What are the Major historical events that happened since 1939?

Answer 1

A world war. The election of many truly international politicians in hundreds of different countries. The slow changing of the global environment. The depletion of world resources and the invention of the Atomic bomb. Man made it into space, and onto the moon. Billions died, and billions were born, some died of old age, many didn't. The formation of the U.N, and the E.U. The eventual rise of the Asian states, along with a steady increase in global domestic product. A new millenia has passed, and numerous apocalyptic conspiracy theories have been debunked. The rise of the personal computer and of the internet. Eventually the arrival of WikiAnswers, and the formation of this rather generalised question; and a billion other events.

Answer 2

Thomas Edison submited his last patent application.

The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

Construction of the Empire State Building is completed in New York City.

John Haven Emerson of Cambridge, Massachusetts perfects the Emerson iron lung just in time for the growing polio epidemic.

Dick Tracy, a comic strip detective character created by cartoonist Chester Gould, made its debut appearance in the Detroit Mirror newspaper.

Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion in Chicago, Illinois.

Answer 3

To decide which ones are "major" is a matter of individual opinion.
Here is a partial and tentative list. I hope other contributors add to it.

-- the Holocaust
-- World War II
-- development of nuclear weapons
-- development of the transistor
-- development of the compact, low-cost digital computer
-- legalization of factory-pre-colored margarine
-- development of the internet
-- global spread of HIV/AIDS
-- advent of space exploration
-- development of sliced bread and canned beer
-- color television
-- first US president of color
-- recognition of human contribution to global warming