The Update that Changed the World



The Update that Changed the World is a major update labeled as 1.7.2 released on October 25, 2013. It added many new features such as a new terrain generator, many new biomes and biome variations, stained glass, red sand, new tree types, new spawn system, new fish and fishing system with rewards, many new flowers, much more customizable options, Nether portals customizable up to 23x23, command blocks in minecarts and new commands.

Development began in one month after 1.6.2 was released. Fourteen development snapshots were released, from to. Several iterations of the launcher have been released during this time period, from 1.2.3 to 1.2.8. Nearer the end of the snapshot cycle for the 1.7.2 update, Mojang focused primarily on fixing bugs, rather than adding new features.

The official name for the update - the Update that Changed the World - was only announced three days prior to the 1.7.2 release on the Minecraft update tumblr (which is viewed in the launcher).

Mojang released the 1.7 pre-release on October 22, 2013, the 1.7.1 pre-release on October 23, and the 1.7.2 pre-release on October 25, shortly before the official release of the update.

Notable features
Notable additions:
 * 11 new biomes
 * Mesa, Mega Taiga, Roofed Forest, Birch Forest, Flower Forest, Savanna, Extreme Hills+, Deep Ocean, and snowless Taiga 
 * See Biomes
 * 20 new technical biomes
 * AMPLIFIED world type
 * 7 new commands
 * New particle effects
 * 6 new achievements
 * 4 new statistics
 * 2 new tree types, wood, planks, slabs, and stairs
 * Acacia (Savanna Biome) and Dark Oak (Roofed Forest biome) trees, wood, planks, slabs, and stairs 
 * See trees for more info.
 * 3 new fish:
 * Salmon, Clownfish, and Pufferfish 
 * See fish for more info.
 * 10 new flowers added as decoration and/or easier-retrievable dye ingredients
 * Roses removed and replaced with poppy 
 * Blue Orchid, Allium, Azure Bluet, Tulips, Oxeye Daisy, Sunflower, Lilac, Rose Bush, and Peony. 
 * See flowers for more info.
 * Potion of Water Breathing
 * Made by brewing a pufferfish with a awkward potion.
 * See fish or Brewing for more info.
 * Stained Glass and Stained Glass Panes
 * Made using a square of 8 glass around a single dye in the middle 
 * See Stained Glass for more info.

Notable changes:
 * Improvements to existing biomes
 * Ocean biomes are smaller and take up less of the world
 * Treasures can be caught by fishing
 * Achievements and statistics are now per world/server
 * Fog is less noticeable on lower render distances
 * Re-added pre-1.6.1 boat controls
 * Weighted pressure plates are no longer limited to items
 * Unbreaking from enchantment tables is no longer limited to tools
 * Hitting a mob with a sword while it is flashing red and inflicting no damage as a result does not decrease the durability of the sword
 * Witches now spawn outside of Witch Huts
 * Render Distance and Max Framerate are now sliders
 * Cave Generation was tweaked, making caves less dense and interconnected.
 * The server list can now be refreshed by pressing F5