What two events in modern history according to you, changed the course of human civilization?

Didn't read all the other responses here, so I may be repeating...

Event 1: Fall of Man- Genesis 3.

Event 2: Crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection of Jesus- Gospels.

'Nuff said.

As 'The War to end All Wars', WWI was a misnomer, because it didn't. Nevertheless it was pivotal - in Europe anyway - in changing the status of the upper classes. In Britain the difficulty afterwards in recruiting household servants and the general attitude towards the Church altered the outlook of the working masses. No longer did men look up to their 'betters', and the failure of the state to honour their promise of 'A Land Fit For Heroes' did not endear the government or king to the same masses. The General Strike worsened the relationship and Churchill putting down the 'Glasgow Soviet' with tanks soured relationships between the Tories and workers. Nor did it help when Ramsay MacDonald 'defected' from Labour to Tory in the wake of an unsucessful first Labour Government. Churchill's 'Wilderness Years' began here, and his reprieve only came after Neville Chamberlain's pathetic leadership was challenged at the onset of WWII.

Hitler became an icon for some, opening the way for petty dictatorships everywhere, and even his defeat didn't change that. For a short time between June, 1941 (Operation Barbarossa) and April 1945 (Hitler's suicide) the west was umbilically linked to the east until - as the Nazis predicted - the Alliance fell apart and Stalin suspected the West of helping the Germans back to their feet. It was the Marshall Plan that cracked open the 'safe', rebuilding and seemingly re-arming West Germany, followed by the Berlin Blockade. Beyond that was a succession of wars and struggles that pockmarked the 'peace', Korea being the linchpin that threatened the existence of the infant United Nations. Everything else has been a 'sideshow', the main ones Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan for the USA; Palestine, Kenya, Malaya Suez, Cyprus and Aden for us (aside from the more recent Iraq [X2] and Afghanistan).

But that's what you expect when you're the world's 'policemen': people get 'bolshy' and fancy a crack at Mr Plod.

Many events in modern history helped to change the course of human civilization, but I choose to list these two:

1. The Industrial Revolution

2. The end of enforced Jim Crow Laws and the like everywhere, which officially ended in the 1960's in America and was the real end of extended slavery

It is not easy to narrow the many causes down to just two.

What an interesting question!

This is a great poem and summary of 2011. As to the question you ask, I would say that the result of the Allies being victorious in WW II and the breakup of the Soviet Union in the late 80s were two of the more important events which have played a part in changing the course of human civilization. Voted up and sharing.

This question does have to be one that takes into consideration the question of when do we consider the age of modern history to begin. Do we start with when Mankind first started to record it(the creation of writing), or to wait till the time of Gutenburg and the printing press's invention when thought's could then be mass produced to be spread worldwide? Do we take the invention of the wheel or the discovery of fire by what we once might consider pre-historic man, or do we consider the more modern harnessing of electricity as the stepping stone to Modern man?

can we consider the harnessing of the mathematics perfections as the foundation on which we built all of the disciplines of learning, or should we consider the more modern sciences as when man really became modernized?

Can we say that we became more modernized when in the 1940's, we realized that terror could reign in the likes of Hitler, or could we say we are not so modern when the likes of terrorism are still being performed at an almost daily ritual still in todays world?

Even in a world where we have reached technologies highest level yet, why is it if we had put a man on the moon before, we today can't figure out a reasonable way to it again?

In a world where the computer is supposed to be the fastest way to spread ideas and knowledge, why does it take my bank 24 hours to process a check? or for that matter that supposedly great university to process my papers? And with all this technology given to us at our fingertips, why have we not been able to figure out a way to build an engine that gets more than 40 miles per gallon?

The 1960's were supposed to modernize the equality of all mankind,yet 50 years later there is not one race (within the realm of what we would consider a modern society) that does not feel oppressed in some way or another by another race(sometimes even their own!).

So where does Modern Man and his greatest achievements start? or did they really?

Just a couple points to ponder!

I found this interesting hub well written and well executed. Being a WWII buff, I would have to say that war and WWI.

Great job

glad I found your page.

Evocative and thought provoking write--You summed up this past year so well--

You discuss history in the most beautiful, personable way! I thoroughly enjoy reading your hubs. It's a pleasure to know you on HP!

Great question So many things but one has got to be Obama I wont give my idea of good or bad this is not he place for that but his election will change the history of at least the US and maybe the world forever.

Great question and wonderful overview of 2011...the year of revolution.

The two events that changed the world in recent history? The invention of the personal computer...leading to the world wide web and access to information for all, but also the massive output of misinformation so often delivered by amateurs or scammers.

Secondly, the events of 911 brought a completely different kind of fear and expense to our planet. The increase of expenditure for wars, security and trust has been monumental incurring the distrust of Christian/Islam development in cross religion relationships--a horrible byproduct.

Perhaps the invention of the first can overcome the disaster of the second. Cheers, Beata...great hub question.

As others have said, many events have colored our world in recent history. Most of them have had ramifications that nobody could have foreseen. Your brief but succinct resume of events in 2011 is brilliant and thought-provoking, for which I thank you, Beata.

What 2 events in recent history would I choose? I think that the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903 was a hugely significant event - it led to worldwide travel for a large (but not all) the world's population, as well as darker events such as the obliteration of civilians in many wars. One could argue that aviation probably enabled or even directly caused the ending of WW2 both in Europe and in the Far East.

My second event was not really a single occurrence, but it almost was - the invention of the world wide web. That has led to a vast increase in personal knowledge and, consequently, personal power. To finish on a lighter note, without the internet we would not have HubPages or this wonderful Hub!

No answer to my question is more apt than yours. You are right, we are still writing our modern history and each small or big event has its impact on a varied scale.

May it be WW2 or WW1, the discoveries of Einstein or the imprisonment of Galileo no event has taken place without leaving its consequences on the society!

I put forward this question for a single pertaining dilemma in my mind that whether major events mark the turn of society or the minor ones have their part two!

You have cleared my doubts! Thank you for such an outstanding and amazing reply!

Great hub, very well informed,, thought provoking and interesting writing.

I think the two that I would pick would be the Reformation started by Martin Luther, and the invention of the printing press.

Thanks Beata for your Great hub and thanks hubbers for this very interesting discussion.I think two 2 main developments that changed our world are:

1-Modern medicine-saved many lives on earth but ironically caused our world wide population explosion which leads to slums,wars,resource depletion,air and water contamination etc which threatens all life on earth.

2-Modern contraception-if adopted world wide will bring about healthier women and children,and maybe more important population stability which may save our planet from the ravages of overpopulation.

Wow, This hub is very thought provoking. The whole world is in turmoil. The people are beginning to stand, demanding to be counted. The atomic bomb and slavery are my two choices. Great hub. Thank you...

Jackwms:

Your point is well taken. The depression and WWII were definitely life changing events. Each event is almost a prelude to another. That is why it is hard to narrow it down to two. My parents were born in 1916 and 1918. My Dad's family literally lost the farm--strawberry crop and dairy cows. It was a very difficult time.

I was born the first day of 1936, but I agree with almost everything Larry Wall posted. I lived through all these things too and agree they were very life/world changing.He did not mention the great depression of the 1930's a period when I was born. The runs on the banks, the poverty, the riots, and the new deal, fair deal,and others were very life/world changing.

I am going to fudge a little on my answer.

First, I think the dropping of the Atomic Bomb in World War II was a world changing event. I think even the rouge nations know that if they fire first, it will be their last shot. It is a tedious standoff.

Secondly, and this is where I am fudging, I am going to say the decade of the 1960s.

I remember in about 1968 there was a news documentary calling that year a rift if time.

During the 1960s, we had student riots, assassinations, Vietnam, the Watts riots, the riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the murder of the Freedom Rideres, the Governor of Alabama blocking the door of the University so a Black student could not register.

We also had passage of the Civil Rights Act, the establishment of the Peace Corps, enactment of Medicare (Yes it has problems, but it has helped a lot of people), we put Man on the Moon, the ecology movement started, people began to listen, they began to change their attitudes, it was a scary but amazing decade.

I was born in 1951. WWII was over. The Korean conflict was over. No one talked about it. Life just returned. Eisenhower was elected president for two rather uneventful terms. The 1960s came in with a bang--the shot heard around the world if you will. Many of the changes started in that decade are still evolving. Hopefully, history will mark the importance, the impact and the changes brought about by that decade.

If I'm boxed in to two answers I have to say:

1) The invention of the wheel;

2) The atom bomb.

Without the wheel things would move VERY slowly! Without the atom bomb life might be a lot more peaceful, but it's used mostly to browbeat rogue nations into complying with general standards of behaviour between nations. However, (here's the rub) most 'rogue' nations know full well the bomb's not going to be used! So we still have to have armies, navies and air forces, and they cost serious money...

Quite a poltical statement made in this poem. Great bit of truth while pointing out the events that caused the downward spiral of democracy. Your artistic outlook is one that everyone should adapt. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

You summed up last year's history better than any newspaper editorial I read.

We do not yet know the consequences of the internet for political organizing . . . or really for anything.

It is like the automobile in 1920, as people slowly started to get cars of their own, but the developed world had no idea how it would affect society, from exurban living to dating habits in America (and Australia too, I imagine!)