This exercise helps to bring perspective to recent history, current events, and public policy. It requires you to imagine that you are sitting in a classroom a thousand years from now, in the year 3010.
Assuming the human animal has the good fortune of still being around a thousand years from now, our descendants will no doubt look back at the history of our times, just as we today look back at past eras. As such, when they look back at the history of the last century (say, the year 1910 to the year 2010) what date will stand out to them as being the most historically significant?
Don't give a hasty answer. A thousand years is a long time, and the perceived importance of events may change as time moves forward. Dates that seem important today might not be considered important at all a thousand years from now. Today, for example, we remember certain dates from long ago - 1066; 1492; July 4, 1776; etc. - while other dates have faded into historical oblivion.
So, what date from the last century will be considered the most historically significant a thousand years from now?
In my opinion there's little doubt it. But I'm curious to see what others think. My answer to follow in a few days.