The most ASB moments to happen in history... that still happened (Post-1900)

[GameBawesome]

Based off a thread I made here

Think of moments in history (POST-1900) that seemed so unbelievably, that it would be called ASB, yet they still happened through complicated events that had to go right or wrong

For my examples: How WWI started, or how Sending one man back to an enemy country, causing a revolution, who's successor would turn that country into a global power after another World War, that would nearly cause the end of the world, if it wasn't for diplomacy.

 

[Thomas Jefferson]

Petri dish is contaminated by mold, which turns out to contain the key to curing dozens of previously deadly diseases

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Two sporting ASBs were England 0 - United States 1 in the 1950 World Cup and West Auckland F.C. winning the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy in 1909 and 1911.

Can the baseball experts on the site confirm or deny that Great Britain's victory over the United States in the 1938 Amateur World Series was ASB? It was the first tournament of what is now known as the Baseball World Cup.

 

[YYJ]

Al Qaida successfully pulling off 9/11.

 

[marathag]

Japanese success in the Pacific thru Midway.

 

[YYJ]

According to Drachinifel, with technical consulting from Bill Jurens, the shot that sank HMS Hood was, if not ASB, then exceptionally lucky.

 

[Nürnberger]

Al Qaida successfully pulling off 9/11.

Shh.

 

[Basileus444]

If it actually happened in OTL, it is, by definition, not ASB.

ASB does not mean 'unlikely' or 'improbable'. It means for X event to be possible, it would require manipulation by alien space bats to make it possible. A 'one in a million' shot is not ASB, just very unlikely.

To claim that an actual event is ASB literally means that the claimant is asserting that alien space bats exists and are actively involved in human history.

Yes, the ridiculous and extreme over-and-misuse of the term ASB is one of my pet peeves.

 

[YYJ]

If it actually happened in OTL, it is, by definition, not ASB.

ASB does not mean 'unlikely' or 'improbable'. It means for X event to be possible, it would require manipulation by alien space bats to make it possible. A 'one in a million' shot is not ASB, just very unlikely.

To claim that an actual event is ASB literally means that the claimant is asserting that alien space bats exists and are actively involved in human history.

Yes, the ridiculous and extreme over-and-misuse of the term ASB is one of my pet peeves.

How about if you read the actual historical event in an alt history you would scoff and utter “when pigs fly!” Or such like.

 

[marathag]

How about if you read the actual historical event in an alt history you would scoff and utter “when pigs fly!” Or such like.

If someone were to do a TL with some OTL events, you would get the 'that's ASB!'
This thread lists those events.
Like Molotov surviving many failures, and then thriving, in Stalin USSR.
Tesla ending up near destitute.
And so on.

 

[GrahamB]

Yes, the ridiculous and extreme over-and-misuse of the term ASB is one of my pet peeves.

I hear ya, buddy, especially since the term 'wank' is out there to describe events improbably (to the point of ridiculously) turning out in favour of the subject, and 'anti-wank' for the inverse, but without needing supernatural/alien chiropteran intervention.
@marathag has nicely listed some historical wanks, the "when pigs fly!" standard is apt.

In fairness to the OP, there's been plenty of events in history that would be decried as wankery or ASB on this forum, so the point stands. The accidental discovery of penicillin is an excellent example of something that would indeed be called an ASB event if it hadn't actually happened and not just a wank since it involves non-human factors.

 

[Basileus444]

How about if you read the actual historical event in an alt history you would scoff and utter “when pigs fly!” Or such like.

If someone were to do a TL with some OTL events, you would get the 'that's ASB!'
This thread lists those events.
Like Molotov surviving many failures, and then thriving, in Stalin USSR.
Tesla ending up near destitute.
And so on.

I'm very very careful to only use the term ASB when I think it's appropriate. Which means I hardly ever use it. Again, 'extremely unlikely' does not mean 'ASB'.

I hear ya, buddy, especially since the term 'wank' is out there to describe events improbably (to the point of ridiculously) turning out in favour of the subject, and 'anti-wank' for the inverse, but without needing supernatural/alien chiropteran intervention.
@marathag has nicely listed some historical wanks, the "when pigs fly!" standard is apt.

In fairness to the OP, there's been plenty of events in history that would be decried as wankery or ASB on this forum, so the point stands. The accidental discovery of penicillin is an excellent example of something that would indeed be called an ASB event if it hadn't actually happened and not just a wank since it involves non-human factors.

History is full of unlikely and implausible events, but the term ASB is inappropriate for them. We really need a new term for such events. ASB is for the literally impossible.

'New Term' is for events that are possible but so unlikely that in any 'simulation replay' they would not recur a second time. So the one-in-a-million shot succeeds in timeline 1, but fails in timelines 2 to 999,999.

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

So the one-in-a-million shot succeeds in timeline 1, but fails in timelines 2 to 999,999.

That would make it a twice in a million shot.

 

[marathag]

OK, what about the Defenestrations of Prague, since there was more than one? ASB to have survivors, like Baron Philip Fabricius, ennobled after the event as Baron von Hohenfall?

ASB?

 

[GameBawesome]

OK, what about the Defenestrations of Prague, since there was more than one? ASB to have survivors, like Baron Philip Fabricius, ennobled after the event as Baron von Hohenfall?

ASB?

I appreciate the feedback, but I think your in the thread. This is Post-1900, your looking for Pre-1900 Here

 

[marathag]

I appreciate the feedback, but I think your in the thread. This is Post-1900, your looking for Pre-1900 Here

ok, keeping with the falling,

WWII: Gunner fell 22,000 feet WITHOUT a parachute and survived

Gunner fell 22,000 feet and survived: Ranked among the luckiest people in the world, Alan E. Magee survived a free fall of almost four miles from a B-17 bomber during a raid in WWII.

www.warhistoryonline.com

No chute, and fell thru a roof.
From 22,000 feet

 

[CalBear]

Shh.View attachment 615602

Careful

 

[GameBawesome]

Careful

I should really put up a disclaimer:

Disclaimer: do not post anything about conspiracy theories, supporting or denying massacres, or modern politics, and anything controversial to start a flame war.

Sorry about that @CalBear. Hope this doesn’t happen again and will inform you if anything comes like this up again

 

[Monk78]

Germany defeating France in 1940

 

[Aghasverov]

Nearly every "Great Power" of the 19th Century either being destroyed, self-destructing, or falling by the wayside through the course of the 20th Century except for the US could possibly count...