The world’s largest database of good news and social change milestones from throughout human history
We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history. Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more.
4601
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Era
- Tomorrow (2025 C.E. - ???)
- Today (2017 C.E. - 2024 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
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2021 C.E. December 7
Chile to become the 31st country to recognize same-sex marriage
The new law removes restrictions on same-sex couples around parentage, adoption rights, and assisted reproduction.
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2021 C.E. December 6
India achieves target of 40% power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources
At COP 21, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions, India committed to achieving 40 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030.
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2021 C.E. December 6
Spain approves new law recognizing animals as ‘sentient beings’
Animals will no longer be able to be seized, abandoned, mistreated, or separated from one of their owners, without having their well-being and protection taken into account.
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2021 C.E. December 6
Botswana decriminalizes homosexuality
Botswana’s Court of Appeal has declared the government’s appeal unsuccessful, effectively decriminalizing homosexuality in the country, a big win for the LGBTQ+ community.
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2021 C.E. December 3
Landmark ruling blocks mining in Ecuadorian forest, citing rights of nature
Ecuador’s constitutional court has blocked plans to mine copper and gold in Los Cedros, a protected cloud forest, ruling that the plans violate the rights of nature.
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2021 C.E. December 3
China announces planting of Belgium-sized forests and expanded national parks
14,000 square-miles of new forest will go up every year, particularly in drought-prone regions of the North and West.
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2021 C.E. December 3
New York City opens the U.S.’s first safe injection site
The sites, intended to reduce overdose deaths, will serve as a safe place for drug users to inject heroin and other drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.
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2021 C.E. December 1
Researchers disable long-targeted gene behind spread of major cancers
Princeton University researchers have discovered what they call a "silver bullet" in the form of a compound that can disable the gene that allows most major cancers to metastasize in mice and human tissue.
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2021 C.E. December 1
District government in Indonesia formally recognizes indigenous clan’s rights to its ancestral lands
The decree is the first of its kind in Sorong, West Papua province. It moves the Gelek Malak Kalawilis Pasa clan closer to having its rights officially recognized by the central government.
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2021 C.E. December 1
Assisted dying is rapidly becoming legal and accepted – currently in 11 countries and 10 U.S. states
Since 2015, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, Colombia, Germany, Austria, Portugal, five Australian states, ten American states, and D.C. have legalized assisted dying.
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2022 C.E. January 26
Hawaii becomes first U.S. state to ban shark fishing
Hundreds of shark species worldwide are threatened by extinction due to over-fishing. A new bill makes it illegal to knowingly capture, entangle, or kill a shark in Hawaii's marine waters.
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2022 C.E. January 26
Thailand set to become first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board had approved the dropping cannabis from the ministry's list of controlled drugs.
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2022 C.E. January 25
California redwood forest returned to Indigenous group
The group of 10 tribes that have inhabited the area for thousands of years will be responsible for protecting the 500-acre parcel dubbed Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ, or “Fish Run Place,” in the Sinkyone language.
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2022 C.E. January 25
U.S. to officially recognize trans & non-binary veterans’ genders
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) announced that gender selections on paperwork will now include the options of transgender female, transgender male, non-binary, and other.
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2022 C.E. January 25
World’s largest grassroots recycling program turns glass into sand to prevent coastal erosion in New Orleans
The non-profit organization Glass Half Full collects glass bottles and grinds them down into super soft sand to use for disaster relief, eco-construction, and even new glass.
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2022 C.E. January 24
Toronto’s first-ever mental health crisis response teams to launch in March
The teams will dispatch nurses and mental health support workers instead of police officers to respond to 911 calls about people in crisis.
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2022 C.E. January 24
Lighted fishing nets dramatically reduce bycatch while making fishing more efficient
LED-illuminated nets reduce #bycatch of sharks and skates by an incredible 95 percent while maintaining catch rates of target species, according to a new study.
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2022 C.E. January 24
$20 million copyright buyout makes Australian Aboriginal flag free for all
Luritja artist Harold Thomas created the flag in 1970 to represent Aboriginal people and their connection to the land, and it has been an official national flag since the end of the last century.
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2022 C.E. January 22
U.S. to invest more than $1 billion in Everglades restoration
"The iconic American landscape provides drinking water supply for over 8 million Floridians, supports the state's $90 billion tourism economy, and is home to dozens of endangered or threatened species."
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2022 C.E. January 22
California to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing
87 million dollars have now been secured to create a wildlife crossing across the 101 freeway in Liberty Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains.