When groundbreaking things were happening, I was mostly thinking about whether I’d catch the last tram or what was for dinner. And yet, those events are lodged in me somewhere. I’ll try to dig them out of my memory – from the oldest to the relatively fresh ones. Welcome to a very subjective history lesson.

The 70s and 80s are hazy images from my childhood. Living practically right next to Krakow’s historic Blonia fields, I must have noticed the holy masses with John Paul II, although the first meeting in 1979 happened when I was just one year old. The biggest one, in 2002, which gathered 2.5 million people, completely passed me by. I was already living in a different part of Krakow by then. Well, the European record-breaking event managed just fine without me.

Martial law (1981-1983). I remember General Jaruzelski’s speech on the black-and-white TV. I admit, I had no idea what it all meant back then. For me, a child, it was just another boring speech on television. I learned the true dimension of those events later from my dad’s stories, who, because of the martial law, had to stay in the military for two extra years. Communism wasn’t subtle – it simply broke the backbone of “Solidarity” and for many years suppressed Poland’s striving for freedom.

Lugol’s iodine (1986). After the Chernobyl disaster, it was mass-administered to children to protect their thyroids from radioactive iodine. I was a primary school pupil at the time (coincidentally, also near Blonia Common!) and got my dose. As it turned out later, the threat in Poland was low, and Lugol’s iodine was given out unnecessarily. Today, for thyroid health, I recommend eating fish and growing very healthy cress on your windowsill. It’s tastier. Really.

The fall of the Berlin Wall (1989). A symbol of the end of the Cold War. Of that whole commotion, what stuck in my memory the most was David Hasselhoff’s song “Looking for Freedom.” It turns out you can arrive at history through different routes, even through music. But seriously, the wall fell partly due to a mistake in a press release that led crowds into the streets. The guards, surprised by the scale of the protest, finally gave in and opened the crossings.

The first free elections (1990). This was the end of communism in Poland and the beginning of the systemic transformation. The winner was Lech Walesa. For a country that Soviet occupation troops had left just a year earlier, it was a historic step.

The dissolution of the USSR (1991). The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union opened a new chapter in history. We all hoped that Russia would stop being an imperial power and open up to Western values. As we can see 34 years later, after the invasion of Ukraine – those hopes were terribly naive. Russia is still the biggest threat to peace in Europe.

The development of the internet, i.e., the 90s and early 21st century. In 2000, I used the internet for the first time via a loud dial-up modem. Then came the years of chat rooms and internet forums, where I met many wonderful people. Those places don’t exist today, and the social media platforms that replaced them are full of junk content. I kinda miss that first, pioneering online community.

September 11, 2001. Tuesday. I heard the news about the attacks on the World Trade Center on the radio at work. After getting home, I spent the whole day in front of the TV, watching the news. It was one of those days you remember in the smallest details.

The death of dolly the sheep (2003). The first cloned mammal. In Poland, a country with strong Catholic traditions, the topic was extremely controversial. I followed it closely in the news, wondering about the limits of science. Poland was still a conservative country back then, meaning that new technological or scientific developments often sparked lively discussions, heavily involving religious authorities. In a way, not much has changed to this day.

The death of John Paul II (2005). In Catholic, conservative Poland, this was perceived as a national tragedy. I was working the night shift then and heard the news of the Pope’s death on the radio. It was a moment that dominated public life for many weeks.

The start of the economic crisis (2007). Partly thanks to it, seven years later, I moved with my wife and children to Germany. Sometimes, grand history has a very direct impact on our small, private lives.

The death of Michael Jackson (2009). This news shook the world, much like the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. Except that in Poland, which had just regained independence, Freddie was talked about much less. But Jackson’s death was trumpeted by every single media outlet.

December 2012. The Mayan calendar was ending, and we were all waiting for the end of the world. Some prayed, others bet on how we would perish. Poland is a strange country – it can simultaneously celebrate and pray for survival from the apocalypse. In the end, the world didn’t end, and we had to go back to work.

And what next? The world after the end of the world.

I’ve omitted many events, and a lot has happened: the Netherlands was the first to legalize same-sex marriage (2001), Facebook launched (2004), the EU expanded by 10 countries (2004), the first black US president was elected (2008), Pluto stopped being a planet (2006), Russia attacked Georgia (2008), there was the Smolensk crash (2010), the earthquake and Fukushima disaster (2011), the Higgs boson discovery was announced (2012), Russia occupied Crimea (2014) and attacked Ukraine (2022), and the Hamas attack on Israel (2023) led to genocide in the Gaza Strip.

For you, other events might be more important. It all depends on where you’re from, what you believe in, and what you’re interested in. Something is always happening in the world. That’s why it’s so important to be able to distinguish news from fake news and propaganda. But that’s a topic for a completely different blog post!

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You can find the original version of this post on my blog full of product reviews and daily writing prompts: HERE!