knights could muster. The guy knew he had a drinking problem and even appointed an aide to watch his intake - all you need is for him to start vomiting in time to save his life and he likely cuts back again, keeping him alive for a few more months or years. If he lives to age 80 the Mongols are in Europe for another 25 years - even if they don't overrun Western Europe they likely focus it permanently Eastward. This POD also has major butterflies later - Constantinople is cut off from its trade partners north of the Black Sea and probably falls earlier; the Ilkhanate or the Karamans have a much better chance than the Ottomans of picking up the pieces in Anatolia.
 
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"Treasure Fleet" Admiral Zheng He and the Yongle Emperor who supported the Treasure Fleet both died in their early 60s.

Add a couple decades onto their lifespan, and, potentially, EVERYTHING changes.

1453, somewhere off the coast of Africa.....

Zheng He: "Huh. Your boats are so cute."

Portugese captain: "Oh, F___!"


:)cool: what happens next)
_
 
Wasn't there a Reformist Russian Czar in the 1890s that had his life cut short? What if he lived longer?

Alexander II (who abolished serfdom) was blown up by anarchists in 1881. Having him live longer could have led to a more liberal Russia, spared the horrors of OTL. Of course, that assumes revolutionaries cease trying to assassinate him (I believe there were seven or so attempts before they got him).
 
We're looking for people who would have had impact if they survived, not people whose survival would have impact (i.e., not royal heirs who didn't make it or officeholders whose successors were impactful).

Not quite sure if that's a meaningful distinction: after all, if survival has a major historical impact, is it important if the effect they have is a result of their direct actions? Do any of us know for sure what the long term effect of our actions will be?

Bruce
 
Here's an Interesting one: James K. Polk. Retired after 1 term due to a promise he made (out of a fear he might die), and indeed he did die 103 days after he left the White House. He died in 1849, and would have lived to 1875 under this system. He was from Tennessee and I like to think he would side with the Union, given the very split opinion in the state. He might have supported the National Union Party, maybe this Tennessean gets the VP slot in '64 instead of a certain drunk tailor? Nah, but he might be a useful Democratic voice in fighting against the Copperheads, and might butterfly away Johnson's VP nomination.
 
Gustav II Adolf dont die at Lützen in 1632
Charles XI dont get stomachcancer and is alive and kicking in 1700
Charles XII dont get shot in 1718
Gustav III dont get shot in 1792
Crown prince Gustav Adolf dont die in a planecrash in 1947
Olof Palme dont get shot in 1986
Anna Lindh dont get stabbed to death 2003
Elvis lives longer and cleans himself up
John Lennon not murdered
 
Feodor II of Russia might well be the obvious choice, but I just can't think of a reasonable way for him to survive into adulthood (and/or more than a year after his father's death) without either ASB intervention or ridiculously lucky coincidences that might just as well be ASB intervention. Which is awful as he was really the guy who could've easily brought Russia into greatness... if only he didn't have so much stuff going against him!
Other than that, I guess we could use any of the famous scientists who IOTL died in their early 20s (notably Niels Abel and Evariste Galois, but I think there's several others).
 
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