# "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:** 2
**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, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/21 "2015-02-20T18:54:05Z")
My votes… 1. Creation of Pottery 2. Emergence of Mayan Civilization 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. British Empire 10. Apollo Moon Landing Thoughts… Voting for the Apollo Moon Landing was difficult, and had we had a greater presence in space I would have kept it (and, who knows, but in 100-500 years it might be the biggest item on this list.) _But as things stand today_, the AML was a great symbolic event, but it is hard to argue (well, for me it is) that our current utilization of outer space _required_ the AML. The Pre-History list is already getting tough. Not a lot of low-hanging fruit on that one, and pottery is probably the last one where the choice isn’t extremely difficult. I changed my vote for #2, btw, from “Egyptian Empires” to “Emergence of Mayan Civilization.” ---
**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 20, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/22 "2015-02-20T23:57:53Z")
1. Invention of the Plow 2. Minoan Civilization 3. Battle of Marathon 4. Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian 5. Kievan Rus’ Founded 6. Prince Henry the Navigator 7. Thirty Years War 8. French Dominance of Europe 9. French Revolution and Napoleon 10. End of the European Age and Rise of Asia ---
**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 21, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/23 "2015-02-21T17:14:30Z")
Bump ---
**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 21, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/24 "2015-02-21T17:26:22Z")
1. Creation of Pottery 2. Minoan Civilization 3. Confucianism 4. Life of Jesus 5. Battle of Tours 6. Fall of Constantinople 7. Thirty Years War 8. Slave Trade 9. French Revolution and Napoleon 10. Apollo Moon Landing ---
**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 21, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/25 "2015-02-21T22:33:47Z")
[ol] [li] Creation of Pottery[/li][li]Emergence of Mayan Civilization[/li][li]Babylonian Captivity of Jewish People[/li][li]Three Kingdoms Period in China[/li][li]University of Bologna (first university) founded[/li][li]Double-Entry Accounting[/li][li]Copernican Revolution[/li][li]French Dominance of Europe[/li][li]Pasteurization[/li][li]Apollo Moon Landing[/li][/ol] ---
**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 23, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/26 "2015-02-23T13:34:15Z")
post-weekend 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 24, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/27 "2015-02-24T13:58:02Z")
1. _Pre-History_, Pre 3500 BCE Invention of Alphabet Many cultures used syllabates or ideograms. I assume you did not mean these alternative formes 2. Bronze and Iron Ages, 3500 BCE-1000 BCE Emergence of Mayan Civilization 3. _Early Classical Antiquity_, 1000 BCE - 200 BCE Confucianism 4. _Late Classical Antiquity_, 200 BCE - 476 AD Constantine Promulgates Edict of Milan 5. _Early Middle Ages_, 477 AD - 1250 AD Magna Carta 6. _Late Middle Ages_, 1251 AD - 1453 AD Double-Entry Accounting 7. _Early Modern Era_, 1454 AD - 1648 AD Copernican Revolution 8. _Middle Modern Era_, 1649 AD - 1788 AD Publication of “Wealth of Nations” 9. _19th Century_, 1789 AD - 1900 AD British Empire 10. _20th Century and Beyond_, 1901 AD - 2014 AD Apollo Moon Landing ---
**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 24, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/28 "2015-02-24T15:05:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > 1. _Pre-History_, Pre 3500 BCE > Invention of Alphabet > Many cultures used syllabates or ideograms. I assume you did not mean these alternative forms… Well, given the sweep of this thread, my intent was to keep things as broad as possible - for example, "Publishing ‘Wealth of Nations’ " was, in my mind, more of “the development of capitalism”. However, the development of capitalism is a multi-century affair which would be difficult to pin down in any one of the eras, therefore “Wealth of Nations” is more of a shorthand way of expressing this idea. No big deal - I’m not expecting anybody to read my mind, and the categories are as they are. 🙂 My intent with this one (Alphabet) was probably better expressed as “invention of writing”, which would include ideograms, etc. But if you think otherwise, that’s totally fine - any fault with interpreting my “intent” lies with me, obviously. (BTW, the proper format is “1. The Invention of the Alphabet”, not as how you entered them. You can see any of my entries for an example of how it should be done. Given the severity of the punishment, I’ll let it slide this time. 😉 ) ---
**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 24, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/29 "2015-02-24T18:16:43Z")
2nd Round voting is over! The losers are… 1. Creation of Pottery 2. Emergence of Mayan Civilization 3. Confucianism 4. Constantine Promulgates Edict of Milan - Every one received 1 vote, this is what the random number generated picked. 5. Kievan Rus’ Founded 6. Double-Entry Accounting 7. Thirty Years War - Tied with the Copernican Revolution 8. French Dominance of Europe 9. French Revolution and Napoleon - Sorry, France. You lose twice! (Tied with the British Empire) 10. Apollo Moon Landing - One small step for man… one easy knock-off in this game. Most of these were pretty easy pickings, so again, not many surprises. I think that Double-Entry Accounting is more important than some of the others remaining in that era, but _c’est la vie_. 3rd-Round lists are coming up… ---
**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 24, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/30 "2015-02-24T18:19:28Z")
I only have to change 4 votes for the next round 🙂 ---
**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 24, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/31 "2015-02-24T18:20:08Z")
3rd Round List 1. _Pre-History, Pre 3500 BCE_ Invention of Agriculture Domestication of Animals Invention of Alphabet Discovery (and control) of fire 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 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 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 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 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 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 8. _Middle Modern Era, 1649 AD - 1788 AD_ Scientific Revolution Slave Trade 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_ 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 End of the European Age and Rise of Asia Green Revolution Development of Powered Flight Nuclear Weapons ---
**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 24, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/32 "2015-02-24T18:23:05Z")
1. Invention of the Plow 2. Minoan Civilization 3. Battle of Marathon 4. Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian 5. Magna Carta 6. Prince Henry the Navigator 7. Peak of Ottoman Empire/Siege of Vienna won by Austrians 8. Rapid development of mathematics 9. British Empire 10. End of the European Age and Rise of Asia ---
**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 25, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/33 "2015-02-25T19:48:49Z")
C’mon, folks. This game takes a little effort, but it’s fun! ---
**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 25, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/34 "2015-02-25T21:10:45Z")
1. Domestication of Animals 2. Egyptian Empires 3. Rise of Persian Empire 4. Death of Caesar 5. Battle of Tours 6. Chaucer Writes “Canterbury Tales” 7. Peak of Ottoman Empire/Siege of Vienna won by Austrians 8. Founding of the US 9. British Empire 10. Nuclear Weapons Thoughts… This is where my biases come in to play to pick some of the not-easier choices: I will always choose scientific/communication/mathematic/commercial advances and changes over the rise and falls of empires and countries. Yes, the US is an important country. But as important as the Industrial Revolution, vaccines, capitalism, etc? In the way I look at things… probably not. And I’M SORRY, ANIMALS! I REALLY AM! WE LOVE YOU ALL, EVEN THE LLAMA! ☹ :sniff: But even if cows weren’t as domesticable (is that a word?) as they are, we’d still be eating them. ---
**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 25, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/35 "2015-02-25T21:14:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > C’mon, folks. This game takes a little effort, but it’s fun! Thanks! I guess I’d better start using my signature… ---
**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 25, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/36 "2015-02-25T22:53:29Z")
1. Invention of Metallurgy 2. Xia Dynasty in China 3. Alexander the Great conquers the known world 4. Life of Jesus 5. Battle of Tours 6. Fall of Constantinople 7. Spanish Dominance of Middle/South America 8. Publication of “Wealth of Nations” 9. End of Slavery 10. Green Revolution ---
**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 26, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/37 "2015-02-26T16:18:09Z")
[ol] [li]Invention of the Plow[/li][li]Minoan Civilization[/li][li]Babylonian Captivity of Jewish People[/li][li]Three Kingdoms Period in China[/li][li]University of Bologna (first university) founded[/li][li]Chaucer Writes “Cantebury Tales”[/li][li]Copernican Revolution[/li][li] Slave Trade[/li][li]Pasteurization[/li][li]End of the European Age and Rise of Asia[/li][/ol] ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/38 "2015-03-02T14:07:20Z")
Busy weekend, so didn’t get around to scoring. Will do so later today… ---
**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:** [March 3, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/39 "2015-03-03T18:29:03Z")
… for differing values of “today”, that is. Third round is over! First… the losers: 1. Invention of the Plow 2. Minoan Civilization 3. Babylonian Captivity of the Jews 4. Three Kingdoms Period 5. Battle of Tours 6. Chaucer Writes “Canterbury Tales” 7. Peak of Ottoman Empire 8. Publication of “Wealth of Nations” 9. British Empire 10. End of the European Age and Rise of Asia Given their competition, these were relatively easy selections… though I would’ve thought domestication to get voted out before farming implements. But that’s why we play the game, right? Round 4 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:** [March 3, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970/40 "2015-03-03T18:32:49Z")
4th Round List 1._Pre-History, Pre 3500 BCE_ Invention of Agriculture Domestication of Animals Invention of Alphabet Discovery (and control) of fire Invention of the Wheel 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 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 Greek Philosophy and Mathematics at peak 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 Split of Roman Empire into E/W by Diocletian 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 Hastings University of Bologna (first university) founded Crusades Magna Carta Genghis Khan conquers much of Asia 1. _Late Middle Ages, 1251 AD - 1453 AD_ Ottoman Empire Founded Great Schism Begins (ends 1417) Hundred Years War Begins Black Death Begins 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 Copernican Revolution Establishment of Dutch-East India company (First global corporation) Elizabethan Age in England Spanish Dominance of Middle/South America 8._Middle Modern Era, 1649 AD - 1788 AD_ Scientific Revolution Slave Trade The Enlightenment Rapid development of mathematics Invention of Vaccination Start of Industrial Revolution Founding of the US 9._19th Century, 1789 AD - 1900 AD_ Pasteurization Development of Motorized Mass Transportation (Trains, Ships) Implementation of Modern Sanitation 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 Green Revolution Development of Powered Flight Nuclear Weapons [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-events-in-history-game/712970.md?page=3)