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First powered flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft (1903) -

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Lasting just 12 seconds, it was the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft—an airplane—in history. Brother Wilbur Wright is pictured witnessing the event.

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Theory of relativity published (1905) -

Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity was published on June 30, 1905. The theory transformed theoretical physics and astronomy during the 20th century, and the nature of modern physical knowledge.

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First World War (1914–1918) -

The First World War broke out on July 28, 1914. The world's first truly global conflict involved over 30 nations, with fighting not only on the Western Front, but in eastern and southeast Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The total number of military and civilian casualties was around 40 million.

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Panama Canal opens (1914) -

In one of the greatest feats of modern-day civil engineering, an American-built waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was opened to traffic on August 15, 1914. The Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time taken by ships to travel between the two oceans, and avoided vessels having to navigate the hazardous Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

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American women gain the right to vote (1920) -

Passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment granted American women the right to vote, a right known as women's suffrage. Eight years later, women in England, Wales, and Scotland received the vote on the same terms as men (over the age of 21) as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1928.

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Discovery of penicillin (1928) -

A chance experiment in 1928 by Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) changed the course of medical history when the Scottish physician and microbiologist discovered the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin.

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The Great Depression (1936) - The Great Depression of the 1930s was a worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929, derived in part from events in the United States and US financial policies. It became the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. Pictured is Dorothea Lange's famous 1936 image 'Migrant Mother' depicting a destitute female farm laborer in California.

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Second World War (1939–1945) -

The Second World War began on September 1, 1939 when Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. An estimated 68 million military and civilian casualties were recorded, including some six million Jews in what became known as the Holocaust.

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Dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (1945) -

The worlds' first deployed atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, reducing most of the Japanese city to ruins and immediately killing 80,000 people. Nagasaki suffered a similar fate three days later, on August 9.

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NATO is born (1949) -

The military and political alliance known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1949, ostensibly to serve as a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after the Second World War.

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DNA deciphered (1953) -

DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive, and reproduce. It was first identified in the late 1860s by Swiss chemist Friedrich Miescher. But on February 28, 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick (pictured), announced that they had determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes. This breakthrough—a landmark scientific discovery—served as the genesis of being able to diagnose disease earlier and better. DNA profiling was later employed as a forensic technique in criminal investigations.

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Launch of Sputnik (1957) -

The Soviet Union stunned scientific and military communities around the globe by inaugurating the "Space Age" with the launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial Earth satellite. It orbited the planet for three weeks before its batteries ran out. Pictured is a Soviet technician working on the satellite.

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Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) -

The world came perilously close to nuclear conflict during a Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, after American deployments of missiles in Italy and Turkey were matched by Soviet deployments of similar ballistic missiles in Cuba.

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Assassination of President Kennedy (1963) -

US President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963 as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. He later died in the city's Parkland Memorial Hospital.

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Passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964) -

On July 2, 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. President Lyndon Johnson is pictured shaking hands with civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., while handing him a pen to sign the historic document. King was assassinated four years later, on April 4, 1968.

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Moon landing (1969) -

Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong made world history on July 21, 1969 by becoming the first person to step onto the Moon's surface. Buzz Aldrin (pictured) followed him.

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Woodstock (1969) -

An estimated 400,000 converged on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, on August 15, 1969 for a three-day music festival that became a hugely significant moment in music history as well as a defining event for the counterculture generation.

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Watergate (1972–1974) -

In June 1972, a break-in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office building in Washington, D.C. lead to the biggest political scandal in US history and the eventual downfall of Richard Nixon, seen here boarding the White House helicopter after resigning the presidency on August 9, 1974.

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The Vietnam War (1955–1975) -

Pitting the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States, the Vietnam War cost the lives of more than three million people (including over 58,000 Americans) in the longest, costliest, and most divisive conflict in US history.

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Apple Computer Company founded (1976) -

The Apple Computer company was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (pictured), and Ronald Wayne. Their work ended up revolutionizing the computer industry and changing the face of consumer technology.

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Murder of John Lennon (1980) -

John Lennon, founding member of the Beatles, was shot and fatally wounded outside his New York City apartment on December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman. Lennon's death was mourned by millions around the world.

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HIV/AIDS (1981) -

The first officially reported cases of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a condition caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), were made public in June 1981 in Los Angeles. Gay AIDS activist Bobbi Campbell (pictured) became the first person living with AIDS to come out publicly, and served as a poster boy for the medical condition until his death on August 15, 1984. HIV/AIDS remains one of the largest epidemics in the world today.

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Live Aid (1985) -

Live Aid, a benefit concert held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia. The event was televised live, with an estimated one billion-plus viewers in 110 countries tuning in.

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Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) -

Twenty-eight years after its construction, the Berlin Wall was breached on November 9, 1989. This pivotal event in world history marked the drawing back of the Iron Curtain and the start of the fall of communism in Eastern and Central Europe, which ultimately led to the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

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Nelson Mandela released from jail (1990) -

After 27 years of incarceration, Nelson Mandela was finally released from jail, on February 11, 1990. Apartheid legislation was repealed on June 17, 1991. Mandela, the country's anti-apartheid figurehead and a member of the African National Congress, served as the first black president of South Africa, from 1994 to 1999.

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Gulf War (1990–1991) -

Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, a full-scale war unfolded on January 17, 1991 when a US-led coalition of 35 nations began military operations against Saddam Hussein's forces. Kuwait was liberated in late February, with the Iraqis surrendering en masse.

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Death of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997) -

Diana, Princess of Wales died in a Paris hospital from injuries sustained in a car crash in the French capital on August 31, 1997. Her death caused an unprecedented outpouring of worldwide public grief, and her televised funeral was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people. Pictured is Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Earl Spencer, Prince William, and the Duke of Edinburgh standing as Diana's coffin is carried into Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997.

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September 11 (2001) -

The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, shocked the world as a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda using hijacked passenger planes destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City and damaged the Pentagon building. A fourth plane, most likely heading for a target in Washington, D.C., crashed into a field in Pennsylvania following a passenger revolt.

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Financial crisis of 2007–2008 -

The collapse of the US housing market caused the financial crisis of 2007–2008, also called the subprime mortgage crisis. The international financial system was severely weakened after the failure, or near failure, of several major investment and commercial banks, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, and savings and loan associations. The fallout precipitated a global recession, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

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Barack Obama elected US President (2008) -

Barak Obama was elected as America's first black president on November 4, 2008, garnering 365 electoral votes and nearly 53% of the popular vote. He served two terms in office. Pictured is President Obama giving his inaugural address during his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.

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COVID-19 pandemic (2019) -

The new coronavirus was first identified from an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. In an alarmingly short period, the disease spread around the planet in one of the deadliest pandemics in world history, and which is still ongoing: as of March 2023, the World Health Organization reported more than 6.8 million deaths globally from COVID-19.

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Invasion of Ukraine (2022) -

Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation on February 24, 2022 to trigger Europe's greatest threat to its security since the Second World War. Over 8 million Ukrainians have fled their country, with millions more internally displaced. In the first year of the war, it was estimated that at least 8,000 civilians had been killed. 

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Queen Elizabeth II passes away (2022) -

On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96. She ruled for 70 years and 214 days, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history and perhaps the longest-reigning female leader that ever lived. 

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Prince Charles becomes King Charles III (2022) -

The moment Queen Elizabeth died, her son and heir ascended to the throne. Prince Charles became King Charles III, sovereign of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. What this change in leadership after 70 years will mean for the UK remains to be seen.

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Israel–Hamas war -

On October 7, 2023, the Israeli-Palestine conflict escalated dramatically when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel, resulting in significant casualties. In response, Israel launched military operations in Gaza, leading to widespread devastation and a growing humanitarian crisis. To date, it is estimated that more than 44,000 lives have been lost in Gaza.

Sources: (Statistics and Data) (Healthline) (History) (OHCHR)

See also: All the countries invaded by Russia

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