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3500 BCE
Phonetic Alphabet Developed By Sumerians (Literature)
The Sumerians were the first group to develop a written alphabet. Thousands of clay tablets containing Sumerians cuneiform writing on them have been found in Ancient Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq. This alphabet was evolved from an aplphabet that was primarly pictographic before cuneiform. This was the first civilization to create a writing system that did not involve pictures to describe what they were talking about. This is important to me because it is the start of modern day language. -
2750 BCE
Imhotep builds the first Pyramid (History)
The first great physician and architect in recorded history is asked by the Egyptian ruler Zoser to build a great monument in Saqqara, Egypt. Imhotep takes on that requests by building the first stepped stone pyramid. It is considered the first great monumental building built by man. I believe this great event led to the expansion of architecture and the building of bigger and greater monuments later down the line. -
2700 BCE
Ziggurats (Religion)
Ziggurats were massive structures built in ancient Mesopotamia. They served as temples for the people to go to for worshipping. Ziggurats have the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels. I believe ziggurats were very significant in human civilization because this symbolized constructing a building for religious purposes. The architecture was amazing but the idea of having a place for religion is almost in every religion and this was the first temple built. -
80
Roman Colosseum (Performing Art)
The Roman Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Hundreds of shows were performed in the Roman Colosseum. This great venue was the first of its kinds to have the ability to hold a lot of people and hold big shows for the performing arts. -
Apr 26, 1300
The Renaissance (Philosophy)
Peoples' minds were expanded greatly in the age of the Renaissance. People were thinking outside of the box and inventing more things and coming up with scientific theories. Humans questioned tradition and standing beliefs and battled them with science and other thoughts. The Renaissance gave us new light and philosophy on life. I think the the Renaissance gave us the new ideas and shaped how we think today. It lasted from 1300-1700 AD. -
Apr 26, 1440
Invention of the Printing Press (Literature)
Around 1440 in Mainz, Germany, Gutenberg's machine improved on already on already existing presses through the uses of a mould that allowed for the rapid production of lead alloy type pieces. This assembly line method of copying books enabled a single printing press to create as many as 3,600 pages per day. Martin Luther used this printing press to copy "The 95 Thesis" which started the Protestant Reformation. Books and newspapers have also helped humans to pass info along easier than talking. -
Romeo and Juliet (Performing Art)
The classic story of Romeo and Juliet might be one of or the most popular plays in history. Almost everybody has heard of and or knows the tragedy of these two young lovers. Most of William Shakespeare's plays are still famous today but the story Romeo and Juliet has been reference a countless number of times in the theater and even television shows. I think Shakespeare was trying to explain a simple story of lovers and how they weren't allowed to be together and it didn't end in their favor. -
Law of Gravity (Philosophy)
Newton's law of universal gravitation states that a particle attracts every other particle in the universe using a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. This law of science was a big turn around for many scientists. This concept has led to a lot more theories and discoveries of Earth's atmosphere and other areas of science were found after Newton's discovery of the law of gravity. -
Declaration of Independence (History)
Declaration of Independence is the statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, which announced that the thirteen American colonies wanted to be free from Great Britain. I think the idea of being free is one thing that the U.S. has brought back to world. The idea of pursing any dream that a person wants to do is realized in the values of American Culture. i believe freedom is now the biggest core value of any person's life. -
Mount Rushmore ( Visual Art)
Mount Rushmore is the site of four gigantic carved sculptures depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.Led by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, work on the project began in 1927 and was finally completed in 1941.Known as the “Shrine of Democracy,” Mount Rushmore welcomes upwards of 2 million visitors every year, and is one of America’s most popular tourist attractions. The work shows the respect for these presidents. -
American Gothic (Visual Art)
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. This particular painting has become one of the most famous classic pieces of American Culture. This painting to me, represents the culture of America in the midwest and plains. This area of America has a big concentration of farmers and living the simple life. I think Grant Wood was trying to display the average look and feel of the simple life of the average an American farmer. -
Leonardo Da Vinci (History)
was an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Da Vinci has contributed a lot to society and should be recognized for all of his works and ideas.
