SortStack #2333 — 2032-10-28
By year · Order from earliest to most recent.
- Construction begins on the great stone circle at Stonehenge 3000 BCE
Its smaller bluestones were hauled roughly 240 km from the Preseli Hills in Wales — how Neolithic builders moved them is still debated.
- Martin Luther publishes his Ninety-Five Theses, sparking the Reformation 1517
Thanks to the new printing press, the theses spread across Germany in about two weeks — arguably history's first viral document.
- James Watt patents his improved steam engine 1769
Watt also coined 'horsepower' as a marketing tool — comparing his engines to the draft horses customers would be replacing. The watt unit is named for him.
- The Wright brothers achieve the first powered airplane flight 1903
The first flight lasted twelve seconds and covered about 37 meters — shorter than the wingspan of a modern jumbo jet.
- The Live Aid concerts are broadcast from London and Philadelphia 1985
Phil Collins played both venues in one day, crossing the Atlantic by Concorde. Queen's twenty-minute set is widely ranked the greatest live performance ever.
- The Burj Khalifa opens in Dubai as the world's tallest building 2010
At 828 meters, its tip can be seen from about 95 km away — and people on the top floors can watch the sunset minutes after it sets at ground level.