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.
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change milestones archived
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- Tomorrow (2025 C.E. - ???)
- Today (2017 C.E. - 2024 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
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- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
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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.)
Year
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1977 C.E. January 21
U.S. President Jimmy Carter pardons all Vietnam War draft dodgers
On January 21, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
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1965 C.E. August 6
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country.
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1946 C.E. January 10
The first session of the UN General Assembly convenes
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN and the international community.
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1894 C.E. August 25
Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague
He traveled to Hong Kong in 1894 at the request of the Japanese government during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, and identified a bacterium that he concluded was causing the disease.
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1884 C.E. February 2
Oxford English Dictionary debuts
The Oxford English Dictionary is now the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press.
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1874 C.E. April 15
First ‘Impressionist’ art exhibition opens in Paris, featuring Monet, Degas, Renoir, and others
Impressionism is an art movement that took the French art world—and later the artistic spheres of other countries —by storm in the 19th century.
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1872 C.E.
The U.S. formally establishes Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park
Although individual countries designate their own national parks differently, there is a common idea: the conservation of 'wild nature' for posterity and as a symbol of national pride. As of 2023, there are over 6500 national parks worldwide.
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1864 C.E. August 23
The First Geneva Convention is signed by 12 nations
The 1864 Geneva Convention was the world's first codified international treaty that covered the sick and wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
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1821 C.E. September 15
The Act of Independence of Central America proclaims the independence of Central America from the Spanish Empire
The Act led to the eventual formation of the modern nations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
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1807 C.E. March 3
U.S. Congress abolishes the African slave trade
The U.S. Congress passed an act to “prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States…from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.”
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2017 C.E. April 21
SF’s green energy goal is a decade ahead of target
Mayor Ed Lee on Thursday set a new goal for San Francisco that at least 50 percent of the city's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. That's 10 years ahead of the target the state has set for itself.
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2017 C.E. April 21
World Health Organization hails major progress on tackling tropical diseases
WHO director general says significant strides have been made in fight against sleeping sickness, elephantiasis and other neglected tropical diseases
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2017 C.E. April 20
Austin council votes to boost worker cooperatives
In late March, Austin City Council passed a cooperative business ordinance, which primarily supports the idea of worker cooperatives businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by workers
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2017 C.E. April 19
20,000 schools to install rooftop solar in Pakistan
The government of Pakistan's second largest province, Punjab, has affirmed its commitment to the installation of rooftop solar power systems on around 20,000 schools.
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2017 C.E. April 19
Green bond issuance up 42% in first quarter of 2017
Globally, total green bonds issuance stood at $21.76 billion during the first quarter of 2017, up nearly 42 per cent from the issuance during the same period last year, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative.
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2017 C.E. April 19
Kansas City votes to eliminate jail time for marijuana possession
Voters in Kansas City voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to eliminate the possibility of jail time for people caught with small amounts of marijuana or related paraphernalia.
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2017 C.E. April 19
Kentucky coal company announces plans to build the state’s largest solar farm
Berkeley Energy Group, the coal company behind the project, billed it as the first large-scale solar farm in the Appalachian region, which has been hit hard by the decades-long decline in the U.S. coal industry.
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2017 C.E. April 19
Millions of Venezuelans join the Mother of All Marches
The Mother of All Marches, also known as the Mother of All Protests, was a day of protests held on April 19, 2017 in Venezuela against the Chavista government of president Nicolás Maduro.
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2017 C.E. April 14
California is getting so much power from solar that wholesale electricity prices are turning negative
For the first time, more than half the power needs of the entire state came from solar power for a few hours that day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
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2017 C.E. April 14
Portland, OR commits to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050
Leaders from the City of Portland and Multnomah County have committed to 100 percent clean energy by the year 2050.