For English 350B last week I prepared a list of the top ten phenomena of the English 17th century, the main criterion being lasting influence on the modern world. I made this list up, and it is surely arguable. Here it is: 

10. Shakespeare
9. Parliamentary democracy
8. The microscope
7. The beaver hat
6. The city (London)
5. Literacy
4. Calculus
3. Paper money
2. The modern self
1. The Atlantic slave trade