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103 Pivotal Moments In Human History That Changed Our Course Forever
Millions of moments have shaped the world as we know it today. Some were major turning points, like certain wars, inventions and discoveries. Others might seem less important... But even the events we perceive as slightly insignificant have played a big part in history.
Of course, so much has happened throughout the years that it could be easy to forget a lot of it. That's where photography, writing, documenting and archiving come in. They preserve the memories of people, places and things so that future generations can look back and see how far humanity has come, and how far we have yet to go.
If you dig taking a deep dive into the past, you might want to join an online community called Archive of Humanity. It has close to 100,000 weekly visitors, and is a "curated space dedicated to preserving the visual legacy of our species." From pivotal moments in human history to major breakthroughs in space exploration, science, and technology, the page is a beautiful, bottomless virtual archive.
Bored Panda has put together a compilation of its most interesting posts for you to scroll through while even more history is made today.
This post may include affiliate links.
What were the most important events in history? The answer may vary depending on who you ask, where and when they were born, and what they've experienced in their own lifetime.
Some may include World War II, others could go straight to the invention of the cellphone, or man's first visit to the moon. There are hundreds, if not thousands, more potential responses. All are significant and all have shaped the world as we know it today - in one way or the other.
But certain events were so massive that they changed the world instantly, forever...
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#3
Vincas Juška, A Lithuanian Book Smuggler That Transported Language Books Into Lithuania, Circa Late 1800s
Smugglers like Juška transported books a across the border to preserve the Lithuanian language and culture, March 16th is celebrated in Lithuania as the Day of the Book Smugglers
Among the most recent is one that still haunts many of us: The Covid-19 pandemic. What a time to be alive...
One moment we were living our (best-as-we-could) lives, the next we were in an unexpected global lockdown, watching the fatalities rise all around us.
"On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, sending shockwaves across the planet. Overnight, borders closed, cities locked down, and daily life changed for billions—something unseen since previous pandemics, but on a much larger scale," reports the History Collection site. "The speed and scope of the response was unprecedented, with countries scrambling to adapt."
More than 7 million people lost their lives to the virus, economies took a knock, businesses shut down, families were left homeless and many still haven't fully recovered from the crisis.
#4
The Kailasa Temple At Ellora Was Built In The 8th Century
It Was Carved From A Single Massive Rock, Cut From The Top Down, Not Built With Stones Or Bricks. Nearly 400,000 Tons Of Rock Were Removed Using Simple Tools, Making It One Of The Most Impressive Engineering Feats In History.
Another fairly recent date many of us will never forget is September 11, 2001, or 9/11, as it's since become known.
Again, things began as normal on this fateful day in history until suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, two planes flew into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York. A series of co-ordinated attacks followed. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, and another into a Pennsylvania field, leaving America and the rest of the world stunned.
Close to 3,000 people lost their lives in those incidents. Air travel, politics, and daily life for many, would never be the same again.
"In a single morning, global priorities shifted, leading to sweeping changes in security and foreign policy," notes History Collection. It wasn't long before a number of wars would be launched.
When Pew Research Center asked Americans in 2016 to name the 10 most significant events in their lifetime, 76% included 9/11. Barack Obama's election was the second-most frequently named event, listed by 40% of the 2,000 people surveyed.
"Every other event is named by fewer than one-quarter of all adults," noted Pew. "This includes the changes ushered in by the internet, personal computers, smartphones and other innovations of the tech revolution, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the Vietnam War."
#9
In 1912, Jim Thorpe Had His Running Shoes Stolen The Morning Of His Olympic Events. He Found This Mismatched Pair Of Shoes In The Garbage And Ran In Them To Win Two Olympic Gold Medals
Many South Africans may say that the release of Nelson Mandela, the end of apartheid, and the first democratic elections were among the most important events in history for them. Each was a step towards a more inclusive and fair country, and changed the lives of millions of people.
"Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world," said Mandela in his presidential inauguration speech, "The Dawn of a New South Africa."
#10
Cracked And Faded Statue Of Vladimir Komarov, The First Human To Lose His Life During A Space Mission. Now Stands Forgotten At An Abandoned Children's Camp Outside Moscow
#11
The Blue Void Earth’s Most Isolated Hemisphere, This Is The Pacific-Centered View Of Earth The Side We Rarely See In Maps Or Textbooks
Unlike The Familiar Africa–europe Or Asia View, This Hemisphere Is Dominated Almost Entirely By The Pacific Ocean, The Largest And Deepest Ocean On The Planet.
#12
A 1966 Photo From The Netherlands Dubbed The “Dutchiest Father Of All Time” Captures A Father Fully Embracing Classic Mid-1960s Dutch Practicality
But over in Germany and other European countries, those events might not rank as high on the list as something like the fall of the Berlin Wall, which took place the night of November 9, 1989. The wall was seen as the symbol of a divided Europe, so when it was suddenly opened, many were amazed.
"East and West Berliners surged through, embracing, celebrating, and chipping away at the concrete barrier that had separated families for decades," reports the History Collection site. "This spontaneous event marked the beginning of the end for the Cold War, rivaling other political upheavals in its speed and significance."
#13
In The Late 1800s, Explorers Photographing The Jungles Of Guatemala Captured This Image Of Stela K At Quiriguá, An Ancient Maya City Near The Motagua River
#15
The World's Last Commercial Ocean-Going Sailing Ship - The Pamir - Rounding Cape Horn, 1949
One historical moment that had millions celebrating around the globe happened on July 20, 1969, and not on earth...
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” said Neil Armstrong, as he stepped onto the lunar surface. NASA's website reveals that it took four days for the Lunar Module Eagle, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to travel to the moon. And an estimated 650 million people watched the landing.
It marked a major milestone in the space race and showed many that what might seem impossible can be achieved.
#18
Algeria Is Home To Seven Unesco World Heritage Sites And Is The Second Country In The World With The Most Roman Ruins After Italy
As mentioned earlier, someone's idea of what the most significant historical events are can depend on where and when they were born.
Pew Research Center's survey found this to be true, noting that Americans are primarily bound together by their generation and the major events that occurred during their formative years.
#19
Golden Chamber (Burial Chamber), The Reliefs Are Not Just Colors, But Are A Recessed And Relieved, Ultra-Precise Sculpture, Which Has Preserved Its Bright Colors For More Than 3000 Years
"For the oldest Americans, the Silent and Greatest generations, that unifying event is World War II. For Baby Boomers, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War are defining moments," reads the site. "For Millennials and Gen Xers, 9/11 and the Obama election leads the list by a greater margin than for other generations."
What are the five most significant historical events on your opinion? Let us know in the comments section below…
#22
An Ottoman Supply Train Still Resting Where It Was Ambushed By Lawrence Of Arabia Over 100 Years Ago On The Hejaz Railway
#25
Cueva De Las Manos (Cave Of The Hands) In The Río Pinturas Canyon In Southern Argentina, The Handprints Were Placed In Waves From 7,300 Bc All The Way To Ad 700
#26
A Page From The Voynich Manuscript Written Sometime In The 1400s. The Book Has Unknown Plants And Is Written In A Language That Has Yet To Be Deciphered
#27
Norwegian Storyteller Eiliv Braatene Spent Much Of His Life As A Wandering Vagabond, Carrying All His Possessions In A Tin Can And A Small Bundle, 1897
#30
The First Ever Underwater Photograph Taken In The South Of France At A Depth Of 164 Feet By Louis Boutan In 1899
#31
The Stadium At Aphrodisias In Modern Turkey, Built During The 1st Century Ad, Is Among The Best-Preserved Examples Of Ancient Greek Stadiums
#33
Woman Kneeling Next To Bed Of Child, In An Underground Tunnel During The Bombing Of London, World War II, January 1945
#34
Norwegian Ethnologist Thor Heyerdahl And His Raft 'Kon-Tiki' Crossing The Pacific Ocean
Heyerdahl Built The Boat And Sailed It From Peru To Polynesia In 101 Days, Thus Demonstrating That Trips Of That Magnitude Were Within The Realm Of Possibility For Prehistoric Peoples (1947)
#35
On May 18, 1980, Richard Lasher Shot This Epic Photo Of The Eruption Of Mount St. Helens
Lasher Was Forced To Abandon His Pinto And Flee The Giant Plume Of Ash On His Motorcycle. Lasher Survived, His Pinto Did Not.
#36
A Migratory Mexican Field Worker Stands Beside His Makeshift Home Near A Pea Field In Imperial Valley, California, 1937
Photographed By Dorothea Lange During The Great Depression, Capturing The Stark Realities Of Agricultural Labor And Displacement.
#39
Astronaut Frank Culbertson, Aboard The Iss, Was The Only American To Witness The 9/11 Events From Space; His Historic Photograph Captures A Visible Plume Of Smoke Rising Over Manhattan
#40
The Cosquer Cave Is A Palaeolithic Decorated Cave, Located In France, That Contains Numerous Cave Drawings Dating Back As Far As 27,000 Years Bp
#41
The Only Surviving War Elephant Armour In The World From 17th Century India Displayed At The Royal Armouries Museum In Leeds, England
#43
Soviet Northern Explorer Nikolai Machulyak Feeds Polar Bears With Condensed Milk. Chukchi Sea, 1976
#46
The Full-Scale Recreation Of The Roman Forum Built For The Filming Of ‘The Fall Of The Roman Empire’ (1964)
Constructed In Las Matas Near Madrid, It Was The Largest Outdoor Film Set In History At That Time, At 92,000 M2 (23 Acres). No Matte Paintings Were Used To Extend The Set
#49
Human Creativity 30,000 Years Ago, Prehistoric Cave Paintings Of Bhimbetka Rock Shelters (Unesco World Heritage Site)
#51
When Humanity Tried To Ride Zebras: A Forgotten 1890–1940 Experiment That Failed Spectacularly
#52
In 2003, Fast Attack Submarine Uss Connecticut (Ssn-22) Had Partly Surfaced In An Ice Pack When A Polar Bear Began To Lick And Paw The Exposed Rudder To Determine If It Was Worth Eating
#53
Mihailo Tolotos, A Greek Orthodox Monk That Lived For 82 Years (1856 To 1938) Without Having Ever Seen A Woman In His Life
#54
Geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor And Meteorologist Charles Wright In The Entrance Of An Ice Grotto. Terra Nova Expedition, Ross Island, 5 January 1911. Photo Taken By Herbert Ponting
#56
Aerial View Of Timber Blowdown, Destroyed By The May 18 Eruption Of Mount St. Helens, In Skamania County, Washington, On June 8, 1980
#57
Chief John Smith Was An Ojibwe (Chippewa) Indian Who Lived In The Area Of Cass Lake, Minnesota. He Passed In 1922 At The (Alleged) Ripe Old Age Of 137
#58
During The 19th Century, Rich British Landowners Ordered Exaggerated Portraits Of Their Livestock As Symbols Of Wealth, Frequently Depicting Them With Unusually Large Rectangular Bodies
#59
Heliphants, Indian Air Force Helicopter Unit 116 Were Hal Chetak Helicopters Covered With Elephant-Shaped Decorations Used In Air Displays, 1970s
#60
Vision Of The Future In The 1930's Soviet Futurism Art, Electro-Magnetic Rapid Transit System
#61
Intricate Marble Carvings Inside The Luna Vasahi Temple, Part Of The Renowned Dilwara Temples In Mount Abu, Photographed Circa 1948
#63
A Young American Boy Examines Radioactive Samples From A Chemistry Set In 1950, Wearing Headphones Connected To A Geiger Counter Sensitive Enough To Detect Radiation From A Wristwatch
#64
Engraved Handprints On White Mountain Wyoming, Sacred To The Shoshone, Arapaho And Ute Tribes Today
#65
There Is A Spacecraft Graveyard In The South Pacific Ocean Known As“Point Nemo”, It Is The Furthest Place On The Earth From Land
It Is Home To Over 300 Spacecraft And Associated Space Debris, Including The Mir Space Station, The First Ever Object Assembled In Planetary Orbit By Russian Cosmonauts
#66
President John F. Kennedy Leans Over His Desk In This Iconic Photo, Dubbed "The Lonliest Job." February 11, 1961
#68
A Polar Bear Cub And Child Meet, (1975), Wrangel Island, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russian Sfsr
#69
Native American Rock Art In The Lower Pecos Canyonlands Of Texas And Northern Mexico, With A Tradition Lasting Over 4,000 Years And Beginning Nearly 6,000 Years Ago
#71
Boy Selling Apples Beside A Road In North Carolina, 1934 (During The Great Depression). Photo By Bayard Wootten
#72
A Mississippi River Pearl Diver, Using A Car’s Old Gas Tank For A Helmet, Prepares To Descend Into The River. 1938
#73
Series Of Photos Of Calcutta, British India Taken In 1860s By Samuel Bourne Titled "Views Of Calcutta And Barrackpore", Colourised
#75
Astronaut Chimpanzee, Ham, Gets An Apple After His First Successful Flight Into Space 31 January 1961 By NASA, Ham Was The First American Primate In Space
#78
Woman Standing Next To Redwood Tree, 1950s, Redwood Tree Is One Of The Tallest And Oldest Tree Species On Earth, Native Mainly To California And Parts Of Oregon
#82
An Aerial Photo Of The Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong Taken In 1989. The Walled City Contained 50,000 Residents Within Its 2.6-Hectare (6.4-Acre) Borders. It Was Demolished In 1994
#83
Space Shuttle Endeavour Silhouetted Against Earth’s Horizon As It Approaches The International Space Station For Docking During The Sts-130 Mission
#84
In 1930, Brothers John And Kenneth Hunter Set An Aviation Record With A 23-Day Nonstop Flight
They Cracked The Code Of Mid-Air Refueling, Carefully Syncing With Another Plane To Grab Fuel And Supplies.
#87
At The Greenhouse Of The "Decorative Cultures" State Farm, (1980s), Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Assr
#90
Children In Front Of World’s Largest Log Cabin In Portland, Oregon, USA 1938. Built In 1905 Burned Down In 1964
#91
Trainees Donning Makeshift Astronaut Suits Marching Through Zambian Villages
A step forward for that country's short-lived but highly ambitious space program whose aim was to put Zambians on the moon before the US, 1969
#92
On October 16, 1964, China Carried Out Its First Successful Nuclear Detonation, Becoming The 5th Country In The World To Develop Nuclear Weapons
Among The Most Striking Demonstrations Were Cavalry Units Riding Toward The Blast Zone Shortly After The Explosion
#95
Huge Formation Of American Planes Over Uss Missouri And Tokyo Bay Celebrating The Signing, 2 September 1945
#96
A 100-Foot Trestle Built In Washington In 1906 To Haul Logs After A Forest Fire—traces Of These Structures Still Remain In The Pacific Northwest Forests
#97
Picture Of Mahabodhi Temple Before (1879) vs. During (1883) vs. After (1899) Its Restoration, It Is The Site Where Gautam Buddha Attained Enlightenment
#98
Latitude 41' 46n And Longitude 50' 14w, The Place Where The Titanic Sank (Atlantic Ocean 1912)
#100
Las Vegas Nevada: Flash Of A Atomic Bomb Test Taken On The Early Morning Of June 24, 1957. The Blast Was 65 Miles Away
#101
A Family Poses In Front Of A 1,341 Year Old Sequoia Tree Nicknamed “Mark Twain” That Was Felled In 1892 After A Team Of Two Men Spent 13 Days Sawing It In The Pacific Northwest. The Giant Tree Was 331 Feet Tall (100 Meters)it Was Cut Down To "Prove Such A Large Tree Existed"
#103
To Study The Medical Effects Of Weightlessness In Space, Scientists Convinced Captain Druey P. Parks To Toss A Kitten In The Air While Cruising In His F-94c Jet At An Altitude Of 25,000 Feet
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