Past events still shaping today.

The rest of the ladder

1. 1084

   

   First Atomic Clock Demonstrated 1949

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

2. 1085

   

   French Election: Radical Republican Ascendancy 1881

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

3. 1086

   

   Beatles' First UK Number One Single 1963

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

4. 1087

   

   Spanish Republic Proclaimed After Election 1931

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

5. 1088

   

   Winter Olympics Host Selection 1980 1974

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

6. 1089

   

   Mariner 10 Venus Flyby 1974

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

7. 1090

   

   Betamax vs. VHS Format War 1975

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

8. 1091

   

   1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics 1992

   score 14

   Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

9. 1092

   

   Treaty of Locarno 1925

   score 14

   The Treaty of Locarno in December 1925 was Europe's most optimistic bet on collective security after World War I.

   • anticipatedHitler's Rise to Power1933
10. 1093

    

    James Webb Space Telescope Launch 2021

    score 14

    The James Webb Space Telescope's December 25, 2021 launch marked humanity's most ambitious attempt to see the universe's earliest galaxies and search for signs of life on distant worlds.

11. 1094

    

    Weimar Republic Established 1919

    score 14

    The Weimar Republic redefined German governance for fifteen years, introducing parliamentary democracy, proportional representation, and a written constitution.

    • set offThe Fall of the Berlin Wall1989
12. 1095

    

    Battle of the Nile (Battle of Abu Qir) 1798

    score 14

    Nelson's decisive victory at Aboukir Bay crippled French ambitions in the Eastern Mediterranean and signaled a shift in naval supremacy toward Britain.

13. 1096

    

    Battle of the Yellow Sea 1894

    score 14

    The Battle of the Yellow Sea marked the moment Japanese naval superiority became irreversible in the Russo-Japanese War.

14. 1097

    

    Boer War & British Imperial Consolidation 1899

    score 14

    Britain's military victory consolidated imperial control over Southern Africa but at a reputational cost that accelerated anti-colonial sentiment globally.

15. 1098

    

    1998 Nagano Winter Olympics 1998

    score 14

    Nagano 1998 opened the Winter Olympics to Asia for the first time, expanding the Games' geographic reach beyond Europe and North America.

16. 1099

    

    Zhou Dynasty Overthrows Shang 1046

    score 14

    The Zhou victory established a political template that outlasted the dynasty itself by centuries.

17. 1100

    

    Vedic Period Chariot Racing Contests 1500

    score 14

    Vedic chariot racing codified elite status in early Indian society and provided a template for competitive sport tied to religious practice.

18. 1101

    

    Gansu ultramarathon disaster 2021

    score 14

    The deaths exposed systemic gaps in weather monitoring and emergency response for remote sporting events in China.

19. 1102

    

    Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash 2021

    score 14

    The crash exposed criminal negligence in the operation and maintenance of the Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone Cable Car.

20. 1103

    

    First Punic War Begins 264 BCE

    score 14

    Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

21. 1104

    

    First Buddhist Council 483

    score 14

    Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

22. 1105

    

    Siege of Jerusalem 1099

    score 14

    Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

23. 1106

    

    Battle of Agincourt 1415

    score 14

    Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.

24. 1107

    

    Trial of Joan of Arc (1431) 1431

    score 14

    Sits upstream of multiple events in this archive; the present still inherits its choices.