In a new Foreign Policy article, Christian Caryl describes how the events of 1979 defined the world we live in today. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran, Margaret Thatcher led the conservative movement to power in Britain, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Poland, and Deng Xiaoping began laying the groundwork for China’s market economy. Caryl writes that the counterrevolutionary events of 1979 may also offer insights into the future for “… the transformations of 1979 have themselves grown into decadent established orders, the excesses of which may now be inspiring new reactionary movements and counterrevolutions.” [%comments]
The Year the World Changed
TAGS: history
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Has an article or book like this been written for every year in human history?
Does anyone consider the title of this post ironic, considering the link on the right side of the page to Patricia Cohen’s Times article, “Titlenomics”, in which she states, “Exorbitant claims are inherent in another title genre: things that have changed the world. That list includes books, ideas, beliefs, decisions, inventions, plants, bridges, gigs, battles, speeches, photographs and molecules.” So now we can add the events of 1979 to the list, too.
24 December 1979: Russian/Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan – of greater effect on the Arab and Muslim world than the revolution in Iran, I guess.
The UN International Year of te Child.
I got to see movies for just 1 Rupee at the best movie hall in Mumbai then. They gave us free snax during the break too. THAT WAS REVOLUTIONARY!!
This doesn’t seem to carry the same long-term importance as 1914.
1969–
Richard Nixon elected.
250,000 Peaceniks march on Washington (changing Nixon’s mind regarding nuking North Vietnam).
First humans land on the Moon.
Golda Meir elected PM of Israel.
PLO is launched
Edward Kenedy Chappaquiddick affair.
Hurricane Camille
Woodstock
Beatles release first album.
Concorde test flight
First quartz watch
ARPANET launched
Boeing 747
The microprocessor is invented.