FIRE - I think most people would easily list this as one of man's greatest inventions. I think it took thousands of years before it was really put to use. Early on it might have been nice to have warm food but to really keep one warm in winter would have taken an awful lot of time and energy which would have been needed just to obtain food early on. Once the industrial revolution came around and the external combustion engine was invented its true potentional came out.
PLOW - While this one itself didn't change mankind directly and had to wait until the use of farm animals for any serious use. It allowed farmers to feed more than themselves and a few extra people in their immediate vincity. This enabled people to pursue other things besides food such as banking, schooling, the arts and more.
STEAM ENGINE - I'm sure people may disagree on this and say the four stroke gas engine or jet turbines may be more important but I think the steam engine was far more important in our history as these other types of motive power simply replaced or supplemented the steam engine. Early on the simple steam reciprocating engine was used to pump water, generate electricity and allow bigger, more efficient machinery in all aspects of life not to mention making possible coast to coast transportation something we could take for granted. I'm sure history might have been different if the potentional of Hero's steam engine was realized by himself or the later Romans.
ELECTRICITY - What more can I say? The invention of electricity allowed us to see at night (safely), talk to people thousands of miles away and of course invent the electronic computer.
WHEEL - This has to be the most important step in making the world a smaller place to travel not to mention enabling man to carry heavier loads further than before.
I think the Battle of Hastings and Stamford Bridge in 1066 have to be the most important in shaping history and modern civilization both. This ended the Saxon rule of old England ushering in rule by the Norman invaders from France. The name Norman is derived from the meaning Northman, these are descendants of Vikings which conquered this part of France in 911 under Hrolf (Possibly one of my 30th great grandfathers). I would also like to point out how important this is due the fact that Guillaume I "Le Conquberant" De Normandie (Known as William I The Conquerer in English) might very well have been my 25th great grandfather. The Saxons led by King Harold fought two brave battles to defend there rule over England. First sucessfully against King Hardrada of Norway and then unsucessfully against William the Conquerer of Normandy. When King Hardrada's men invaded England from the North King Harold led a fast paced march, over 180 miles in just four days, to meet King Hardrada's invading army and fought at Stamford Bridge. Even though Stamford Bridge was a great victory for the Saxon King Harold it depleted his resources and diverted him away from the larger threat from the William, then Duke of Normandy, whom soon after invaded from the South of England setting the stage for King Harold's eventual downfall at Hastings. Several stories from both sides of this battle at Stamford Bridge tell of a lone Norse soldier who was able to hold off the Saxon defenders from crossing the bridge until finally stabbed from below by a lone Saxon's spear. The actual Battle of Hastings, a mere three weeks later on October 14th 1066, lasted only six hours. King Harold himself was killed when an arrow pierced his eye. Eventually the Saxon defenders tired from their long march and outmatched by Norman Cavalry and Archer's where defeated. During one of the first Norman charges against the Saxon defenders word spread that William had been killed. William then took of his helmet and rode around rallying his troops stating he was still alive and that they would conquer yet! Eventually William's archers and mounted cavalry prevailed against King Harold's infantry which where said to be the best infantry in Europe at that time. It would be several years before Duke William's hold was complete on England and many would suffer from the longbow's wielded by Saxon sympathizers. Eventually William, now King of England, would have the Domesday book made solidying his hold on power after ordering a series of castles to be built around England.
The battle of Teutoburg Forest where Roman troops (consisting of the XVII, XVIII, and XIX legions) led by Quintilas Varus where soundly defeated and massacred by Germans led by Arminius. Arminius had trained in the Roman army and thus knew of their tactics while Varus was more of a lawyer than an actual general. This was more than likely Rome's greatest military defeat ever. Rome suffered a loss of about 10% of its standing army and Germany was plunged into the dark ages without Roman technology for several hundred years. The Romans where led into a marshy area of the forest and brought along their carts and support troops slowing them down even further which made them easy pickings.
TRAFALGAR This famous naval battle foiled any hopes Napoleon may have had of invading England making it possibly one of historys most strategic naval battles.
JUTLAND This was the largest naval battle of the first world war and one of the largest naval battles (with modern ships) ever. Both sides claimed some sort of victory from this battle. The Germans set out to destroy the English while the British where out to stop the Germans from getting too far from their home ports. The Germans where able to sink more British ships but in doing so took serious damage on a lot of their ships. The German Navy never sailed in such large numbers again in this war prefering to use their U-Boats more heavily.
An excellant account of WWI Naval Combat
Midway was the first modern naval combat where the ships never saw each other during combat. Both sides did their fighting with aircraft. This was also the first time since the war of 1812 where American soil was occupied by an enemy (Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians) and the last major offensive by the Japanese navy during WWII. These two islands where seized in an attempt to draw the American Navy's resources away from their main prize of Midway during the main battle.
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