Think about our modern-day luxuries. In many countries, we are able to enjoy comforts unimaginable centuries ago. We can easily obtain information with a few quick clicks. We are living longer due to health and sanitation improvements. Many of us take all of this for granted. We are able to live this way because of great accomplishments from those before us. These feats modernized the world known to us and created new eras.
Historically, most knowledge and stories were passed down from one generation to the next through word of mouth. Creating a book was a labour-intensive task, as it had to be written by hand. Johannes Gutenberg and his invention changed this forever. The printing press had metal parts that moved, and they could be reused with a press. This allowed books to be produced at a faster rate, which made them more affordable too. For the first time in history, books were available for people from various statuses.
Our powerful planes can now take us across oceans and continents. But the first flight ever only lasted 12 seconds! Still, it was an impressive feat. The Wright brothers were one of the first to take off into the air and fly. It was not an easy quest. They had to dismantle their planes and redesign them many times. Finally, they had their masterpiece, and they took off!
Since the dawn of time, humans have been looking up at the sky with curiosity. This curiosity led humans to create stories and calendars to learn more about it. Humankind had the ambitious goal of going to the moon. It seemed like an impossible feat, but on July 20, 1969, the human race achieved that goal.
Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight to land humans on the moon. As Neil Armstrong took his first step, he uttered his famous words, “That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” What do you think it means?
Smallpox took about 500 million lives in the 20th century. Edward Jenner came up with a vaccine that protected people against smallpox. He noticed that people who had cowpox, which was a much more mild disease from cattle, did not get smallpox. From that, Jenner concluded that people who had cowpox were protected from smallpox. Jenner did a lot of research and the first vaccine was created. Thanks to Edward Jenner, we are protected against many diseases.
Humankind is always trying to achieve scientific and advancement feats. We try to do the impossible and conquer nature's elements. But sometimes we need to look at ourselves and see how we are improving and advancing as a group. Unfortunately, we have not always been kind to each other.
Racial segregation refers to separating people due to their race and colour of their skin. This has been happening for centuries and in many countries. In the United States up until 1964, African-Americans were often separated from the rest of society. They were not allowed to sit in certain areas on the bus and in restaurants. Some brave heroes defied the rules and fought for equality. But how did segregation start in the first place?
Segregation happens when one group of people think they're above or better than another group. The latter group isn't viewed as equal and doesn’t get the same rights. They're often forced into slavery and oppressed. In 1964, legislation that made discrimination illegal was passed.
For many of us in the modern world, we are living in an era with human rights. This comes from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It's a document that outlines human rights and freedoms. The UDHR was first published in 1948.
Humans are interdependent. If we work together, who knows what else we will achieve?