# "Greatest Events in History" Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [February 18, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970 "2015-02-18T02:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/1 "2015-02-18T02:00:45Z")
Based on the earlier “Who’s the most influential person in history” game thread from (gulp!) 5 years ago, this thread game is a similar attempt to determine the most influential _event_ in human history by a process of elimination. Given how smart we like to think we are, I think this is a game well-suited for this board. 😛 The rules are simple: 1. There will be 19 rounds (if I’m doing my math correctly). 2. I have broken history into 10 separate “eras”, each era with 10 events. The eras will be numbered from 1-10. You need to reference these #'s in your voting, separating the # from the event with a period “.” 3. Given that this is an elimination game, in each round, you vote for the _ **least influential** _ event of each era, for a total of 10 votes per round (1 vote per era). _For example_, here are the first two eras and how the voting should look: > [@](#): > > 1. Pre-History, Pre 3500 BCE > > Invention of Agriculture > Domestication of Animals > Invention of Alphabet > Discovery (and control) of fire > Creation of Pottery > Crossing of the Bering Strait > Invention of the Wheel > Invention of the Plow > Invention of Language > Invention of Metallurgy > > 1. Bronze and Iron Ages, 3500 BCE-1000 BCE > Hammurabi’s Code > Egyptian Empires > Founding of Ur (first city) > Coalescing of Jewish Culture > Sumerian Cuniform > Emergence of Mayan Civilization > Minoan Civilization > Alphabetic Writing Invented > Xia Dynasty in China > First use of Papyrus Your votes should look like: > [@](#): > > 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait > 2. Egyptian Empires (… and so on for all 10.) 1. Remember, the proper format for a vote is “#. \” For any comments, place them underneath the block of votes, not within the votes themselves. Votes that look like the following will be disallowed and you will be asked to recast them in the proper format: > [@](#): > > 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait - Most of the important stuff happened in Asia, so who cares about N & S America? > 2. Egyptian Empires - boring! … or… > [@](#): > > 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait > Most of the important stuff happened in Asia, so who cares about N & S America? > 2. Egyptian Empires > Boring! The votes need to look like this: > [@](#): > > Votes: > > 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait > 2. Egyptian Empires > 3. (etc) > > My comments: > > 1. Most of the important stuff happened in Asia, so who cares about N & S America? > 2. Boring! > 3. (etc) 1. YOU define what is important or influential. There are no objective criteria here, so don’t bother asking “what do you mean by ‘influential’?” If you care, here are [my thoughts](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12633786&postcount=704), but those are only my thoughts, not the criteria that you must apply. 2. If you don’t like the events chosen, or think that this is too Western-centric, or want to argue “Some of these are not ‘events’ _per se_ but processes!”, the thread to discuss that has been [up for about a week](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748974) - you should’ve made your objections then. You can still make those objections in the linked thread… but not in this one. Thanks! 🙂 3. When the events from each era have been chosen, we’ll group the 10 winners together and repeat the process, knocking off 1 event until we have a clear winner. 4. We will have at least 24 hours to vote and all votes will count up to the time I tabulate them. I cannot guarantee that each round will last an equal amount of time - I have a wife, kid, and job and will try to be as regular as possible, but sometimes that won’t be possible. Or it may be. Hell, I won’t know until it happens, right? Have fun! Categories to follow in next post… ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/2 "2015-02-18T02:02:50Z")
1. _Pre-History_, Pre 3500 BCE Invention of Agriculture Domestication of Animals Invention of Alphabet Discovery (and control) of fire Creation of Pottery Crossing of the Bering Strait Invention of the Wheel Invention of the Plow Invention of Language Invention of Metallurgy 2. _Bronze and Iron Ages_, 3500 BCE-1000 BCE Hammurabi’s Code Egyptian Empires Founding of Ur (first city) Coalescing of Jewish Culture Sumerian Cuniform Emergence of Mayan Civilization Minoan Civilization Alphabetic Writing Invented Xia Dynasty in China First use of Papyrus 3. _Early Classical Antiquity_, 1000 BCE - 200 BCE Democracy established in Athens Alexander the Great conquers the known world Buddism founded Rise of Persian Empire Unification of China under Qin Shi Huang Babylonian Captivity of Jewish People Greek Philosophy and Mathematics at peak Confucianism Battle of Marathon Invention of number “0” and Binary Systems 4. _Late Classical Antiquity_, 200 BCE - 476 AD Expansion of Roman Empire (Punic Wars, expansion into Gaul, etc) Death of Caesar Augustinian Empire Life of Jesus Three Kingdoms Period in China Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian Constantine Promulgates Edict of Milan Christianity becomes official religion of Rome St. Augustine publishes “City of God” Collapse of Rome 5. _Early Middle Ages_, 477 AD - 1250 AD Vision of Mohammed and the Rise of Islam Development of Arabic Numerals Battle of Tours Crowing of Charlemagne Kievan Rus’ Founded Battle of Hastings University of Bologna (first university) founded Crusades Magna Carta Genghis Khan conquers much of Asia 6. _Late Middle Ages_, 1251 AD - 1453 AD Ottoman Empire Founded Double-Entry Accounting Great Schism Begins (ends 1417) Hundred Years War Begins Black Death Begins Chaucer Writes “Cantebury Tales” Zheng He naval expeditions Prince Henry the Navigator Invention of Printing Press Fall of Constantinople 7. _Early Modern Era_, 1454 AD - 1648 AD Renaissance in Italy Columbus “Discovers” America Protestant Reformation Peak of Ottoman Empire/Siege of Vienna won by Austrians Copernican Revolution Development of Logarithms Establishment of Dutch-East India company (First global corporation) Elizabethan Age in England Spanish Dominance of Middle/South America Thirty Years War 8. _Middle Modern Era_, 1649 AD - 1788 AD Scientific Revolution Slave Trade French Dominance of Europe The Enlightenment Rapid development of mathematics Invention of Vaccination Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great) Publication of “Wealth of Nations” Start of Industrial Revolution Founding of the US 9. _19th Century_, 1789 AD - 1900 AD French Revolution and Napoleon Pasteurization Development of Motorized Mass Transportation (Trains, Ships) Implementation of Modern Sanitation British Empire End of Slavery Beginning of the Oil Age Formation of Germany Germ Theory of Disease developed Electrification Begins 10. _20th Century and Beyond_, 1901 AD - 2014 AD WW1 WW2 The Rise of Mass Culture Invention of the Computer/Internet Apollo Moon Landing Rise and Collapse of Communist States End of the European Age and Rise of Asia Green Revolution Development of Powered Flight Nuclear Weapons ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/3 "2015-02-18T02:08:20Z")
My votes: 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait 2. Egyptian Empires 3. Rise of Persian Empire 4. Death of Caesar 5. Kievan Rus’ Founded 6. Hundred Years War Begins 7. Peak of Ottoman Empire/Siege of Vienna won by Austrians 8. French Dominance of Europe 9. Formation of Germany 10. Rise and Collapse of Communist States ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/4 "2015-02-18T02:14:00Z")
Again, my votes were for the least influential (IMHO) event of those listed. I forgot to mention, at the beginning of each round the lists will be reposted with the “losing” event removed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/5 "2015-02-18T02:35:17Z")
[ol] [li]Crossing of the Bering Strait[/li][li]Emergence of Mayan Civilization[/li][li]Buddism founded[/li][li]St. Augustine publishes “City of God”[/li][li]University of Bologna (first university) founded[/li][li]Zheng He naval expeditions[/li][li]Development of Logarithms[/li][li]Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great)[/li][li]Pasteurization[/li][li]Apollo Moon Landing[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/6 "2015-02-18T02:40:01Z")
1. Crossing of the Bering Strait 2. Minoan Civilization 3. Battle of Marathon 4. Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian 5. Crowning of Charlemagne 6. Zheng He naval expeditions 7. Thirty Years War 8. French Dominance of Europe 9. Formation of Germany 10. Rise and Collapse of Communist States ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/7 "2015-02-18T02:41:01Z")
**ONE MORE RULE** (Sorry!) Any ties will be decided by me. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/8 "2015-02-18T05:22:59Z")
1. _Pre-History_, Pre 3500 BCE Crossing of the Bering Strait 2. _Bronze and Iron Ages_, 3500 BCE-1000 BCE Coalescing of Jewish Culture 3. _Early Classical Antiquity_, 1000 BCE - 200 BCE Buddism founded 4. _Late Classical Antiquity_, 200 BCE - 476 AD Life of Jesus 5. _Early Middle Ages_, 477 AD - 1250 AD Battle of Tours 6. _Late Middle Ages_, 1251 AD - 1453 AD Prince Henry the Navigator 7. _Early Modern Era_, 1454 AD - 1648 AD Elizabethan Age in England 8. _Middle Modern Era_, 1649 AD - 1788 AD Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great) 9. _19th Century_, 1789 AD - 1900 AD Formation of Germany 10. _20th Century and Beyond_, 1901 AD - 2014 AD Rise and Collapse of Communist States ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/9 "2015-02-18T13:16:03Z")
Bump for the east-coasters… **Rivkah** , sent you a PM. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/10 "2015-02-18T13:34:36Z")
There was at least one typo (“Crowing” vs “Crowning” for Charlemagne) – I fixed it in my answer… hopefully it won’t throw off your spreadsheet. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/11 "2015-02-18T13:37:39Z")
Naw, a simple misspelling won’t be a thing. Changing the event entirely… “That Charlemagne thing”… might be a different issue. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/12 "2015-02-18T16:15:33Z")
Take two: > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > 1. Crossing of the Bering Strait > 2. Coalescing of Jewish Culture > 3. Buddism founded > 4. Life of Jesus > 5. Battle of Tours > 6. Prince Henry the Navigator > 7. Elizabethan Age in England > 8. Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great) > 9. Formation of Germany > 10. Rise and Collapse of Communist States ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/13 "2015-02-18T21:40:00Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/14 "2015-02-19T02:05:07Z")
Bump. Let’s get those votes in! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/15 "2015-02-19T17:49:53Z")
This game requires a bit more time than most thread games – it might need a few days to catch on. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/16 "2015-02-19T18:41:08Z")
Yeah, that’s why I didn’t score it last night. Thanks for the bump! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/17 "2015-02-19T20:13:26Z")
1. Crossing of the Bering Strait 2. Coalescing of Jewish Culture 3. Confucianism 4. St. Augustine publishes “City of God” 5. Magna Carta 6. Chaucer Writes “Cantebury Tales” 7. Development of Logarithms 8. Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great) 9. End of Slavery 10. Green Revolution ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/18 "2015-02-20T17:25:49Z")
Im going to score this later today (in about an hour ), so if there are any other votes, let’s get them in, please. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/19 "2015-02-20T18:42:53Z")
Voting is over! First, the losers (and my comments): 1 Crossing of the Bering Strait - The only unanimous vote. 2 Coalescing of Jewish Culture 3 Buddhism founded 4 St Augustine publishes “City of God” - Glad this one is gone so early as the “.” after “St” messed up my spreadsheet. 😛 5 Crowning of Charlemagne - This was in a five way tie with 1 vote each. I used a random number generator to determine the loser. 6 Zheng He naval expeditions 7 Development of Logarithms 8 Russian Expansion at peak (Peter the Great) 9 Formation of Germany 10 Rise and Collapse of Communist States Really, not a lot of surprises in the outcome, though I expected the “Jewish Cultures” one to last a round or three longer than it did. I’m actually surprised that the “Green Revolution” got a vote - you’d think a revolutionary means of food production would get more respect than failed ideologies, but I guess you can’t please everybody. 😛 Round 2 lists coming up… ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/20 "2015-02-20T18:45:15Z")
1. _Pre-History_, Pre 3500 BCE Invention of Agriculture Domestication of Animals Invention of Alphabet Discovery (and control) of fire Creation of Pottery Invention of the Wheel Invention of the Plow Invention of Language Invention of Metallurgy 2. Bronze and Iron Ages, 3500 BCE-1000 BCE Hammurabi’s Code Egyptian Empires Founding of Ur (first city) Sumerian Cuniform Emergence of Mayan Civilization Minoan Civilization Alphabetic Writing Invented Xia Dynasty in China First use of Papyrus 3. _Early Classical Antiquity_, 1000 BCE - 200 BCE Democracy established in Athens Alexander the Great conquers the known world Rise of Persian Empire Unification of China under Qin Shi Huang Babylonian Captivity of Jewish People Greek Philosophy and Mathematics at peak Confucianism Battle of Marathon Invention of number “0” and Binary Systems 4. _Late Classical Antiquity_, 200 BCE - 476 AD Expansion of Roman Empire (Punic Wars, expansion into Gaul, etc) Death of Caesar Augustinian Empire Life of Jesus Three Kingdoms Period in China Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian Constantine Promulgates Edict of Milan Christianity becomes official religion of Rome Collapse of Rome 5. _Early Middle Ages_, 477 AD - 1250 AD Vision of Mohammed and the Rise of Islam Development of Arabic Numerals Battle of Tours Kievan Rus’ Founded Battle of Hastings University of Bologna (first university) founded Crusades Magna Carta Genghis Khan conquers much of Asia 6. _Late Middle Ages_, 1251 AD - 1453 AD Ottoman Empire Founded Double-Entry Accounting Great Schism Begins (ends 1417) Hundred Years War Begins Black Death Begins Chaucer Writes “Cantebury Tales” Prince Henry the Navigator Invention of Printing Press Fall of Constantinople 7. _Early Modern Era_, 1454 AD - 1648 AD Renaissance in Italy Columbus “Discovers” America Protestant Reformation Peak of Ottoman Empire/Siege of Vienna won by Austrians Copernican Revolution Establishment of Dutch-East India company (First global corporation) Elizabethan Age in England Spanish Dominance of Middle/South America Thirty Years War 8. _Middle Modern Era_, 1649 AD - 1788 AD Scientific Revolution Slave Trade French Dominance of Europe The Enlightenment Rapid development of mathematics Invention of Vaccination Publication of “Wealth of Nations” Start of Industrial Revolution Founding of the US 9. _19th Century_, 1789 AD - 1900 AD French Revolution and Napoleon Pasteurization Development of Motorized Mass Transportation (Trains, Ships) Implementation of Modern Sanitation British Empire End of Slavery Beginning of the Oil Age Germ Theory of Disease developed Electrification Begins 10. _20th Century and Beyond_, 1901 AD - 2014 AD WW1 WW2 The Rise of Mass Culture Invention of the Computer/Internet Apollo Moon Landing End of the European Age and Rise of Asia Green Revolution Development of Powered Flight Nuclear Weapons [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970.md?page=2)