We Didn't Start the Fire - Project in Planning

23 Conversations

"It was always burning, since the world's been turning"

The Grand Plan

For those that don't know, Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire' is a brief chronology of the second half of the 20th century. Basically, it is little more than a list of all the major events of that time - see this page for the whole lot.

My plan is to co-ordinate a series of entries on the events here in a project-style manner. Because of assorted copyright legal reasons, we can only reproduce a certain amount of lyrics at once, so a better idea would be to divide the song into twenty sections or so, each one representing a year, and containing half a dozen 'mini-entries'.

What I really need is entry writers. Which is hopefully why you are reading this page right now. Please choose whichever topics you are happy to write about (it would helpful if you informed me of these choices in this thread), and churn me out a handful of paragraphs. Please do not make them too long! I want this project to be snappy and lively, not dull history. The site I've linked to above has the right idea, but his write-ups are perhaps a little bit short.

Find out what has already been spoke for here!

When (if!) you write something, do not put it in PR, but please let me know in this thread. I can then compile all the mini-entries into a couple of dozen big ones.

Alternatively, if there's already a Guide Entry on any of the events, then I would appreciate a link in case I've already overlooked it.

Just to Prove I'm not Slacking Off

I am compiling and (unofficially) Subbing the entries as they become available. See them in all their glory:

Title Page

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964-1989 (Part 1)

1964-1989 (Part 2)

1964-1989 (Part 3)


Bookmark on your Personal Space


Entry

A2083844

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry


Written and Edited by

Disclaimer

h2g2 is created by h2g2's users, who are members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the Not Panicking Ltd. Unlike Edited Entries, Entries have not been checked by an Editor. If you consider any Entry to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please register a complaint. For any other comments, please visit the Feedback page.

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more