As far back as 1360, a hailstorm played a role in the Hundred Year's War between France and England. The Treaty of Bretigny was signed on this date after high winds, lightning strikes and large hail killed hundreds of English troops and thousands of horses, which were located outside of Paris.

In Winnsborough, S.C., a destructive and deadly hailstorm struck on this date in 1784. Hailstones ranging from the size of tennis balls to baseballs pummeled the town and surrounding countryside. Several people were killed and there was great carnage of livestock and wildlife.

In 1981, arguably the worst hailstorm ever to hit the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area occurred. Hailstones as large as grapefruit, combined with 100-mph winds blasted the Metroplex. Hail accumulated to a depth of 8 inches at Cedar Hill. Damage was estimated at $200 million.

And, it is not just hail that make this a memorable date, while scanning hundreds of years of interesting phenomena.

In 1803, a snowstorm brought a large swath of 6-inch snowfall from Indiana to New England. People were sleigh riding in portions of Massachusetts. Scores of trees, which were in leaf, were downed. Most of Philadelphia's shade trees were destroyed in the storm.

It rained large, winged black ants in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1895. Area roads and sidewalks were covered by the mass of crawling, slippery insects.

It was a deadly day in 1957 in Aurora, Colo., a Denver suburb. After 4 inches of rain fell in five hours, flash and urban flooding claimed the lives of three people.

Violent thunderstorms struck Tampa, Fla., in 1979. Eight tornadoes touched down in the area, taking the lives of 17 people.

Another destructive late-season snowstorm struck the Northeast. The year was 1989 and the location was upstate New York from Rochester to Buffalo, where between 7 and 10 inches of snow fell. Roofs collapsed under the weight of the heavy, wet snow and thousands of trees and power lines were downed.

Most recently, in 2009, a tornado outbreak occurred in southern Missouri and Kentucky. A destructive complex of thunderstorms, known as a derecho, produced flash flooding, 100-mph winds and tornadoes. Several people were killed in the atmospheric onslaught.

By far, the most significant natural disaster had little to do with the weather. May 8 is the anniversary of the Mt. Pelee eruption in 1902. According to Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews, "The eruption produced fast-moving hot ash and toxic fumes, known as a pyroclastic flow killed, which swept through St. Pierre, Martinique, in about a minute." Nearly all 30,000 inhabitants of the city in the shadows of the volcano were killed. Often compared to the Krakatau eruption of 1883, it ranks among the deadliest eruptions of all time.

May 8 had additional amazing and catastrophic natural events, coincidence or not. But, is it a date on only a short list that should be feared?

Back through the eons you will find many dates with a long list of earthly crazy, creepy and horrifying events.

So never mind May 8, Friday the 13th or Dec. 21, 2012, perhaps all days command respect when it comes to Mother Nature.

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