The most important moments in history

30/11/2020

01/10/2020

October Revolution
While many of Europe’s revolutions saw changes toward Republicanism, Russia’s October Revolution (aka the Bolshevik Revolution) saw their politics moving in a totally different direction towards Communism. Led by Vladamir Lenin and the Bolsheviks against the Tsar and his ruling class, the October Revolution was complete in 1917. Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and executed, ushering in the Soviet era.

01/10/2020

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand II
The Industrial Revolution changed a lot of things, but one major ramification was the growing sense of identity and nationalism. By 1914, with new technological innovations like tanks, machine guns, and deadly gases, Europe had become a powderkeg of factions just waiting to go to war. So, on June 28th, 1914, Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, toured Sarajevo to inspect the armed forces in Bosnia, something Serbian Nationalists weren’t happy about. Ferdinand and his wife were shot by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian Nationalist. The Serbian government was blamed for the attack which sparked World War I.

01/10/2020

Protestant Reformation
Something else that came out of the Renaissance, with the help of the printing press, was the Protestant Reformation. Starting with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, which argued against the Pope’s use of indulgences, the Reformation grew with others like John Calvin and Henry VIII questioning the Pope’s and the Catholic Church’s authority. These grievances caused the church to split into various denominations such as the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Church. Both positives and negatives grew from this split, including bloody persecutions on the one hand and strengthened universities, art, and education on the other.

01/10/2020

Industrial Revolution
From the 18th and the 19th centuries, something amazing came out of Britain. Before, manufacturing mostly came out of people’s homes or at shops but suddenly all that shifted to major factories with machines helping mass-produce all kinds of textiles. It’s called the Industrial Revolution, and it changed Britain, Europe, and America from mostly agrarian societies to urban and industrial. Out of it came major innovations like trains and automobiles. Even though it provided serious challenges for the poorer classes, it improved the lives of the middle class.

24/09/2020

Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire

Let’s hop over to Asia now and look at Genghis Khan, the ruler of one of the largest empires in human history. Few would actually point to Khan as someone who radically changed history, but his Mongol Empire had sweeping effects in their time and beyond. First, the Mongolian army was a terror, conquering, slaughtering, and pillaging wherever they went. But they were also good at being pragmatic and including and adopting all cultures to please the masses and maintain control. By almost uniting Eurasia, they were able to spread technologies like paper, gunpowder, the compass, and even trousers.

24/09/2020

The Life of Muhammad

Born in 570 CE, Muhammad was born in Mecca, and at the age of 40, he claimed to receive a vision from the angel Gabriel. He continued to receive these revelations, which became the Quran. His teachings and message drew crowds but also swift opposition. He took his followers out of Mecca to Medina but eventually would gather so many followers, he’d return to conquer Mecca. As we know today, his impact on Middle Eastern culture and the world grew with the religion of Islam, becoming the second most popular religion in the world.

24/09/2020

The Life of Jesus

The life of Jesus was a major historical event which came about during the reign of Caesar Augustus and Pax Romana. Regardless if you believe Jesus’s teachings, few deny how big an impact he left on human history and the massive religion that would soon follow. Christianity has impacted many elements throughout Western culture, shaping it for thousands of years to the modern day. With millions around the world worshiping Jesus as God, his influence has lasted far longer than most.

19/09/2020

Pax Romana

Pax Romana, which means “Roman Peace,” was a period of peace and stability over the Roman Empire. It started at the reign of Caesar Augustus when Rome had ruled Europe, North Africa, and Palestine and lasted for two hundred years afterward. This stability allowed for further advances in art, culture, and technology and established much of what would become modern-day Germany, France, and England.

19/09/2020

Alexander the Great

Speaking of Alexander the Great, when the Greek city-states were growing in their power, he rose up as a Macedonian Ruler that would use his charm, cunning, and ruthlessness to conquer Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and some parts of India. Not only did he build a massive empire, but his influence on culture ushered in the Hellenistic Period, a heavy mixture of Greek and Asian culture that would dominate the world for centuries.

19/09/2020

Greco-Persian Wars

It might not seem like it, but the Greco-Persian Wars were a huge turning point in human history. If the Greeks had fallen and lost against the Persian Empire, like everyone else in the known world, the Western World would likely not have the democratic politics, art, literature, and science it does today. The Greeks not only won against the Persians, but they thrived thereafter all the way up to Alexander the Great.

19/09/2020

19/09/2020