History is made and defined by landmark events - moments that irrevocably changed the course of human civilization. They have given us spiritual and political ideas; catastrophic battles and wars; scientific and technological advances; world leaders both influential and monstrous; and cultural works of unparalleled beauty. Now a series of 36 captivating lectures explores some of the most important and definitive events in the history of the world - events after which our world would never be the same. Taught by a remarkably gifted teacher with more than 25 teaching awards to his credit, these lectures form an intriguing and engaging tour of thousands of years of human history, from the creation of the Code of Hammurabi to the Battle of Lexington to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and beyond. It's a chance for you to gain new insights about world history from a truly riveting historian. Using his expert knowledge and impressive ability to draw out invaluable lessons from the past, Professor Fears has chosen the events he discusses based on three criteria: how the event in itself fundamentally changed history, how the aftermath of the event changed history, and how the event and its impact still resonate with us today. The result is a comprehensive and authoritative selection of subjects, each of which played a crucial role in transforming human civilization. Whether the event is an obvious or not-so-obvious choice, Professor Fears takes great care to tie each to the 21st century, pointing out just how influential these and other moments were in shaping who we are and how we live.
All Lectures: 1. Hammurabi Issues a Code of Law (1750 B.C.) 2. Moses and Monotheism (1220 B.C.) 3. The Enlightenment of the Buddha (526 B.C.) 4. Confucius Instructs a Nation (553 - 479 B.C.) 5. Solon - Democracy Begins (594 B.C.) 6. Marathon - Democracy Triumphant (490 B.C.) 7. Hippocrates Takes an Oath (430 B.C.) 8. Caesar Crosses the Rubicon (49 B.C.) 9. Jesus - The Trial of a Teacher (A.D. 36) 10. Constantine I Wins a Battle (A.D. 312) 11. Muhammad Moves to Medina - The Hegira (A.D. 622) 12. Bologna Gets a University (1088) 13. Dante Sees Beatrice (1283) 14. Black Death - Pandemics and History (1348) 15. Columbus Finds a New World (1492) 16. Michelangelo Accepts a Commission (1508) 17. Erasmus - A Book Sets Europe Ablaze (1516) 18. Luther's New Course Changes History (1517) 19. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) 20. The Battle of Vienna (1683) 21. The Battle of Lexington (1775) 22. General Pickett Leads a Charge (1863) 23. Adam Smith (1776) versus Karl Marx (1867) 24. Charles Darwin Takes an Ocean Voyage (1831) 25. Louis Pasteur Cures a Child (1885) 26. Two Brothers Take a Flight (1903) 27. The Archduke Makes a State Visit (1914) 28. One Night in Petrograd (1917) 29. The Day the Stock Market Crashed (1929) 30. Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933) 31. Franklin Roosevelt Becomes President (1933) 32. The Atomic Bomb Is Dropped (1945) 33. Mao Zedong Begins His Long March (1934) 34. John F. Kennedy Is Assassinated (1963) 35. Dr. King Leads a March (1963) 36. 9/11/2001
