Such events are the subject of Days that Changed the World. Some of the 50 days described here mark the end of an era; others the start of something new Many are the dates of bloody battles or murders; of momentous decisions or breathtaking discoveries. All are remembered as powerful symbols of their time, whose legacy continues to reverberate around the world. The book begins almost 2, 500 years ago, on 28 September 480 BC, when the Athenian navy destroyed the Persian invasion fleet in the Bay of Salamis. Had the Persians won, we might never have heard the names of Plato, Aristotle or Alexander, nor recognize the word democracy. Taking in the assassination of Julius Caesar, the fall of Constantinople, the first day of the Somme, Nelson Mandela's release from prison & concluding with 11 September 2001 & the destruction of New York's Twin Towers, Days that Changed the World is a unique & fascinating way to tell the story of world history.