1500 Chinese Emperor Hongzhi makes it a capital offense to go to sea in a ship with more than two masts without special permission. In 1525, officials ordered all large ships destroyed
1854 Donald McKay's Boston yard launches ships such as The Flying Cloud and The Champion of the Seas, the fastest clipper ever built
1914 The outbreak of World War I ends the first great age of globalization, when trade and international investment had boomed
1970 Boeing bets its fortunes on the 747 jumbo jet, which for the first time makes intercontinental air travel accessible to a mass market
1999 Riots at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle signal a backlash against free trade
2001 After arduous negotiations, China joins the WTO, hence integrating its economy into international trading patterns
2006 Dubai Ports World tries to buy 21 U.S. ports from a U.K. firm, but ferocious political and public pressure nixes the deal