Human Civilization
13000 to 8000 BC
The Last Neolithic Societies
The Natufians were the first sedentary people despite the lack of developed agriculture (Image: Mortar and pestle from Nahal Oren, Natufian, 12,500–9500 BC).
12000 to 11000 BC
Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe (Turkey) is the oldest megalithic construction identified yet. At a time where most human groups had around 25 members, this structure contains over 200 pillars measuring..Read More
11000 to 9500 BC
Agriculture and Farming
In the final part of the Stone Age, farming is adopted around the world. Pigs, goats and sheep are domesticated around 11 000 BC, and founder crops (emmer..Read More
6000 to 5000 BC
Birth of Metallurgy
The first traces of extractive metallurgy (copper smelting) were found between 6000 and 5000 BC in Serbia. These practices would usher in the Bronze Age a few millenia..Read More
4000 BC
Sumer, Writing and the Wheel
By 4000 BC, Sumer has a dozen city-states in what is now southern Iraq. Along with complex society comes administration and, concurrently, the first form of writing (Cuneiform)...Read More
3300 BC
The Bronze Age
The combination of copper and tin (or other metals like arsenic) creates bronze – a stronger metal than those previously available. Technological and cultural progress rode upon this,..Read More
800 to 300 BC
the Axial Age
After the Bronze Age, many empires collapsed and started the rebuilding process. The Axial Age saw the birth of Confucianism in Asia, Buddhism and Jainism in India, Jewish..Read More
First Century AD
Spread of Christianity
After Jesus is crucified, his apostles and followers spread the word across Europe, the Middle East and Eurasia. They are persecuted until the Roman emperor Constantine the Great..Read More
9th to 13th Century
The Islamic Golden Age
After its foundation in the 7th century, Islam’s Golden Age began around the year 800. This ushered in an era of scientific advancement, including progress in astronomy and..Read More
13th Century
The Mongol Invasion
The Mongol Empire spread by conquest during the 13th century, culminating in around 1300. It was one of the deadliest episodes in history, and helped the bubonic plague..Read More
14th Century
The Black Plague
The Black Death (bubonic plague) reached Europe in the early 1300s due to the Mongol Invasion. It killed 75 to 200 million people between 1347 and 1350 alone.
1436-1450
The Invention of the Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg was a German blacksmith, goldsmith and inventor who created the first printing press that applied pressure to an inked surface on text that rested upon a..Read More
15th to 17th Century
The Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, as seen from a Europe-centrist view, refers to the period in which maritime exploration went further than ever before. This led to the birth..Read More
1500 - 1776
The Renaissance
The Renaissance saw the birth of humanism and diplomacy, eventually leading to the Enlightenment philosophies. Men like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo give birth to the term..Read More
17th to 19th Century
Age of Enlightenment
Renaissance Humanism brings about an intellectual movement based on the sovereignty of reason and the separation of Church from State. Monarchy and the clergy are undermined, ultimately paving..Read More
1796
First Vaccination
Edward Jenner develops the vaccine against smallpox.
Late 18th to Early 19th Century
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain. Factories, mechanisation, mass production and the steam engine would change the world, but lead to an acceleration in environmental damage.
Late 19th to Early 20th Century
Post-Industrial Revolution Progress
After the Industrial Revolution, scientific and technological progress saw rapid advancements. Electricity was integrated into infrastructure in the late 19th century. Shortly after came the telephone and the..Read More
1914-1918
World War I
The first World War saw the collapse of the European Empires of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia and the Ottoman. The British and French kingdoms were severely weakened. This splintering..Read More
1928
Discovery of Penicillin
Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first mould-derived antibiotic molecule. This was the silver bullet to many previously incurable bacterial infections.
1940 - 1945
World War II and the Atomic Bomb
The second World War prompted the first and hopefully last use of two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
1950 - 1960
The Green Revolution
The Green Revolution saw the introduction of mechanisation and chemical fertilisers in agriculture, greatly increasing yields but creating unsustainable practices and damaging the environment.
1955 - 1975
The Space Race
The post World War II order gave way to the Cold War, a contest for global influence between Russia and the US. A hallmark of this rivalry was..Read More
1960
The Contraceptive Pill
One of the most overlooked yet important breakthroughs in human history is the contraceptive pill, allowing woman to take a more active role in their reproductive health.
1980
The GPS
The Global Positioning System, provided by US-developed and owned satellites, helps the world to navigate on a daily basis.
1982 - 1995
The Internet
Early internet technology was developed in the 1960s, and rudimentary versions were expanding in the early 1980s. The development of semi-conductors allowed for further enhancement. The internet as..Read More
