So what was the most important event in the Earth's history. What was the one event that most significantly changed the course of everything that was to follow?
Personally, I have to say it was Columbus landing in America. Before that, most of the world held a strong belief that the world was flat. (I think) and after, all the science changed. (but I don't know much history.)

2.7 billion years ago when Cyanobacteria started to produce oxygen via photosynthesis.

Or

1916 and Einstein's General Theory of Relativity

More recently, Al Gore inventing the Internet.

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Explanation: S&F!

RE: "What was the one event that most significantly changed the course of everything that was to follow?"

Personal Disclosure: IMO it was the Big Bang some 13.7 billion years ago from the relativistic POV of where we are now. More specifically that bit in time between 0 plancks seconds and 1 plancks second!

P.S Without it we wouldn't be here!

The most important event in the Earth's history is happening right now.
The collective global consciousness is growing exponentially ! At its critical mass
level all consciousness will squeeze out any ability to express non-truth !
All awakening beings already know this ! This moves fast ! Your participation is not elective ! The personality and ego selves will be gone with a laugh as we all
embrace the unifying all of higher consciousness ! Forgive yourself ! Love yourself ! Practice non-judgemental awareness , Be in this unifying "Now" !

In human history i guess it would be acreculture (for bad spelling, bassicaly farming)

Earths history i guess it was the clash with titon that formed the moon and out curent size.

Personally, I have to say it was Columbus landing in America. Before that, most of the world held a strong belief that the world was flat. (I think) and after, all the science changed. (but I don't know much history.)

Well 2 things here... Columbus landed did not discover america, Leif Ericson did some 500 years before and im not sure if discovered is the right word as america already had its inhabitants. The person who "prooved" the world was round was Ferdinand Magellan but even that is kind of off. I do not believe that the flat earth theory was as wide believed as we were led to believe in school.
Are you sure the most importiant day in history is when John Wilkes Booth and Nat turner won the 1698 election?

Definitely when the Son of God came and taught and preached about the coming Millenial Kingdom of Heaven and the coming End of Days. The Universe is full of mysteries, but wouldn't you rather know God in the flesh? The Bible is here especially for people alive right now in our time.

The most important thing to happen was when David Oates accidentally dropped a tape recorder into a toilet and upon taking it out and trying to get it to play it only played in reverse and he discovered speech reversals. I'm not kidding.

The first thing that came to my mind was the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. Despite the controversy surrounding how and when the library's collection was actually lost, the fact that this ancient knowledge was no longer available may have profoundly shaped all succeeding world events.

I would guess that if any copies of its contents survived elsewhere in the world, it's remained a closely guarded secret. That leads me to believe that the library's continued existence would have impacted history in some measurable way.

Well considering we wouldn't be here unless for this, I would have to say the #1 event was when the primordial ooze started to replicate itself, paving the way for life.

Doesn't anyone here watch Star Trek?

I agree...I would go with when the first lifeforms (uni and multi-cellular) began to replicate. The beginning of life EONS ago...that's my pick

-Kyo

The Invention of the Atomic Bomb and the bombing of heroshima. However ya spell it. I think that event took the world nuclear and changed how wars are fought and made people realize how powerful weapons could be.

Probably the day God created evolution, without that things would be way different.

[edit on 27-10-2009 by zaiger]

When organic life began.

Second line.

In human history I would vote for The Reformation, which started in 1517. First serious assault on organized religion, arguably paved the way for the separation of church and state, freedom of speech, religion, and democracy, scientific exploration, and the industrial revolution.

I would also vote for the end of the last Ice Age.

For life itself I will have to agree with Juston but for civilization it would have to be the time when spelt (a wild hybrid grain) genetically mutated to produce modern bread wheat. Without that mutation, the large surpluses required for permanent settlements would not have been possible.