Bit of fun - what in your opinion was a great history changing moment or period and why?

[worriedandsad]

Following on from the "what if" thread would be interested in peoples thoughts on this as I am sure we will all have different opinions. What in your opinion was a great history changing period/moment which impacts life today and why?

I grew up in and still live in the southern US. So for me, it would have to be the Civil Rights Movement in the US. After that and a close second would be the Women's Liberation Movement.

Countless.

Come on ladies - I thought the whole point of studying history was because of its impact on how it has shaped today - anyone have any favourites?

The invention and free dissemination of the birth control pill. Ditto for tampons.
Also Burton's the tailors. They made it less easy to judge a man's class just by looking at him.

I think what's interesting is that history is about unforeseen consequences. The Reformation would never had taken off without printing, which would never have taken off without the invention of paper.
I have no idea if or how the Reformation would have happened in England, if Henry had had a son from his 1st wife. I love history, as there are endless opportunities for speculation.

December 10th 1941, Hitler declares war on the USA, something he was under no obligation to do since his treaty with Japan only applied if Japan was attacked.

If he hadn't, FDR would not have got the support from Congress for a European campaign, the nation would have been swept on an Anti-Japanese wave and you would have been left with something like Robert Harris 'Fatherland'

Agree Lucy, reliable contraception charged the world.

I think the reformation would have happened sooner or later despite Henry's love triangle. There were people all over Europe who were turning away from the Catholic Church, and even in Henry VIII's court.

Henry's desire for a divorce was convenient for the reformists - it gave them a way to convince Henry to break from Rome and start everything off, in a manner of speaking. But the Reformation under Henry VIII was only a reformation in name - Henry VIII's beliefs were still very much catholic. The changes became much more radical under his son Edward (mainly due to his advisors) and then Elizabeth I after a brief return to the Catholic Church under Mary.