Most people globally give and receive gifts during the December holidays. It is a time for family and friends to regroup, catch up, and reflect on how the year has been. Although it is a common practice today, the idea of gift-giving isn’t new; it has been around since time immemorial. Over time, gifts have symbolized power, diplomacy, and deep-seated emotions. They have sealed alliances, sparked innovation, and even altered the world’s history to what we know today. Here are 7 gifts that changed the world’s history.
1. Anne Frank’s Diary
When Anne Frank’s parents gifted her with an autograph book repurposed as a diary, they had no idea they were massively contributing to shaping the world’s history. Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager living in Amsterdam, received the gift on June 12, 1942. Less than a month later, she, together with her parents, relocated to a secret annex to hide from the Nazis.
Unfortunately, they were smoked out of their hideout in August 1944, and Anne Frank was taken to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She documented most of the events that happened there in the diary she was gifted by her parents. Although she tragically passed on, Anne Frank’s diary was found and published as The Diary of a Young Girl in 1947, contributing massively to the events after.
2. The French Gifted Americans The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French to the Americans. It was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and constructed with the help of engineer Gustave Eiffel. The dismantled statue arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885, and was dedicated about a year later on October 28, 1886.
Its purpose was to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence, symbolize the end of slavery, recognize America as a champion of liberty, and cement the relationship between the French and the Americans, among others.
3. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Koh-i-Noor translates to “Mountain of Light” in Persian. It is one of the largest cut diamonds, weighing 105.6 carats (21.12 grams). Although it is one of the most precious gems, the diamond has gone down in history as one of the gifts that doesn’t give.
Originally from India, the Koh-i-Noor was passed through different conquests and treaties over centuries before it was acquired by the British East India Company in 1849. It was then presented to Queen Victoria as part of the annexation of Punjab.
Although the British think of the diamond as a gift, many in India and worldwide see it as a relic of colonial exploitation. It sits in the Tower of London today.
4. Russia Sold Alaska to the United States
As it turns out, gifts aren’t always free! This was the case when Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867. Popularly known as “Seward’s Folly,” after US Secretary of State William H. Seward, the deal’s relatively low price and strategic implications made it feel like a gift. This is because Alaska is full of natural resources, including oil and gold.
America’s economy and geopolitical standing between Russia and the United States improved, albeit for a short while.
5. The Trojan Horse
The story of the Trojan Horse is immortalized in the Greek mythology. It is said that during the Trojan War, the Greeks had a hard time trying to breach the walls of the Troys. After over a decade with little success, the Greeks resorted to using underhand methods. They offered a massive wooden horse as a gift to the Trojans and a sign of surrender.
Little did the Trojans know that the wooden horse was filled with Greek soldiers. As soon as the “gift” was inside the Trojans’ walls, the troop emerged under the cover of the night, opened the gates for more soldiers, and then overpowered the Trojans. Although the historical accuracy of Troy’s downfall is often debated, the story of the Trojan Horse remains a cautionary tale of trust and deception.
6. Apollo’s Moon Rocks
When Apollo completed the moon missions, NASA and President Richard Nixon gifted moon rocks to 135 countries, the 50 US states, and some US territories. The extraterrestrial gifts were handed out as a sign of goodwill and scientific collaboration. They underlined what humans can achieve in space exploration and encouraged international scientific cooperation. Ever since, several moon landings have occurred, and the future of space exploration looks brighter than ever.
7. The Discovery of Penicillin
In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish physician and microbiologist, discovered the world’s first massively effective antibiotic called penicillin. Although he shared a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945, Fleming did not patent his discovery because he wanted as many people to benefit from it without restrictions.
While this may not be a “traditional gift,” Fleming’s selflessness led to a breakthrough that saved many lives. In fact, when the microbiologist learned Robert D. Coghill and Andrew J. Moyer had patented the method of penicillin production in the United States, he was furious.