10 Moments That United the World

For all of the world’s bickering about borders, conflicts, governments and more, there are times when the world comes together. While it’s not as frequent as how often the world fights, there are moments when everyone unites. Whether it’s major moments like the 2004 tsunami or the aftermath of 9/11, moments of togetherness are brief but memorable. With this in mind, let’s celebrate 10 moments that united the world.

When a 9.0 earthquake hit Southeast Asia, a devastating tsunami was unleashed. In total, more than 280,000 people were killed across 14 different nations. The 2004 tsunami was the deadliest in history after striking 31 miles below the ocean floor. Waves were said to have reached over 100 feet.

As soon as the waves pulled back and the scope of the damage was available, the world quickly acted. The U.S. alone sent 26 ships and 58 helicopters to provide relief in Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. The World Vision organization built 12,000 homes for shelter while dozens of nations contributed financial support.

The deadliest day in American history, the September 11, 2001 attack killed just shy of 3,000 people. More than 6,000 people were also injured as a result of the devastating attack on New York City and The Pentagon.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the world stood by the side of the U.S. as it mourned its losses. Not only did many Americans feel a renewed sense of patriotism, but many countries displayed American flags as a result. NATO even invoked Article 5 stating that an attack on one member country was an attack on all.

On April 15, 2019, the world watched helplessly as a fire broke out in the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. Much of the roof had collapsed while part of the upper part was damaged, leaving this historic site in tatters.

Reacting in horror to such a tragic fire, the world quickly came together. Even video game company Ubisoft offered its help as it had 5,000 worth of research on the building’s structure. Germany offered restoration help while over $1 billion was raised to offset the cost of reconstruction.

While tragic in the sense that over a million people lost their lives, the world came together to respond to COVID-19. The global fight highlighted significant unity as borders metaphorically disappeared as countries helped each other.

To help beat back the COVID-19 sickness, unity among scientists working in every corner of the globe was critical. Developing a vaccine became a massive worldwide effort in the face of a devastating global threat. The outpouring of humanity for healthcare workers has also been shared globally.

While many people deny climate change is real, there is no question the impact on the ozone layer is significant. The world had to respond as the ozone layer has been depleted from man’s overuse of chlorofluorocarbons.

Going into effect in 1989, The Montreal Protocol regulates over 100 man-made chemicals that can damage the ozone layer. The treaty is one of the rare instances in recent world history where almost every nation in the world ratified an agreement. By all accounts, the treaty is working as the ozone layer appears to be recovering.

The world watched with horror as 33 miners were trapped underground in Chile. Streaming around the clock, world news focused all of its attention as governments looked for a way to rescue those trapped before it was too late.

For 69 days, the world watched on pins and needles for any reports the trapped miners were close to being rescued. There was a massive outpouring of support internationally as countries came together to provide technological support and manpower toward the relief efforts.

While the catalyst of the moon landing was the goal of beating the Russians to the surface, the moon landing captured the attention of the world. Not only was the moon landing a monumental effort for humanity, but it also showcased the importance of technology when we were inspired to dream bigger.

With an estimated 650 million people watching NASA globally, including up to 150 million Americans, the moon landing had the world’s attention. There was something about this moment that went beyond the U.S. versus Russia geopolitical concern and focused more on what humanity could accomplish.

When musicians around the world gathered in 1985 to perform at Live Aid, it was a global effort on a massive scale. Artists like U2, David Bowie, and Queen all performed to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief.

While an estimated 72,000 people attended in person, a reported 1.9 billion people tuned in to watch the Live Aid concert live. As a result, more than $140 million was raised for famine relief, the equivalent of $406 million in 2024 dollars.

Similar to the Kyoto Protocol, the world came together in 2015 to sign The Paris Agreement. The agreement focuses heavily on unifying the world to address climate change and for all signatory nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result of the nations of the world coming together, over 196 countries signed the agreement in 2015. While the United States temporarily withdrew from the agreement in 2020, the world remained focused on repairing the planet and reducing the global surface temperature to pre-industrial age levels.

One of the world’s oldest diseases, smallpox was eradicated only through global effort. Dating back to 1500 B.C., smallpox typically occurred in outbreaks that has killed hundreds of millions of people including up to six different European monarchs.

Over a few decades, the world unified in a way that had never been done to fight a global disease. As an awful and painful disease, the World Health Organization launched a plan in 1967 to stop the spread once and for all. By 1977, global efforts succeeded and no naturally occurring cases have occurred since 1977.