The Last Word is Yours>
In our last issue of TC Express,
we asked you "What event of the 1900s, do you believe, was the most
significant?" Here are some of the interesting answers we received...>
Most significant event of
the 1900s>
Man landing on the moon. Although women being allowed to vote comes a close second in
my mind. Cairine Chisamore, Ottawa
Man's first step on the moon>.
Donald Charron, Ottawa >
For me, there is no question that the most significant event in the 1900s was the birth
of a baby boy to Beatrice and Martin Plumstead in the Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland,
Ohio on August 22, l933! Martin Plumstead, Moncton
Women getting the vote and being recognized as
"persons." Marilyn Arditti, Ottawa>
It is difficult to determine the most significant event of the 1900s -- that which has
had the greatest impact on the world during the past 100 years. However, I believe the
most important achievements of this century are a result of technological advancements.
Scientists, doctors, researchers, etc., have benefited from technology in their pursuit of
medical cures and development of new surgical procedures. For example, the first human
heart transplant occurred in December 1967, Cape Town, South Africa at the Groote Schur
Hospital. This procedure has changed from an experimental procedure to an established
treatment for advanced heart disease. Thousands of people worldwide have benefited from
this procedure. Since the introduction of vaccinations, antibiotics and organ transplants,
to name a few, our quality of life has improved significantly, with the aid of technology.
Dawn MacLeod, Edmonton
In my opinion, the most significant event of the 20th
Century was when Mr. Armstrong first set foot on the moon with the help of NASA. His first
step opened a whole new field of work, study and imagination. Most importantly, I believe
that this achievement will bring forth the two greatest achievements of the new
millennium, the discovery of intelligent life in far away solar systems and galaxies,
followed by a new appreciation for our own planet including a wonderful, safe and
beautiful world united under all its people. Eric A. Beauchamp, Toronto>
The removal of the Berlin Wall and peace agreement. Vinod Vohra, Kingston
What a huge question! I have about 20 different responses from
Darwin to Einstein to several human rights events. However, because I have to narrow it
down to one, I would have to say the women's movement was the most significant and
important activity in the 20th Century. Susan Martin, Toronto>
My vote: man stepping on the moon!
Larry Dart, Toronto
There were so many advances in science and technology in this
century, it was difficult to choose one. In my opinion, I believe the development of the
atomic bomb was very significant but it is secondary to the event of dropping this bomb on
Japan. This event will have an everlasting effect on the entire world. Having seen the
devastation incurred by this event, world powers have maintained a certain level of peace
in the world. It is still unfortunate, however, that this peace is maintained through fear
instead of good will. Pennie Styan, Ottawa>
I can tell you for certain that the most significant event in my life to date was my
Wedding Day, April 22, 1994. After four years of living together, arranging a Las Vegas
wedding is the easiest way to "tie the knot" and make everything official. There
were no invitations to distribute, no heads to count, no meals to plan and best of all, no
unwanted relatives to feel obligated to invite. We announced, "Nobody is invited, but
everybody is welcome," and much to our surprise, we ended up having 20 people attend
our wedding in Las Vegas. Friends, relatives and a few surprise guests made the trip. The
wedding went off without a hitch, and after much celebrating, champagne and an impromptu
diving contest by the pool, we all went our separate ways for the holiday . . . after all,
I WAS on my honeymoon!!! Shawna Peterson, Winnipeg
Based on an assumption of what has had the most impact on the
largest number of people from as many perspectives, as possible, be it social, economic,
or political, I guess I would have to say World War II. When you consider that it truly
was a war fought around the world for over five years, its impact was so all pervasive
that I can't think of a single event that surpasses this one. Brian Preston, Ottawa
>
I think that World War I was the most significant event of the last 100 years -- not
only for Canada, but for the world as well. For example, Canada's victory at Vimy Ridge is
often cited as the event that marked Canada's true birth as an independent nation. At the
international level, many of the most critical events of this century can trace their
roots to World War I -- the Russian Revolution; the rise of fascism in Germany, Italy and
Spain; the decline of Great Britain as a world power; the rise of the United States as a
world power; the Second World War; the Cold War; and post Cold War nationalism (e.g. in
the former Yugoslavia, a country that was a product of World War I). Aaron J. McCrorie,
Ottawa.
Man landing on the moon and the fact that the whole world
watched this incredible event. Sandra Jackson, Edmonton>
As a person with five children, I would have to say that disposable diapers, followed
closely by birth control, are definitely the most significant events of the 1900s! Ralph
Jones, Ottawa
Seeing is believing as most people say. For me, some of the
most significant events that happened in the 1900s are as follows: the two World Wars, man
landing on the moon in 1969 and the "robot car" landing on Mars in 1999. From
horse to electric car, debit and credit cards, cellular phones, ordinary mail challenged
by e-mail and voice mail and the Internet are also significant, at least for most of us.
Susanna Lee, Vancouver>
I feel that the single most important event in this century occurred at Kitty Hawk,
North Carolina, on December 17, 1903 when two relatively unknown brothers succeeded in
achieving what had been dreamed of since before the time of Iccarus-controlled flight.
What Orville and Wilbur Wright did on that day changed the way we see our world. It is no
longer such a large planet, journeys that once took weeks now are completed in hours, it
has changed the way we do everything from providing healthcare to waging wars. People in
remote areas now routinely travel hundreds of miles to get medical attention, and stealth
is no longer how well a foot soldier can creep through the woods. The aviation industry,
and all the related activities that have been developed over the last 97 years have
affected every area of our lives, we now think nothing of buying strawberries in
Yellowknife in January, or jetting off for a vacation to some exotic locale to see how the
rest of the world lives. When my wife's grandparents immigrated from Russia at the turn of
the century, going "home" for a visit was not even a consideration, where as now
a vacation in Katmandu, Nepal or Ayres Rock, Australia (the most far off places that come
to mind) is within the grasp of most average people. I can think of no other event, save
perhaps the invention of television that has had the effect of bringing our world closer
together. Peter Verbree, Sudbury
The bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Stuart
Embleton, Edmonton
Discovery of the micro-chip.
Art Lashbrook, Winnipeg>
The first event that comes to mind was the birth of my two daughters. Carole
Lapointe, Ottawa
The most important event in the 1900s, I believe, was the
development of electronic physics and the semi-conductor elements.
Farid Kodsi, Ottawa>
The Second World War. Denis Carrière, Ottawa
The most important event for me was EXPO '67. I was twelve
years old and in grade seven. Our school president asked that the end-of-year trip be to
Montreal for this event. The school committee refused at first because of the cost and the
fact that it was away in a big city. A petition was circulated at school, and all of the
pupils from grades five to eight wanted to go. The school principal finally bowed to our
pressure, and we went to EXPO '67 in a school bus. Two hours on the road sitting on a bus
-- you have to try it! Also, bear in mind that response songs and socializing were
"in" among teenagers in those days . . . . I remember getting home late because
one of the grade-eighters got lost. What an adventure! Lucie Lavictoire, Ottawa>
My hiring by Transport Canada. That was extra-special! Paul Desrosiers, Dorval
The atomic bomb. Dominique Isabelle, Québec>
Although there are few living witnesses to these events, the two World Wars (1914-1918
and 1939-1945) sadly deserve first place . . . . Let's hope we have better luck in the
coming millennium! Bernard Maugis, Dorval
The most important event of the 1900s, I believe, was the
decision to use the atomic bomb. That set off the crazy escalation of arms spending and
fear . . . unfortunately! Paul-Denis Vallée, Québec>
I believe the most important and significant event was the Holocaust during the Second
World War. Louise Elliott-Edery, Dorval
The century opened with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901,
ending the rigid standards of the Victorian Age and beginning an era of fast-paced change
that moved us from horse power into the space age. Between 1903 and 1908, Orville Wright
took his first powered flight, plastic was invented, and Ford's Model T rolled out of the
factory and into our lives. During the years 1912 to 1918, the Titanic foundered, World
War I raged, Einstein proffered his theory of relativity, British women over 30 were
granted the vote; and Communism wedged its foot into the political door. Banting and Best
isolated insulin in 1921. The first liquid-fueled rocket was launched in 1926. The
following year, the first electronic image was transmitted and Lindbergh made the first
transatlantic flight. Penicillin was identified in 1928 offering alleviation of the
suffering associated with bacterial infections. A short ten years later, nuclear fission
set the stage for the development of the atomic bomb and the possibility of destruction of
human life on a scale unfathomable until then. In the 1940s, the first rudimentary
computer was developed, the transistor was invented, and the first atomic bombs were
dropped on human populations, ending World War II. In 1955, the Salk vaccine was proven
successful against polio. The 1960s gave us the first person in space, the finding of the
genetic code for proteins, and the Civil Rights Movement. In 1984, the first cases of AIDS
were reported. The 1990s saw the debut of the world wide web, and a sheep was cloned
successfully from a single cell. The next 100 years? As Albert Camus once said: "Real
generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present." Judith Pierce
Martin, Ottawa>
The formation of the United Nations (UN). Today, the UN helps to
maintain "some balance" among nations, prevent another Holocaust and ensure
consistency in legislation, such as the UN recommendations on the transportation of
dangerous goods. The UN is the only form of international government. Further, the
organization's object is to maintain peace on Earth, recognize differences and manage
them. Nathalie Belliveau, Montreal>
The development of telephone technology that revolutionized communications and created
a new world. We can now talk of a small planet or a "global village." Denis
Rodrigue, Port-Cartier
Although the 20th Century was one of the most
productive in the history of humanity in terms of scientific and technological progress,
there is one special event that deserves to be stressed. Not so long ago, no one believed
it possible to send a man to walk on the moon, until Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar
surface in July 1969. This event proves what great things humankind can accomplish when it
believes in its means and works unflaggingly to carry out its projects. Who knows now what
the next hundred years holds in store for us? Because our blue planet seems to be growing
smaller and smaller, perhaps we'll establish a permanent base in space to discover other
habitable places or other civilizations. Also, for some years, the saying "the sky is
the limit" no longer holds true. So how far are we going? Sylvain Laflamme,
Ste-Foy >
Among the events which have most touched the 1900s are: the
birth-control pill; the right to vote for women; and the Second World War which brought
women to the workforce. Denise Trachy, Dorval>
For the invention of the century, I personally opt for television, which allowed and
allows the dissemination of information worldwide, sometimes even in real time. Even the
advent of the personal computer involves the cathode ray tube. In terms of events in
general, the choice is harder. As the negative is often more significant than the
positive, the two World Wars come to mind. Raymond J. Lambert, Dorval
In my humble opinion it was the race to the moon and Neil
Armstrong's walking on the moon. Since then, technology has made great strides and is
found in all spheres of activity, including food, clothing, metallurgy, communications and
robotics to mention only some. It is clear that the beginnings of the century were also
very important, but the results of the conquest of space were, and are still today, giant
leaps in the history of humanity. Martin Turcotte, Dorval >
>
Being that 2000 is a leap year, we all have
an extra 24 hours to enjoy this year. If no one but you had control of those spare 24
hours, and money would be no object, what would you do with this time? Remember, you have
only 24 hours. . .>
Please send your submissions
to your TC Express Editorial Advisory Board representative or to the managing
editor by March 3, 2000 (see list in the box below). We will print as many of your
answers as possible, and reserve the right to edit for length and style.> |
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