Top 5 of the 20thFollow

In no order:

The Cold War (Reason space exploration developed so quickly, thus why it's not on my list)
Television (American's issues with 'Nam had a lot to do with seeing the battle on television)
60's music (Don't shoot me. Music of the time period shaped much of American popular culture)
Civil Rights movement
The Invention of the Internet

This would be a lot less difficult if we could choose 10.

Did you mention ****?
That's a pretty cool invention.

In defense of the space program as a significant event of the 20th century. We can’t forget that without it, baring the whole exploration and knowledge seeking thing. We would have missed out on a buttload of technology. Plenty of things that we take for granted and make life easier and most people didn’t even know where they came from. Think of how things would be without some of these items (or with their eventual invention we’d have the ones our parents were using)

-Medical Imaging (obvious health benefits)

-Cordless Tools (the slowdown and higher cost of construction with having to lug around more gear including generators to plug your shit into)

-Shock Absorbing Helmets (juiced up football players today with those old leather helmets? Haha, your see peoples gray matter on the field after the first play)

-Advanced Plastics (+ drinking container tech +computer tech)

http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/en/kids/spinoffs2.shtml

Some other good ones:

Golf ball aerodynamics, microspheres, solar energy, programmable pacemaker, micro lasers, Lightweight Compact Disc, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, the list goes on and on.

http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

At least those ASTR classes were good for something.

Edit: Although, even with everything we got out of it, it is still debatable weather or not it beat out things that changed our entire society or way America ran on a top 5. but I’d place it on a top 10 list for sure.


Edited, Aug 4th 2006 at 3:13am EDT by bbking

I doubt you'd pass then

Like I said, it's a low level course and the intent is to get a bunch of lower classmen who'll likely never take another history course again to think about the last hundred years and what's been important. I suppose you could quibble over semantics and historical context until you reach Sound of Thunder-esque proportions but that wouldn't get you too far on the essay.

Shadomen, it was just a basic "U.S. History 1865-Present" course. Filled largely with 19-20 year olds looking to knock out a graduation core requirement over the summer term.


There was a movie based on A Sound of Thunder? I'll be damned. It must have sucked.

Edited, Aug 4th 2006 at 10:16am EDT by Jophiel

I agree, but my approach was to leave out the movements/inventions etc. that I considered inevitable. Civil Rights and feminism were bound to happen, in my view. It was a matter of when, not if.

One could argue that Roosevelt would not have been elected had the depression not happened, or if the Dustbowl drought not ruined farming interests in the Midwest at the same time.

A more interesting question might have been "Describe one of the major events /movements /influences in the US in the 20th century and identify as many of its root causes as possible."

Actually, I did that on a pre-TAAS test many many moons ago.

I even used the word "façade" once or twice in there.

1. Wright Brothers
2. Great Depression
3. WW2
4. Assembly line
5. microchip/silicon chip

In no order

Are you telling me that you are unable to think of four other important people/events/inventions of the 20th century? Even after reading this whole thread?

You suck at teh internets.