Five Most Influential Events

[Antiochus III]

I'm interested in what you guys think are the five most influential events of world history. I envision this as not including religous events, not because they don't have influence, but because if one does include them, they tend to always be at the top of the list because so many people are religous. I hope no one is offended by this, and I'm interested to hear your feedback.

 

Antiochus III

[cornelius_sulla]

I'm not sure about a top five, but I'll enter the dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima as a candidate to be up there somewhere in the top five.

The dropping of those bombs irrevocably changed the world on many different levels and had a massive influence over humanity as a whole and it's future.

Edited April 14, 2008 by cornelius_sulla

[Nephele]

I'm not sure about the top five, either, but for the top of the list I vote for the combined events which led to the creation of the Internet, which itself has perhaps had the greatest societal, political, economic, and cultural influence on the planet since the beginning of humankind's history.

 

-- Nephele

[Faustus]

The design, introduction, and development of the first printing press in its most practical form by Gutenberg about 1440. The value and usefulness of his press to create printed material suitable for the masses was quickly shown by its rapid adoption from that point in time and geography throughout the rest of world.

 

The full citizenry of the Colonial America and subsequently of the States and the Territories were among the best read citizens of the world at that time or any time since. This was important beyond our ability to take into account to the creation and development of the American Republic.

[Faustus]

I'm interested in what you guys think are the five most influential events of world history.

A singular event: With one action: Gavrilo Princeps set in motion the events which began WWI (and by extension WWII). There can be little doubt that the world would have been much different without that signal event.

[Antiochus III]

Thanks for the feedback, and I think all of your ideas are great!

[Northern Neil]

Does the melting of the ice from 14'000 BC - 8'000 BC count?

[WotWotius]

Does the melting of the ice from 14'000 BC - 8'000 BC count?

 

Or the beginning of agriculture in the Neolithic?

Edited April 15, 2008 by WotWotius

[Horatius]

I think the Black Plague would have to be up there, maybe at the top for the effect it had on civilization.

[Gaius Octavius]

The American Revolution.

[P.Clodius]

The advent of the internet could be a candidate....Some of you may take this for granted but, I have worked in the IT field and let me tell you it is no simple task to get one device to talk to another. I once read someplace that the pyramids and sending a man to the moon pales in comparison to the global complexities of connecting devices across disparate networks, and all this on a global scale! That aside, I know it wasn't a single event but I think the Enlightenment should be a candidate also. Freedom of thought should not be taken for granted, I prize it, and the free exchange of information as central to our evolution.

[sonic]

The written word.

[Julius Ratus]

Here are my top five sets of events. I realize that my list is Eurocentric, but its the History I know.

 

1.) Victory of Greeks/Macedonians over Persians in the Two Persian Wars, and the Victory of Rome in the Three Punic Wars. These events secured European independence from Asia.

 

2.) Charles Martel and the Reconquista in the West. The Gates of Vienna and the Battle of the Kulikovo Pole in the East. These four Battles halted the spread of Islam, and accomplished the same thin as #1.

 

3.) The Rennaisance and The 'Discovery' of the New World. These two events led to the half millenia of European domination of the World.

 

4.) WWI and De-Colonization. The undoing of #3.

 

5.) WWII and the Cold War. Both these wars were political more than national in nature, and brought the World together more than anything else ever has (funny, we get together best when were killing one another!). These wars also moved the focus out to the periphery, with the leading nations being largely in N. America (USA) and Asia (USSR) rather than in Europe.

 

There's my USD .02.

[Ursus]

The invention of beer.

[icedragon101]

1. Conquest by Alexander - Unifed the know world under one language.

 

2. Conquest of Egypt by Rome, Brought world under it rule, making it possible to travel from Brittian to tazikastan while only using 2 languages.

 

3. Discovery of the New World, change the social order.

 

4. The French Revolution, brought us communism, Nazi, and a whole host of other problems, Ended unquestioned authority by kings and replaced it by unquestioned authority by the state.

 

5. Americain Revloution - brought us theocratic democracy and freedom we enjoy today.