5. The development of the computer (middle to late 1900's)

The computer made possible the handling of vast quantities of data and complex calculations. The development of the personal computer opened new possibilities of word-processing, access to data compiled and available on the Internet, and forms of rapid, long-distance communication, such as e-mail and chat rooms. Computer chips led to a vast array of inventions and enhancements in everything from telephones and home appliances to automobiles and airplanes.

 

Donald G. Marshall is a Professor and the Head of the Department of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His top 10 events of the 1900's reflect a general historical approach. Professor Marshall emphasizes the impact of technology on the century and points out one chilling effect : "The fear that humankind's highest scientific achievements will destroy us becomes very real."

1.

The rise and fall of Communism in Russia (1917-1991)
2. The invention of electronic communications media (early to middle 1900's)
3. The collapse of colonialism and the struggle for racial equality (middle to late 1900's)
4.

The development of the automobile and the airplane (early 1900's)
5. The development of the computer (middle to late 1900's)
6. The new physics (throughout the 1900's)
7. The impact of World War II and the Holocaust (middle to late 1900's)
8. The development of biomedical science (mid-1900's)
9. The emergence of "modern" architecture, art, literature, and music (throughout the 1900's)
10. The outbreak of World War I (1914-1918)