Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

We are in the editorial office website We were surprised when we learned an interesting fact about two symbols of the same era, and this inspired us to look for other parallels.

We present to you a selection of historical episodes that you probably know about, but did not suspect that these were events of the same time.

Van Gogh's Starry Night / Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a fairly young attraction, but it is considered the most visited in the world. Initially, there was an idea that the entrance arch to the Paris World Exhibition of 1889 would be a temporary structure. But, as you know, there is nothing more permanent than temporary. Van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night" was born around the same time that designer Gustave Eiffel completed the work.

Invented the touchpad / Time Person of the Year - Planet Earth

In 1988, the world saw the first type of touch panel. George Gerfeide invented the touchpad, and from that time on he quickly and confidently replaced trackballs and strain gauge joysticks, becoming the most common mouse pointer control device for laptops. In the same year, Time magazine's Person of the Year was Planet Earth in danger, who could have died due to the threat of nuclear war.

Shipwreck of the Titanic / Vitamins discovered

Until 1912, there was no concept of “”; it was identified by the Polish scientist Casimir Funk. Of course, the importance of certain types of food for preventing certain diseases was known back in Ancient Egypt, but the concept itself appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. In the same year, the famous ship Titanic set out on its first and last voyage.

Opening of the London Underground / Abolition of slavery in the USA

The first proposals for the construction of the London Underground appeared in the 30s of the 19th century, and in 1855 the construction of the Metropolitan Railway began. The first subway line opened on January 10, 1863, at which time the Civil War in the United States had not yet subsided. And only in December 1865, the overseas rulers adopted the famous Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which meant the abolition of slavery.

Periodic table / Heinz brand

The periodic system of chemical elements has a rich history, but 1869 is still considered fateful, when Dmitry Mendeleev established the dependence of the properties of elements on their atomic weight. At the same time, on the other side of the world, entrepreneur Heinz and his friend decide sell grated horseradish according to your mother's recipe. The world-famous ketchup under this brand was released only 7 years later.

Marilyn Monroe / Queen Elizabeth

The sex symbol of the 50s and the reigning Queen of Great Britain are the same age. However, these are not all the celebrities that 1926 presented. The same year, the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, and the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, were born.

Abolition of serfdom in the Russian Empire / The first color photograph in Great Britain

In 1861, a significant event took place in the Russian Empire - the peasant reform, which abolished serfdom in the largest state in Eastern Europe. In the same year, in Western Europe, that is, in England, the British physicist James Clerk Maxwell received the first reliable color photo of the Tartan Ribbon.

The history of Russia is rich in examples of courage, bravery and intelligence. Important historical events in Russia:
1550 – Ivan the Terrible laid the foundations of a regular Russian army. The main document was the verdict indicating the removal from Moscow and neighboring districts of thousands of people suitable for service.
1552 Ivan the Terrible and his army took Kazan. The Kazan Khanate turned out to be part of Russia. At the end of the 15th century, the Kazan rulers pursued an aggressive policy towards Russia: the Volga trade route was closed to Russian merchants, there were periodic raids on Russian lands, settlements were ruined, and Russian people were captured.
The year 1700 brought with it the Julian calendar to Russia. The ancient Roman Julian calendar is the basis of modern calendars. It was introduced by Yuri Caesar on January 1, 45 BC. Previously in Rus' it was customary to start the New Year on March 1st. On this date in 998, the Baptism of Rus' took place.
1720 - Demidov was elevated to a noble clan, which became the ancestor of the famous Demidovs. On October 2, for the excellent development of the mining business, the tsar elevated Nikita Demidovich Antufiev to hereditary nobleman, and changed his surname to Demida.
1768 - Catherine II pronounced and approved the verdict on Saltychikha. Daria Nikolaevna Saltykova belonged to the elite of 18th century society. She received her nickname for the mockery and numerous murders of serfs.
In 1782, the Order of the fourth degree of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir was established. Catherine II, on the day of the 20th anniversary of her reign and the 800th anniversary of the baptism of Rus', began the fight against inequality in civil bureaucracy and military officials in receiving awards.
1803 The first hot air balloon flight took place in Russia. This happened on October 2 in Moscow. The pilot of the new aircraft turned out to be Andre Jacques Garnerin, who served as an inspector of the revolutionary army in France. Five years earlier, he made the first parachute jump.
1826 On August 25, the new Egyptian Bridge on the Fontanka opened in St. Petersburg. The chief engineers of the grandiose project at that time were V. von Tretter and V.A. Khristianovich. The bridge connected Kolomensky and Bezymyanny Islands.
1830 The Kul-Oba mound was discovered near Kerch. This is one of the most important discoveries in Russian archeology at the beginning of the 19th century. The Scythian burial was subsidized in the 4th century BC.
The year 1905 was marked by the founding of the Literary Museum of Russian Literature. It is also called “Pushkin House”. Today it is one of the old unique literary museums, which houses many artistic and documentary materials from the history of Russian literature.
1907 Trams began operating in St. Petersburg. At the end of the 19th century, engineers from all over the world worked on the efficient use of electricity in urban transport networks. The Russians were not far behind.
1909 “Caucasian Riviera” officially opened. This is the ancestor of all modern Sochi sanatoriums and holiday homes. This establishment has still not lost its attractiveness and has retained its original name.
1910 mass production of serial production of gramophone records was established. A new factory was built in the village of Aprelevka, and later converted into a plant.
1918 approved by the RVSR. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, headed by Trotsky, approved the highest body of military power - the Revolutionary Military Council. Until 1934, he led the army, navy, front and armed forces of the USSR.
1941, during the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Moscow took place. She was the main target of the German fascists. Hitler approved the special Typhoon plan, which consisted of the complete destruction of the capital of the USSR.
In 1947, after the end of the war, the restoration of the Leningrad metro began. The construction of a railway underground was vigorously discussed at the end of the last century. Newspapers were included in the debate, leading Russian engineers discussed the possible difficulties and prospects of this project.
1975 On September 4, the program “What? Where? When?". It was a family television club. From the first releases it gained great popularity.
1987 ended the trial of the pilot Matthias Rust, who violated the air borders of the Soviet Union on an American plane and landed a sports plane on Red Square.
1993, as a result of a conflict between Parliament and the President, an armed clash occurred in Moscow. The executive and legislative branches could not agree on transition tactics and the development of the constitutional process.
2005 Denikin and Ilyin were reburied; the general and philosopher left their homeland after the October Revolution. The first remains reburied were those of the writer Ivan Shmelev at the Donskoye Cemetery.
2007 – The Pashkov House was transferred to the Russian State Library. It is one of the main cultural and historical monuments in Moscow. The building symbolizes the intellectual life of the Russian Federation.
2014 XXII Olympic Winter Games were organized in Sochi. The city became the Olympic capital.

2-4 million years - the beginning of the separation of humans from the animal world (the use of sticks and stones by Australopithecines).

X-III millennium BC – Neolithic revolution.

III millennium BC – 476 AD – the era of the most ancient civilizations (states).

776 BC – the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.

773 BC - According to legend, Rome was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus.

594 BC – reforms of the Athenian archon Solon, the first known reforms in human history.

336-323 BC. – the reign and military campaigns of Alexander the Great.

395-1453 – Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium

476 – fall of the Roman Empire, transition from ancient history to the history of the Middle Ages.

800 – Coronation of Charlemagne in Rome.

862 – the beginning of ancient Russian statehood, the Rurik dynasty (862-1598).

988 – adoption of Christianity by Ancient Russia under Vladimir I (980-1015).

1054 – split of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

1147 – foundation of Moscow.

1206-1242 – Mongol military expansion under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his successors.

1243-1480 - Mongol-Tatar yoke over Russian lands.

1480 - “standing on the Ugra”, the end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

1517 – the beginning of the Reformation after the theses of Martin Luther.

1547 - coronation of Ivan IV Vasilyevich into the kingdom, the beginning of reforms in the Moscow state.

1605-1613 – Time of Troubles in Russia (1613-1917 – reign of the Romanov dynasty).

1649 – legal registration of serfdom in Russia by the Council Code.

1640-1688 - English bourgeois revolution.

1682-1725 – reign of Peter the Great (emperor since 1721).

1703 – foundation of the city of St. Petersburg.

1776 – declaration of independence of the United States of America.

1789-1799 – French bourgeois revolution.

1812, September 7 - Battle of Borodino, the decisive battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon.

1861-1865 - American Civil War.

1871 – completion of the unification of Germany.

1929-1933 – global economic crisis.

1933 – A. Hitler’s rise to power, the “new course” of F.D. Roosevelt.

1992-1998 – radical socio-economic reforms in Russia.

1993 – creation of the European Union.

2008-2011 – global economic crisis.

Literature for the entire textbook.

* Vasiliev L.S. General History: (textbook: 6 volumes). - M.: Higher School, 2007.

* History of international relations: main stages from antiquity to the present day: textbook. - M.: Logos, 2007.

* History of Russia: from ancient times to the beginning of the 21st century (textbook). Under. ed. member-corr. RAS A.N. Sakharov.- M.: AST: Astrel; Vladimir: VKT, 2009.

* History of mankind: (in 8 volumes). - Ed. Z.Ya. De Laata.- Paris, UNESCO; M.: MAGISTR-PRESS, 2003.

* Krasnyak O.A. World History: (a unified idea of ​​the patterns of historical development of the countries of the West and East from ancient times to the present day). - M.: URSS: Publishing House LKI, 2008.

* Domestic history: Textbook for technical universities / Ed. V.V. Fortunatova. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2005.

* Platova E.E., Ovodenko A.A. History of foreign economic relations in questions and answers. – St. Petersburg, 2005.

* Sadokhin A.P. History of world culture: textbook for universities. - M.: Unity, 2010.

* Wells G.D. General history of world civilization. - 2nd ed. - M.: Eksmo, 2007.

* Fortunatov V.V. Domestic history: Textbook for humanitarian universities. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2007.

* Fortunatov V.V. Codes of national history. A manual for tested graduates (USE), applicants and university students. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2009.

* Fortunatov V.V. Russian history in faces. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2009.

* Fortunatov V.V. Russian history in aphorisms. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2010.

* Fortunatov V.V. History of world civilizations. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2011.

* Yakovlev I.A. History of mankind: the history of relations between man and nature as a civilizational process. - St. Petersburg: Aletheya, 2006.

Dvornichenko A. Yu. Russian history from ancient times to the fall of autocracy. Textbook.- M.: Publishing house “The Whole World”, 2010- P.172.

Both victories of Alexander Nevsky are included in the list of Days of Military Glory of Russia, which is officially approved by the Russian government.

It seems remarkable that during the RTR television project “Name of Russia” in 2008, Alexander Nevsky took first place among Russian television viewers.

Some authors believe that taking the Bastille was not difficult and the prison governor was executed for no reason. But other French people and others believe that the revolution began with a beautiful and symbolic action.

Konotopov M.V., Smetanin S.I. History of the Russian economy. M.: Paleotype: Logos, 2004. pp. 51-52.

Mironov B.N. Social history of Russia during the imperial period (XVIII-early XX centuries): Genesis of the individual, democratic family, civil society and the rule of law. SPb.: Dm. Bulanin, 1999. T. 1, 2. 548+ 566 p. 3rd ed. SPb.: Dm. Bulanin, 2003.

Dvornichenko A.Yu. Russian history from ancient times to the fall of the autocracy. - M.: Ves Mir, 2010. - P.447.

See: State security of Russia: History and modernity / Ed. ed. R. N. Baiguzina.- M.: “Russian Political Encyclopedia” (ROSSPEN), 2004.- P.507-514.

65 years of the Great Victory. In six volumes / Under the general editorship. S.E. Naryshkina, A.V. Torkunova-M.: "MGIMO-University", 2010.

See: Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War (1945-1985). New reading. M., 1995.- P. 210.

The secrecy has been removed. Losses of the USSR Armed Forces in wars, hostilities and military conflicts. Statistical research. M.: Military Publishing House, 1993. pp. 407–409.

The development of world history was not linear. At each stage there were events and periods that can be called “turning points.” They changed both geopolitics and people’s worldviews.

1. Neolithic revolution (10 thousand years BC - 2 thousand BC)

The term “Neolithic revolution” was introduced in 1949 by the English archaeologist Gordon Childe. Child called its main content the transition from an appropriating economy (hunting, gathering, fishing) to a producing economy (farming and cattle breeding). According to archaeological data, the domestication of animals and plants occurred at different times independently in 7-8 regions. The earliest center of the Neolithic revolution is considered to be the Middle East, where domestication began no later than 10 thousand years BC.

2. Creation of the Mediterranean civilization (4 thousand BC)

The Mediterranean region was the birthplace of the first civilizations. The appearance of the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia dates back to the 4th millennium BC. e. In the same 4th millennium BC. e. Egyptian pharaohs consolidated the lands in the Nile Valley, and their civilization quickly expanded across the Fertile Crescent to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean and beyond throughout the Levant. This made Mediterranean countries such as Egypt, Syria and Lebanon part of the cradle of civilization.

3. Great Migration of Peoples (IV-VII centuries)

The Great Migration of Peoples became a turning point in history, defining the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Scientists are still arguing about the causes of the Great Migration, but its consequences turned out to be global.

Numerous Germanic (Franks, Lombards, Saxons, Vandals, Goths) and Sarmatian (Alans) tribes moved to the territory of the weakening Roman Empire. The Slavs reached the Mediterranean and Baltic coasts and settled part of the Peloponnese and Asia Minor. The Turks reached Central Europe, the Arabs began their campaigns of conquest, during which they conquered the entire Middle East to the Indus, North Africa and Spain.

4. Fall of the Roman Empire (5th century)

Two powerful blows - in 410 by the Visigoths and in 476 by the Germans - crushed the seemingly eternal Roman Empire. This jeopardized the achievements of ancient European civilization. The crisis of Ancient Rome did not come suddenly, but had been brewing from within for a long time. The military and political decline of the empire, which began in the 3rd century, gradually led to the weakening of centralized power: it could no longer manage the sprawling and multinational empire. The ancient state was replaced by feudal Europe with its new organizing center - the “Holy Roman Empire”. Europe plunged into the abyss of turmoil and discord for several centuries.

5. Schism of the church (1054)

In 1054, the final split of the Christian Church into Eastern and Western occurred. Its reason was the desire of Pope Leo IX to obtain territories that were subordinate to Patriarch Michael Cerullarius. The result of the dispute was mutual church curses (anathemas) and public accusations of heresy. The Western Church was called Roman Catholic (Roman Universal Church), and the Eastern Church was called Orthodox. The path to the Schism was long (almost six centuries) and began with the so-called Acacian schism of 484.

6. Little Ice Age (1312-1791)

The beginning of the Little Ice Age, which began in 1312, led to an entire environmental catastrophe. According to experts, during the period from 1315 to 1317, almost a quarter of the population died out in Europe due to the Great Famine. Hunger was a constant companion of people throughout the Little Ice Age. During the period from 1371 to 1791, there were 111 famine years in France alone. In 1601 alone, half a million people died in Russia from famine due to crop failures.

However, the Little Ice Age gave the world more than just famine and high mortality. It also became one of the reasons for the birth of capitalism. Coal became the source of energy. For its extraction and transportation, workshops with hired workers began to be organized, which became a harbinger of the scientific and technological revolution and the birth of a new formation of social organization - capitalism. Some researchers (Margaret Anderson) also associate the settlement of America with the consequences of the Little Ice Age - people came for a better life from "God-forsaken" Europe.

7. Age of Great Geographical Discoveries (XV-XVII centuries)

The Age of Great Geographical Discovery radically expanded the ecumene of humanity. In addition, it created the opportunity for leading European powers to make the most of their overseas colonies, exploiting their human and natural resources and extracting fabulous profits from it. Some scholars also directly link the triumph of capitalism with transatlantic trade, which gave rise to commercial and financial capital.

8. Reformation (XVI-XVII centuries)

The beginning of the Reformation is considered to be the speech of Martin Luther, Doctor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg: on October 31, 1517, he nailed his “95 Theses” to the doors of the Wittenberg Castle Church. In them he spoke out against the existing abuses of the Catholic Church, in particular against the sale of indulgences.
The Reformation process gave rise to many so-called Protestant Wars, which seriously influenced the political structure of Europe. Historians consider the signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 to be the end of the Reformation.

9. The Great French Revolution (1789-1799)

The French Revolution, which broke out in 1789, not only transformed France from a monarchy into a republic, but also summed up the collapse of the old European order. Its slogan: “Freedom, equality, brotherhood” excited the minds of revolutionaries for a long time. The French Revolution not only laid the foundations for the democratization of European society - it appeared as a cruel machine of senseless terror, the victims of which were about 2 million people.

10. Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815)

Napoleon's irrepressible imperial ambitions plunged Europe into chaos for 15 years. It all started with the invasion of French troops in Italy, and ended with an inglorious defeat in Russia. Being a talented commander, Napoleon, nevertheless, did not disdain the threats and intrigues with which he subjugated Spain and Holland to his influence, and also convinced Prussia to join the alliance, but then unceremoniously betrayed its interests.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Kingdom of Italy, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and a number of other small territorial entities appeared on the map. The commander's final plans included the division of Europe between two emperors - himself and Alexander I, as well as the overthrow of Britain. But the inconsistent Napoleon himself changed his plans. The defeat in 1812 by Russia led to the collapse of Napoleonic plans in the rest of Europe. The Treaty of Paris (1814) returned France to its former 1792 borders.

11. Industrial revolution (XVII-XIX centuries)

The Industrial Revolution in Europe and the USA made it possible to move from an agricultural society to an industrial one over the course of only 3-5 generations. The invention of the steam engine in England in the second half of the 17th century is considered to be the conventional beginning of this process. Over time, steam engines began to be used in manufacturing, and then as a propulsion mechanism for steam locomotives and steamships.
The main achievements of the era of the Industrial Revolution can be considered the mechanization of labor, the invention of the first conveyors, machine tools, and the telegraph. The advent of railways was a huge step.

The Second World War took place on the territory of 40 countries, and 72 states took part in it. According to some estimates, 65 million people died in it. The war significantly weakened Europe's position in global politics and economics and led to the creation of a bipolar system in world geopolitics. Some countries were able to achieve independence during the war: Ethiopia, Iceland, Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Indonesia. Socialist regimes were established in the countries of Eastern Europe occupied by Soviet troops. World War II also led to the creation of the UN.

14. Scientific and technological revolution (mid-20th century)

The scientific and technological revolution, the onset of which is usually attributed to the middle of the last century, made it possible to automate production, entrusting the control and management of production processes to electronics. The role of information has seriously increased, which also allows us to talk about an information revolution. With the advent of rocket and space technology, human exploration of near-Earth space began.

In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright built the Flyer airplane. The plane was equipped with a gasoline engine, and its first flight was made to a height of 3 m and lasted for 12 seconds. In 1919, the first air line from Paris to London was opened. The maximum number of passengers allowed was , and the flight duration was 4 hours.

Radio broadcast

In 1906, the first radio broadcast was broadcast. Canadian Regenald Fessenden played the violin on the radio, and his performance was received on ships thousands of miles away. By the beginning of the 1960s. The first pocket radios powered by batteries appeared.

World War I

In 1914, in which 38 countries took part. The Quadruple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria) and the Entente bloc (Russia, England, France, Italy, etc.) took part in the hostilities. The conflict occurred between Austria and Serbia due to the murder of the Austrian heir to the throne. The war has lasted more than 4 years, and more than 10 million soldiers died in battles. The Entente bloc won, but the economies of the countries fell into decline during the hostilities.

Russian Revolution

In 1917, the Great October Revolution began in Russia. The tsarist regime was overthrown and the Romanov imperial family was executed. Tsarist power and capitalism were replaced by a socialist system, which proposed to create equality for all workers. The dictatorship of the proletariat was established in the country, and class society was eliminated. A new totalitarian state has emerged - the Russian Socialist Federative Republic.

A television

In 1926, John Baird received television images, and in 1933, Vladimir Zvorykin achieved better reproduction quality. Electronic images were updated on the screen 25 times per second, resulting in moving images.

The Second World War

In 1939, the Second World War began, in which 61 states took part. The initiator of military action was Germany, which attacked first Poland and later the USSR. The war lasted 6 years and claimed 65 million lives. The greatest losses during the war fell to the USSR, but thanks to the indestructible spirit, the Red Army won a victory over the fascist occupiers.

Nuclear weapon

In 1945, it was used for the first time: American armed forces dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Herashima and Nagasaki. Thus, the United States sought to speed up the end of World War II with Japan. Hundreds of thousands of residents were killed, and the results of the bombing had catastrophic consequences.

Computers and Internet

In 1945, two American engineers John Eckert and John Moakley created the first electronic computer (computer), which weighed about 30 tons. In 1952, the first display was connected to a computer, and the first personal computer was created by Apple in 1983. In 1969, the Internet system was created for the exchange of information between US research centers, and by the early 1990s. The Internet has turned into a worldwide network.

A space flight

In 1961, a Soviet rocket overcame gravity and made the first flight into space with a man on board. The three-stage rocket was built under the leadership of Sergei Korolev, and the spacecraft was piloted by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

Collapse of the USSR

In 1985, “Perestroika” began in the Soviet Union: a system appeared, strict censorship was replaced by glasnost and democracy. But many reforms led to an economic crisis and aggravation of national contradictions. In 1991, there was a coup in the Soviet Union and the USSR broke up into 17 separate independent states. The country's territory shrank by a quarter, and the United States became the world's only superpower.

The twentieth century is the most eventful, dangerous and productive century in human history. The rise in living standards and life expectancy, the vigorous development of science, the invention of antibiotics, the study of genetics and the emergence of the Internet coexisted with such concepts as world war, the nuclear bomb, fascism and genocide.

The 20th century was eventful like no other era before. Many revolutions, and not only political ones, amazing discoveries, attempts for the first time to unite humanity not through war and the seizure of territories (although not without this), but on terms of cooperation, the most important achievements and inventions in medicine and technology, the rapid development of science, changes in mass consciousness. More than once in the world history of the last century, civilization teetered on the brink of destruction; universal history could have ended in a nuclear apocalypse.

People literally moved from horses to cars, trains and planes, set out to conquer space, invented new directions in art and sports, discovered the secrets of genetics and practically got rid of slavery. The quality and length of life have improved, and the world's population has quadrupled. The most important historical events on all five inhabited continents affected all spheres of human activity. Humanity is entering the 21st century, building on the great and significant achievements of the twentieth century.

Early 20th century

Humanity greeted the twentieth century with wars and revolutions, great discoveries and serious political upheavals. The radio and x-ray, the internal combustion engine and the light bulb had already been invented, and the foundations of psychoanalysis and equality were laid.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Russia remained a state with an absolute monarchy, which, however, had already lost popularity among the people. In many ways, the authority of the monarch was harmed by all sorts of “fools” who enjoyed great influence at court, especially Grigory Rasputin, a former horse thief who became a symbol of the licentiousness and weakness of the autocracy, “tried.”

The year 1900, the last year before the 20th century, largely determined the next century, giving people sound cinema, which was invented by Leon Gaumont, and the airship created by the legendary German Zeppelin.

In 1901, Karl Landsteiner makes a stunning discovery that changed medicine forever - he discovers the existence of different blood groups. And the well-known Alois Alzheimer describes the disease named after him. In the same 1901, the American Gillette invents the safety razor, and Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, strengthens the position of monopolies in the state and supports the Anglo-Japanese alliance against Russia.

The year 1903 was marked by the flight of the American Wright brothers. The invention of aviation spurred scientific and technological progress throughout the world. In the same year, Bolshevism arose, the Russo-Japanese War occurred in 1904-05, and “Bloody Sunday” of 1905 turned the life of Russia upside down, marking the beginning of major government changes that subsequently divided the world into two camps - socialist and capitalist. The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in Russian poetry is called the “Silver Age”. Tsvetaeva, Blok, Mayakovsky, Yesenin - these brilliant poets are known to everyone, and they worked precisely then, during the years of turbulent social upheaval.

Sexual revolution

Until the 20th century, the role of women in the vast majority of countries was secondary in all branches of science, culture and public life. In addition, the topic of sex was taboo in any society, and same-sex relationships were equated with a crime.

The concept of “Sexual Revolution” was introduced into use in the 30s of the 20th century by Freud’s student, engaged in social criticism, Wilhelm Reich. He vehemently preached the need for sex education and the abolition of morality that promotes bigotry. His program included items on the permission of divorce, abortion and same-sex relationships, sex education as a means of family planning and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

Many sociologists and historians believe that the foundations of this revolution were laid back in 1917 in the young Soviet Republic, which offered women equal rights with men in all sectors of the economy and even political life. But in a narrower sense, the sexual revolution is understood as the processes that took place in the West in the 60s.

The woman categorically stopped agreeing with the role of male property and took upon herself the courage to decide for herself what to wear and what to do. In addition, by the 60s, in a number of countries, the quality requirements for condoms and other contraceptives were seriously tightened and they became widely available, whereas previously their use was often prohibited by law with rare exceptions.

The social activity of women has increased, the risk of illness and unwanted pregnancies has decreased, and an era of free morality has arrived. This process continues in the world today, but if in the 60s supporters of the sexual revolution only wanted to get rid of undesirable things that were inevitable under sanctimonious morality (for example, unnecessary pregnancies and mass infections with skin and venereal diseases), today there is extreme freedom of morals sometimes it has the opposite effect - in particular, AIDS is raging in Russia, and the institution of the family in some regions has been almost completely destroyed.

The struggle for human rights in the 20th century

Back in the 19th century, many countries used slavery, got rid of “inferior” people, which included the disabled or homosexuals, and blacks were considered “second-class citizens.” In the first decade of the 20th century, unrest began in Russia, which ended with the October Revolution, and for the first time in the world, the concept of social equality arose in the society of a large state. The Stalinist constitution in the USSR was one of the most democratic in the world. Unfortunately, these achievements could not become progressive under the conditions of a totalitarian state.

A little later, in the first half of the 20th century, in Germany, Italy, France, a similar idea of ​​the superiority of society over the individual arose - and fascism was born, destroying not only social justice, but also declaring most of the planet's population as “inferior groups” of people. The terrible lesson of fascism prompted the process of creating international mechanisms that protect human rights.

In the mid-20th century, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, and in 1966, the international Bill of Rights arose, which remains the basis of human rights today. The Bill enshrines the universal concept of human dignity - equality of people in all spheres of life, regardless of country of residence, skin color, religion or gender.

The incompatibility of rights with oppression, tyranny, slavery was also established and a legal system of guarantees of human rights was provided. Probably everyone is familiar with the great names of historical figures who made a huge contribution to the fight for human rights: in Russia it was Andrei Sakharov, in Germany - Albert Schweitzer, in India - Mahatma Gandhi and many, many others. Wikipedia pages are dedicated to each of them, where important historical events associated with these people are described in detail.

The achievements of the history of the 20th century in relation to equality changed the world and consciousness, thanks to them humanity, free from prejudice and violation of individual rights, was able to achieve significant success by the beginning of the 21st century. Unfortunately, there are extremes here too; sometimes modern phenomena such as tolerance and feminism take completely absurd forms.

Science, technology and medicine

The active development of technology in the 20th century was constantly pushed by armed conflicts of the first half of the century, which broke out every now and then between different countries. Two world wars stimulated the development of medicine and technology, which humanity was able to use for peaceful purposes.

In 1908, the physicist Geiger invented a device for measuring radioactivity, and in 1915 the German army received a gas mask created by the chemist Haber. At the end of the twenties, two discoveries in medicine occurred at once - an artificial respiration apparatus and the first antibiotic, penicillin, which forever ended the main cause of death in people - inflammatory processes.

In 1921, Einstein formulated the theory of relativity, and this launched a series of scientific explorations that led man into space. Surprisingly, things like the cell phone, scuba gear, computer and microwave oven were invented in the 40s. And about each of these events we can safely say that these are significant dates that changed the world. The fifties brought contact lenses and ultrasound to the world; in the sixties, humanity first broke out of its planet, invented virtual reality and the computer mouse.

In the seventies, such things as body armor and artificial hearts, personal computers and computer games appeared. But the main gift to humanity was made by Robert Elliot Kahn and Vinton Cerf, who invented the Internet. Infinite freedom of communication and unlimited access to any information were only a few years away.

The eighties and nineties were a time of no less great discoveries. Recent history is rapidly moving towards the possibility of coping with aging, almost completely eliminating humans from the process of producing goods and food, the invention of artificial intelligence, and deciphering the genome.

Thanks to the achievements of the 20th century, most of humanity lives in a post-industrial era, in a society dominated by innovative technology, science and high productivity. And the most valuable qualities of each person were education and a creative approach to work.

Culture and education

The invention of cinema was a significant milestone, and television made it possible to “travel” to different countries without leaving home. The accelerated development of communications, media, transport and technology in the second half of the century pushed the process of development and interpenetration of cultures of different countries, and art was divided into two movements - traditionally high art and “market” or “boulevard”, mass culture.

This was greatly facilitated by rapidly growing education. At the very beginning of the last century, the percentage of people who knew how to read and write was extremely low, and today, perhaps, it is very difficult to find a person who cannot read at least in their native language. By the way, literature has also changed dramatically over the past century. A new genre has emerged - science fiction, telling about miracles, most of which humanity has been able to bring into reality. For example, laser, cloning, flight to the moon, genetic experiments.

In 1916, the first microphone appeared in America, and in 1932, American Adolphus Rickenbacket invented the electric guitar, and music sounded different. After the “golden sixties,” when the world cultural revolution took place, a good hundred new trends appeared in music, forever changing all the canons. In 1948, the first turntable appeared, and the next year the production of vinyl records began.

The last century is the era of the emergence of mass culture, which kept pace with the progress of television. Europe accused America of the penetration of mass culture into European art, a number of Russian cultural figures believed that the domestic classical school was being subjected to excessive “Europeanization,” but the mixing of different ideas, traditions and philosophies could no longer be stopped.

Mass culture is a product for wide consumption that satisfies the needs of the crowd. And “high art” is aimed at the harmonious development of the individual, elevating him and introducing him to beauty. Both sides are necessary, they reflect all social processes of society and help people communicate.

Wars of the 20th century

Despite the rapid development of civilization, the 20th century is a time of the greatest wars and disasters in human history. In 1914, the First World War began, in which 38 of the 59 states then existing in the world took part in one way or another. Against the backdrop of this terrible bloodshed in Russia at the beginning of the century, a socialist revolution and a Civil War took place, which claimed more lives than all the battles with the Napoleonic army. Some of its outbreaks, smoldering in Central Asia, were extinguished only in the forties. The First World War ended in 1918.

In January 1933, the then little-known participant in the First World War, Adolf Hitler, was appointed Reich Chancellor of Germany. He considered the defeat of Germany to be a consequence of the activities of traitors to the nation and was eager to take revenge. Hitler did everything to gain unlimited power and unleashed another, much bloodier and more terrible, World War II, in which about 72 million people died. There were 73 states in the world at that time, and 62 of them were drawn into this bloody meat grinder.

For the USSR, the war ended on May 9, 1945, but for the rest of the world, the remnants of fascism were completely eradicated only in September of the same year, when Japan surrendered after the infamous nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The result of this war was the rapid development of technology, the creation of the UN and serious cultural changes throughout the world.

Finally

Despite all the upheavals, humanity has survived and continues to progress. Developed countries are relying on the development of humanity, unity and science to find solutions to environmental problems, cope with the challenges of overpopulation, overcome dependence on oil and create new sources of energy.

Perhaps those who say that governments have outlived their usefulness are right. Accounting and distribution of resources can be left to the smart machines of a single center, and united humanity, no longer divided by the borders of eternally competing states, is capable of mastering much more global tasks than are being solved now. For example, take a closer look at your own genetics, ridding a person of all diseases, or open the way to the stars. All this remains fantasy for now - but doesn’t the entire 20th century look fantastic with its incredible progress?...