12 Protests That Changed the World

Protests are one of the most popular ways to express disapproval and push for progress, and they have a long history. From Stonewall to the storming of the Bastille, change is often preceded by protest in some form.

The Women’s Day Off was exactly what it sounds like. On October 24, 1975, 90 percent of Icelandic women took a day off from work and also refused to do any housework or childcare. The one-day protest had worldwide effects that linger to this day. Iceland’s parliament passed a law regarding equal rights the next year.

The March on Washington was one of numerous Civil Rights protests to take place during the 1950s and 1960s. On August 28, 1963, roughly 250,000 people assembled at the Lincoln Memorial to rally for equality for Black Americans.

Today, Earth Day is viewed as a celebration of the planet we call home. People may organize park cleanups or plant trees to mark the occasion. But the first Earth Day was actually a protest—and it launched the biggest environmental movement in history.

In this episode of The List Show, host and Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy covers world-altering protests from across history, from the Battle of Cable Street to the more recent Jasmine Revolution to the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt.

Subscribe to Mental Floss on YouTube for new videos every week.

Discover More of The List Show: