Eighty days that changed the world

April 2, 2003 11:39 AM

Eighty Days that Changed the WorldTo celebrate Time's 80th Anniversary, said magazine picks the most important days of the past 80 years. Some very good selections, spanning all areas of interest.
posted by rshah21 (14 comments total)

Oh wow, this is going to take me all afternoon to dig through. Thanks!
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:35 PM on April 2, 2003

I don't quite see how Princess Di's death "changed the world." It was tragic, but I doubt that the world would be significantly different today if she was still alive.

Truth be told, anything on that list within the last ten years is probably suspect; there's a certain amount of inherent presbyopia involved in evaluating the significance (or lack thereof) of historical events. For example, I doubt that anyone would have cited Bin Laden's ascension as an "epochal event" at the time.

Oh, and make sure you visit all of the pages. Some of the "Next" links at the bottoms of the pages skip an event or two...
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:47 PM on April 2, 2003

Some of the "Next" links at the bottoms of the pages skip an event or two...

Yes, which can be very disconcerting when you think they skipped right over the OKC bombing to the O.J. trial. I started to get really pissed off.

And fess up you guys, which one of you is the middle guy in the bottom row of this pic?
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:56 PM on April 2, 2003

And fess up you guys, which one of you is the middle guy in the bottom row of this pic?

Did they mis-identify Mr. Andressen? Isn't he the guy sitting in the second row?
posted by gyc at 1:19 PM on April 2, 2003

Santayana was right. However, apparently those who claim to be the public servants of those who remember the past are doomed to repeat it anyway. George also said "Fanaticism consists of redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim." I think both sides of present history are guilty of that.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:31 PM on April 2, 2003

Johnny Assay, I suspect 9/11/01 is going to have some fairly far-reaching repercussions and echoes before all's said and done. At least, I think that one's going to outweigh McVeigh blowing up the Murrah Federal Bldg in OK City on history's scales.


Gotta agree with ya on Di though.

ZachsMind, I think what Santayana actually said was, "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it the next semester."
posted by alumshubby at 1:49 PM on April 2, 2003

Even if you fully know about each and everyone of these events, it's still amazing and very moving to read about these 80 days...
(props to Times)
posted by ruelle at 2:01 PM on April 2, 2003

I was a little disappointed that they left out February 2, 1943 from the World War II milestones.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:01 PM on April 2, 2003

OJ? Come on!! That hardly changed the world

Great link though.
posted by einarorn at 2:42 PM on April 2, 2003

March 27, 2003: Time breaks their 80-item list up into 80 separate pages to bump up their ad impressions.

The list is too US-centric. And if we're going to focus on the effects of US laws on society, Prohibition is much more significant than The Hays Code.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:18 PM on April 2, 2003

hmmm. as seen (a week ago) in... Time Magazine! (of all places!)
posted by quonsar at 3:36 PM on April 2, 2003

AlumShubby that could refer to next semester or even next term.

For example.. It seems to me when looking at October 29th, 1929 we still don't really understand what caused The Great Depression. The old theory that Hoover was a hands off domestic president and Roosevelt was more hands on in fixing the economy is kinda wistful, but ultimately hollow. We've no idea whether or not the economy woulda fixed itself eventually without FDRs help, or if Hoover was to blame. Just too many variables. Anything else I've read about this just sounds like more malarkey and guesswork. However, history does have this nasty habit of repeating itself, if there aren't people like a certain ragin' cajun who learn from history. In times list of eighty moments, I'd trade in the ultimately irrelevant OJ moment for a much quieter moment with much greater relevance. It was a moment that didn't have any reporter there to document it or any photographers to capture the initial exchange, but I think it was a more effective moment in history than the OJ Simpson trial. It at least deserves an honorable mention.

February 2nd, 1992: Carville took future president of the United states William Jefferson Clinton aside and told him whut's whut. The opposition was gonna throw everything and the kitchen sink at him. Scandals galore. However, if Clinton kept his eye on the ball, he'd win the game.

Carville put a sign on the wall of Bill's campaign headquarters. "It's the economy stupid!" was a battle cry that gave Clinton eight years in the Oval Office despite the Republican parties endless and sometimes downright shameless attempts to get him out. Daddy Bush woulda done Gulf War Part Two had Clinton not beat him. It just postponed the inevitable now that Daddy's little Shrub is taking the torch, but we didn't know that in 1992. Though prez Clinton may have passed or failed history back in Hope Arkansas, he listened to the lesson when James Carville called him stupid and handed him a calculator. It's still the economy, and has been. Apparently during that class, GWBush had a beer bong stuck up his butt. Stupid. We've been fighting a recession since Shrub took office, and his foreign policies have not helped the domestic front at all. Shrub and his advisors are either really inept when it comes to the economy, or they're secretly working for America's enemies while pretending to be doofuses. Either way, they're giving away the store, and we gave them the keys.
posted by ZachsMind at 3:47 PM on April 2, 2003

Wow - the 1923-2003 cover search feature is terrific.

For instance, here's the Think Different ad that Apple didn't dare run. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:55 PM on April 2, 2003

Carville took future president of the United states William Jefferson Clinton aside and told him whut's whut. The opposition was gonna throw everything and the kitchen sink at him. Scandals galore. However, if Clinton kept his eye on the ball, he'd win the game.

Wait, now, are the people the doves? Do I put my gun down, and then run? I'm confused...

/reference
posted by thanotopsis at 5:54 AM on April 3, 2003