Throw in a lot of arrogance with that too. We did not collect reliable weather data until about WWI.
To say "this never happened before", "This is the worst on record...", "It is unprecidented..." etc is pretty much a stretch of any sort of realty and meant only for a dramatic effect.
Yep. And now we have *too much* data. How often have you heard "This is the COLDEST recorded low for November 26th in East Podunk, Arkansas!" or whatever bit of insignificant trivia on the TV?
Gives an impression of radicalized weather patterns, when the reality is that the weather is the same, what's changed is the way we monitor it.
Stepping down from my soapbox, now. :-)