Time turn yourself through history...

[msmooney]

If you could be a fly on the wall for one historical moment, what would it be? Or, maybe you'd like to visit a certain era in history. Why??

I would love to go back to Russia in the 1860s, when Dostoevsky was stomping around Petersburg and the revolutionary movement was really picking up steam.

[fanof_hp]

I would like to go back to colonial America, just before thet Declaration of Independence and just after it. Facinating period of time. I'd also like to be a fly on the wall in Ben Franklin's home. Incredible man!

[Classical_Wizar]

this? If you had to live during any time, which time would it be?
(http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=30284&highlight=time)

[msmooney]

Sorry...I just thought it was appropriate in a forum that's discussing history.

[Ranador]

I'd like to be with Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, or on the beaches for the Normandy Invasion.

[Kneazle]

I think the question placed is different enough to have its own thread. The other asks which era you'd choose to live in, while this is more focused on a moment in time that you'd like to visit, or witness. :)

If I could go back to observe, without changing anything, I'd love to buzz about the colonies during whole American Revolutionary period. It'd be cool to sit in Thomas Jefferson's study as he penned the Declaration, beside John Hancock at the signing, and in a piew at St. John's Church while Patrick Henry delivered up his "Give Me Liberty!" speech. I agree with fanof_hp that it was a truly fascinating time, with so much going on and so many vibrant personalities.

I'd also like to hitch a ride with the Corps of Discovery, and be present when Harry Burns voted for suffrage, giving the 19th amendment the two-thirds majority necessary for ratification. There are so many inspired moments throughout history, though, it's hard to choose.

[MMELevrier]

Right now, I'd pick the Peterson house in Modesto, California on December 23, 2003. Because I'd love to know what really happened.

And for my dad, I'd go to Kitty Hawk in December 1903, because to this day, he thinks the Wright Brothers faked it, and to Bridgeport, Connecticut in August 1901 to see if Gustav Whitehead really DID fly across Long Island Sound.

That's three, I don't know which I would choose if I could only have one.

[Tjokkie]

I would go back bibilical time, when Magic was called miracles and every one belived in them

[house elf 13]

I'd like to see whether Jesus was really resurrected. Not that anyone would believe me no matter what I reported.

[Hannibal Barca]

I'd like to visit Italy during the time of my hero, Hannibal. his military genius was astounding, and I'd like to see his victories first-hand.

I'd also like to meet or watch in action another of my heroes, Robert E. Lee. now that would be a thing to see!

[glugunkwen]

I would like to experience being a suffragette, campaigning for women to be allowed voting rights. I would loved to have met some of the determined women from that time!

[Kimmetje]

I think I'd want to visit the Roman Empire time as I think that was one of the best era's ever. I'd have loved to visit like the temple of Zeus when it was pretty and see the beautiful city of Rome at it's height of power. It seems like it is way better when you were rich back than...

[Mundungus Fletc]

It seems like it is way better when you were rich back than...

Unless you were ill - no antibiotics or anaethsetics. Provided I could get back quick enough there are so many things I'd like to see. The trial of Charles the first perhaps and stay until the execution.

[MagicalMaeve]

I would wish to be relatively well off during the pre first world war era. I don't want to deal with the aftermath but the time before holds enormous attractions for me.

I would love to see many other eras in history but medical and scoial conditions lead to me to believe that now is the best time for me...contact lenses and all that....

[Bouncing_Ferret]

I'd probably like to be a fly on the wall in the court of Lizzie I, just to hear all the gossip and rumour and plotting that went on. Oh, and I'd like to hang out on Shakespeare's wall for a while, and watch him write his plays, just so I could prove to my mother that it wasn't Christopher Marlowe.

[roz]

I'd love to see Imperial India during the time of the Raj. Or see the Forbidden City in it's prime.

Roz.

[busy91]

It would have been interesting to live in Ancient Egypt, I would have liked to have witnessed the daily life of Cleopatra.

I also find Victorian Englad very fascinating. I would have liked to witness the rise of Queen Victioria to power.

And my last era which I missed by a hair would have been America 1960 baby! Although I was around for Woodstock, my parents weren't on that trip man! I'd like to have seen that first hand.

[StarAnise]

Chicago in the 1920's...social revolution, jazz, the fashion, all the revolutionary thinking that was going on. All that freedom after so many constraints must have been a heady mix. Add mass immigration and the rise of brilliant universities, and not a world war to be seen for at least a decade.

[nerdypants]

I'd love to see how Shakespeare wrote his plays, or see if it was even him writing them.

[Alfonzo]

I would love to go back in time to be around Jesus.

[Mirjam]

The 18th century England, sneaking into Fanny Burneys room while she is writing Evelina.. or watching her dine with Samuel Johnson. Or 1922/24 Christiania (Oslo, Norway) and getting to know Sigrid Undset while writing Kristin Lavransdatter. Or 18th century Scotland - figuring out if Diana Gabaldon made Jamie up or if he was real.. or maybe to Jerusalem, watching King Salomo build the temple? Or watching Shakespear write his plays.. or the day Armstrong walked on the moon - in the Nasa builing, seeing that it was really happening!

So many interesting times and places!!

[haha]

I would love to go to Europe during the 18th or 19th C, or maybe Ancient Egypt or Greek. I wouldn't really care where exactly. The experience would just be enough, but i wouldn't want to stay there for ever and ever, due of the bad sanitation and low life expectancy. There are advantages of living in the here and now.

[DocHollidaywe]

There are three time periods that I would have to choose from (in no particular order)

1) Medieval Times -- I love chivarly and the whole concept of it!

2) Colonial America -- Revolution and such

3) Civil War/Wild West -- Civil War because it is one of the most fascinating wars in history, and Wild West because of those who took the law into their own hands (I love Wyatt Earp and of course as my name tells Doc Holliday!!

[haha]

Medieval Times -- I love chivarly and the whole concept of it!
Me too :)

[Holly is Short]

Egypt...and I'd stay there with the Pharoh...;)

[erynae]

I'd like to be a fly on a wall in the bunker when the Boshelviks held the Romanov family hostage. Or a fly on the wall when Vortigern and Rowena first met. Or to see if it really was Nero who set fire to Rome. Or Atlantis when it was destroyed. Or when Trelawney gave the prophecy to Dumbledore. Boy, that would've been a moment.

[kallie]

Let's see :
3. Cleopatra's time - especially right before she died- so I could know the truth to what happened.
2. Ancient Egypt - so I could see how the pyramids were really built.
1. Ireland- during the time of the Celts - before Rome stuck its nose in - so I could see how they really lived.
Wouldn't want to stay anywhere of course! But it would be fun to visit.

[erynae]

And I'd like to go back to see how teh stonehead statues on Easter Island got there...and same for the crop circles...and let's not forget the stonehenge. The Celts would be great, before the Romans, the Saxons, the Vikings, the Franks, before all them came. And same for the Vikings, that'd be interesting

[haha]

Cleopatra's time - especially right before she died- so I could know the truth to what happened.
There's definitely a lot of those time in history where it's 'i wish i knew what REALLY happened', like Marilyn Munrow, although i don't think that's as interesting as Cleopatra :p

[iluvhhr]

I would LOVE to have experienced the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Especially around King Arthur's time and the time of the Tudors in England. Those two time periods are so appealing to me. I even tried to make my brother take a college course called 'England Under the Tudors and the Stuarts.' Unfortunately he didn't take it, just because he wanted to raise his GPA with easy courses.

I would also love to travel to Ancient Egypt, Greece (especially), and Rome. The Celts really interest me. It would also be fascinating to be present in Roanoke to find out what really happened. I would like to witness history's greatest unsolved mysteries.

[HesHPfan]

I wouldn't mind going back to Holland in the 17th century, the Golden Age. I would make a walk through Amsterdam, visit serveral painters, like Rembrandt. I would go to Delft and find J. Vermeer etc.

Also France during Louis XIV and England during the Recency, to take a look at the fashions, meet Beau Brummel (the arbiter of fashion).

The Middle Ages aren't too bad either. France in the hunderth year war.
Also Italy during the Renaissance, visit Florence and Rome to meet Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael etc.

[Potters Goblet]

I'd go back to anytime there's a serious loss of life and see if it could, at least in part, be prevented. Think about all the people who died in Pickett's charge during the civil war. Any one of them could have been a doctor, lawyer or some one that made an important discovery. Think about the hundreds that died on the Titanic. What if JJ Astor (for example) had lived? Go back to 9/11 and get those people out of there before the planes hit, or better yet, get the terrorists before they boarded the planes. Stop Challenger from lifting off and stop Columbia from coming home until the damage could be assessed, then send them to the space station until a rescue could be mounted. Surely they could live up there for a couple weeks.

Next, I'd go back through my own family history and ask my genealogical stumbling blocks who their parents were, where they were born, etc.

[haha]

Go back to 9/11 and get those people out of there before the planes hit, or better yet, get the terrorists before they boarded the planes.
That would be a real one to prevent because then not only do you stop the attacks, at least those ones because we can't say that the terrorists wouldn't try again. But it would also stop the senseless killing in the Iraq war.

[HesHPfan]

Stopping 9/11 would be a good one.
Maybe going back to the WOII and tell the English and Americans about the concentration camps and show them pictures would be a great use of timeturning.

[haha]

The problem with changing history though is that you never wuite know how it will affect the future. I mean numerous books and film have been wriitten to express this view. I once read a book that sent someone back into time to save a great military leader, but it changed so much, even one small little blunder that when she came back into the future they abandoned the project. It still had a happy ending though :D

[ringbearer44]

I think I would probably go to the era of the crusades. Maybe the early twentieth century as well.

[Blue_Eyes]

I would like to do back to the the beginning of the Civil War. I would like to meet the Generals (especially Stonewall Jackson) and to see the military manveurs for myself.But I'm not sure I could stop myself from changing a few things. Like Jackson dying, Pickett's charge, and Fredricksburg just to name a few. But if I changed those things then history would be chanced and we might live in a divided country.

[haha]

But if I changed those things then history would be chanced and we might live in a divided country.
Then again, if you went back it would change history ;)

[Blue_Eyes]

BUt if I changed history things would be very different now a days. And mabye I would stop the Civil War in that time period but what if it happened in a different time period with different. results.

[snape_sinclaire]

Hehe.. This thread sounds very interesting, especially for a person who loves history. :D

Man, so many places (or periods) to visit, so little time!!

- I'd love to visit Ancient Egypt and find out what really happened to King Tutankhammen (sp?). I would also like to wonder around the city streets and experience how they lived their lives in that particular time, especially in the desert. And maybe I could see how they wrapped mummies, though I'd most likely have my eyes closed during the entire process.

- Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece for sure. I would visit the Colloseum and witness an actual fight to the death, gladiator versus gladiator, etc. Also, I want be there on the Ides of March and see how Caesar was murdered. Another thing would be to find out if the Trojan War really happened. I believe that it did, but just to make sure...

- The Renaissance Age. Try to see how Nostradamus predicted future events, how Da Vinci came up with his theories, inventions, and art. I'd also love to visit the time of Shakespeare, and watch how he came up with all these famous plays, sonnets, and ideas..

- The Middle Ages. Would love to be in the same castle as all those British Kings and Queens and how they really lived their lives. The Crusades and how the Church developed would also be interesting too.

As a side point, I'd love to find out who was responsible for Stonehenge, the Eastern Island Heads, and the Colossus.

That's all from me.. :D

~Sinc

[HollywoodBob]

I would love to go back to ancient egypt and see the great pyramid in all it's glory. To stand before that behemoth as it's polished stone glinted in the morning sun would be truly awe inspiring.

-HollywoodBob

[haha]

BUt if I changed history things would be very different now a days.
I know. What i meant was that simply by going back, you were changing history. Do you get what i mean :huh:

[Gandalf]

I would love to go and meet Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington and witness his victories during the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo. Victorian England would be another time I'd love to go back to. Interesting fashion and good ol' fashioned British pride at its height :) (I mean no offence if anyone sees this as offensive).

[GryffondorGrl]

I would love to go back to the Middle Ages in Europe. It would be awesome to be one of King Arthur's Knights. Knights were really awesome and I think that would be fascninating.
Or...
Maybe I'd not really like, but it would be interesting to see Hitler during the Holocaust. I mean to be a tree and to just watch it all happen. Sad, but I think it would tell way more than even 1st hand accounts from people do.
Oh, or I'd like to be a pirate! Like in the 1800's when there were tons of pirates...pirates are so cool!

[WarriorEowyn]

I would want to go to Russia during the October Revolution - I'm studying it in History and I find it fascinating. And assuming you can go back in time and actually meet someone without changing time, I'd want to meet Lenin. And advise him to toss Stalin out of the party.

[haha]

I would love to go and meet Arthur Wellesley
When i first read that (i was reading fast) i thought it said, you would love to go and meet Arthur Weasley :lol:

[HP26]

Ancient Rome and Greece would have been incredible. So many revolutionary ideas of science, art, and government up for discussion. Plus, the men were all half-naked...
Even though I doubt I would have survived it, the French Revolution has always seemed appealing. I love the idea of coming together to renovate a government that is useless and decaying.

[Gandalf]

When i first read that (i was reading fast) i thought it said, you would love to go and meet Arthur Weasley :lol:

:lol: I can see the resemblance between the two names. Another time I'd like to see is Revolutionary America. From what I've taught myself (we don't learn such interesting topics in school in the the U.K.) it's a terribly interesting period. Modern ideas and principals that we still use today were developing, and the course of history could've changed with a mere light breeze. Plus the military uniforms were just gorgeous IMO.