1 Nephi 13:23-27 and the Old Testament

Verses 23-27 discuss the changes to the Old Testament that will happen after it proceeds forth. Specifically, plain and precious parts and "many covenants" are taken away.
Anyone who is interested in this subject should read the works of Margaret Barker, a Methodist Preacher and Old Testament scholar. She has developed a theory she calls "Temple Theology". She describes her central thesis on her website:

Temple theology traces the roots of Christian theology back into the first Temple, destroyed by the cultural revolution in the time of King Josiah at the end of the seventh century BCE. Refugees from the purges settled in Egypt and Arabia. From widely scattered surviving fragments, it is possible to reconstruct the world view of the first Christians, and to restore to their original setting such key concepts as the Messiah, divine Sonship, covenant, atonement, resurrection, incarnation, the Second Coming and the Kingdom of God.

In her 2003 essay "Text and Context" (found in chapter 12/p. 294 of this online book) she lays out a compelling (though circumstantial) case that the Jews removed many references to the temple and covenants from their canon in the early days of Christianity (after the book "proceeded forth").

1 Nephi 13:18 and the American Revolution

18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.

An example of this in the early days of the American Revolution might be the battle of Dorchester Heights. George Washington snuck his armies onto this strategically positioned hill in the middle of the night and built fortifications there under conditions that were unusually mild for the troops and with a haze at sea level that obscured their actions to the British forces in Boston. (Source: 1776 by David McCullough)
Once the British realized what had happened, they immediately knew they needed to either attack or retreat. They planned to attack, but a terrible storm rolled in at the time of the planned attack, making it impossible to continue. British General William Howe wrote in his journal about the attack:

The contrary winds of the afternoon of March 5th, the storm that followed that night, and the weather continuing boisterous the next day and night, were the deciding factors in that they gave the enemy still more time to improve their defenses of the heights. I could promise myself little success by attacking them under all the disadvantages I had to encounter. Wherefore, I judged it most advisable to prepare for the evacuation of the town [Boston].

They retreated instead.

1 Nephi 13:12 and Christopher Columbus

12 ...I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

From his personal writings:

With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. . . . This was a fire that burned within me who can doubt that this fire was not merely mine, but also of the Holy Spirit.

—Christopher Columbus

Read more here.