AccuWeather founder Dr. Joel Myers releases book, Invisible Iceberg: When Climate and Weather Shaped History

The weather has been the backdrop to every momentous occurrence in history. Sometimes it plays a major role in influencing the outcome of seismic events, as it did on D-Day during World War II, and other times it simply provides the scenery in which circumstances unfold.

In his new book, "Invisible Iceberg: When Climate and Weather Shaped History", AccuWeather founder and Executive Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers takes readers on a journey from the beginning of time to modern days, exploring how weather and climate impacted world events throughout history.

Join AccuWeather founder & Executive Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers on a journey from the beginning of time to the modern day to see how weather and climate changed the very course of human history.

"I've always been fascinated by weather and climate," he told AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Bernie Rayno. "Obviously, the climate has changed so much over the history of the world, how it's impacted species of all sorts and, of course, humanity. We're all talking about climate and weather and how the weather affects just about everything humans do. This is an opportunity to point out some of the dramatic events in history where weather and climate played an important role."

From the comet that ended the age of the dinosaur almost 67 million years ago to engrossing stories about how weather and climate led to the rise and fall of empires, caused plagues to spread, inspired works of art, and thoughts on whether the movements of a cold front and a nearby hurricane could have thwarted the 9/11 attacks, the book highlights dozens of fascinating events from history along with thought-provoking insight about how weather and climate are stitched into the outcomes of these historic occurrences.

Digitally restored vintage maritime history photo of the RMS Titantic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912. (John Parrott/Stocktrek Images)

The title, "Invisible Iceberg," a clever analogy about the hidden role weather has played throughout history, is also a nod to one of the historical events Dr. Myers discusses in his book. "The Titanic, of course, is a story that engrosses and fascinates everybody," he explained to Rayno. "It turns out the lookout couldn't see the iceberg until the last minute, couldn't see how big it was, because there was an inversion present," Dr. Myers elaborated. "The water was very cold; the ship had moved from warm water to cold water and because of that inversion, the light bent, so he only saw the top of the iceberg until it was very close. So people say, 'Hey, somebody was asleep at the switch' and so on, but it was the weather, in many different ways, that led to that problem."

Dr. Myers, considered the "father of modern commercial meteorology," developed a fascination with weather at an early age. "When I was 13, I rode my bike to high school in Philadelphia and the forecast called for a high of 50 and the chance for a shower. I pushed my bike home through a raging snowstorm in November of 1953, and I had a feeling that it was going to snow and I said, 'Boy, I bet I can do better than that; we had 11 inches of snow and it was supposed to be 50 with a shower', so that really motivated me and became the blossoming idea for AccuWeather."

Dr. Joel N. Myers, 17, building a weather observation station atop the family garage. (Credit: Dr. Joel N Myers)

He went on to found AccuWeather in 1962 and successfully established it as the world's most accurate and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings, as well as a global leader in digital media. Dr. Myers, who has been recognized as one of the greatest entrepreneurs in American history in the Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs, says the book highlights the rises and falls of empires large and small. "There have been politicians that have had sunny futures, but because they didn't handle a snowstorm, you never heard about them again. Same thing with businesses that have been hurt, and some are out of business because the weather caught them by surprise," he said.

The ways in which weather is threaded throughout stories you thought you knew will surprise you. Religion, the Salem Witch Trials, Shakespeare's last play, the creation of the New York Subway System; weather plays a unique, often little-known role in each event that will intrigue and even surprise readers.

US President John F Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and others smile at the crowds lining their motorcade route in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Minutes later, the President was assassinated as his car passed through Dealey Plaza. (Bettmann/Getty Images)

There are also a number of haunting what-ifs posed, including a riveting chapter on how more rain may have saved President John F. Kennedy's life, which is especially enthralling. Dr. Myers details a series of seemingly innocuous events in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, including a key exchange between his secret service team about the rain and whether or not they should put the top down on the car Kennedy would ride in during the motorcade.

"Could the Plexiglass top have made the difference between life and death?" Dr. Myers speculates. "It is possible."

Since founding AccuWeather, Dr. Myers has been one of the foremost authorities on all things weather.

"The biggest difference between major climate changes of the past and weather disasters today is that we now have forecasts and warnings that are far more accurate and reliable, Dr. Myers said. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and AccuWeather has helped save over ten thousand lives and probably hundreds of billions of dollars because our clients and users took proactive action based on our forecasts. However, most companies and government agencies still do not use weather and climate forecasts anywhere near the extent they could or should, meaning even more lives could be saved, property loss averted, and ultimately a trillion dollars in economic losses could be avoided if today's leaders used all of the tools available to help them better plan ahead."

But it isn't just weather from the past and present that has Dr. Myers's full attention these days. As he was a visionary many decades ago, he continues looking to the future, closing the book with a timely reminder of how crucial weather is for the future of the planet.

"Our ability to forecast and understand weather and climate change has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decades, yet we must remain humble. We have become better at modeling and predicting but no better at controlling the weather. We can tell you the path of the hurricane more accurately than ever, but we cannot stop it. We can warn you of a blizzard, but not keep it off your doorstep," Dr. Myers writes. "As changing climates put animals into contact with humans in new ways, will another pandemic emerge? We are still in the immediate aftermath of these disasters, and it is too early to know how history will be impacted. Weather nudges us in ways large and small. We can only imagine how it will continue to alter our best-laid plans and shape our history as we go forward. Yet I remain optimistic in our ability to meet these challenges."

You can purchase Invisible Iceberg: When Climate and Weather Shaped History from Barnes & Noble or on Amazon.com and wherever good books are sold.