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507 BCE
Democracy in Athens, Greece
Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century BC in the Greek city-state of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica, and is the first known democracy in the world. Other Greek cities set up democracies, most following the Athenian model, but none are as well documented as Athens'. -
63
Roman Senate Vote
The Roman Senate votes to give extraordinary powers to Octavian who then adopts the name Augustus, essentially ending the Roman Republic -
Two Treatises of Government from John Locke
The concept of the right of revolution was also taken up by John Locke in Two Treatises of Government as part of his social contract theory. -
Montesquieu Writes The Spirit of the Laws
The Spirit of the laws. Montesquieu is a founding father of political philosophy. He was able to describe the spirit of reason which characterizes the law. -
Ben Franklin writes about his inspiration from the Iroquois
Ben Franklin wrote to James Parker about how he wanted everyone in the colony to unite and come together to fight for independence from the British -
The Continental Congress
The Continental Congress adopted a document saying that the 13 colonies were no longer part of the British Empire and were now a new nation called The United States of America. -
Responsible Government For The Former Colonies
Canada was a province and not yet a country. He helped to protect French language rights and believed in democracy. His position was similar to a Prime Minister. -
Triple E Senate
The Triple-E Senate is a proposed variation of reform to the current Canadian Senate, calling for senators to be elected to exercise effective powers in numbers equally representative of each province. -
USSR
Lenin dies, opening the door for Stalin to take power in the USSR (leading to a ruthless dictatorship) -
The Persons' Case
The Persons Case was a constitutional ruling that established the right of women to be appointed to the Senate. -
Enabling Act
Hitler passes the Enabling Act, moving Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship -
End of WW II
World War II ends, which also ends American-Soviet cooperation -
Marshall Plan
Truman establishes the Marshall Plan to contain communist expansion. -
Creation of NATO
Creation of NATO to deter any aggression from the Soviet bloc -
USSR Fails
Korean War begins after the USSR fails to show up for a veto in the UN, starting the first proxy war. -
Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian Uprising demonstrates that the Warsaw Pact is not ideologically unified, but this liberation movement is crushed by Warsaw Pact forces. -
Suffrage
First Nations peoples in Canada are granted suffrage -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis almost leads to a nuclear war between the superpowers due to brinkmanship -
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring ends when the Soviet Union invades, followed by the Brezhnev Doctrine. -
Non-Proliferation
The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty is signed -
Peaceful co-existance
Khrushchev calls for peaceful co-existence -
Berlin Blockade
Berlin blockade and consequent airlift increases tensions -
Vietnam War Ends
Vietnam War ends, demonstrating the failure of containment and the Domino Theory. -
Helsinki Accord
Helsinki Accords provide a degree of détente during the Cold War. -
Soviet Invasion
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan leads to an increase of hostilities -
Solidarity Trade Union
Solidarity trade union organizes the pro-democracy movement in Poland -
START
START is signed to reduce the number of nuclear weapons being created as a form of deterrence -
South Africa Protest
The Soweto Uprisings in South Africa protest the majority tyranny laws that prevented Black students from getting an education in their preferred language under the Apartheid rules; some students are killed by police. -
NATO
The Warsaw Pact is dissolved, with some members seeking to join NATO -
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall is built to prevent further Western expansion in the region -
Reunified Germany
Berlin Wall is torn down, a year later Germany is reunified -
End on Cold War
The Soviet Union ceases to exist, effectively ending the Cold War -
Response to NATO
Creation of the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO through collective security. -
Referendum on Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments from the Canada federal and provincial government to the Constitution of Canada. -
Electoral College
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. -
Secret Ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum is anonymous, forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote buying. -
Zimbabwe Blames UK
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe blames the UK for the cholera outbreak in his country, thus making the UK a scapegoat for the problems being faced in his country. -
Bill C-16
This enactment amends the Canadian Human Rights Act to add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.
