Tiny Blunders, Big Consequences: How Small Mistakes Shape History and the World We Live In - With Jared Knott Part 2

In the final segment of America’s NewsHour, Bill Bernardoni is joined by historian and author Jared Knott for a wide-ranging conversation on how seemingly insignificant decisions can alter the course of history. Knott explains the origins of his Tiny Blunders, Big Disasters books, walking through gripping examples—from a misplaced piece of tape at Watergate to post–World War I decisions that helped steer China toward communism. Drawing on the concept of the butterfly effect, the discussion explores how tiny errors multiply over time, reshaping nations, ideologies, and global power structures. It’s a reminder that history often turns not on grand designs, but on small moments almost no one notices at the time.

What small decision in history do you think had the biggest unintended consequences—and are we missing similar warning signs today?