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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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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2020 C.E. April 20
UC Berkeley offers its popular ‘Science of Happiness’ online course for free
Spoiler: True happiness comes not from setting ourselves above and apart from others, but from joining and serving our communities.
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2020 C.E. April 20
Austria shuts down last coal-fired power plant
Austria has shut down its last coal-fired power plant as part of a plan to end the use of fossil fuels for energy production by 2030.
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2020 C.E. April 17
Asthma rates in Kentucky improve as coal plants shut down, new study finds
After four coal plants in Kentucky either retired or were retrofitted, local asthma-related hospitalizations dropped and individuals used their inhalers less frequently.
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2020 C.E. April 17
Landslide victory in South Korean elections sets the stage for EU-style Green New Deal
South Korea, well ahead of the curve compared to many countries in its COVID-19 response efforts, also leads the way in touting renewable energy investments as a way to lead us back to thriving, secure economies.
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2020 C.E. April 16
Solar has record-breaking week in Germany with 23% of generation
Solar generation in Germany experienced its best week yet, accounting for 23%of the country’s electricity generation, helping renewables reach a 55% share.
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2020 C.E. April 16
Six-junction solar cell sets two world records for efficiency
While the six-junction III-V technology underlying these new cells is likely too costly at this time to be put to use in everyday rooftop applications, the new cell has great potential for application in concentrated solar panel arrays.
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2020 C.E. April 15
Virginia governor signs LGBTQ nondiscrimination measure into law
Gov. Northam signed the Virginia Values Act, making it the first in the South and the 21st across the United States to pass anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community.
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2020 C.E. April 15
Seychelles to build world’s largest salt-water floating solar plant
The 5MW solar plant will require 13,500 solar panels, which will be built across 40,000 square meters of water. It is expected to commence in July.
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2020 C.E. April 14
‘Rice ATMs’ provide free rice for people out of work in Vietnam due to COVID-19
For these people who are suddenly without income, businessmen and donors have set up machines that dispense free rice at several cities across Vietnam.
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2020 C.E. April 14
Catholic institutions divest from fossil fuels
So far, more than 150 Catholic banks, universities, foundations, and others have pledged to end their investments in fossil fuels.
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2020 C.E. June 2
Gay widower wins historic victory for Social Security benefits in federal court
The U.S. District Court for Arizona said that it was unconstitutional for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to deny benefits to LGBT+ spouses wed for less than nine months as same-sex unions were illegal in some U.S. states until 2015.
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2020 C.E. June 2
E.U. pledges to raise $20 billion a year to boost biodiversity
The European Commission has committed to protecting 30% of the EU’s land and oceans by 2030. The 10-year plan includes reducing chemical pesticides by 50% and planting 3 billion trees by 2030.
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2020 C.E. June 1
Tens of thousands around the world protest George Floyd’s death in global display of solidarity
Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in the US for six consecutive nights over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Demonstrators now have gathered in London, Berlin and Auckland, among other cities, in solidarity with the US crowds.
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2020 C.E. June 1
Spain introduces basic income scheme to tackle poverty
Spain's government has introduced a basic monthly income for struggling families amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure will affect about 2.3 million people in need and guarantees income of maximum $1,100 per family.
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2020 C.E. May 29
Giant media publisher Condé Nast pledges to become carbon-neutral by 2030
The publisher of Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Wired and others will also work with suppliers to transition to more sustainable materials, with a commitment to use 100% sustainably-sourced paper by the end of 2021.
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2020 C.E. May 29
World’s largest all-electric airplane takes historic first flight
The all-electric Cessna Grand Caravan 208B successfully completed its first test flight—and it is being hailed as a significant milestone in disrupting the transportation industry and accelerating the electric aviation revolution.
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2020 C.E. May 28
Oman is building a massive 500 MW bifacial solar farm
Less than a decade ago, a 500 MW solar power plant would have been the largest in the world. Oman's new solar farm stand out in that it uses bifacial colar technology that can collect energy from the front side and the rear side.
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2020 C.E. May 28
Virginia decriminalizes cannabis
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation on Thursday that decriminalizes marijuana possession, joining a majority of states that have ceased treating the drug as a criminal offense.
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2020 C.E. May 28
155 companies urge governments to enact net zero emissions recovery from COVID-19
A group of 155 companies representing a combined market capitalization of USD 2.4 trillion have signed a statement urging governments to align their COVID-19 economic aid and recovery efforts with the latest climate science.
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2020 C.E. May 27
Twitter begins adding warning labels fact-checking Trump’s false claims
A new label prompting Twitter users to “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” appeared on a series of tweets in which the president baselessly claimed ballots received through mail-in voting methods are “fraudulent.”