There is little doubt that Canada is one of the best places

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There is little doubt that Canada is one of the best places to live in the world. Over the years, Canada has built up its reputation and has since become one of the most admired countries in the world. Canada has had to overcome many events in the 20th century, both being good and bad. Canada has done a lot of horrible events that have caused long-lasting damage like internment camps and residential schools. These events involve different levels of tragedy and involve the directs loss of life and the loss of humanity. However, Canada knows what they have done wrong, and apologizes for all of their mistakes. It is also important that Canada gets the recognition it deserves because these achievements have helped shape how Canada is and perceived today. We know that Canada is a great place to be, but are we really aware of just how great it is to be Canadian? At different times throughout history, Canada has demonstrated its ability to become an independent country. During the 20th century, Canada has undoubtedly shown its potential as a nation. Some of Canada’s greatest achievements of the 20th century include the victory of Vimy Ridge during the First World War, new technological advancements throughout the 1920s and 1930s, as well as its crucial assistance to Britain during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War.The First World War started in 1914, and during that time Canada was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire but had no control over their foreign affairs. Meaning, Canadians could not choose whether they wished to go to war or not, and were automatically involved in the bloodiest conflict in Canadian history which costed the lives of nearly 61,000 Canadians (Morton, Desmond). The battle of Vimy Ridge took place from April 9th to April 12th, 1917. About 140,000 Canadians and 30,000 British troops started their attack on the 14 km long ridge. Their task was to defeat the experienced German forces at the top of a ridge that was already proven too much for the British and French. General Arthur Currie made sure all preparations for the battle were extremely thorough and troops practiced their attack and manoeuvres over and over again. The Canadians eventually won the battle. Even though they lost about 4,000 men, the attack was a huge success. They were able to get control over the ridge after the French and British had already tried. The Battle also gave Canadians their reputation for having daring and highly capable troops. It was significant for Canada’s history because of the great reputation they had after and also because of how loyal and strong our troops were. Therefore the battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the most outstanding achievements of this decade. At that time, Canada’s major goal was to break through Vimy Ridge, which was highly defended. Canada was able to break through and capture it. Accomplishing this task was a big deal, considering that they were able to do something both the British and French could not. Canada never fought using all four divisions before. It was a new tactic that prevailed. This new tactic along with their techniques and planning are what brought them to victory. This event was a significant event because it was something no one else could accomplish but Canada. Vimy Ridge was highly guarded and hard to get into but Canada was able to break through and capture it. This achievement is what earned the soldiers reputation of being daring and highly capable and showed how strong Canada was as a nation. As a result of the victory, Canada won a seat as a separate nation at the peace talks after the war, as well as respect and recognition from other countries.After the First World War, countries all around the world suffered from the Great Depression, and many businesses closed down. However, despite the poor economic situation, Canada managed to make numerous breakthroughs during that time. The use of radios and the discovery of insulin are probably the most notable developments in the 1920s and 1930s. Before then, radios were still unfamiliar to the public, but from the 1920s-1940s it started to become a mass medium, and from there, it has modified its role to meet the needs of the public (Rutherford, Paul). In 1932, public broadcasting was introduced and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation(CBC) was created. The CBC offered an increasing amount of national programs. In the past, radio stations in Canada did not have a wide range of programs and were filled with rather cheap and unprofessional productions(Rutherford, Paul). After the Second World War began, CBC became a fundamental device for propaganda and developed a balanced schedule which consisted of programs that would inform, inspire and entertain the public(Rutherford, Paul). Apart from the improvements of Canadian radio stations, Canadians also made a revolutionary discovery, one of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medical history. In the spring of 1922, Toronto researchers Frederick Banting, Charles Best, J.B. Collip and their supervisor, J.J.R. Macleod announced that they have discovered insulin. Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, was a dreadful disease when severe and also had the ability to affect children. In the 1920s, over a million people across North America had diabetes. At that time, no one knew what the cause of this disease was or how to treat it. It has been known about for centuries but it was only at the end of the 19th century that people truly understood it. Although some scientist has given up by the 1920s, a team at the University of Toronto began trying a new experimental approach suggested by Dr. Frederick Banting in the summer of 1921. While researching, he discovered that the pancreas produces insulin which was an essential hormone that converts sugar into energy. In 1920, he developed the idea that the pancreas had digestive juices that were harmful to the secretion of them. He then wanted to stop the nourishment flows to the pancreas to see what happens. He thought the cells would be able to produce an anti-diabetic juice that could be taken out of the pancreas without being harmed. He took this idea to John Maceload, a professor and he provided him with a laboratory with equipment and ten dogs. On his first test he removed the pancreas from a dog, who later developed diabetes. They froze a pancreas, later they grounded and filtered it. The product was called ‘insletin’. He then gave this to a diabetic dog, whose blood sugar dropped and seemed healthier and stronger. He realized that if he could isolate the hormone in animals, he could use it to inject patients with. In 1922, they tested the injections on a diabetic 14-year-old and the test was a success. In 1923 Frederick Banting and J.J.R.Macleod won Canada it’s first Nobel Prize thanks to their fascinating discovery(Bliss, Michael) for developing insulin. Their discovery has saved the lives of millions of people across the globe and is still a major achievement in the history of Canadian medical research. This was an outstanding Canadian achievement of the decade because it’s now helped save millions of lives. It is significant in our history because it helps people so much on an international level. A discovery that has changed many people’s lives and is still being used today. This was a significant event in history because not only did this discovery help the lives of canadians, but the lives of people around the world. Having said that, Canada has also offered exceptional support during the Second World War. Over the course of the war, a total of more than 1.1 million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the military; approximately 709,000 in the Canadian Army, 200,000 in the Royal Canadian Navy and 250,000 in the Royal Canadian Air Force(Archives Canada). The 232,000 men and 17,000 women in the RCAF during that time operated 86 squadrons, including 47 that were overseas(“Canadian War Museum”). In the summer of 1940, 100 Canadians and hundreds of fighter pilots defended Britain against Germany’s massive air attack(“The Battle of Britain”). Hitler intended to invade Britain after destroying Britain’s air defences and caused what was the largest and most sustained aerial bombing operations(Military History Matters). The Battle of Britain was the first battle in history to be fought exclusively in the air and the Allies were outnumbered by the German Luftwaffe, which was almost twice their size(Stokes, Phil). The Allies could no longer replace the pilots they were losing(“The Battle of Britain”). However, in the end, the Allied forces were able to stop the German air force from dominating the skies over England(March, William). The Royal Canadian Air Force(RCAR) most definitely played a key role in the Allies’ victory(“Canadian War Museum”) and Canada was a good source for Royal Air Force(RAF) to gather recruits for both flying and non-flying positions(March, William). As a result, with the help of Canada and other dominions of the British Empire around the world, Britain was able to obtain a sufficient amount of pilot to keep fighting(March, William). Apart from training pilots, Canada started to produce Hurricane fighters to help defend Britain. The Canadian fighter group 242 was also fairly important in the Battle of Britain (Stokes, Phil). While the British were regrouping, the Canadian fighter group shot down numerous fighter planes and suffered minimal loss(Stokes, Phil). Eventually, Hitler gave up on the attack. Canadian aviation underwent rapid growth after the Battle of Britain and of the 250,000 men and women that served in the RCAF, 17,101 lost their lives.Other Canadian achievements include woman in the wars, and Canada getting its own flag. Firstly, womens have been discriminated for a long time. During World War I, the only work a woman could find in the war was as a nurse behind the front line. In World War II, women were pushed to be accepted into official military service and they were successful. In 1941, the Canadian army, air force, and navy each created a women’s division in response to the demand. While there were still 4,500 women in the medical services at the end of the war, there were 50,000 women in uniform. While they still weren’t sent into front-line combat, that had important work behind the lines. They worked as mechanics, welders, armourers, or workers in armed forces headquarters. Some even worked as radio operators, guiding planes and ships back from battle missions. Even though they weren’t out at war, the women back home still played an important role. They once again proves that they could perform jobs that were previously thought to be a man’s job, and do just as well. In 1939, there were 638,000 women in the Canadian workforce. That number increased to 1,077,000 as the war waged on. Traditionally it had only been unmarried women who worked, but during WW2 it became patriotic for women of all marital statuses to take on jobs. Canadian women are finally allowed to do what men can do, and were successful at it. This is a great achievement because women are finally being recognized for what they are capable of. Also, Canada played an important role in the liberation of the Netherlands. At that time, Netherlands was occupied by Germans. They were suffering with hunger and hardship as German occupiers became more desperate. Around the years 1944 and 1945, Canadians stepped in. From then on, close ties with Netherlands remain. This is a significant moment because it is another example of Canada fighting for peace, doing good in the world and growing as a nation. Next, Canada finally getting its own official flag. It was just another step away from the nations previous dependence on Britain. Up until 1965, Canada had shared an official flag, the Union Jack, with Britain. In June 1964, the Liberals submitted a design for a new flag to Parliament. The design had two blue stripes on either side to represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Many people were not fond of dropping the colour red, as it symbolizes Canada’s ties to Britain, including veterans. After months of controversy, the flag we know today was suggested by an all-party parliamentary committee. It was accepted with a final vote of 63 for and 78 against. The new Canadian flag flew for the first time on February 15th 1965. Another achievement was in 1969. The Official Language Act was passed, officially making Canada a bilingual country. The act guaranteed that all documents, reports, speeches, and pamphlets issued to the public would be written in both English and French. It was recommended by the Bi and Bi Commission. Pierre Trudeau, who was Prime Minister at the time, described bilingualism as the most important issue in French-English relations since the conscription crisis. The Official Languages Act is a significant act in Canadian history as the country’s bilingualism is something many Canadians are now proud of. It is also something we are known for around the world. In conclusion, Canada’s numerous achievements during the 20th century has changed world history. From the remarkable assistance provided to Britain through the convoy system in the First World and the Battle of Britain in the Second World War, to the various technological improvements including that discovery of insulin that has prevented complications that have affected millions of people, Canada has constantly revolutionized the world and will continue to do so. This fact is immutable.