2014: A YEAR OF UNKNOWN CELEBRATIONS

By James Carlini

2014 is a year that commemorates a lot of historical breakthroughs and global events. It is unfortunate that many who are in their 20s and 30s are absolutely clueless to these major events. Why? Public education seems to have failed miserably.

SO WHAT BIG THINGS HAPPENED?

Ask someone under 40 what year “the Great War started? You might be surprised – and shocked – with the answers. It is the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I this year.

Just the right year would be a great response (1914). Don’t even try to ask about how it started or who was on each side. Or, when did America enter World War I? (1917)

When did they close Ellis Island, the famous point of immigration into the United States? (1924) Also in New York, ninety years ago was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year also marks the 85th anniversary of the Great Stock Market Crash. People were plunged into the Great Depression of the 1930s right after this event. See if they know about this big, society-changing event.

Interesting enough, it is also the 75th anniversary of the beginning of World War II (1939). Again, getting the year right would be a great accomplishment. Try to get them to name the three Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). Another anniversary is the Allied invasion of Europe. It is the 70th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944)

WHAT ABOUT THE ROOTS OF TECHNOLOGY?

What happened 80 years ago that was of major significance to the whole area of communications and public networks? The FCC came out with the Communications Act of 1934.

Ask them if they have an iPod or an iPhone? Ask them what was the initial building block for ,all these electronics and when was it patented? The transistor, which preceded the integrated circuit was developed at Bell Labs and patented sixty years ago. (in 1954)

You could go on and ask for other major events that they should know – but they don’t.

What about Civil Rights? Everyone is always whining about the abuse of their Civil Rights, but does anyone know when that law was even passed? It is the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Bill (1964).

We should be demanding a better accountability of school districts and what they promote as to being important. When you graduate students that don’t know what major events happened in the recent history, you get bunch of people who will not learn from other people’s mistakes or those who have no clue as to the evolution and major breakthroughs of technology.

Go ahead and ask someone today about these major events and when they happened. I doubt if you get one person under forty to get all the answers right. And probably, no one over 40 to get all of them right as well.

CARLINI-ISM: Those who do not remember the past, seem to make the same mistakes in the future.
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COPYRIGHT 2014 – James Carlini