Little Ice Age, Big ChillThe Little Ice Age talks about the period between about 1300 and 1850 AD during which things got downright chilly. The program discusses possible causes, but generally focuses on its effects.
Because of the Little Ice Age, the Vikings may have found Greenland a lot greener than today, but increasingly icy conditions drove the fish south and made it impossible for resupply ships from Iceland to get through, eventually defeating a people who prided themselves as the toughest of the tough. The dates jibe, although I've always been fond of the popular idea that it was a real estate scam ("You've seen Iceland, well, this is Greenland. Come on over!")
Because of the Little Ice Age, conditions for the Spanish Armada as they circled around England resulted in decimation. The British fleet didn't really hurt them that bad, but, designed as they were, the Spanish ships could not reverse course and had to circle the British Isles to regroup for another attack. Storms along the way tore them to pieces.