Most Momentous Event In Human History Thus Far ?

[BENDERBOY]

What do you think is the most momentous single event in human history thus far ?

I'll start by saying the invention of the printing press.

What about you ?

[desertboi]

For me it's the invention of the airplane. It almost instantly made the world a smaller place.

[bankside]

The Enlightenment.

[desertboi]

The Enlightenment.

Interesting... I didn't think of this.

[BillyT]

The ability to make fire, people now had heat, light up the night, fend off animals and cooked their food.

[HoodedRat]

The day that some control-freak realised that organized religion (as opposed to personal 'spirituality') could be effectively used to control the masses. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.

[Rickrock]

There are so many events that it is impossible to come up with one. Certainly when humans learned to make fire was one of the most important days. Also there may not be any specific tool that can be singled out, but when humans started using tools, even when someone picked up a stick or rock to use for a benefit, this would be another important event. Creating writing would be another. Christians might say that when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit or when Christ was crucified and rose from the dead would be other important events. In modern times it was the discovery of using electricity. I'll probably think of more later.

[desertboi]

It is a tough question...

[BENDERBOY]

The Industrial Revolution was another major one.


You can of course pick more than one event.

[desertboi]

I'd also have to say the discovery of oil. The last 150 years wouldn't have been possible without oil.

[eastofeden]

Pre recorded human history...the fall of Atlantis.

[DigitalFudge]

[Swellegant]

My birth, of course.

But for reals I'd say the Black Death. It altered the very shape of civilization in Europe.

[RazorzEdge88]

Good thread.

A lot of the really important stuff has already been touched on. I'll throw out two more:

Agricultural Revolution
Development of Germ Theory

Both contributing to two of the largest population booms ever.

[M10000]

I would say computers but you could argue that we have survived without computers.

[Pianist]

That last evolutionary twist that led to homo sapiens.

[GiancarloC]

The invention of condoms.

[xbuzzerx]

I will start with antibiotics, since Swellegant got to my initial answer first.

[MTLDude]

I think the Big Bang is number one. It set everything in motion!

[csb999]

either/or historically the shift to agriculture or the Internet . Am expecting really revolutionary results from this . Far bigger than the printing press .

[Spiff]

The discovery of nuclear fission. What could be more relevant to the future than the ability to destroy it?

[swerve]

I'm fascinated with this thread...

Unfortunately, I'll be contemplating for a few days before I can come up with what I perceive as the MOST momentous EVENT...

My first inclination was the dropping of Little Boy and Fat Man on Japan -- but that is icky and yucky stuff -- and probably WAY TOO recent to be the MOST -- I'd much rather come up with a WONDERFUL event!!!

[csb999]

just thought : going to the Moon was a pretty big thing for humans .

[loveguys72]

The invention of the wheel, along with the discovery of fire. The invention of the written word is up there, too.

[refujiunderground]

this.

[csb999]

the wheel . South America managed well enough without it .

[pat grimshaw]

the wheel . South America managed well enough without it .

australia didn't have it; nor writing, either

[csb999]

both the printing press and the internet , minor insignificant tech changes coupled with earth-shattering social changes . Note "What we have often regarded as literary conventions are solely book-making conventions and in time will cease to exist . Point that maybe libraries themselves are just vestiges of an outdated marketing form .Thinking catalogues - lists of titles - are no more than a number of things that the industry separated into items and labelled to sell . Here perhaps we have to refer to the form of handwitten manuscripts . Added separate conventions . The title as the name of a separate identifiable body of words , much practical difficulty incipit , long title ,and later short title . Maybe what we must do then is revert to all literary forms and conventions before printing . Copyright is just another outdated printing convention . All 16th century business things ."

[CupidBoy]

Many wonderful answers in this thread so far.

I'd say the Internet has greatly advanced our society and the way we live in our everyday lives. It has allowed us to not only share and receive information, but to also connect with people we'd probably never know otherwise.

Plus without it I'd have never met my BENDERBOY.

[thatgirl]

I dunno but I'm just glad that the internet was invented.

edit: Oop, I see Cupidboy and csb999 mentioned the internet, too. Ditto to what they said.

[LatimerRd]

I'd venture the discovery of fire. The Greeks must have thought so: Prometheus gave fire to man and suffered eternal punishment by the gods for having done so.

I'd also venture that most Americans, if asked this question, would answer the birth of Jesus.

[guyfromNY]

Certainly I think it would have to be electricity. It's been the basis for everything.

[cityboy-stl]

In terms of lasting achievement and long standing impact I think I'd agree on the printing press. It set the ball the rolling for every other advancement that followed. In terms of a single, momentous event that was a turning point in history, I have to go with the moon landing.

[kineticpsi]

Traveling to the moon fits in my book. There's just something so extraordinary about leaving our atmosphere and landing on the moon. But I always liked space stuff as a kid, so I'm probably biased.

[cgymike]

Benderboy gets a new cum rag....

[blackbeltninja]

I think it's a toss-up between electricity, and the principles of any basic engine (almost anything used to make work more efficient).

I will certainly change my mind when someone invents either an antigravity car. Or a portable device which allows us* to see through everyone's clothes.

-d-
*me, obviously

[unloadonme]

I'll nominate the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species in 1859 which effectively replaced religious nonsense with a scientific explanation of evolution.

[Charmine]

The electrification of the night.

[ElmosToe]

The computer

[benno5693]

What about the invention of spoken language / communication?

[Charmine]

Were early languages invented, or did they evolve, like winking, smiling, or frowning?

[unloadonme]

What about the invention of spoken language / communication?

Were early languages invented, or did they evolve, like winking, smiling, or frowning?

I think Esperanto must be the only invented language. The others developed over time.

[benno5693]

Invention, evolution, you know what I mean...

[Charmine]

Good point.

Actually, I thought the title read invention in history.

It doesn't. My bad.

Still, event seems like a specific occurrence, not a long development.

But, you are right. It is credited with changing humans profoundly over our evolution.

[chrisrobin]

What do you think is the most momentous single event in human history thus far ?

I'll start by saying the invention of the printing press.

^^^This, along with Gutenberg's invention of movable type. Unofficial beginning of the Renaissance?

Other than that, the inclusion of the zero into our system of mathematics.

[Charmine]

The ZERO?

That's nothing!

[rareboy]

Beyond the obvious harnessing of fire, and the invention of the first tool.....

The conquests of Alexander the Great.

[Charmine]

The conquests of Alexander the Great.

I'm sure the other men felt it was momentous, if he was a top.

[rareboy]

^^^This, along with Gutenberg's invention of movable type. Unofficial beginning of the Renaissance?

Other than that, the inclusion of the zero into our system of mathematics.

psssst

Actually it was the Chinese who invented moveable type.

[Benvolio]

Columbus's discovery of the other half of the world. If you go back, it was when the apes were forced to stand up to look over the tall grass. Freed up their hands for tools, and led to the development of the human brain. Or, at least that is one theory.