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Stock Market Crash
In October 1929 the Stock Market Crashed. In the lead up to this disaster, the stock market began to rise and rise. EVERYONE bought shares. Bankers conspired with each other to alter the results and there was no regulation on the stock exchange.
The things went bad –Bad bank investments were made; Trade was collapsing (due to the taxes on foreign imports); Many things bought on credit (which resulted in high debt).
Until no-one was buying the shares that everyone was trying to sell. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression, which began in around 1929, lasted until the late 30’s or early 40’s. This economic catastrophe severely affected all nations of the world. Australia, as well as Canada and Germany were thought to be the hardest hit in the Western World. In Australia, unemployment reached a record high of 29%, with GDP dropping 10% between 1929 and 1931. All persons living at the time of the Great Depression were indirectly affected, by unemployment as well as the collapse of trade. -
World War 2
WWII began at the end of the last decade (1939) and lasted for six years, ceasing in 1945. It was the most widespread war in history. The two opposing military alliances were the Allies, made up of The British Empire, Australia, and America, etc., and the Axis, made up of Germany, Japan, and Italy. It began after Germany invaded Poland, and both France and the United Kingdom, declared war on Germany. Countless numbers of innocent Jews were killed in this horrific war. -
Launch of Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was the world’s first satellite. It was launched by the Soviet Union on the 4th of October in 1957. This marked the start of the “Space Age” and set a precedent for what was to become. It was launched into a low Earth Orbit and was the first in a series known as the Sputnik program. The satellite provided information on the density of the upper atmospheric layers. It also provided data on radio-signal distribution. -
First Man on the Moon (Space Age)
The “Space Age” which began in 1957 with the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, was in full swing by the 1960’s. America was in a “Space Race” with the Russians, to see who it was that would ‘take control of the atmosphere’ and be the first to land a man on the moon. America won, with its successful mission of Apollo 11, which landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon on July 21st, 1969. This was the fifth manned mission, and the third lunar mission of the Space Age. -
Iranian Revolution
In 1979, the Iranian revolution took place. This was a revolution that saw the Iranian monarchy overthrown and replaced with an Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khomeini became the leader of the republic, after leading this revolution. This process began in October 1977 with protests against the regime, which the developed into a campaign of civil resistance. The months between August and December 1978 were full of strikes and demonstrations, which intimately prevailed, resulting in a republic. -
Collapse of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall which was built in 1961, was torn down in 1989. The wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic and completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The wall was claimed to have been erected to protect the population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the “will of the people”, by building a socialist state in East Germany. In the late 80’s a large movement began to have the wall torn down a movement which succeeded in 1989. -
First Mammal to be cloned
Dolly the Sheep was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell. She was born on the 5th of July, 1996. It was done using the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer. The sheep was named after Dolly Parton. Dolly had a life expectancy of around 11 – 12 years, but died aged six. -
September 11
On September the 11th, 2001 in America, four commercial passenger jets were hijacked as part of a terrorist attack. Two planes were flown intentionally into the World Trade Centre, one was flown into the Pentagon, and the fourth was directed toward Washington D.C., but crashed into a field after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers. In all over 3000 people were killed in the attacks.
