# The most dramatic non-military event in the history of the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782 "2002-12-14T21:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/1 "2002-12-14T21:12:30Z")
I can think of no non-military event in the history of mankind that rivited the world’s attention to the extent that the Apollo 13 mission did. Disagree? ---
**Author:** ![Vic\_Ferrari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dbc845/32.png) [@Vic\_Ferrari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vic_Ferrari)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/2 "2002-12-14T21:35:10Z")
The fall of the Berlin Wall? ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/3 "2002-12-14T22:08:54Z")
How about the resignation of President Nixon? How about the writing of the U.S. Constitution? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/4 "2002-12-14T22:19:57Z")
**Vic** and **jacksen9** : > [@](#): > > . . .The fall of the Berlin Wall? > > . . .How about the resignation of President Nixon? > > . . .How about the writing of the U.S. Constitution? . . . in the _history of the world???_ At least Apollo 13 was in space (though, strictly speaking, that ought to disqualify it), so it’s gets extra credit (I’d still go with Neil Armstrong’s first step over it, however). That said, I don’t know what my answer would be (though that first moon-walk has to be right up there). ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/5 "2002-12-14T22:21:39Z")
Ack. Make that “ **it** gets extra credit.” Preview does not equal proofreading. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/6 "2002-12-14T22:24:56Z")
The Black Death? ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/7 "2002-12-14T22:28:12Z")
Well on second thought, could an event become dramatic, because of the absence of drama? Nixon resigned in the midst of scandal yet life continued as usual. I think this is so remarkable and deserving of consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Vic\_Ferrari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dbc845/32.png) [@Vic\_Ferrari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vic_Ferrari)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/8 "2002-12-14T23:23:42Z")
There’s a difference between something being dramatic and something being important. IMO being able to watch something live makes it much more dramatic, because you have no idea what’s going to happen and because you know that it’s happening right _now_. In the past people wouldn’t find out what had happened until months later, robbing the events themselves of drama. If you’re looking for something that riveted the world at the time it was happening, I think you’re _mostly_ limited to events in the last century. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/9 "2002-12-15T05:12:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Captain Amazing \* > \*\*The Black Death? \*\* I would have to second this. The black death went all the way from China to Italy, and completely changed so much of that world. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/10 "2002-12-15T06:40:03Z")
I really don’t know, but I was under the impression that one of the Apollo 13 astronauts was active duty military, thus qualifying the mission as at least partly military. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/11 "2002-12-15T09:18:38Z")
The Apollo 13 incident wasn’t that important outside the US. The Sep 1 attacks were certainly more widely followed. I’m not sure if they count as military. I would take a guess and say that the Footbal World cup in any given year that it is played will be more widely followed than the Appollo 13 incident. Most of the developing world folow the World Cup, wheras very few in the developing world would have bothered following the Appolo 13 incident. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/12 "2002-12-15T13:03:49Z")
How about the development of language and of writing ? OK so these probably happened over centuries, and in parallel around the world, and are continuing to develop but these are what makes most other human activity possible. ---
**Author:** ![mogiaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mogiaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mogiaw)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/13 "2002-12-15T15:33:21Z")
I have a few suggestions, Ghandi’s non-violent liberation of India from the British empire? Sputnik going into orbit around the earth? the industrial revolution (not one event i know but anyways…)? the invention of the computer? there are lots of “dramatic” non-military events in history Mogiaw btw call me ignorant but i’d never even heard of the Apollo 13 mission except when it came out as a film. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/14 "2002-12-15T15:34:46Z")
The establishment of democracy in America. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/15 "2002-12-15T16:34:01Z")
Heavier than air powered flight Discovery/invention of the wheel The invention of the printing press ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/16 "2002-12-15T16:56:21Z")
I vote for the eruption of the Santorini volcano. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/17 "2002-12-15T17:37:50Z")
As everybody knows, it was the invention of sliced bread. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/18 "2002-12-15T22:27:51Z")
The death of Princess Diane Her funeral was watched by the largest world audience ever. ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/19 "2002-12-15T22:46:26Z")
I’m very surprised no-one has mentioned 9/11… or the assassination of JFK ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782/20 "2002-12-16T00:21:40Z")
If your talking about an **event** rather than something like inventing the wheel, airplane, the black plague etc., than I would say that 9/11 outweights both Apollos 11 & 13 and JFK. And I see nothing military about 9/11. I would punch :mad: someone for mentioning stupid Di’s stupid funeral in the same breath as any of those. The last episode of MASH was watched by millions but it hardly ‘riveted the world’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-dramatic-non-military-event-in-the-history-of-the-world/142782.md?page=2)