Had this man not found the courage to fight back after being repeatedly attacked with an axe capable of cutting through metal—while bleeding profusely—and had the presence mind to trigger the hijack/emergency code, initiate the emergency response and open the cockpit door to allow passengers to assist him, the aircraft’s subsequent dive could have had catastrophic consequences. Had that aircraft not been recovered, the geopolitical consequences for the Middle East could have been profound and potentially irreversible. Sometimes history turns on the courage, resilience and presence of mind of one person. Yes. One Indian man.