My mistake then. This thread seems to have been winding its way around the topic for so long that I have drawn a wrong conclusion. I could bring it back to the computer…………;)

I think we have satisfactorally established that heavier than air powered flight was a great invention, but of the 19th not 20th century.

Been in Normandy – Omaha / Utah / St Mere Eglise

Even had good weather.

No toy-boys though.

Moggy

Lucky man. Last did that trip in Autumn 2009 and enjoyed beautiful warm autumnal sunshine. Did you get to the British/Canadian end as well? It was my first visit to the US museum at St Mere.

I have rather lost track but wasn’t this thread about the best invention in the 20th century? Men paragliding down mountains with wings is not a 20th century invention nor is it an invention at all, is it?

I went to school too long ago for any comment to be relevant by I don’t think there is anything government inspired about my grandson’s history syllabus at primary school. Term by term they are learning British history from the Roman occupation onwards.

Ah, well that’s where we differ. We are all agreed that heavier than air flight came into existence when the first insect took to the air. But man had to invent a method of taking himself and others into the air. That is not improving a concept. Arguably it is not possible to improve the way an insect or a bird flies.

I too think that man is the only answer to Linc’s OP. However that is not the answer he wanted. But I do not see that any other answer is satisfactory simply because the weapons created and used by man have always been the most potent of their time. I have no doubt that, in another generation, man will have found some new appalling weapon, which today is purely science fiction.

Kev #182 is surely quite correct in his analysis of this unnecessarily contentious point, isn’t he?