Analysis of history as a timeline shows us that every event affects others and that any event, even the smallest of incidents, can be enough to forever change the world. So, along these same lines, some events, large and small, affect the course of history in profound and unimaginable ways.

One event has had a greater affect on history that all others combined. This seemingly small event caused the most beneficial domino effect ever to occur on Earth. No mortal could have imagined the consequences involved from the birth of a child to a poor carpenter and his wife. This child, named Jesus, was conceived through the power of God to a virgin, Mary. He would grow to become a worker of miracles, friend to sinners, servant to man, and redeemer of souls. He became known as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, and the Son of Man. After three years of preaching throughout Palestine, he was accused of treason against Rome and hung on a cross to suffer and die alongside common criminals. God unleashed his fury on his son, who suffered for all of our sins. Through his death and suffering, all mankind was given eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Thanks to Jesus, we shall all live forever. Jesus was resurrected by God three days later, roamed the earth and performed miracles for forty days and then ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of God. According to the scriptures, he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead at time of the end of the world.

Jesus' travels, works, and teachings of unconditional love have manifested themselves into society today through other prophets and the memory of his early apostles. One of the greatest disciples converted after Jesus' death and resurrection was a known Christian-hater named Saul, who was converted by God himself. God renamed him Paul and sent him out into the world spreading His word to the Gentiles, to whom most Christians would not even speak. He touched thousands of lives before the Romans sentenced him to death.

Another of Christianity's influences can be found in the Crusades against the Muslims. During the Dark Ages in Europe, many great kings set out to recapture the Holy Land from the "infidels" in the East. There were dozens of Crusades, only the first of which was genuinely successful. These Holy Wars are now looked upon by Christians and the rest of the world as a black eye for the faith, but is still a prime example of the influence of Christianity on history.

 Mohammed, founder of Islam

Another man related to religion who has had a significant impact on the world is Mohammed, founder of Islam. His preaching taught religious tolerance and acceptance of Christianity and Judaism, which promoted at least some lack of tension from opposing philosophical standings. He taught against cruelty and evil, touching the lives of millions of people.

 Islam is the largest religion in the world and is unique in the fact that over the years it has stayed more or less intact, breaking into only two factions. These two factions differ in opinion on who is the rightful successor to the station of religious leader, either the descendants of Mohammed's nephew or those of his best friend and religious disciple. Though this divides the nations of the East, many of who are constantly at war, Islamic beliefs have proven to be thicker than water. Many times bitter enemies have joined together as brothers in the "House of Islam" against the non-Muslim world known as the "House of War". This divided, but united concept is one unique to Islam and worthy of recognition for this incredibly difficult plateau. This is a credit to Mohammed's teachings in the fact that the faith, even today, is so strong.

The American Revolution is incredibly important not only to the histories of the United States and England, but the world over. From the American Revolution sprang forth a new nation that was to become the strongest in the world, leading the free nations against tyranny and oppression. America was the first to stand up to and defeat the mighty British military, proving that perhaps right is might.

Also, on a grander scope, the American Revolution helped to trigger the Age of Revolutions, a time where the oppressed lower classes of the world followed America's example and fought back against their tyrannical rulers. The one major revolution immediately triggered was the French Revolution in 1789, where the lower and middle class citizens revolted against Louie XVI and Marie Antoinette, overthrowing and beheading them. It also inspired many other nations to ratify constitutions based on that of the United States. In 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico in the Texas Revolution, adopting a constitution similar to that of the United States. Much later, in 1917, Russia overthrew the czar and formed a short-lived democracy based on that of the U.S. These global contributions have been and will continue to be major influences in the world.

Even from an early age, it was know by all that Alexander was to become a great warrior and leader. He excelled in his studies under the great philosopher Aristotle and his military tutors. A legend says that once, when Alexander was a boy, he observed some men trying to break his father's new horse. The horse would not cooperate and Alexander's father told him that if he could ride the horse, it was his to keep. Alexander waved away the workers and mounted the steed with no problem. This first of many victories he named Bucephalus and kept always.

Alexander's father, Philip II had the dream of uniting Greece and Macedonia and then invading Persia. Though he was a Macedonian, Philip loved the Greek lifestyle and attempted to emulate it throughout his kingdom. Shortly after fulfilling the first stage of his dream, Philip was assassinated at his own daughter's wedding. It was under these conditions that Alexander took the throne at the age of twenty.

Alexander mounted an army and went to fulfill his father's vision of a conquered Persia. He invaded in 334 BC and in three years time had conquered virtually all of the Persian Empire. As tradition suggests, Alexander was not destined to become the next ruler of Asia, for he could not untie the Gordian knot, a knot so intricate that it is said only the future ruler of Asia could untie it. Alexander could not untie it, so he drew his sword and cut it. Alexander could have perhaps ruled the known world had it not been for the fact that after twelve years and 11,000 miles, his army refused to go on. It is said that after he got word of this, he climbed a hill, looked over all of the unconquered land, and wept.

When Alexander died, he did not name a successor except to say "to the strongest". This caused great unrest and his empire to be divided between his generals into what are now Egypt, Asia Minor and the Fertile Crescent, and Greece and Macedonia. His greatest accomplishment was the spread of the Hellenistic civilization, a blend of Persian and Greek ideals. This promoted philosophy and many of the ideals that would not exist again until the Renaissance. The influence of these philosophies can be seen still today in Calvinist and other Christian beliefs.

The Renaissance is perhaps the era of the boldest advances that has ever taken place. After the invention of the printing press, books on every subject from philosophy to mathematics, the Bible to science became available on a comparatively large scale to the common citizen. Education was no longer exclusive to the super-rich or priests, but to anyone with a whim, the proper resources, and the money. People started reading and thinking on a large scale for the first time since the fall of Rome. The first thing that comes to mind when discussing the Renaissance is art. Many of the masters were alive and their careers thriving during this time. Among Michaelangelo and his student Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci and many others existed some of the finest minds and most skilled hands that have ever touched a paintbrush or chisel.

Michaelangelo's paintings are some of the most famous in the world, such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but they are overshadowed by his almost supernatural affinity for a block of marble. He sculpted such great works as Moses and David. Combinations of religious and mythological themes were common in his works, showing a learnedness uncommon even to the times. In order to perfect his works to the utmost likeness of real life, he dissected human bodies to study the veins and muscles, discovering along the way much about the human anatomy. He constructed the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in Venice, a feat unlike any other of its time or long afterwards. Raphael studied and tried to emulate his work, but never achieved the mastery of stone that graced his master. He was widely known for his paintings, but even he could not duplicate the intricacy of the Sistine Chapel.

When one uses the term Renaissance Man, one is describing Leonardo. He was a man of science, art, invention, and mathematics. He strove to be perfect, which some say drove him mad. His contributions to the world include the Mona Lisa, a mysterious painting of an unknown woman. He theorized the invention of such objects as the tank, machinegun, helicopter, and others that would not be developed until much later. He too was a religious man and painted the Last Supper over a period of several years. He thoroughly studied the human anatomy through dissection and the charting of muscles, arteries, bones, and virtually any other part of the body's interior one can think of.

Though the Renaissance started and was most concentrated in Italy, it took its toll on Europe as well, primarily in literature. William Shakespeare appeared in the latter part of the Renaissance as a great playwright, although not truly appreciated until long after his death. In Spain, the only major work of the Renaissance was the novel Don Quixote.

The Renaissance's influence is still felt today in the modern religion and philosophy, much of which comes from that period. Also, much of the English, Italian and French languages were developed to their present state during the Renaissance. There is no way by any means to measure the numbers of people in the world moved or inspired by the works of those great Renaissance men.

The Industrial Revolution was a spontaneous outpour of technology on the world starting in the late 18^th century. Beginning in Britain, new developments in technology were produced that allowed work to be done more quickly and efficiently. For a time, Britain became the workshop of the world, drastically increasing their exports by 1780. Assembly lines and work specialization became commonplace. The revolution hit the U.S., Germany, and most European countries in the mid-1800s and other nations continued to catch on until the 1950s.

The most important advance of the Industrial Revolution was the movable printing press, which allowed copies of text, pictures, or any other documents available at a low price to anyone. The printing presses of the Industrial Revolution were dramatically superior to those earlier models and could process hundreds more documents per hour. This began to make things like textbooks feasible and efficient. Education increased all over the world and is continuing to do so to this day.

The A-bomb was developed, constructed, and tested by the Manhattan Project, a massive United States enterprise that was established in August 1942, during World War II. It was based largely on the work of scientists such as Albert Einstein, who later begged the government not to use that terrible weapon. The development of the atomic bomb had many lasting effects, most importantly the ushering in of the nuclear age, bringing with it the advancement of computers, weaponry, and nuclear power. The use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki put an end to the Second World War, stunning the Japanese into submission.

The development of the bomb along with American victory in WWII established the U.S. as a superpower in science and military power in one mighty blow. This superpower status has escalated to the point we stand today as the only true superpower left in the world.

This development also had great bearing on the Cold War and international espionage. It increased the distrust felt between the United States and Soviet Union. Ultimately, the Russians bought the aid of Americans working in the government to steal our nuclear technology, making the world even less safe than before.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, social scientist, and professional revolutionary. He created a utopian system of government that he called Communism. It was created primarily to provide equality for the working man. This government called for equality for every citizen, where each man is provided what he needs according to his specific requirements. This government was a world where equality and peace were status quo and hate, racism, and all other evils no longer existed. He co-authored "The Communist Manifesto" with his best friend Friedrich Engels and handed them out to the common working man. It was their view that the common worker would protest the poor working conditions they endured and demand equal treatment. Their theories were sound, except that they didn't believe that working conditions would improve as they did.

One follower of Marx was a man named V. I. Lenin. He believed that Communism was the only way to effectively govern a nation in the long-term. He took control of Russia in 1917 and made it a Communist nation. The conflicting ideals of Capitalism and Communism caused much unrest around the world as more and more nations followed Russia's example and became Communist. This effectively started the Cold War between the U.S.A. and USSR. This war would last until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.

The Cold War, a non-aggressive war of distrust and espionage between the U.S. and USSR, lasted from 1917 until the USSR's collapse in 1991. It inspired all types of competition between the two nations, including a race for the moon. When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969, America became the winner of that race. The space race inspired much new technology in both the U.S. and Russia. Due to the competition that took place, most of our satellite and personal computer technology was developed.

The Cold War also increased research in the area of modern weaponry, including the hydrogen bomb and the Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed Star Wars by the media. The hydrogen bomb is one of the most devastating weapons ever produced by any government and therefore greatly increased the tension between Capitalist and Communist nations. The Russians were the first to develop Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's), that are capable of being launched to virtually anywhere on the earth. Although Star Wars was never made a reality, it inspired great research into nuclear physics and laser technology. All of these advancements have proven beneficial to today's society.

After World War I, from the remains of the German Empire came a soldier by the name of Adolf Hitler. Hitler became active in the German Worker's party, which he changed to the Nazi party, working his way up through the ranks until he had a position of control. After a short period of imprisonment, Hitler was released and later named Prime Minister. Within a few months, Hitler had named himself dictator. Hitler began his campaign to unify the Aryan race by taking the Rhineland from Allied occupying forces. He then started a conquest that would eventually cover most of Asia. He was finally defeated through the combined efforts of Russian, British, and American forces. Hitler killed himself and his family before he could be captured.

 Of all of the terrible acts committed by Hitler, the worst was by far the Holocaust. Hitler collected Jews and put them into concentration camps. He conducted mass executions, experimentations, and all forms of torture. By the end of the war, Hitler had ordered the death of over three million Jews and displaced countless more. This tragedy still strikes anger, fear, and remorse into the hearts of men and women all over the world. It is a loss that, in all likelihood, will never be repeated.

These ten things have had such an incredible impact on history and the modern world that it would be impossible to imagine the world if these events had not taken place.