Time is the way that we measure the endless thread of seconds, hours, and years, that make up our lives and our history. Time may appear to stand still, or to slip away before we feel ready. Some moments in time however, stand out from all the others, either as brilliant gems or as terrible knots along the thread of time.
Some of the achievements in science, like the discovery of vaccines and the ability to perform heart transplants, have changed millions of lives.
There have been significant moments of political change through wars and actions of certain leaders. Some of these events, like the bombing of Hiroshima, make for difficult reading as one reflects on the rights and wrongs and the terrible loss of life. Other events, such as the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights, show that history can be a great teacher.
Forget injuries, never forget kindness. Confucius
1905 Einstein Publishes the Special Theory of Relativity
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity changed the way that scientists considered all matter, and also helped them to understand the relationship between time and space. Although Einstein was a pacifist, one of the consequences of his theory that he did not foresee, was the development of nuclear weapons. During World War Two, Einstein believed that the Germans were creating a nuclear weapon and advised the USA to do the same, in order to protect themselves. The result was the Manhattan Project, the research programme that ultimately led to the first nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1908 Invention of the Model T Ford
In 1891 Henry Ford went to work for the Edison Illuminating Company and it was here that he began to put into action his long-held ambition to build a horseless carriage. In the early 20th century, cars were considered a toy for the rich. Ford’s visionary brilliance led him in a different direction – he aimed to build a car as cheaply as possible, affordable to the ordinary person in the street. In October 1908 the first model T was announced, and the rest was history.
1928 Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin
In the early 20th century scientists knew that many diseases and health problems were caused by the spread of bacteria. One doctor who witnessed the problems of disease and infection first hand, was a doctor Alexander Fleming. Fleming noticed that some glass plates he had been working on, which had been coated with a bacteria, had developed a circle of mould. On closer examination, Fleming discovered that the bacteria had disappeared from the area surrounded by the mould. The bacteria-killing substance was Penicillin. In the post 2nd world war era, Penicillin and other antibiotics have transformed modern healthcare and saved uncountable lives.
1945 The Atom Bomb is Dropped
Japan, a German ally in World War II, would not agree to an unconditional surrender. Harry Truman, President of the USA, believed that dropping the atom bomb on selected targets, would be the most effective way of ending the war quickly. It was believed that Germany was developing an atom bomb, but unknown to the Allies, Germany had abandoned its atom bomb project, and never restarted it, believing that it did not need an atom bomb to win the war. The Americans persevered with their Manhattan Project and poured millions of dollars into creating this most terrible weapon. The first target was Hiroshima and the bomb was released, resulting in the loss of over 70 000 lives. Two days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, resulting in a further loss of 50 000 lives. The Japanese President, Hirohito, surrendered. There is still fierce debate regarding whether the US was justified in dropping these massively destructive weapons, that did bring an end to World War II. It is a terrible reminder of man’s destructive power.
1953 The Discovery of the Structure of DNA
It has always been accepted that children inherit physical and behavioural characteristics from their parents, but it was not until the 20th century that scientists really began to understand how inherited characteristics were passed on biologically. In 1868, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was discovered by a Swiss medical student, Johan Miescher, but it was not recognised as genetic material for another 50 years. In 1953, scientists James Watson and Francis Crick, discovered that DNA contained the genetic code for all living things. Understanding more about the structure leads to a greater understanding of disease or inherited conditions. It is also used to prove connections between family members and to prove the paternity of a child. The past decade has seen great advances, using DNA as a powerful criminal justice tool. DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists. It is also used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.
1969 Man Lands on the Moon
There was a Space Race between the USSR and the USA, both wanting to be the first to land a man on the moon. In 1961 President Kennedy felt that an impressive programme was required to show the US as a world leader in technology and the Apollo programme was selected. The first manned Apollo missions orbited, but did not land on the moon but the stage was set for the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16th 1969. The crew consisted of Neli Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. On July 21st, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module to be the first man on the moon. As he did so, he uttered the famous words, ‘That’s one small step for “a” man, one giant leap for mankind’. The words that were heard, excluded “a” but Armstrong confirmed that he said “a” man. The Apollo programme flew 17 missions in all. The advance in technology was significant and space exploration for scientific purposes, still continues, discovering new and greater wonders in the universe.
1975 The Founding of Microsoft
In 1975 Bill gates and Paul G. Allen, boyhood friends from Seattle, converted a computer programming language, BASIC, so that it could be used on an early personal computer. They founded Microsoft shortly afterwards. In 1980, IBM asked Microsoft to produce the software for its first personal computer. Microsoft developed an operating system known as MS-DOS, which was released with the first IBM PC in 1981. In 1995 Microsoft released Windows 95 which integrated MS-DOS with Windows. In 1999 a judge ordered the breakup of the company after it was found guilty of illegally trying to maintain a monopoly. In 2008 the EU imposed a fine of $1.35 billion for illegally bundling multimedia software with its Windows operating system. Microsoft, however, has continued to lead the market for PC software and has diversified successfully into other electronic devices such as Xbox.
1976 Apple Inc. is Founded
Apple is the brainchild of three founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company was officially founded on April 01st 1976. The Apple I went on sale in July 1976. Apple was incorporated in January 1977 and became apple Computers. Later the same year the Apple II was launched and was selected as the desktop platform for a spreadsheet programme called VisiCalc, which suddenly made Apple one of the major players in the new world of office technology. In the mid 1980’s, Apple went into a period of decline, there was dissention between Steve Jobs and CEO John Sculley. The board sided with Sculley and Jobs resigned. In 1996, the new CEO Gil Amelio, was attempting to improve Mac OS and purchased an operating system that happened to be developed by Steve Jobs and he returned to Apple as an advisor. Between 2003 and 2006, the price of apple’s stock rose ten-fold. Jobs died in October2011, at which time Apple was the most iconic and successful brand in the world.
1978 The First Test Tube Baby is Born
On July 25th 1978, a healthy baby girl called Louise Joy brown was born at the Oldham and District general Hospital in England. Louise was no ordinary baby but the world’s first test-tube (IVF) baby. Even though not approved of by the Catholic Church, many thousands of childless couples have used the IVF process in order to conceive longed-for children. In 1966 Dr Patrick Steptoe, a gynaecologist and Dr Robert Edwards, a physiologist, started to look for alternative methods for human conception. By 1978 the process had improved to the point where they were ready to proceed. The first couple to receive IVF treatment was Lesley and John Brown, after trying to conceive for nine years. The birth of Louise Brown changed the world. Infertility was no longer a definite barrier to having a child. Since the start of IVF, millions of children have been born to grateful couples and have grown up to be healthy.
1983 The First Commercially Available Cellphone
The first call on a portable phone was made in April 1973 by Martin Cooper, Motorola Vice President. It weighed almost 1 kg and was certainly nowhere near pocket-sized. The first cellphones were so expensive that people thought they were just a niche product for the very rich, but despite the cost and the size, waiting lists were in the thousands. By 1984 there were 300 000 users worldwide, although networks were still patchy. It wasn’t for almost another ten years that people would be able to send text messages. A Scandinavian company Radiolinja, was the first company to offer a person to person SMS network in 1994. Today, there are more mobile phones than people in the world. Their price in relation to income has plummeted and phones are much more multi-functional and efficient to use. They have changed the way business is carried out resulting in increased Ffexibility and mobility for employees, who no longer need to be tied to their desks to be productive. They can work from anywhere, at any time, thanks to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Even if you aren’t using a cell phone to make a plan or talk with a friend, you probably involved a phone in your last face-to-face interaction.
The truth of the matter is that cell phones aren’t to blame. There are both good and bad aspects of having a phone; however, the most important aspect is how we as humans choose to use them.
1991 The Invention of the World Wide Web
The Internet is the name given to the connection that exists between all computers , recognisable to each other via their ISPs (Internet Service Providers) ad their domain names. The Internet came about as the result of the development of smaller, separate networks to serve interest groups, companies and institutions. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several new services started to develop across the Internet. One was email and another was the World Wide Web. Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, is considered to be the inventor of the WWW. He was working for a Swiss laboratory and was frustrated by the difficulties experienced in sharing information with fellow scientists. He proposed a project based on the concept of hypertext and built a prototype system named ENQUIRE, which was a mini version of what was to become the WWW. The WWW describes the information and documentation that is placed on the internet for a global audience of computer users. When Berners-Lee invented it, he took no payment or royalties for it. He believed it should be something for everyone to use. The WWW has facilitated the transfer and availability of information in a way that could only have been dreamed of before.
What a wonderfully changing world we live in. As with all change, sometimes we transition easily and sometimes the change can be difficult. But let us all embrace the new lessons and always do our best to bring about positive change, that will benefit all.
Come for a Holistic Reiki healing and learn the purpose of life and get an understanding of why we sometimes go through hardships and difficulties learn the tools to steer yourself in a positive direction.
