9 HUGE 21st Century Events That Changed The World

The 21st Century has not even reached the young adult age of 18. But it has already delivered some events, that has changed the world. They have shaped how we we live and play since they happened.

The good part is that since you are old enough to get online, you have probably lived through these events that will be talked about.

There are of course, many events that are more than just noteworthy. It is my task to select 9 that has made the biggest impact on us.

1) 9/11, 2001

It is said to be the most documented event that ever took place in modern history. And that is quite a claim in 2001 when the hand-held camera-enabled smartphone has yet to become a novelty.

Yes… most people were still carrying around Nokias and Sony Ericssons back then…

Even though the version of events that created 9/11 varies from official story to conspiracy theories, you cannot help but feel a nervousness to hear about how the whole thing transpired.

Many of the practices we adhere to today, especially those concerning security, are the effects of the terrorists attacks in 2001.

2) Mapping of the human genome, 2003

This project in fact commenced in 1990. And it was declared complete in 2003.

I’m no scientist. .And definitely don’t major in medicine. But even so, I can see how big an impact it will have on us as a species.

This project basically mapped out our DNA like a mind map. It identifies which chemical and which structure give us our abilities, looks, diseases, etc.

This means that one day, we could very well isolate root causes of things like cancers and Parkinson’s and make it a non-issue.

Damn… living forever could even be a possibility.

3) Boxing day Tsunami, 2004

Before this disaster in 2004, you’d think that giant tidal waves that wipe out towns are either science fiction, or an inconvenient blot in the age of the dinosaurs.

Just thinking about this event happening leaves you shaking your head at the heavens.

Few people would have believed that the magnitude of this horror show was possible, and most probably an exaggeration. But once you take a look at the videos, will you see the fury of mother nature yourself.

I cannot imagine how I would have reacted if I was at one of the beaches facing a direct hit that day. I could very well be too petrified to save myself.

Over 200,000 casualties were reported by the media. This gives you an idea of how destructive this event was.

Since then, tsunami warning systems have been set up in coastal cities all over the world. And you don’t need to think twice if you ever hear one.

Just run like crazy to higher ground.

4) First iPhone, 2007

There was a lot of fanfare when the first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs in a now-famous presentation.

This was a time when we were still stuck with cellphones with protruding buttons and it seemed like the norm. This new smartphone at this time was seen as just another fad that would die off in a year or 2.

I’d think that Mr Jobs didn’t expect such a huge response in such a short period too. But the first iPhone truly kickstarted the changes in the way we communicate in the last decade.

It was quickly followed up by the iPad and the rise of Samsung mobile. Then every device turned to touch screen.

Can you imagine today without any of these devices?

I can’t.

5) Mortgage meltdown, 2008

Companies, funds, and derivatives implode all the time. It was really no surprise at all to see another demise of a badly managed company.

But this time it was different.

This time, it was a meltdown of epic proportions. And it could very well take the whole global economy down with it.

This is a video simplifying what caused the financial collapse.

Billion-dollar companies were on the brink of implosion. And many of them seemingly have nothing to do remotely with mortgages at all. As one big name after another was brought to it’s knees, every working person started to think whether they would still have a job the next day.

The ripple of that shockwave is still being felt today. Just look at the Fed and the market’s nervousness with interest rate movements.

6) Obama becomes president, 2009

America has had a complicated racial history, but has in living memory, been a champion of racial equality…

And the election of Barack Obama became a symbol equality in America, the only Superpower nation in the world. He became the first African-American president.

The significance of this event is not just local. It sends a signal throughout the world that discrimination has no place in society. And anyone with the right capabilities and abilities have the right to rise to the top, no matter what skin color or gender.

I truly see it as a symbolic event that inspired the world.

His achievements in office though, is up for debate.

7) Bitcoin unleashed, 2009

 

With the financial system that exist today, you would be out of your mind to think that a cryptocurrency is more than just a fantasy.

But upon the release of Bitcoin, it started to garner a huge positive reception. Maybe people were just too tired of how currencies all over the world are being controlled and manipulated.

In layman’s terms, Bitcoin is a currency you can use to pay for stuff as long as the merchant will accept it as payment. It is untraceable, uncrackable, and intangible. It just promises to be the best mode of currency friendly to the whole world.

Bitcoin is still on it’s way towards global acceptance. Many retailers accept it as a form of payment. And more consumers are starting to use it.

Bitcoin could very well be a preview of how money works in the future.

8) Higgs particle discovered, 2013

Again, I’m no scientist. But the Higgs boson was supposedly a very big deal in the field of everything science.

How big a deal? Let’s just say it’s what the world’s largest particle collider is used for.

When we first realized that we were made of atoms, we thought that it was the smallest thing in the world. Then we found that atoms were made of protons, electrons and neutrons.

Think that’s the end? No.

Because now there is the “God” particle.

This is a particle that supposedly does not behave like anything we’ve every known. It will provide mankind a sneak peak into what is possible in science. And in some circles, experts also feel that it could reveal the relation between physics and metaphysics.

9) The rise of social media

I’m unable to put a specific year on this point because no one can really pinpoint the year when it truly took off.

But have no doubt. This has changed the world as we know it. If you had lived in the era before social media, you would completely agree with my sentiments.

I would of course, want to include the creation of the internet in this list. But that happened in the 20th century!

Nevertheless, the impact social media has made in our lives is as big as the internet itself. Heck! Now you don’t even need an internet connection to link up in social media. You just need a data connection.

The rise of the smart phone coupled with social media has totally changed the way people interact with each other. It has changed how couples meet each other. How business people network. And even how news is being distributed.