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I want to make a sad dog inside of something that shows how many animals are neglected and thrown out, especially around the holidays. 

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i want to make a sad lion in a cage. how can i add to the story to make it deeper?

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that ignoring people and making them mad wont make them go away

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Today "The Little Mermaid" turns 25 years old. When it came out, in 1989, Disney had gone three decades without a big hit: "Sleeping Beauty," the last major success, was released in 1959, six years before Walt Disney's death. The studio had spent far too much time without a leader, and there was new generation on the rise -- one that had worked with the animators that came up under Walt, but were equipped with their own set of modern sensibilities. In celebration of the Disney renaissance started under the sea, we spoke to co-writers and directors Ron Clements and John Musker to figure out how they turned Hans Christian Andersen's disturbing fairy tale into a classic children's movie.

"In the end, she loses the prince and she turns into sea foam."

With a big pitch meeting coming up, Ron Clements went to the book store in search of his next great idea. He was unfamiliar with "The Little Mermaid" before stumbling upon it that day, and thought Hans Christian Andersen's cinematic writing style would make for a great film as soon as he started reading. That is, until he saw how it ended. "I realized it was an incredibly sad story, with a very, very sad ending," Clements told HuffPost Entertainment.

Andersen's "Little Mermaid" is far more tragic than the story of Ariel that has since left an indelible mark on popular culture. The 1837 protagonist is motivated not only by her attraction to a prince, but the eternal soul that humans possess and mermaids do not. With the help of a sea witch, she trades her voice for legs. Andersen's mermaid must obtain true love's first kiss or the deal will result in her death. She attempts to enchant the prince with her dancing, despite the fact that it feels as though she is stepping on knives. He marries the human princess, whom he thinks saved him from a ship wreck (though, the little mermaid is truly the one responsible for his rescue). She is given the option to murder him in exchange for becoming a mermaid again. "In the end," as Clements put it, "she loses the prince and she turns into sea foam."

Clements came up with the name Ariel and reworked Andersen's ending for a "gong show" in January 1985. The name "gong show" came from a process Michael Eisner pulled from Paramount: story writers and directors would pitch a series of ideas, and the bad ones would get gonged.

"Can you really do that? Can you have the star of your movie actually lose their voice for a significant amount of time?"

It turns out the story of "The Little Mermaid" who lived happily ever with her prince got gonged at first. Disney was working on a sequel to "Splash" at the time, and they thought it was too similar. Although, a few days later, Clements got a call from the studio, saying they'd like to hear his ideas again. Weeks later, "The Little Mermaid" was green lit. Clements teamed up with John Musker, with whom he'd worked with on "The Great Mouse Detective," and the two got to work envisioning the film that would pave the way for the Disney renaissance.

Clements and Musker were willing to rework much of Andersen's story. Although, there were certain elements they felt they couldn't leave behind: the idea of love at first sight and Ariel's loss of voice.

"I know it was controversial," Musker said of their stance. "I know even with the script there were people that really questioned, 'Can you really do that? Can you have the star of your movie actually lose their voice for a significant amount of time?'"

"It was particularly challenging for the executives reading the script at the time," Clements added, "because a lot of time they don't read the stage description, they just read the dialogue, and then suddenly she had no dialogue in the middle section of the movie."

"In the movie we also deal with love at first sight, which can be controversial, I guess," he said. "That's a fairy tale thing that goes back to fairy tales from the beginning. That was a big part of this idea of two people who really have not met each other, but are destined to be together. With slightest bit of interaction, they just know."

Interestingly enough, in making this disturbing fairy tale kid-friendly, one of the biggest changes they made was creating a more forcefully evil sea witch. In Andersen's story she acts as an enabler, but Clements and Musker knew that Ursula was their chance to create a classic Disney villain.

"Ursula is essentially a mix of Bea Arthur, Joan Collins' 'Dynasty' character, Divine and an octopus."

Once they made that choice, a lot of possible inspiration popped up. In short, Ursula is essentially a mix of Bea Arthur, Joan Collins' "Dynasty" character, Divine and an octopus. That took quite a bit of brainstorming to come together, and the octopus part was only added in animation.

"Ursula started out in different forms," Musker said. "At one point she was a lion fish, and a manta ray, and an octopus, and then as she came to life, that was just cool to see how they could use her tentacles to play the villainess."

He had Bea Arthur in mind for the part. Even though they never got a chance to sit down with her (due to her "Golden Girls" schedule and possibly the fact that she did not want to play a witch), Musker kept her sardonic wit in mind throughout creation.

Divine's name popped up when Musker and Clements presented the character to producer and head of the music department Howard Ashman.

Ashman knew Divine from work in John Waters' films and suggested Harris Glenn Milstead's stage persona serve as inspiration for Ursula. He also immediately made a connection between the sea witch and "Dynasty."

"We described her as vampy and campy, and he was like, 'Oh yeah, she's like Joan Collins,'" Clements said. "So, when we wrote our script, John was picturing Bea Arthur and I was picturing Joan."

The two got to have a lot of fun in playing up that campy evil gloriousness. They pulled the polyps from Andersen's story (originally guards of the sea witch's castle) and made them condemned mer-folk. Before studio edits, they actually included a character called Harold the merman, who wanted to be handsome, but was fated to life as a polyp after he could not pay Ursula back.

Ashman was also largely responsible for the development of Sebastian, who appeared in early treatments as a crab named Clarence. At that point, he had an English accent. But Ashman knew right away that he wanted to make Sebastian Rastafarian so that he could logically incorporate calypso elements into the music.

Musker and Clements had a stuffy character in mind, and they didn't know how that could work with an "island guy," so Ashman suggested they model Sebastian after Geoffrey Holder.

"The idea was for Sebastian to be a sort of Geoffrey Holder character."

"The idea was for Sebastian to be a sort of Geoffrey Holder character. Back in the day he was well known as the 7-Up man," Clements said. "Those commercials were he was very expansive and grand, and he spoke in the Jamaican patois. Howard said, 'That's what I'm picturing with the crab. He can still be very grand, he's not just laid back.'"

"Under the Sea" claims that not having to work is one of the main reasons "life is better when you are wetter," an element that has led to backlash condemning the song as racist (with the fish coded as black). Although, Clements and Musker seem surprised by that allegation. "He's a very hard-working court composer," Musker said of Sebastian. "That never occurred to us, and I've never actually even heard that."

Ariel herself underwent quite a bit of transformation from that first treatment. Initially, she was modeled closely after Andersen's little mermaid: shy and passive. The rambunctious curiosity she came to be endowed with originally appeared in the form of a male dolphin sidekick named Breaker, who was cut from the film.

"His was very energetic and adventurous," Musker said. "Then, we got a note in the early development of the script that we had too many characters, so we ended up eliminating that dolphin character and giving some of his personality to Ariel. She became as energetic as the dolphin was."

That helped in modeling Ariel after a rebellious human teen. The artist, Glen Keane, pictured Alyssa Milano when drawing her, though Musker and Clements pulled their inspiration from teen movies. They looked to then-current releases like "Footloose," in hopes of tapping into the modern aspects of adolescence.

"We wanted her to feel like a real teenager, so we looked at movies about teenage girls," Clements said. "She has a grotto filled with human objects, which was a little bit, in our minds, like a teenage girl who has all her posters gathered around."

The sense of rebellion that is almost synonymous with any child's teenage years was very important to the story they wanted to tell. For both Musker and Clements, "The Little Mermaid" is first and foremost about a father and daughter.

"Although, the love story was important, I thought the father-daughter relationship was a key thing really right from the start," Musker said. "It was about stretching boundaries and parents wanting the best for their children but maybe having a different idea about what that is than what the child does."

"These films are almost a rite of passage. It's a way for kids to process difficult things in the world."

While trying to make things relatable, Clements and Musker ultimately set out to create a film that they would watch. "We didn't think we were making the movie for a bunch of little kids. We were really making it for us and hoping that other people would like it as well," Clements said. "That's the way to make these movies, to do things that you get moved by or find funny. That's your best clue as to whether or not it's working."

Even though it is removed from the tragic origins, "The Little Mermaid," like any Disney movie, has dark and sexy elements that are retrospectively surprising for a G-Rated film.

"We wanted it to be scary. We liked the 'Wizard of Oz' and things like that," Clements said. "I think fairy tales have those dark elements. These films are almost a right of passage. It's a way for kids to process difficult things in the world. There are always light moments along with the dark. To me, it's sort of a nice contrast."

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How Disney's 'Little Mermaid' Turned A Disturbing Fairy Tale Into A Kids' Movie

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Today "The Little Mermaid" turns 25 years old. When it came out, in 1989, Disney had gone three decades without a big hit: "Sleeping Beauty," the last major success, was released in 1959, six years before Walt Disney's death.

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uh the snake is not controlled by he who shall not be named, it is loyal to harry potter!!! duh duh duhhhhhhhhhh

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Lord Voldemort’s terrifying snake, Nagini, is a great source of mystery in the Harry Potter books. Now, it’s been revealed that she will feature in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.Sep 24, 2018

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I want to make a treehouse but instead of the elves making the cookies, the cookies grow on the tree.

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I want to make a mermaid crying with her hands on her face with netting wrapped in her tail, she is sad because she escaped the fishing net but her friend didnt

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my idea would be that it be scp 001 when day breaks which the story is that when you go in the sun you melt and i will add my cute funny charter in them and make them look like their melting and creepy and there be fresh blob around them/it yeah it creepy but i bet those fortnite kid will be safe

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13 Books That Put a Spin on Classic Fairy Tales

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Scholastic presents a collection of books that put a spin on classic fairy tales and can inspire students to interpret, twist, and retell their own tales.

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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Underworld Gods

The gods of the underworld were named "Theoi Khthonioi" or Chthonian gods by the Greeks. They were ruled by the grim god Hades and his queen Persephone. The term "Chthonic gods" was also used for the closely related gods of agriculture.

A COMPLETE LIST OF GREEK UNDERWORLD GODS & GODDESSES

HADES

AEACUS (Aiakos) One of the three judges of the dead in the Underworld. He was originally a king of the island of Aegina who obtained his position as a reward from the gods.

ACHERON (Akheron) The god of the underworld river of pain whose brackish stream guarded the borders of Hades. Charon ferried the souls of the dead across his waters.

AMPHIARAUS The prophetic Daemon of a subterranean oracle at Oropus in Boeotia.

ARAE (Arai) The underworld Daemones of curses.

ASCALAPHUS (Askalaphos) An underworld Daemon who tended the orchards of Hades. He was transformed into a screech owl by Demeter as punishment for reporting that Persephone had tasted the pomegranate seed.

CACODAEMONES (Kakodaimones) Evil spirits which issued forth from the underworld to cause harm.

CERBERUS (Kerberos) The mighty, three-headed, serpent-maned hound of Hades who guarded the entrance to underworld.

CEUTHONYMUS (Keuthonymos) A mysterious underworld Daemon. He was the father of Hades cattleman Menoetes.

CHARON (Kharon) An underworld Daemon who ferried the souls of the dead across the streams of Acheron into Hades. His fee was a single coin which was placed beneath the tongue of the dead.

COCYTUS (Kokytos) The god of the underworld river of tears and wailing.

CORE (Kore) "The maiden," another name for Persephone.

CRONUS (Kronos) The old king of the Titans. He was appointed king of the islands of the blessed, the home of the favoured dead, by Zeus after his release him from the prison-house of Tartarus.

DAEIRA An underworld Nymph and companion of the goddess Persephone. She was connected with the Eleusinian Mysteries.

EMPUSA (Empousa) A monstrous underworld Daemon with flaming hair, the leg of a goat and a leg of bronze. She was the bogey-monster in Greek fable.

EPIALES The underworld Daemon of nightmares. He was related to the Oneiri or dream-spirits.

EREBUS (Erebos) The primeval god of darkness. Like the other protogenoi he was elemental, being the substance of darkness, rather than a man-shaped god. His mists encircled the underworld and filled the hollows of the earth.

ERINYES The three goddesses of vengeance and retribution. They were called forth from the underworld to inflict suffering and madness upon the evil-doer, to bring drought and famine to nations, and punish the souls of the damned in Hades.

EURYNOMUS (Eurynomos) An underworld Daemon who stripped the flesh from the corpses of the dead. He was described with blue-black skin and was possibly imagined with a vulture's head.

GORGYRA An underworld Nymph. She was the wife of the River-God Acheron.

HADES (Haides, Aidoneus) The grim King of the Underworld, the ruler of the dead. He received his dark domain when the three sons of Cronus drew lots for the division of the universe.

HECATE (Hekate) The goddess of magic, necromancy and the haunting ghosts of the dead. She who issued forth from the underworld with a train of torch-bearing Lampades, demonic Lamiae, ghosts and hell-hounds. Hecate was the minister of Persephone.

HERMES CHTHONIUS (Khthonios) The guide of the dead who led the ghosts to their final resting place in Hades.

HYPNUS (Hypnos) The god of sleep who dwelt in a silent realm on the borders of Hades. He issued forth from the underworld with his mother Nyx the Night.

KERES Monstrous she-Daemones of violent death and disease. They presided over the battlefield carnage, driving the weapons of death and tearing free the souls from the dying.

LAMIAE (Lamiai) Underworld Daimones in the train of the goddess Hekate. They were vampiric monsters who assumed the forms of beautiful women to seduce and devour young men.

LAMPADES Torch-bearing underworld nymphs in the train of the goddess Hecate. They may have guided the spirits of the blessed dead (initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries) to their final resting place in Elysium.

LETHE The goddess of the underworld river of oblivion. The souls of the dead tasted her waters to forget their former lives.

LEUCE (Leuke) A Nymph abducted by teh god Hades to the Eleusinian fields where she was transformed into a white poplar.

ERINYES

MACARIA (Makaria) The goddess of blessed death or else the leader of the blessed dead (i.e. initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries). She was a daughter of Hades.

MELINOE A frightful underworld Daemon who led ghosts forth from the underworld to haunt the earth. One side of her body was coloured pitch black, the other was stark white. She was probably identical to Hekate.

MENOETES (Menoites) An underworld Daemon who herded the black-skinned cattle of Hades. He was wrestled by Heracles who cracked his ribs.

MINOS One of the three Judges of the Dead. He was originally a king of Crete, who was awarded his position in Hades as a reward for the establishment of laws on earth.

MINTHE An underworld nymph loved by the god Hades. She was turned to dust by Persephone, and these remains into a mint plant by Hades.

MOIRAE (Moirai) The three goddesses of fate. They were sometimes portrayed as ministers attendant on the throne of Hades.

MORMOLYCEIA (Mormolykeia) Underworld Daemones in the train of Hekate. They were the similar to the Lamiae.

NYX The primeval goddess of the night. She issued forth from her home in the underworld trailing her dark mists across the sky.

ONEIRI (Oneiroi) The Daemones of dreams. They issued forth from the underworld at night through one of two gates : those who passed through the gate of horn brought false, lying dreams ; while those who passed through the ivory were messengers of truth.

ORPHNE An underworld nymph, the wife of the river Acheron.

PERSEPHONE The goddess Queen of the Underworld. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades to become his bride. But her mother Demeter, secured her partial release, allowing her to return to the earth for six months of the year. Her annual return marked the coming of spring, whilst her descent in Hades brought on the barren months of winter.

PYRIPHLEGETHON The god of the infernal river of fire.

RHADAMANTHYS One of the three Judges of the Dead and king of the Elysian Fields, home of the favoured dead. He was a famously just lawmaker who was appointed this position as a reward after death.

STYX The goddess of the underworld river of hate, whose streams encircled the entire realm of the dead. The gods swore their most solemn oaths by her pitch-black waters.

TARTARUS (Tartaros) The primeval god of the dark, stormy pit which lay beneath the foundations of the earth and beneath even the realm of Hades. Tartarus himself was the pit, rather than a man-shaped god. His realm was the prison of the ancient Titan gods, sealed on all sides with walls of bronze, and guarded by the hundred-handed Hekatoncheires.

THANATUS (Thanatos) The winged Daemon of death. He was the minister of Hades.

TROPHONIUS (Trophonios) The Daemon of the subterranean oracle of Lebadea in Boeotia.

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Underworld Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology

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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Underworld Gods The gods of the underworld were named "Theoi Khthonioi" or Chthonian gods by the Greeks. They were ruled by the grim god Hades and his queen Persephone. The term "Chthonic gods" was also used for the closely related gods of agriculture.

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Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you." With this she closed her eyes and died.

The girl went out to her mother's grave every day and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife.

This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild.

"Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"

They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!" they shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen.

There she had to do hard work from morning until evening, get up before daybreak, carry water, make the fires, cook, and wash. Besides this, the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt her. They made fun of her, scattered peas and lentils into the ashes for her, so that she had to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked herself weary, there was no bed for her. Instead she had to sleep by the hearth in the ashes. And because she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella.

One day it happened that the father was going to the fair, and he asked his two stepdaughters what he should bring back for them.

"Beautiful dresses," said the one.

"Pearls and jewels," said the other.

"And you, Cinderella," he said, "what do you want?"

"Father, break off for me the first twig that brushes against your hat on your way home."

So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls, and jewels for his two stepdaughters. On his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the twig and took it with him. Arriving home, he gave his stepdaughters the things that they had asked for, and he gave Cinderella the twig from the hazel bush.

Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave, and planted the branch on it, and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.

Cinderella went to this tree three times every day, and beneath it she wept and prayed. A white bird came to the tree every time, and whenever she expressed a wish, the bird would throw down to her what she had wished for.

Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits.

They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's castle."

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go.

"You, Cinderella?" she said. "You, all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival?. You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!"

However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may go with us."

The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:

The good ones go into the pot,
The bad ones go into your crop."
Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowl. Hardly one hour had passed before they were finished, and they all flew out again.
The girl took the bowl to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

But the stepmother said, "No, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you."

Cinderella began to cry, and then the stepmother said, "You may go if you are able to pick two bowls of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour," thinking to herself, "She will never be able to do that."

The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:

The good ones go into the pot,
The bad ones go into your crop."
Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowls. Before a half hour had passed they were finished, and they all flew out again.
The girl took the bowls to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

But the stepmother said, "It's no use. You are not coming with us, for you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. We would be ashamed of you." With this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

Now that no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out:

Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival.
Her stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. They thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought it was Cinderella, for they thought that she was sitting at home in the dirt, looking for lentils in the ashes.

The prince approached her, took her by the hand, and danced with her. Furthermore, he would dance with no one else. He never let go of her hand, and whenever anyone else came and asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."

She danced until evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the prince said, "I will go along and escort you," for he wanted to see to whom the beautiful girl belonged. However, she eluded him and jumped into the pigeon coop. The prince waited until her father came, and then he told him that the unknown girl had jumped into the pigeon coop.

The old man thought, "Could it be Cinderella?"

He had them bring him an ax and a pick so that he could break the pigeon coop apart, but no one was inside. When they got home Cinderella was lying in the ashes, dressed in her dirty clothes. A dim little oil-lamp was burning in the fireplace. Cinderella had quickly jumped down from the back of the pigeon coop and had run to the hazel tree. There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again. Then, dressed in her gray smock, she had returned to the ashes in the kitchen.

The next day when the festival began anew, and her parents and her stepsisters had gone again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said:

Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
Then the bird threw down an even more magnificent dress than on the preceding day. When Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, everyone was astonished at her beauty. The prince had waited until she came, then immediately took her by the hand, and danced only with her. When others came and asked her to dance with them, he said, "She is my dance partner."
When evening came she wanted to leave, and the prince followed her, wanting to see into which house she went. But she ran away from him and into the garden behind the house. A beautiful tall tree stood there, on which hung the most magnificent pears. She climbed as nimbly as a squirrel into the branches, and the prince did not know where she had gone. He waited until her father came, then said to him, "The unknown girl has eluded me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear tree.

The father thought, "Could it be Cinderella?" He had an ax brought to him and cut down the tree, but no one was in it. When they came to the kitchen, Cinderella was lying there in the ashes as usual, for she had jumped down from the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress back to the bird in the hazel tree, and had put on her gray smock.

On the third day, when her parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went again to her mother's grave and said to the tree:

Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
This time the bird threw down to her a dress that was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were of pure gold. When she arrived at the festival in this dress, everyone was so astonished that they did not know what to say. The prince danced only with her, and whenever anyone else asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."
When evening came Cinderella wanted to leave, and the prince tried to escort her, but she ran away from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The prince, however, had set a trap. He had had the entire stairway smeared with pitch. When she ran down the stairs, her left slipper stuck in the pitch. The prince picked it up. It was small and dainty, and of pure gold.

The next morning, he went with it to the man, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe."

The two sisters were happy to hear this, for they had pretty feet. With her mother standing by, the older one took the shoe into her bedroom to try it on. She could not get her big toe into it, for the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut off your toe. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However, they had to ride past the grave, and there, on the hazel tree, sat the two pigeons, crying out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo!
There's blood in the shoe.
The shoe is too tight,
This bride is not right!
Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it. He turned his horse around and took the false bride home again, saying that she was not the right one, and that the other sister should try on the shoe. She went into her bedroom, and got her toes into the shoe all right, but her heel was too large.
Then her mother gave her a knife, and said, "Cut a piece off your heel. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut a piece off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. When they passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons were sitting in it, and they cried out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo!
There's blood in the shoe.
The shoe is too tight,
This bride is not right!
He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking all red. Then he turned his horse around and took the false bride home again.
"This is not the right one, either," he said. "Don't you have another daughter?"

"No," said the man. "There is only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she cannot possibly be the bride."

The prince told him to send her to him, but the mother answered, "Oh, no, she is much too dirty. She cannot be seen."

But the prince insisted on it, and they had to call Cinderella. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the prince, who gave her the golden shoe. She sat down on a stool, pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly.

When she stood up the prince looked into her face, and he recognized the beautiful girl who had danced with him. He cried out, "She is my true bride."

The stepmother and the two sisters were horrified and turned pale with anger. The prince, however, took Cinderella onto his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the hazel tree, the two white pigeons cried out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo!
No blood's in the shoe.
The shoe's not too tight,
This bride is right!
After they had cried this out, they both flew down and lit on Cinderella's shoulders, one on the right, the other on the left, and remained sitting there.
When the wedding with the prince was to be held, the two false sisters came, wanting to gain favor with Cinderella and to share her good fortune. When the bridal couple walked into the church, the older sister walked on their right side and the younger on their left side, and the pigeons pecked out one eye from each of them. Afterwards, as they came out of the church, the older one was on the left side, and the younger one on the right side, and then the pigeons pecked out the other eye from each of them. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were punished with blindness as long as they lived.

Source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "Aschenputtel," Kinder- und Hausmärchen [Children's and Household Tales -- Grimms' Fairy Tales], 7th edition (Göttingen: Verlag der Dieterichschen Buchhandlung, 1857),no. 21, pp. 119-26.

The Grimms' source: Dorothea Viehmann (1755-1815), and other sources.

This tale, in a different version, was included in the first edition of Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812). It was substantially revised for the second edition (1819).

Translated by D. L. Ashliman. © 2001-2006.

Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 510A.

Related links

Cinderella. Additional tales of type 510A, including the well-known version by Charles Perrault, and the Grimms' 1812 version.

The Father Who Wanted to Marry His Daughter. Folktales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 510B. These "persecuted heroine" stories bear a strong resemblence to the Cinderella tales, but here it is the father, not a stepmother or stepsister, who is the source of the heroine's grief.

The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Fairy Tales).

The Grimm Brothers' Home Page.

D. L. Ashliman's folktexts , a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.

Revised June 1, 2011.

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Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm A rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you."

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Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone.

Legend states that Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of Athena who was cursed for breaking her vow of celibacy. She is not considered a goddess or Olympian, but some variations on her legend say she consorted with one.

When Medusa had an affair with the sea god Poseidon, Athena punished her. She turned Medusa into a hideous hag, making her hair into writhing snakes and her skin was turned a greenish hue. Anyone who locked gaze with Medusa was turned into stone.

The hero Perseus was sent on a quest to kill Medusa. He was able to defeat the Gorgon by lopping off her head, which he was able to do by fighting her reflection in his highly polished shield. He later used her head as a weapon to turn enemies to stone. An image of Medusa's head was placed on Athena's own armor or shown on her shield.

One of three Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only one who was not immortal. The other two sisters were Stheno and Euryale. Gaia is sometimes said to be the mother of Medusa; other sources cite the early sea deities Phorcys and Ceto as the parents of the trio of Gorgons. It is generally believed that she was born at sea. The Greek poet Hesiod wrote that Medusa lived close to the Hesperides in the Western Ocean near Sarpedon. Herodotus the historian said her home was Libya.

She is generally considered unmarried, though she did lie with Poseidon. One account says she married Perseus. As a result of consorting with Poseidon, she is said to have birthed Pegasus, the winged horse, and Chrysaor, the hero of the golden sword. Some accounts said her two spawn had sprung from her severed head.

In Temple Lore

In ancient times, she did not have any known temples. It is said that the Artemis temple in Corfu depicts Medusa in an archaic form. She is shown as a symbol of fertility dressed in a belt of intertwined snakes.

In modern times, her carved image adorns a rock off the coast of the popular Red Beach outside of Matala, Crete. Also, the flag and emblem of Sicily feature her head.

In Art and Written Works

Throughout ancient Greece, there are a number of references to the Medusa myth by ancient Greek writers Hyginus, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Dionysios Skytobrachion, Herodotus, and Roman authors Ovid and Pindar. When she is depicted in art, usually only her head is shown. She has a broad face, sometimes with tusks, and snakes for hair. In some imagery, she has fangs, a forked tongue, and bulging eyes.

While Medusa is usually considered to be ugly, one myth states that it was her great beauty, not her ugliness, that paralyzed all observers. Her "monstrous" form is believed by some scholars to represent a partially-decomposed human skull with teeth beginning to show through the decaying lips.

The image of Medusa was thought to be protective. Ancient statuary, bronze shields, and vessels have depictions of Medusa. Famous artists that have been inspired by Medusa and the heroic Perseus story include Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, Peter Paul Rubens, Gialorenzo Bernini, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, and Salvador Dali.

In Pop Culture

The snake-headed, petrifying image of Medusa is instantly recognizable in popular culture. The Medusa myth has enjoyed a renaissance since the story was featured in the "Clash of the Titans" movies in 1981 and 2010, and " Percy Jackson and the Olympians," also in 2010, where Medusa is portrayed by actress Uma Thurman.

In addition to the silver screen, the mythical figure appears as a character in TV, books, cartoons, video games, role-playing games, usually as an antagonist. Also, the character has been memorialized in song by UB40, Annie Lennox, and the band Anthrax.

The symbol of designer and fashion icon Versace is a Medusa-head. According to the design house, it was chosen because she represents beauty, art, and philosophy.

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Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone.

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Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no avail, wished for a child. Finally the woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish. Through the small rear window of these people's house they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with the most beautiful flowers and herbs. The garden was surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared enter, because it belonged to a sorceress who possessed great power and was feared by everyone.

One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw a bed planted with the most beautiful rapunzel. It looked so fresh and green that she longed for some. It was her greatest desire to eat some of the rapunzel. This desire increased with every day, and not knowing how to get any, she became miserably ill.

Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What ails you, dear wife?"

"Oh," she answered, "if I do not get some rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall die."

The man, who loved her dearly, thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must get her some of the rapunzel, whatever the cost."

So just as it was getting dark he climbed over the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily dug up a handful of rapunzel, and took it to his wife. She immediately made a salad from it, which she devoured eagerly. It tasted so very good to her that by the next day her desire for more had grown threefold. If she were to have any peace, the man would have to climb into the garden once again. Thus he set forth once again just as it was getting dark. But no sooner than he had climbed over the wall than, to his horror, he saw the sorceress standing there before him.

"How can you dare," she asked with an angry look, "to climb into my garden and like a thief to steal my rapunzel? You will pay for this."

"Oh," he answered, "Let mercy overrule justice. I came to do this out of necessity. My wife saw your rapunzel from our window, and such a longing came over her, that she would die, if she did not get some to eat."

The sorceress's anger abated somewhat, and she said, "If things are as you say, I will allow you to take as much rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must give me the child that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take care of it like a mother."

In his fear the man agreed to everything.

When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the little girl Rapunzel, and took her away. Rapunzel became the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the sorceress locked her in a tower that stood in a forest and that had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top.

When the sorceress wanted to enter, she stood below and called out:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.

Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. When she heard the sorceress's voice, she untied her braids, wound them around a window hook, let her hair fall twenty yards to the ground, and the sorceress climbed up it.
A few years later it happened that a king's son was riding through the forest. As he approached the tower he heard a song so beautiful that he stopped to listen. It was Rapunzel, who was passing the time by singing with her sweet voice. The prince wanted to climb up to her, and looked for a door in the tower, but none was to be found.

He rode home, but the song had so touched his heart that he returned to the forest every day and listened to it. One time, as he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw the sorceress approach, and heard her say:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair.

Then Rapunzel let down her strands of hair, and the sorceress climbed up them to her.
"If that is the ladder into the tower, then sometime I will try my luck."

And the next day, just as it was beginning to get dark, he went to the tower and called out:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair.

The hair fell down, and the prince climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as she had never seen before came in to her. However, the prince began talking to her in a very friendly manner, telling her that his heart had been so touched by her singing that he could have no peace until he had seen her in person. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him as her husband, she thought, "He would rather have me than would old Frau Gothel." She said yes and placed her hand into his.

She said, "I would go with you gladly, but I do not know how to get down. Every time that you come, bring a strand of silk, from which I will weave a ladder. When it is finished I will climb down, and you can take me away on your horse." They arranged that he would come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day.

The sorceress did not notice what was happening until one day Rapunzel said to her, "Frau Gothel, tell me why it is that you are more difficult to pull up than is the young prince, who will be arriving any moment now?"

"You godless child," cried the sorceress. "What am I hearing from you? I thought I had removed you from the whole world, but you have deceived me nonetheless."

In her anger she grabbed Rapunzel's beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left hand, grasped a pair of scissors with her right hand, and snip snap, cut it off. And she was so unmerciful that she took Rapunzel into a wilderness where she suffered greatly.

On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the sorceress tied the cut-off hair to the hook at the top of the tower, and when the prince called out:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair.

she let down the hair.
The prince climbed up, but above, instead of his beloved Rapunzel, he found the sorceress, who peered at him with poisonous and evil looks.

"Aha!" she cried scornfully. "You have come for your Mistress Darling, but that beautiful bird is no longer sitting in her nest, nor is she singing any more. The cat got her, and will scratch your eyes out as well. You have lost Rapunzel. You will never see her again."

The prince was overcome with grief, and in his despair he threw himself from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell poked out his eyes. Blind, he wandered about in the forest, eating nothing but grass and roots, and doing nothing but weeping and wailing over the loss of his beloved wife. Thus he wandered about miserably for some years, finally happening into the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably with the twins that she had given birth to.

He heard a voice and thought it was familiar. He advanced toward it, and as he approached, Rapunzel recognized him, and crying, threw her arms around his neck. Two of her tears fell into his eyes, and they became clear once again, and he could see as well as before. He led her into his kingdom, where he was received with joy, and for a long time they lived happily and satisfied.

Source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "Rapunzel," Kinder- und Hausmärchen, gesammelt durch die Brüder Grimm [Children's and Household Tales -- Grimms' Fairy Tales], 7th ed., vol. 1 (Göttingen: Verlag der Dieterichschen Buchhandlung, 1857),no. 12, pp. 65-69.

Translated by D. L. Ashliman. © 2000-2006.

The German word Rapunzel is defined variously as "rampion," "field salad," "corn salad," or "lamb's lettuce."

Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 310.

The Grimms' immediate source of "Rapunzel" was a story published by Friedrich Schultz (1762-98) in his Kleine Romane, v. 5 (Leipzig, 1790), pp. 269-88. They rightly saw in Schultz's printed story a tale with a long and widespread oral tradition.

Other published variants known to the Grimms include:

1. "Petrosinella" by Giambattista Basile in his Il Pentamerone, day 2, tale 1.Il Pentamerone was first published in five installments between 1634 and 1636

2. "Persinette" by Mademoiselle de la Force (ca. 1646-1724). Link to "Persinette," as retold by Terri Windling.

3. "Das Mährchen von der Padde," published by Johann Gustav Büsching in his Volks-Sagen, Mährchen und Legenden (Leipzig: Carl Heinrich Reclam, 1812), no. 60, pp. 286-95.

Links to related sites

Return to D. L. Ashliman's folktexts , a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.

Revised November 12, 2019.

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Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no
avail, wished for a child. Finally the woman came to believe that the good
Lord would fulfill her wish. Through the small rear window of these
people’s house they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with
the most beaut…

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In the United States, a government shutdown happens when there is a gap in federal funding and the government furloughs federal workers without pay. Although there are exceptions for certain "essential" employees (including the president and members of Congress, all of whom continue to receive pay) a shutdown means that a large portion of the [...]

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These are ten events from the twentieth and twenty-first century that changed the world in a very significant way. It includes the sparks which started major wars and revolutions - affecting the lives of millions of people across the globe.

Major events that changed the world

Start of World War I - June 1914.

Russian Revolution - October 1917

Start of World War II - September 1939

Pearl Harbour - and entry of the US into WWII - Dec. 1941

Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Aug 1945

Indian Independence - Aug 1947

Establishment of Maoist China, 1949

The assassination of John F Kennedy, 1963

Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989.

9/11 September attacks

Covid-19 Pandemic, March 2020

The assassination of Archduke F. Ferdinand and Outbreak of World War I - June 28, 1914

In 1914, Europe was a tinderbox of tension and military rivalry. The spark for war could have been many incidents; but, as it happened the assassination of an Austrian Archduke - Franz Ferdinand by a Serb provoked widespread declarations of war and the fulfilment of treaties which led to the horrendous conflict of the First World War.

The war was to last four years and cost the lives of millions of men and women from all corners of the world. The First World War also led to profound social change. After the First World War, there was increased recognition for the role of women in society, with many countries giving women the vote. There was also greater emphasis placed on the role of the working class, who had fought and died in the war, and now wanted a better peace. In 1918/19 there was global flu pandemic which killed nearly 50 million people (many young adults) but such was the carnage of the First World War, it had only a limited effect on changing the world as many governments downplayed its impact.

Russian Revolution 1917
25 October 1917 - Start of October Uprising by Bolsheviks
Since the publication of Marx's Communist Manifesto, there had been sporadic Communist revolutions in European countries, but nothing had really succeeded. But in October 1917, the Bolshevik revolution, led by Lenin, brought about a radical new form of government with worldwide implications. Lenin was a fervent Marxist and wasted little time in implementing his version of a 'dictatorship of the Proletariat'. Communist Russia divided the world. It was seen by some as an alternative to the inequities of Capitalism and by others as an embodiment of totalitarianism and lack of freedom. The Soviet Union transformed the lives of Russian people - it led to economic growth, but also increased political repression. The ideology of the Soviet Union also led to a prolonged 'Cold War' - with an ideological divide between western democracy and Soviet Communism.

Treaty of Versailles 1919
After the First World War, American President Woodrow Wilson promoted an idealistic 14 points and creation of a new "League of Nations" to help prevent war. However, the American Senate voted against joining the League of Nations and France and Britain sought 'reparations' from Germany and the defeated powers. Germany was occupied by French troops until the mid 1920s and the German army severely limited. These restrictions were considered 'humiliating' by many German army officers and this sense of 'betrayal' would be exploited by Hitler in the coming years. French general Ferdinand Foch stated. "This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years." The Treaty of Versailles and other similar treaties arbitrarily re-drew the map of the world - creating new countries, such as Czechoslovakia, Finland, Poland, Latvia, and Yugoslavia out of ethnically mixed populations, which would prove problematic many years later.
Just 20 years later, Hitler would plunge the continent into conflict for a second time in an effort to restore lost pride.

Stock Market Crash 1929
In October 1929, after the long economic and stock market boom of the 1920s, in October 1929, shares on Wall Street dropped sharply. This led to a prolonged fall in share [roce and precipitated the global great depression. Unemployment rose to 25% in US with output and trade falling around the world. The widespread poverty and sense of alienation led to the growth of political extremes across the world. Japan and Germany both turned to far-right nationalist movements, which led to military expansionism and the Second World War. In America, the Great Depression led to the election of FDR and a great expansion in the size of the Federal government as people wanted the government to intervene in dealing with the depression.
German Invasion of Poland - 1939

On 1st September 1939, Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Poland, ostensibly for 'lebensraum' and to redress the imbalances of the Treaty of Versailles. The invasion of a sovereign nation finally convinced the allies - Great Britain and France of Hitler's wider intentions for the occupation of Europe. After appeasing Hitler over Austria and Czechoslovakia, Poland proved the final straw and on September 3rd, 1939, Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany. The Second World War was to last until May 1945, costing the lives of approximately 50 million people. Less well known is that under a secret Nazi-Soviet pact the Soviet Union also occupied parts of Poland at the same time as Germany's invasion.
1st September 1939
Battle of Britain - June-September 1940

In 1941, Hitler's German army seemed unstoppable having conquered all of western Europe. A key moment in world history was in May 1940, when there was a debate in the British government whether to seek a deal with Hitler or continue to fight. Winston Churchill was adamant Britain should never surrender and refused to consider signing a deal. From June 1940, the German airforce attacked British airbases as a prelude to invasion. Although the number of combatants was small, the German airforce suffered sufficient losses to discourage the invasion plan and Hitler withdrew from imminent invasion.

Operation Barbarossa - 1941
On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany launched a blistering attack on the Soviet Union. Stalin was shocked as the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had signed a non-aggression pact in 1939. The invasion was initially successfully coming close to Moscow at the end of 1941. The invasion brought the Soviet Union into the global conflict and was a turning point in the fortunes of Germany as they struggled to fight on two fronts. Millions died both armed forces and civilians in the bitterest fighting of the Second World War. The invasion changed the Soviet Union, turning it into a major power and giving it a reason to 'liberate' eastern Europe before Stalin decided to install Communist regimes in Eastern Europe at the end of the war.
Pearl Harbour 1941

"A day that will live in infamy" - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

In 1941, the axis powers held a supremacy over Europe and parts of Asia. Great Britain stood undefeated, but, without the strength to win against an overpowering enemy. The bombing of Pearl Harbour led to the escalation of the world war into the Pacific arena and also brought American into war with both Japan and Germany. Three years later, it was American troops who provided the majority of the manpower in the liberation of occupied Europe.
December 7, 1941
Atomic Bomb Hiroshima

The US atomic bombs of 1945, devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The devastation finally brought the Japanese to surrender, bringing to an end a fierce and costly Pacific war. The surrender of Japan had at one time seen unthinkable. But, the atomic bomb hastened the Japanese surrender. The atomic bomb had implications beyond just the end of the Second World War. It showed the world the potential devastation a third world war could cause. Even now the legacy of Hiroshima and the threat of nuclear war hangs over the world.

Foundation of United Nations - 1945
August 6, 1945
On 24 October 1945, the United Nations officially began. Its aim was to prevent war and co-ordinate humanitarian efforts to reduce poverty, uphold international law and protect the environment. Although the UN has often lacked the power to stop aggression, it is still an important international forum with the charter of the United Nations upholding basic universal rights and freedoms without distinction or discrimination. It also established the first international Court of Justice at the Hague. The UN has played a role in global humanitarian efforts and UN bodies such as the Global smallpox eradication programme.

Indian Independence 1947

India had stood as the crowning jewel in the crown of the British Empire. It was the second-most populous nation in the world. After many years denying Indian calls for independence, Britain finally agreed to full Indian independence in 1947. Indian independence was accompanied by a painful separation and the birth of a new nation - Pakistan. The separation led to painful incidences of sectarian violence and killing; it led to the migration of many millions of people who found themselves on the wrong side of the border. The independence of India also created a newly independent nation which claimed allegiance to neither the US or the Soviet Union - but a third way as Nehru called it. With economic development, India has the potential to become a new superpower in the coming century.
15 August 1947
The Establishment of Maoist China

In the aftermath of the Second World War, China was involved in a bitter civil war between the Communists led by Mao Tse Tung, and the Nationalists by Chiang Kai-shek. On October 1st, 1949, the triumphant Communist Party established the People's Republic of China. This created another powerful Communist State in the most populated country in the world. The Communist hold on power profoundly influenced the lives of the Chinese who suffered under the great famine of the 1960s and Cultural Revolution of the 60s and 70s. Even now, the Chinese Communist Party retains strong political power - even if it has adapted its economic policies.

Assassination of John F Kennedy
October 1, 1949 November 22, 1963
One of the most shocking and unexpected moments of world history. John F Kennedy had been President since his election in 1960. He was young, liberal and Catholic and had inspired many with his positive vision of the world.

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what can you do for your country."

(JFK from Inauguration speech Jan 1961)

After his assassination, Lyndon Johnson became President and American involvement in Vietnam grew, leading to a bitter conflict that came to divide America. Although Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination, evidence points to a wider conspiracy and the involvement of more than one lone gunmen.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

For decades, the Berlin wall had stood as a symbol of the 'Iron Curtain' splitting West and Eastern Europe. On the one side Communist authoritarian states, on the other side liberal democracies. The wall had been built to prevent East Germans escaping into West Germany, and indeed many had been shot trying to escape. But, more than anything else its presence was symbolic. The fall of the Berlin wall was an iconic moment when the Soviet Union gave up its grip on Eastern Europe. In the 50s and 60s, the Soviet Union had sent tanks to quell independence movements in Hungary and then Czechoslovakia. But, this time, Mikhail Gorbachev, the proponent of Perestroika and Glasnost approved the request for freedom.
November 9, 1989
9/11 Terrorist attacks

The US had experienced sporadic terrorist attacks before. But, the sheer audacity and scale of these terrorist attacks shocked the US and the world. The loss of life was estimated at just under 3,000. The event changed American foreign policy. It was a motivating factor behind the controversial invasion of Iraq and led to a 'war on terror' symbolised by Guantanamo Bay and a debate over the justification of torture.

Covid-19 Pandemic 2020

In late 2019/early 2020, China experienced an outbreak of a new virus, Covid-19. The virus had a fatality rate of between 1-4% but spread with alarming speed. In March 2020 Italy became the first country in the western world to implement a lockdown to try and stop the rapid escalation of the virus. There soon followed widespread global 'lockdowns' with people confined to their homes and business shut down.

Despite travel bans, the virus spread to all countries around the world. This lockdown had a profound adverse effect on the global economy with a sharp rise in unemployment and a fall in output. It also challenged long-held view of invulnerability amongst western developed countries. The long-term impact of the pandemic is uncertain, but it will lead to structural changes in the economy and the balance of the world. China is both seen as the source of the virus, but also - as the world's dominant manufacturer - is a key player in the efforts to manufacture equipment to deal with the crisis.

Other major events which changed the world

Dunkirk and the escape of the British army (1940).

Partition Plan for Palestine and creation of State of Israel (1947)

Iranian Revolution (1979) replacement of US supporting Shah and replaced with Ayatollah Khomeini - an authoritarian Islamist with anti-western theocracy

Ending of apartheid in South Africa. Freedom of Nelson Mandela from jail in South Africa. (1990)

11th September 2001

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan "Events that Changed the World", Oxford, www.biographyonline.net. Published 11th April 2012. Updated 6 April 2020.

History's Greatest Events

TIME History's Greatest Events: 100 Turning Points That Changed the World: An Illustrated Journey at Amazon

Great Events in American History - A list of some of the great moments in the history of the United States, by chronological order - from the arrival of Columbus to landing a man on the moon and the end of the Cold War.

. Important books which influenced and change society and the world. Including The Republic, The Iliad, The Communist Manifesto and The King James Bible.

Inventions that changed the world - Famous inventions that made a great difference to the progress of the world, including aluminium, the telephone and the printing press.
Related pages

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Events that changed the world - including Russian revolution, outbreak of WW2, fall of Berlin Wall, Indian independence, Covid-19.

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List of Well Known Fairy Tales (Folktales)

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The most popular fairy tales throughout the ages. Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and more!