100 Year History Challenge [Announcing the Time-Travelers Behind #explore1918]

Mining Narratives of the Past

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Last week, we announced a 100 Year History Challenge inspired by the @phillyhistory post on the significance of 1918. There was a lot going on in the world exactly 100 years ago, and where better to explore the fabric of global events than through Steemit? We asked Steemians around the world to share a century-old story that relates to them and their hometown.

We have been reading through your incredible stories all weekend! The outpouring of engagement was unprecedented. We received 75+ incredibly thorough and well researched submissions from all over the world, each personally linked to the author’s own interests and hometown history. Even out of a sea of quality posts, some took the challenge beyond the call and applied to true Steem-powered innovation to their entries.

Let’s check out the winners below!

Our Top 3 Stories

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@catwomanteresa submitted a fascinating and bilingual post covering the deadliest plague of Taiwanese history. Back in 1918, influenza exploded onto the world stage. Cities were particularly vulnerable as the contagious virus infected 70 million Taiwanese. It was a deadly year for (a world) War, and the resonating effects of global conflict exposed many communities to new diseases that they were unprepared for. Read the full post here.

@dpatcher’s post highlights the stories Indian soldiers during the first World War. India was represented in World War I by a staggering 1.3 million soldiers, 75,000 lost their lives in the conflict. When people think about WWI, they immediately connect the conflict to Europe and the United States, but there were millions more who took part in this conflict and who - still today - are deeply under recognized for their sacrifices. Read the full post here.

@paskadom’s post integrates a wonderful splash of creativity. Her story tells one of both past and present through historical research and beautiful artwork. This post was just too creative not to highlight. The De Javasche Bank at Banda Aceh (Indonesia) was a bank building built in 1918 by the Dutch East Indies Company. In 2004, a tsunami destroyed much of the built fabric in this community, but this building survived. In this post, a resilient relic and reminder of the past is celebrated with thoughtful creativity. Read the full post here.

Setting the Stage for the Century to Come

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1918 was a year of conflict, peace, health and innovation. Nelson Mandela was born, there were huge fires, daylight savings time was created and pigeon’s too! Here are the stories we’ve selected for 4th place and beyond.

• @medical-hall and the “Mother of All Pandemics”

• @sunnyali’s story of a banner year for the country of Romania

• @mariska.lubis’s creative exploration of the novel “Student Hidjo”

• @betterperson provides an indepth window of Indonesia’s De Javasche Bank.

• @fidelpoet examines the controversial legacy of Rhodesia.

Highlights from @phillyhistory

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This past week @sndbox created 15 new accounts for @phillyhistory’s Temple University students to use as they explore blockchain resources and seek out new ways of empowering professional practice in the non-profit spectrum. Over the course of the Spring semester, these students will continue to use develop research under the #explore1918 tag. Make sure to give these students a warm welcome! Here’s a look into some of the research and Philadelphian narratives they’ll be exploring...

• @chelseareed’s "No place for our people to go" provides a detailed spotlight on Philadelphian theater.

• @jfeagan examines the first Tarzan Film.

• @engledd discovers the legacy of a hospital ship in “Wounded and Happy.”

• @charliehersh uncovers the unique story of marriage in Philadelphia as a way to combat the Flu!

More History to Happen

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Thank you for exploring these great entries with us today! Be sure to follow @phillyhistory for updates on the innovative course looking to integrate Steem and blockchain technology into their experimental academic research.

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