How do we define what events changed history?
Hi! I'm Juan, I’m 15—and I used to think history was just a bunch of dates and battles we had to memorize for school. But then I started paying attention to the stories behind those moments, and everything changed. I realized that some events in history didn’t just affect the people who lived through them—they shaped the world we live in today, and they made me think about the kind of future we’re creating.
This site is about three moments in history that really moved me and made me ask big questions about power, progress, cruelty, and kindness.
The Roman Empire fascinated me because, along with the Greeks, they built the foundations of math, science, and engineering. They managed to expand their culture across a huge part of the world—without the internet, airplanes, or printing presses. In a time when writing was a privilege for just a few, they influenced how we think, govern, and build even today.
The Industrial Revolution made me reflect on how globalization and mass production completely changed our way of life. It shaped how we see consumption, but also revealed deep social problems—like child labor and terrible living conditions for working families. It’s when the world began to speed up, and societies had to face what that speed was doing to people.
The Second World War was probably the hardest one to look into. It showed how dangerous humans can be—capable of both terrible cruelty and incredible acts of kindness. It changed the balance of global power and forced the world to rethink what it means to be human. My own family, the Trambauers, were German engineers who had to flee to Argentina and Uruguay by boat. It was a painful escape, but they ended up shaping their new communities, while also being changed by them. That made me see how even in tragedy, there can be new beginnings.
I don’t have all the answers. But these stories helped me ask better questions. And maybe, if we understand the past with open eyes, we can build a better future together.