CNN Millennium

The Twentieth Century: Century of the Globe

For the first time, mankind saw the world as a whole. Sigmund Freud explored the human psyche. Science split the atom. DNA revealed the origin of life. The bloodbath of World War I, the starvation of millions in the Soviet Union and China, Nazi genocide and the crimes of Pol Pot in Cambodia surpassed the horrors of previous centuries. This is the century of migrations, Asians to Britain, Hispanics to the US, the Chinese worldwide. Now telephones, satellite television and computers allow us to circle the world instantly. Charlie Chaplin, Princess Diana, brand names such as Coca Cola and global events like the World Cup are recognized everywhere. The East rises. Japan, China, the tiger-economies of the Pacific Rim, bid for the limelight and for power. The wheel turns full circle. The planet survives and begins the next Millennium.