The world’s largest database of social change milestones from throughout human history
We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history.
Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more. Submit your own milestones!
3782
social change milestones archived
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- Today (2017 C.E. - ???)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
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Era
- Today (2017 C.E. - ???)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
Year
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Region
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1906 C.E. July 25Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen becomes first to traverse the Arctic’s Northwest Passage
For centuries, European explorers sought a navigable passage as a possible trade route to Asia. An ice-bound northern route was discovered in 1850 by the Irish explorer Robert McClure.
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~1905 C.E.José Batlle y Ordóñez brings a wide array of modern reforms to Uruguay
He was elected to the presidency for two terms, from 1903 until 1907 and from 1911 to 1915. He remains one of the most popular Uruguayan presidents. He is known for introducing unemployment compensation, eight-hour workdays, and universal suffrage, as well as free High School education.
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1905 C.E. June 30Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity, proposing new concepts of space and time
In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers.
-
1903 C.E. December 17Wright Brothers invent first successful airplane
With over a thousand glides from atop Big Kill Devil Hill, the Wrights made themselves the first true pilots.
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1903 C.E. October 20Marie Curie, for her pioneering work on radioactivity, becomes first woman to win Nobel Prize
Marie Curie discovered radioactivity, and, together with her husband Pierre, the radioactive elements polonium and radium while working with the mineral pitchblende.
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1903 C.E. June 13The 12-minute-long silent film, The Great Train Robbery becomes the first narrative movie ever
The Great Train Robbery's popularity led directly to the opening up of permanent movie theaters and the possibility of a future film industry.
-
1901 C.E. January 1Six separate British self-governing colonies agree to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia.
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1894 C.E. August 25Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague
He traveled to Hong Kong in 1894 at the request of the Japanese government during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, and identified a bacterium that he concluded was causing the disease.
-
1890 C.E. October 6The automobile is invented in France and Germany
Its thirty-five-horsepower engine weighed only fourteen pounds per horsepower, and it achieved a top speed of fifty-three miles per hour.
-
1890 C.E. October 3Faroese becomes a standardized written language
Faroese is a North Germanic language spoken as a first language by about 72,000 people. It is one of five languages descended from Old West Norse spoken in the Middle Ages.
-
1906 C.E. July 25Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen becomes first to traverse the Arctic’s Northwest Passage
For centuries, European explorers sought a navigable passage as a possible trade route to Asia. An ice-bound northern route was discovered in 1850 by the Irish explorer Robert McClure.
-
~1905 C.E.José Batlle y Ordóñez brings a wide array of modern reforms to Uruguay
He was elected to the presidency for two terms, from 1903 until 1907 and from 1911 to 1915. He remains one of the most popular Uruguayan presidents. He is known for introducing unemployment compensation, eight-hour workdays, and universal suffrage, as well as free High School education.
-
1905 C.E. June 30Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity, proposing new concepts of space and time
In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers.
-
1903 C.E. December 17Wright Brothers invent first successful airplane
With over a thousand glides from atop Big Kill Devil Hill, the Wrights made themselves the first true pilots.
-
1903 C.E. October 20Marie Curie, for her pioneering work on radioactivity, becomes first woman to win Nobel Prize
Marie Curie discovered radioactivity, and, together with her husband Pierre, the radioactive elements polonium and radium while working with the mineral pitchblende.
-
1903 C.E. June 13
The 12-minute-long silent film, The Great Train Robbery becomes the first narrative movie ever
The Great Train Robbery's popularity led directly to the opening up of permanent movie theaters and the possibility of a future film industry.
-
1901 C.E. January 1Six separate British self-governing colonies agree to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia.
-
1894 C.E. August 25Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague
He traveled to Hong Kong in 1894 at the request of the Japanese government during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, and identified a bacterium that he concluded was causing the disease.
-
1890 C.E. October 6The automobile is invented in France and Germany
Its thirty-five-horsepower engine weighed only fourteen pounds per horsepower, and it achieved a top speed of fifty-three miles per hour.
-
1890 C.E. October 3Faroese becomes a standardized written language
Faroese is a North Germanic language spoken as a first language by about 72,000 people. It is one of five languages descended from Old West Norse spoken in the Middle Ages.
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Submit a Milestone
Did we miss a social change milestone? What social progress have you seen around the world that I should include? Let us know!
NOTE: We cannot guarantee we will post all stories submitted here. We only post stories that represent milestones in human development (as opposed to “feel good” stories). We want something that would make sense to put on a timeline of human progress. For example, a story like “Random customer leaves a huge tip” isn’t a great fit. “Country X passes economic inequality reform bill” is a great fit.