1.) Jane Austin- (1775-1817) Was an English author who wrote romantic fiction. Austin’s growing popularity remains strong in current society with her novels still in popular demand. Her novels look at the perspective of women during the 19th century and the social necessity that women where required to marry to ensure finical security. Austin approaches a serious issue of feminism with a comic position in her novels. Jane Austin wrote the novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion.
2.) Pride and Prejudice- A novel written by Jane Austin and was first published in 1813. The novel follows the main character of Elizabeth Bennet who deals with 19th century issues that women face of propriety, education and marriage in England. Elizabeth is one of five sisters who should marry rich in order to insure finical security. She soon encounters the very wealthy Mr. Darcy who is perceived by Elizabeth as arrogant. Pride and Prejudice remains of the list of one of the most read novels and today the book has sold over 20 million copies world wide. Jane Austin wrote this famous novel at the age of twenty-one years old. The courtship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy still entrances readers in the 21st century. Pride and Prejudice was later put into a tv minnie series form by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and continues to be remade into movies.
3.) Kurt Vonnegut- (1922-2007) American author who was influential in the 20th century. He was born on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Vonnegut’s blends comedy and science fiction to create such novels as Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions. He wrote in the genres of satire, black comedy, and science fiction. His personal experiences as a soldier and prisoner of war, in World War II, are reflected in his works. Vonnegut’s works where groundbreaking new form of literature that remain controversial. 
4.) Slaughterhouse-Five- A science fiction novel written in 1969 by Kurt Vonnegut that was about the authors experience in World War II. The novel introduces the character of Billy Pilgrim, an American solider who is captured by the Germans during the war. Pilgrim is placed is a slaughterhouse when being held prisoner by the Germans, the building is know as “slaughterhouse number 5”. Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time when he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. The book follows Pilgrim through the stages of his life and looking in depth at his experiences as a solider where he witnessed the firebombing of Dresden.
A ground breaking science fiction novel that takes a serious look at the issue of war. While entertaining the reader with twists and turns of the plot while introducing serious social issues of war.
5.) Uncle Tom’s Cabin- Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and was published in 1852. An anti-slavery written by an American author and a pre-curser to the Civil War. It was the best selling novel in the 19th and in the first year it was published 300,000 copies where sold in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln met the author, Harriet Stowe, during the begging of the Civil War. When Lincoln meet Stowe he said “So this is the little lady who started this great war.” The novel explores the issue of slavery and has proved its significance by standing the test of time.
6.) Gone with the Wind- American film made in 1939 that was adapted from the novel by Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone with the Wind. The film was the longest American sound film made at the time lasting 3 hours and 44 minutes. It was also shoot in technicolor, early color films. It received 10 Academy Awards and is still on the list of the Top 100 Best American Films of All Times. The story centers around Scarlett O’Hara who lives in the South during the start of the Civil War. Gone with the Wind is about a romantic turbulent love during the American Civil War and Reconstruction.
7.) The Fall of the Berlin Wall- The Berlin Wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic in 1961, and was to cut off West Berlin from East Berlin. The wall included a large concrete wall with guard towers. On June 12, 1987 on the 705th anniversary of Berlin Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, gave a speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, to tear down the Berlin Wall.
“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”Television coverage of German citizens demolishing sections of the wall where seen around the world on November 9, 1987. On 1 July East Germany adopted the West Germany currency and border controls ceased.
8.) Origin of the Species- Charles Darwin wrote Origin of Species which was published in 1859. It was a scientific literature on the foundation of evolutionary biology. Darwin introduced the theory that the population evolve over generations and through a process of natural selection. Also introducing the idea that life arose from common ancestors and diversified through branches of evolution. The book created interest on its publication and Darwin’s idea of evolution and natural selection is now the unifying concept of science.
9.) Wall Street Crash of 1929- October 1929, also known as Black Thursday, the most devastating stock market crash in United States history that began a twelve year Great Depression. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 38 points, which gave way to chaos. The market lost 30 billion in that week, making it hard to recover. The fall of stock prices spread world wide. Personal income, tax revenue, and profits dropped. Unemployment the in U.S. rose to 25%.
10.) Attack on Pearl Harbor- Morning of December 7, 1941 a military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States at the naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The naval base was attacked by Japanese fighters with bombers and torpedo planes. Four U.S. battleships where sunk and over 2,000 men where killed. American public was shocked by the attack and this lead into the U.S. entry into World War II. On December 8, 1941 the United States declared war on Japan.
11.) Infamy Speech- President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, delivered a speech at 12:30pm to the Joint Session of Congress. The speech was given the day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. After the speech Congress passed a declaration of was against Japan that brought the United States into World War II. Roosevelt’s speech is known as one of the most famous American political speeches. “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The speech drew strong emotional impact that appealed to the anger felt by the American public by the attack. Roosevelt’s speech was broadcast live on the radio and attracted the largest audience in radio history, over 80 percent of American’s tuned in to hear the president’s speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uCGxk-v-Mc
12.) Watergate Scandal- 1970’s a political scandal involving a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters located at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.. President of the United States, Richard Nixon, was the center of this political scandal. Five men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the FBI tied the men to the 1972 committee to re-elect the President. The men where charged with attempted burglary. It was revealed in the investagation that President Nixon had a tape recording system in his offices that revealed the attempt to cover up the break-in. Nixon resigned from office of the presidency on August 9, 1974 and Gerald Ford became President. 
13.) “ I Have A Dream”- Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This speech was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement where he called for racial equality during the March on Washington. The steps of the Lincoln Memorial is recognized by Martin Luther King. “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” 
14.) Sputnik- Missions launched by the Soviet Union, Sputnik 1, was the first human made object to orbit the Earth. Launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957 showed the ability of satellites to explore the upper atmosphere of space. The satellite launched by the Soviet Union was 183 pounds and took 96 minutes to orbit the Earth. Sputnik 1 caused the United States to invest more government investment on scientific research and the creation of NASA in the U.S..
15.) First Moon Landing- Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. The spacecraft carried U.S. citizens Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr.. First men to walk on the moon where Aldrin and Armstrong. United States where in a space race with the Soviet Union and the U.S. won the race with the landing on the moon. The moon landing was televised to the public. Neil Armstrong stepped on to the surface of the moon at 2:56 and spoke the famous words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Moon landing was broadcast world wide and had a global audience of around 450 million listeners. An American flag was planted on the surface of the moon and left on the surface. 
16.) Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion- January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart when it was 73 seconds into its flight. The explosion caused seven crew members to lose their lives. Challenger exploded off the coast of Florida. An O-ring seal in the rocket booster failed during liftoff causing structural failure causing the space shuttle to break apart. The space shuttle launch was broadcasted live on television and the media coverage of the accident was extensive. Around 85 percent of Americans had heard the news within an hour of the explosion. Due to the disaster there have been many engineering and safety case studies. 
17.) Elvis Presley on Ed Sullivan- 1956 Elvis Presley made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The myth was that Sullivan censored Presley by only shooting him from the waist up. Sullivan signed Presley to due the show due to a rival with Steve Allen, who had his own show the same time as Sullivan. The night that Presley was on the show Ed Sullivan was in an automobile accident and unable to host so Charles Laughton took his place. Presley preformed his famous “Hound Dog” on the show. Viewed by a record of 60 million people, which was 82 percent of the television audience at the time. The single audience was the largest in television history.
18.) Woodstock- A three day music festival held in the town of Bethel, New York in 1969. A 600 acre dairy farm was the grounds that the festival was held the outdoor concert. The large crowd that the festival drew caused traffic jams. Radio and television stations broadcasted the overwhelming population to discourage people to attending the festival. Large number of performing artists gathered at Woodstock including famous names such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. The New York Times also covered the festival by stating how peaceful the event was considering the large number of people attend the concert.
19.) Miracle on Ice- 1980 Winter Olympics the United States hockey team won the gold medal. The team was composed of amateur and collegiate players with the average age of the team at 22 years old. Team USA got to the gold medal round by winning over the Soviet Union and then went on to beat Finland. Soviet Union and the U.S. where rivals due to the Cold War. It was a close game, but the U.S. scored a goal in the third period to take the lead 4 to 3 over the Soviet Union. Al Michaels, who was a sports caster for ABC, was calling the game and gave the famous count down to victory giving the famous quote that remains in the minds of the American public “Do you believe in miracles?...Yes!” The victory was the cover of Sports Illustrated in March 1980, with no title because the it didn’t need one. “Everyone in America knew what happened.” Winning the gold medal brought national pride to the United States. The event was later adapted to make the movie Miracle on Ice, was released in 2004. Also a documentary was produced Do You Believe in Miracles? that appeared on HBO in 2001. 
20.) Saturday Night Live- A live American television sketch comedy show on NBC. Saturday Night Live (SNL) premiered in 1975. The show features a new host once a week and consists of sketches and parody of American pop culture and politics. SNL is known for parody of debate sketches during the presidential debates. Open sketch is famous for its opening line “live from New York, its Saturday Night!” There is also single musical guest who performs two musical numbers. It is one of the longest running network television programs in the U.S. as it is still currently on the air in 2010. Some popular sketches have been created into full length feature films, such as Blues Brothers,Wayne’s World, Coneheads, and MacGruber. Time magazine listed SNL as “100 best t.v. shows of all-time.” Several famous comedians began on SNL such as Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi,Bill Murray, Billy Crystal, and Eddie Murphy.
22.) MTV- Music Television was a network that was launched in August 1, 1981. The idea behind MTV was to play music videos with an on-air host. This was a huge leap in pop culture, that brought music to the masses. Music Television soon took off in the public leading to slogan that launched MTV “ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The first music video shown of the new music channel was “video killed the radio star” by The Buggles followed by “you better run” by Pat Benatar. Concept of MTV was to play music videos 24 hours a day, allowing viewers to change the way they looked at music. As society has progressed in media and technology MTV has expanded beyond the music outlet. MTV now contains reality shows, scripted shows, and films. Popular reality shows such as The Real World,Jackass, Punk’d. They have also produced popular movies such as Napoleon Dynamite and 8 Mile. MTV continues to bring pop culture music, but breaking the social barrier by bring controversial shows such as 16 and Pregnant, showing high schoolers who must face the reality of raising a child at the young age of sixteen. Also the now popular Jersey Shore, that premiered in 2009, following eight housemates living of the Jersey Shore as they experience the nightlife and filtration with the opposite sex.
23.) Time Square End of WWII- One of the most famous photographs ever published was taken on August 14, 1945 in Time Square. After President Truman announced the end of World War II people gathered to celebrate. The photography was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, a photographer who was in Time Square with his camera, when he spotted a sailor grabbing women and kissing them so he pointed a shot the photograph. The photograph was taken so rapidly and he didn’t get the names of the subjects in the photograph. It does not show the faces of the people so it is hard to identify who the people are and several people have claimed to be the subjects. This has become a culture icon once it was published in Life magazine. Several reproductions of this photograph have been produced since it was taken. 
24.) To Kill a Mockingbird- A novel published in 1960 by author Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is an American classic an a winner of the pulitzer prize. The novel deals with the serious issue of racial inequality and rape. It takes place during the Great Depression in the town of Maycomb, Alabama and is narrated by six year old Scout Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus, who is a lawyer is appointed to defend Tom Robinson who is an African American accused to raping a white girl. The novel deals with the issue of racial discrimination in American history. Narrated from the perspective of a young girl living through the events, gives the novel a different feel and fresh look at the social injustice of racism through the innocence eyes of a young girl. The novel was turned into an oscar winning film in 1962. To Kill a Mockingbird gave rise to the serious issue of racism in America, and is often a required reading of younger students in the American education.
25.) Nelson Mandela Jailed- Nelson Mandela was involved in nonviolent resistance in South Africa was arrested in December 1956 for treason. He was imprisoned on Robben Island and served twenty-seven yeas in prison. Mandela was known for being a significant political leader while imprisoned. As a political prisoner Mandela received fewer rights and privileges in jail. While in jail Mandela took a correspondence course through University of London where he received a bachelor degree in law. During his imprisonment there was a growing international media pressure put on South Africa for the release of Mandela. He was released in 1990 and the event was broadcasted live all over the world. On his release Mandela gave a speech to the nation stating his commitment to peace and stated the need for the black majority to have the right to vote in local elections. Mandela soon rose to the presidency of South Africa in the first multi-racial election in 1994. 
26.) American Idol- Reality television show that was aired on Fox network in 2002. It was originally a spinoff of the UK television show Pop Idol. The concept of the program is to discover hidden singing talent in average Americans across the United States. An interactive reality show where contestants preform and viewers vote through the telephone, internet, and text message for their favorite performer. Winners of American Idol have gone on to have vocal success such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks. Idol has become a opportunity for average Americans to gain popularity and the ability to become famous. Gaining wide spread popularity Idol has continued on for several seasons and is still on television today. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648433/american-idol-adds-jennifer-lopez-steven-tyler-judges.jhtml
27.) Rent- A musical that was first seen in 1994 with lyrics written by Jonathan Larson and based on the opera La boheme. The show won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Musical. It was presented on Broadway where it ran for twelve years and was one of the longest running musicals. Success of the long running opera rock musical lead to national tours around the world and the creation of a motion picture. The plot follows one year in the life of a group of friends in the East Village of New York. In the year the group of friends deal with issues of love, loss, AIDS, and life. A modern musical dealing with issues that face modern day society. 
28.) Pandora Radio- Radio station offered in the United States in 2008, it is a music recommendations service. Consumers have the ability to search for songs on the internet. This was created by the Music Genome Project giving people the ability to search specific songs with no commercial interruptions. Pandora has launched a mobile version that was available through the Apple iPhone, and other mobil devices. With much success Pandora brought in a revenue of over 90 million in the first three month of the 2011 year.
29.) Kentucky Derby- Thoroughbred horse race ran annually in Louisville, Kentucky within the United States. It is one of Americas oldest thoroughbred horse races being run the first saturday in May since 1875. The race is ran at Churchill Down and the distance is 10 furlongs (1.24 miles) on a dirt track. Known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports” it is one of American Thoroughbred Racing top attended events with the winning purse of 1,425,000 dollars. Television coverage of the race and its traditions are on local television stations as horse racing is a popular sport. People come to see the derby especially the social elite. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown which is followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown, only eleven horse in history have won all three races to become a Triple Crown winner.
30.) Seabiscuit- A thoroughbred racehorse in the United States during the Great Depression Seabiscuit became a symbol of hope for many people during a time of hardship. Born on May 23, 1933 Seabiscuit was a bay colt was bread from champion thoroughbred race horses, but was of small size and had a poor racing record at the begging of his career. Charles Howard bought the horse for a low price and Tom Smith as his trainer. Under new ownership Red Pollard became the new jockey and face of Seabiscuit. The little horse who won no races soon became the best race horse in America drawing a crowd every time he ran. Seabiscuit is known for the match race between War Admiral where Seabiscuit won by four length. This touching story of overcoming obsticals of everyone involved with Seabiscuit was turned into a movie in 2001 and several books have been written about the events.
31.) Kodak Camera- Kodak camera was offered for distribution to the public in 1888 as a simple camera box with a focus lens and one shutter speed. To appeal to consumers the price was of low cost. The first camera came pre-loaded with 100 exposures that when where finished had to been sent back to the company where they were developed and a new exposure role was replaced. Kodak soon progressed to 35mm cameras with became a popular camera in the social market. Today kodak is still in business with the now popular digital photography. Kodak is still on of the top competitive brands in cameras on the market.
32.) “I Love Lucy”- First episode ran in 1951 as a sitcom starring Lucille Ball on Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). It soon became one of the most watched television shown in the United States. The show was shot on a 35 mm film in front of a studio audience. Winning five Emmy Awards for the show for its delightful cometic humor. Running for six seasons “I Love Lucy” has become one of the most recognized television shows in history.
33.) Schindler’s List- Biographical drama produced in 1933 by directer Steven Spielberg. Based on the novel Schindler’s Ark written by Thomas Keneally. The film is about a German businessman, Oskar Schindler, who saves the lives of over a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. It received Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best original score. It is also one of America’s top 100 best films. Schindler’s List is a black-and-white film, except for a little girl in a red coat, which is one of a few instances of color in the film. The same girl is later seen among the dead in her red coat, which was constructed by the memories of Zelig Burkhut, who survived in a work camp. Spielberg interviewed Burkhut who told a story of a young girl wearing a pink coat who was shot before his eyes by a Nazi officer.
34.) Amazon.com- The larges online retailer in the United States it is an internet sales company. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos the company expanded into online sales the following year in 1995. The company is named Amazon, because of the Amazon River is the largest river. When Amazon.com first started it was an online bookstore, but has since expanded into the sales of DVDs, CDs, MP3 downloads along with about anything you could imagine. Since the expansion of the company, due to the large scale use to the internet the site has expended websites in other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, China, Italy, and Germany. The internet boom that increased revenue of the company allowing for large scale expansion. Almost everyone has heard of Amazon.com in current society. Amazon also is a wide distributor of the online book, kindle, which has greatly increased its sales standing. 
35.) National Geographic- The first issue of the magazine was published in 1888 after the National Geographic Society was founded. Everyone identifies the yellow frame surrounding the cover of the magazine. Circulation of the magazine is worldwide and in thirty-three different languages. It is a scientific based journal that has become famous for is captivating pictorial footage. One of the most famous covers of the magazine was published in 1985 of a 13 year old Afghan girl became the most recognizable image. 
36.) 9/11 Attacks- September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial jet airliners crashing two of them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The third airliner was crashed into The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia outside of Washington, D.C.. The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to retake control of the plane. Over 2,000 victims died due to the attack on the World Trade Center. Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda was responsible to the attack, and he was recently killed by American soldiers. A memorial was build where the World Trade Center once stood, now called Ground Zero. The events of the fall of the Trade Center where captured on television and the image was shown around the world.
37.) Marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton- Friday, April 29, 2011 Prince William married Catherine Middleton. They were married at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William is the son of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer and is in direct line to take the throne of England. Catherine Middleton is a commoner, not of royal blood. Upon her marriage Catherine’s new title is now Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. Within Westminster Abbey maple trees where transported into the church for a price of 50,000 euro. The wedding was broadcasted live around the world and it is estimated that two billion people watched the wedding across the globe. Twenty-four and a half million people watched the event in the United Kingdom. 
No comments:
Post a Comment