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Significant. Historic.

There are things, events, times that are truly important. Some are almost beyond mortal man’s ability to fully comprehend.

So here – some at least – are those I shall note today.  You may find yourself in agreement fully or in part, and you may feel some things were omitted.  That’s fine.

To begin. I believe the most significant event in my lifetime (b. 1939) is, without question, World War II. Its effect on the entire world was and is almost beyond believing.

Nothing, before or since, has had such an impact upon this world and its people. Nothing.

The Harnessing of Atomic Energy and then its Subsequent Use – Perhaps the single most important discovery-invention-deployed creation of man. Ever.

The Great Depression – A national and global financial collapse that scared millions of human beings for a decade, and with lingering effects for years afterward.  This, of course, preceded WWII.

The Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt – This affected not only Americans, but millions all over the globe who saw him as the face of hope . . . for a better country, and a better world.

The Rise and Spread of Communism – This scourge, especially as forced upon people by the likes of Josef Stalin, et al, plunged eastern Europe into decades of darkness and despair, and threatened the world.  

Jim Crow – This blight upon America persisted for many decades. It was used to treat one group of Americans as second class citizens, denying them many basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Truly a shameful time in much of the land.

Television Comes of Age – Pictures flying through the air. In the 1950’s this relatively new medium quickly became the main way Americans received their news, weather, and sports, and especially their entertainment. Radio caused listeners to use their imagination. Television, for some, at least, accommodated a passive cerebral participation.  

The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy – This tragic event affected the hearts and minds of millions here and abroad.  We mourned.

Civil Rights & Voting Rights Acts – President Lyndon B. Johnson showed courage and leadership in guiding these two acts into becoming a reality.

The Assassination of Martin Luther King – This tragic event affected the hearts and minds of millions. Most of us mourned.

Men on the Moon – An event only dreamed of throughout time came to pass. A testament to man’s insatiable quest for exploration . . . for progress.  

The Vietnam War – This long, drawn out, tragic episode in our country’s history exacted a terrible price in blood (57-58,000 dead), resources, and served to divide the nation unlike anything since the Civil War.

The Information Technology Age – Perhaps the fastest evolving development ever. It has changed so much in how we live and how our society functions. And . . . this story only continues.  

A First – The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, the first person of color to hold this office.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) – That our leaders failed so miserably – inexcusably – at the beginning of this historic pandemic is both tragic and unforgivable. History will not treat them kindly.

Let me now conclude this endeavor. To those of you who read this in its entirety, thank you for so doing.  

Looking back, I am truly amazed that so many significant and historic events transpired in just my eighty-one-plus years journey.  All in a lifetime.

That’s how it was, is, and will continue to be – you know, change – long after you and I are gone.

Peace.