Eight Things We'll Miss: History

Everyone knows that the world might or might not be ending next Friday, December 21. Flyby's not in the business of making predictions, but just in case the Mayans were right and the last day of exam period also happens to be the end of, well, everything, we're compiling eight lists of some great things (in no particular order) about the world as we know it, one for each day between now and The End.

While it's a shame the world's going to end before the 2010s conclude, the approaching apocalypse does provide us with an exceptional opportunity for reflection on the good times humanity has had. In that spirit, here's Flyby's list of the five best decades ever. Runners-up included the 1870s, when the Harvard Crimson invented journalism.

#5 – The 1630s

Harvard was founded, as was New Haven. In solemn memory of this great decade, reenact the Harvard-Yale game in your dorm room.

#4 – The 1560s

They may have been a little more straight-laced than the 1960s, but the 1560s were still chock-full of exciting events, like the invention of the pencil and the birth of William Shakespeare. Celebrate by doodling with a pencil, though, not by writing your essay on "Hamlet."

#3 – The 50s

The 1950s are often thought of a squeaky clean era, but this decade truly deserves that reputation: in the year 50, the Gauls introduced soap to the Roman Empire. A crucial moment in the history of cleanliness, and a fine reason to take a hot shower instead of studying up on epidemiology.

#2 – The 1780s

The Revolutionary War ends and America adopts a Constitution by the end of the decade. The French Revolution gets off to a roaring start with the storming of the Bastille. Commemorate these momentous events by revolting against your French and/or American history coursework.

#1 – 1990s

Perhaps it's too early to be nostalgic for the 1990s, but rarely has a decade given us so much to look back on fondly. Certainly there were a few low points, like Vanilla Ice and the Siege of Sarajevo, but most of the good stuff is conveniently available on Netflix. If you're not studying, you better be watching "Beavis and Butt-head."