Every year since taking power, Adolf Hitler gave a speech at the Munich Beer Hall. In November 1939, just after invading Poland, he did so again. Among those watching was a German carpenter named Georg Elser. Hidden in a nearby pillar above Hitler was a bomb Elser had carefully planted.

Elser had spent over a month preparing, knowing exactly where Hitler would stand from previous speeches. Each evening, he secretly worked on hollowing out the pillar to place the bomb, hiding the debris in a suitcase, and leaving unnoticed with the workers each morning. The bomb's timer was set to go off as Hitler’s speech ended.

However, on the day of the speech, Hitler finished earlier than usual and left the hall. Thirteen minutes later, the bomb exploded, destroying the pillar and bringing down part of the ceiling—right where Hitler had stood. If not for his early departure, history might have taken a very different turn.