The world wouldn't be where it is today without the events that transpired throughout the 20th century. These important historical events have indeed shaped our world. It paved the way for the 21st century and everything else we have coming in the future.
Some events signaled significant changes in human rights and equality, while others were tragedies or wars that happened out of spite.
Beginning Of Aviation
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, built and flew the world's first successful airplane. The brothers made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. In 1904, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft.
They were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.
The Sinking Of The Titanic
Four days into the voyage of the ship, the boat struck an iceberg. The journey from Southampton to New York City was doomed afterward. The sinking of the Titanic took almost three hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people.
It's one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The assassination led directly to the first World War. The political objective behind the killing was to break off Austria-Hungary's South Slav provinces so that would become Yugoslavia. Austria-Hungary declared war, leading to war between most European countries.
Much of what is known about the assassination comes from two trials in October 1914.
Treaty of Versailles
The treaty would end the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. Germany had to accept responsibility for the war. It was signed on June 28, 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Despite the armistice being signed on November 11, 1918, it took six months of negotiations for the war to finally come to an end.
Great Depression
The Great Depression started in the United States after a major fall in stock prices. It had devastating effects on both the rich and poor. Cities around the world were stricken, especially those relying heavily on industries.
It was the most prolonged, most profound, and most widespread depression of the 20th century.
Invasion of Normandy
D-Day was June 6, 1944. Allied forces came from the United States, Canada, Britain, and Free French forces. The invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings. In the early morning, amphibious landings commenced on five beaches in Normandy.
It remains today as a visitors destination for any history buff.
Declaration Of The Establishment Of The State Of Israel
Israel joined the United Nations on May 11, 1949. Israel maintains full diplomatic relations and open borders with its Arab neighbors, Egypt and Jordan.
From the establishment of the State of Isreal until the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979, Israel and Iran maintained close ties.
Cold War
The conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union began in 1946. The Cold War split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the Soviets and the States as two superpowers with economic and political differences.
It ended with the Revolutions of 1989, and the 1991 collapse of the USSR.
Space Race
The Soviet Union and the United States fought for supremacy in spaceflight. The origins of this competition started with the missile-based nuclear arms race between the two countries.
It began on August 2, 1955, with the Soviets beating the US to the first successful launch, and the orbiting of Sputnik 1.
Sputnik 1
The Soviet Union launched it into a low Earth orbit on October 4, 1957. The satellite orbited for three weeks before the batteries died. The launch of Sputnik 1 launched new political, military, technological, and scientific developments.
The satellite traveled at about 29,000 kilometers per hour, taking 96 minutes to complete each orbit.
JFK Assassination
On Friday, November 22, 1963, the 35th President of the United States was shot down. Former U.S. Marine Lee Harvey Oswald fatally shot JFK. Oswald was quickly arrested following his actions.
After a 10-month investigation, the Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted entirely alone on the tragic day.
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history on July 20, 1969, becoming the first two people on the moon. The landing was broadcast live on TV to a worldwide audience. But, it was Armstrong who stepped onto the lunar surface first.
He described the event as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
African-American Civil Rights Movement
The social movements started as an attempt to end racial segregation. Civil rights activists from Malcolm X to Martin Luther King Jr. stood up against discrimination against black Americans.
They wanted to secure and give recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights embraced in the Constitution and Federal law.
Apollo 13
In 1970, the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program was a near-disaster. While in space, the astronauts heard a loud bang, figuring a meteorite might have struck the Lunar Module.
With limited power and energy, the crew was forced to shut down the mission.
Vietnam War
It was fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The North was supported by the Soviets, China, and other communist allies. The South was backed up by the United States, South Korea, and Australia.
The war lasted nearly two decades, which resulted in three communist states in 1975.
Watergate Scandal
When U.S. Congress investigated the conspiracy, the Nixon administration was resistant to its probes, leading to a constitutional crisis. The term Watergate comes from illegal activities undertaken by members of Nixon's administration.
Gerald Ford pardoned the disgraced president on September 8, 1974, but Nixon would never escape that scandal.
Chernobyl Disaster
An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. The Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear power plant accident based on cost and casualties.
It's one of two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The other one was the Fukushima disaster in 2011.
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall began on November 9, 1989, and continued over the following days and weeks. Crowds of people gathered on both sides of the crossings. The fall of the wall marked the first step towards German reunification.
It formally concluded 339 days later on October 3, 1990, with the dissolution of East Germany.
Invention Of The Internet
English scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. A year later, he wrote the first web browser. Since its creation, it's become a central development which everyone uses.
From websites to text documents and more, there are endless possibilities as to why the internet is a benefit in our society today.
Rwandan Genocide
An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed. The genocide and widespread slaughter of Rwandans ended because of the Tutsi-backed and heavily armed Rwandan Patriotic Front.
Following the RPF victory, an estimated 2,000,000 Rwandans, mostly Hutu, were displaced and became refugees. It occured during a 100-day period from April 7 to July 15, 1994.
