Timeline of environmental events
Encyclopedia
The timeline lists geological, astronomical, and climatological events in relation to events in human history which they influenced. For the history of humanity's perspective on these events, see timeline of the history of environmentalism. See List of periods and events in climate history for a timeline list focused on climate.
0 seconds
10 ^ -43 s
10 ^ -36 s
10 ^ - 32 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -6 s
10 s
180 s
1200 s
13.8 Ga
13.6 Ga
13.5 Ga
13.0 Ga
12.7 Ga
3.8 Ga
3.6 Ga
3.0 Ga
2.7 Ga
2.4 Ga
2.1 Ga
1.8 Ga
1.5 Ga
1.1 Ga
800 Ma
750 Ma
635 Ma
540 Ma
590 Ma
530 Ma
505 Ma
500 Ma
475 Ma
450 Ma
420 Ma
418 Ma
360 Ma
260 Ma
150 Ma
130 Ma
125 Ma
100 Ma
56 Ma
40 Ma
30 Ma
28 Ma
8.0 Ma
5.8 Ma
5.0 Ma
3.0 Ma
1.650 Ma
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
and the Holocene climatic optimum
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
, Paleolithic
, Stone age
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
The timeline lists geological, astronomical, and climatological events in relation to events in human history which they influenced. For the history of humanity's perspective on these events, see timeline of the history of environmentalism. See List of periods and events in climate history for a timeline list focused on climate.
0 seconds
10 ^ -43 s
10 ^ -36 s
10 ^ - 32 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -6 s
10 s
180 s
1200 s
13.8 Ga
13.6 Ga
13.5 Ga
13.0 Ga
12.7 Ga
3.8 Ga
3.6 Ga
3.0 Ga
2.7 Ga
2.4 Ga
2.1 Ga
1.8 Ga
1.5 Ga
1.1 Ga
800 Ma
750 Ma
635 Ma
540 Ma
590 Ma
530 Ma
505 Ma
500 Ma
475 Ma
450 Ma
420 Ma
418 Ma
360 Ma
260 Ma
150 Ma
130 Ma
125 Ma
100 Ma
56 Ma
40 Ma
30 Ma
28 Ma
8.0 Ma
5.8 Ma
5.0 Ma
3.0 Ma
1.650 Ma
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
and the Holocene climatic optimum
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
, Paleolithic
, Stone age
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 2,588,000 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Pleistocene
era
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 21,000 BC
|Recent evidence indicates that humans processed (gathered) and consumed wild cereal grains as far back as 23,000 years ago.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 19,000 BC
|Last Glacial Maximum
/sea-level minimum
|-
|c. 20,000 BC
|c. 12,150 BC
|Mesolithic 1
period
|-
|c. 17,000 BC
|c. 13,000 BC
|Oldest Dryas
stadial
(cool period) during the last Ice age
/glaciation in Europe
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 13,000 BC
|Beginning of the Holocene extinction. Earliest evidence of warfare
|-
|c. 12,670 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Bølling oscillation
interstadial (warm and moist period) between the Oldest Dryas
and Older Dryas
stadials (cool periods) at the end of the Last glacial period. In places where the Older Dryas was not seen, it is known as the Bølling-Allerød
.
|-
|c. 12,340 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Cemetery 117
: site of the world's first battle/war.
|-
|c. 12,500 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Natufian culture
begins minor agriculture
|-
|c. 12,150 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Mesolithic 2
(Natufian culture
), some sources have Mesolithic 2 ending at 9500 BC
|-
|c. 12,000 BC
|c. 11,700 BC
|Older Dryas
stadial (cool period)
|-
|c. 11,700 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Allerød oscillation
|-
|c. 13,000 BC
|c. 11,000 BC
|Lake Agassiz
forms from glacial meltwater, floods through the Mackenzie River
into the Arctic Ocean
at 11,000 BC, possibly causing the Younger Dryas
cold period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,900 BC (calibrated) or
c. 8900 BC (non-calibrated)
|Younger Dryas impact event suspected at either of these dates.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,800 BC
|Younger Dryas
cold period begins.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9700 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9660 to c. 9600 BC
|Younger Dryas
cold period ends. Pleistocene
ends and Holocene
begins. Large amounts of previously glaciated land become habitable again. Some sources place the Younger Dryas as stretching from 10,800 BC to 9500 BC. This cool period
was possibly caused by a shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation
(Gulf Stream
/Jet Stream
), due to flooding from Lake Agassiz as it reformed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9500 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9000 BC
|First stone structures at Jericho
built.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8500 BC to 7370
|Jericho
is established as one of the oldest cities in the world sometime between 8500 BC and 7370 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 7900 BC
|c. 7700 BC
|Lake Agassiz
refills from glacial melt-water around 7900 BC as Glaciers retreat north
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7640 BC
|Date theorized for impact of Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
with Earth
and associated global cataclysm
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7500 BC
|
|-
|7500-7000 BC
|3500-3000 BC
|Neolithic Subpluvial
begins in northern Africa, Mesolithic
period ends. Until about 5000 BC, the Sahara desert is substantially wetter than today, comparable to a savannah
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6600 BC
|Jiahu symbols
, carved on tortoise shells in Jiahu
, Northern China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6500 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c.6440±25 BC
|Kurile volcano on Russia
's Kamchatka Peninsula
has VEI 7 eruption. It is one of the largest of the Holocene
epoch
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6400 BC
|Lake Agassiz drains into oceans for the final time, leaving Lakes Manitoba
, Winnipeg
, Winnipegosis
, and Lake of the Woods
, among others in the region, as its remnants. The draining may have caused the 8.2 kiloyear event, 200 years later
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6200 BC
|8.2 kiloyear event
, a sudden significant cooling episode
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6100 BC
|The Storegga Slide
, causing a megatsunami
in the Norwegian Sea
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5600 BC
|According to the Black Sea deluge theory
, the Black Sea
floods with salt water. Some 3000 cubic miles (12,500 km³) of salt water is added, significantly expanding it and transforming it from a fresh-water landlocked lake into a salt water sea.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5500 BC
|Beginning of the desertification
of north Africa, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Sahara
desert from land that was previously savannah
, though is still wetter than today. It's possible this process pushed people in the area into migrating to the region of the Nile
in the east, thereby laying the groundwork for the rise of Egyptian civilization
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5300 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 4570 BC
|c. 4250 BC
|Merimde
culture on the Nile River
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|4400 BC
|Predynastic Egypt
and Uruk period
begins in Mesopotamia
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3900 BC
|
|-
|3600 BC
|2800 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3500 BC to 3000 BC
|end of the Neolithic Subpluvial
era, return of extremely hot and dry conditions in the Sahara Desert, hastened by the 5.9 kiloyear event
.
|-
|3100 BC
|2686 BC
|Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
. The hallmarks of Ancient Egypt
(art
, architecture
, religion) all formed during this period. This is widely assumed to be the time and place of the first writing system, the Egyptian hieroglyphs
(date is disputed, some claim they were used as far back as 3200 BC, while others believe they weren't invented until the 28th century BC
).
|-
|3200 BC
|3000 BC
|Protodynastic Period of Egypt
|-
|colspan="2"|between 3000 BC and 2800 BC
|30 km/19 mi-wide Burckle Crater
is formed in Indian Ocean
from a possible meteor or comet impact, possibly inspiring most flood myths.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 30th century BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2900 BC
|Floods at Shuruppak
from horizon to horizon, with sediments in Southern Iraq, stretching as far north as Kish
, and as far south as Uruk
, associated with the return of heavy rains in Nineveh
and a potential damming of the Karun River to run into the Tigris River. This ends the Jemdet Nasr period
and ushers in the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia
cultures of the area. Possible association of this event with the Biblical deluge
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2880 BC
|Germination
of Prometheus
(a bristlecone pine
of the species Pinus longaeva), formerly the world's oldest known non-clonal
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2832 BC
|Germination
of Methuselah
(a bristlecone pine
of the species Pinus longaeva), currently the world's oldest known non-clonal
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2807 BC
|Suggested date for an asteroid or comet impact occurring between Africa and Antarctica, around the time of a solar eclipse on May 10, based on an analysis of flood stories. Possibly causing the Burckle crater
and Fenambosy Chevron
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2650 BC
|
|-
|c. 2630 BC
|1815 BC
|Construction of the Egyptian pyramids
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2500 BC
|Sahara becomes fully desiccated, and conditions become largely identical to those of today. Desiccation
had been proceeding from 7500-6000 BCE, as a result of the shift in the West African tropical monsoon
belt southwards from the Sahel
, and intensified by the 5.9 kiloyear event
. Subsequent rates of evaporation in the region led to a drying of the Sahara, as shown by the drop in water levels in Lake Chad
. Tehenu of the Sahara attempt to enter into Egypt, and there is evidence of a Nile drought in the pyramid
of Unas
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2300 BC
|Neolithic
period ends in China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2200 BC
|Beginning of a severe centennial-scale drought
in northern Africa, southwestern Asia and midcontinental North America, which very likely caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom
in Egypt as well as the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia
. This coincides with the transition from the Subboreal period to the subatlantic period.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21st century BC
|construction of the Ziggurat of Ur
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900 BC
|The Atra-Hasis
Epic describes Babylonian flood, with warnings of the consequences
of human overpopulation
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600 BC
|Minoan eruption destroys much of Santorini
island, and decimates the Minoan civilization
on Crete
. This may have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1450 BC
|Minoan civilization
in the Mediterranean declines, but scholars are divided on the cause. Possibly a volcanic eruption was the source of the catastrophe (see Minoan eruption). On the other hand, gradual deforestation
may have led to materials shortages in manufacturing and shipping. Loss of timber and subsequent deterioration of its land was probably a factor in the decline of Minoan power in the late Bronze Age
, according to John Perlin in A Forest Journey.
|-
|1206 BC
|1187 BC
|Evidence of major droughts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hittite and Ugarit records show requests for grain were sent to Egypt, probably during the reign of Pharaoh Merenptah. Carpenter has suggested that droughts of equal severity to those of the 1950s
in Greece, would have been sufficient to cause the Late Bronze Age collapse
. The cause may have been a temporary diversion of winter storms north of the Pyrenees and Alps. Central Europe experienced generally wetter conditions, while those in the Eastern Mediterranean were substantially drier. There seems to have been a general abandonment of peasant subsistence agriculture in favour of nomadic pastoralism in Central Anatolia, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Sinai and NW Arabia.
|-
|c. 2000 BC
|c. 1000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|rowspan="2"|800 BC
|500 BC
|
|-
|200 BC
|Axial age
, a revolution in thinking that we know as Philosophy, begins in China, India, and Europe, with people such as Socrates
, Plato
, Homer
, Lao Tzu, Confucius
, among others, alive at this time.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|753 BC
|Ancient Rome
begins, with the founding of Rome
. This marks the beginning of Classical antiquity
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|508 BC
|Democracy
created in Athens
, Ancient Greece
|-
|356 BC
|323 BC
|Alexander the Great
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 225 BC
|The Sub-Atlantic period began about 225 BCE (estimated on the basis of radiocarbon dating) and has been characterized by increased rainfall, cooler and more humid climates, and the dominance of beech forests. The fauna of the Sub-Atlantic is essentially modern although severely depleted by human activities. The Sub-Atlantic is correlated with pollen zone IX; sea levels have been generally regressive during this time interval, though North America is an exception.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 200 BC
|Sri Lanka
first country in the world to have a nature reserve, King Devanampiyatissa
established a wildlife sanctuary
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|79 AD
|Mount Vesuvius
erupts, burying Pompeii
and Herculaneum
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|114
|117
|Rome reaches its greatest expanse in terms of territory, stretching from the Sahara desert, to England and Belgium, along the Danube River and Black Sea
to Mesopotamia
and modern-day Kuwait
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|186
|Hatepe eruption
in New Zealand turns the skies red over Rome and China.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 300
|Migration period
begins. This leads in a couple of centuries to the fall of Rome.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|301
|San Marino
founded, claims to be the world's oldest republic
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 450
|Malaria epidemic
in Italy
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|476
|Fall of Rome, end of the Western Roman Empire
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| 535
| 536
|535-536
: global climate abnormalities affecting several civilizations.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 850
|Severe drought exacerbated by soil erosion
causes collapse of Central American city states and the end of the Classic Maya civilization
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|874
|According to Landnámabók
, the settlement of Iceland
begins.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|930
|Althing
, oldest parliament
ary institution in the world that is still in existence, is founded
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|980s
|Greenland settled by Viking
colonists from Iceland
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|985
|1080
|Norse Colony at L'Anse aux Meadows
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1006
|SN 1006
supernova, brightest apparent magnitude
stellar event in recorded history (-7.5 visual magnitude)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1054
|SN 1054
supernova, created the Crab Nebula
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1099
|The Hodh Ech Chargui
and Hodh El Gharbi
Regions
of southern Mauritania
become desert.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1104
|Venice Arsenal in Venice
, Italy
is founded, employed 16,000 at its peak for the mass production
of sailing ships in large assembly lines, hundreds of years before the industrial revolution
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1150
|Renaissance of the 12th century
in Europe, blast furnace
for the smelting of cast iron
is imported from China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1185
|First record of windmill
s in Europe
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 1250
|c. 1850
|Start of the Little Ice Age
, a stadial
period within our interglacial
warm period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|end of the 13th century
|beginning of the Renaissance
era in Italy
, gradually spreads throughout Europe.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1315
|1317
|Great Famine of 1315–1317
(Europe)
|-
|1347
|1350s
|Bubonic plague
decimates Europe, creating the first attempts to enforce public health and quarantine laws.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1350
|Western Settlement
in Greenland abandoned, possibly due to the deteriorating climate caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1408
|last known recording (a wedding) of Norse settlers in Greenland
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1453
|Eruption of Kuwae
in Pacific contributes to fall of Constantinople
. Environmental Science is developed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1492
|Christopher Columbus
lands in Caribbean islands, starting the Columbian Exchange
, causing the Aztec Empire and Inca Empire
to fall to the Spanish in the next century, as well as bringing various species of animals and plants across the Atlantic Ocean.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1585
|1587
|Roanoke Colony
, now in North Carolina
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|End of the 16th century
|End of the Renaissance era, gradual transition towards the Baroque
, Romantic, Enlightenment
, and Modern eras.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600
|Huaynaputina
erupts in South America. The explosion had effects on climate around the Northern Hemisphere
(Southern hemispheric records are less complete), where 1601 was the coldest year in six centuries, leading to a famine in Russia; see Russian famine of 1601–1603
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 1750
|Beginning of Industrial Revolution
, which eventually turns to use of coal
and other fossil fuel
s to drive steam engine
s and other devices. Anthropogenic carbon pollution presumably increases.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1783
|the volcano Laki
erupts, emitting sufficient sulfur dioxide
gas and sulphate particles to kill a majority of Iceland
's livestock and cause an unusually cold winter in Europe and Western Asia.
|-
|1789
|1793
|a recent study of El Niño patterns suggests that the French Revolution
was caused in part by the poor crop yields of 1788-89 in Europe, resulting from an unusually strong El-Niño effect between 1789-93.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1796
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1798
|Thomas Robert Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population
, thus beginning Malthusian economics.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1815
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1816
|
|-
|1845
|1857
|European Potato Famine
s cause crop failures in both Ireland
(the Great Famine) and Scotland
(the Highland Potato Famine).
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1872
|Yellowstone National Park
, the world's first national park
, opens on March 1.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1883
|Eruption of Krakatoa
in Indonesia. The sound of the explosion is heard as far as Australia and China, the altered air waves causes strange colours on the sky and the volcanic gases reduce global temperatures during the following years. The vivid sunsets were captured in Edward Munch's The Scream
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900
|The Galveston Hurricane of 1900
hits Galveston, Texas
and reverses the city's previously rapid growth.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1906
|San Francisco earthquake causes collapse of insurance markets and the Panic of 1907
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1908
|Tunguska Explosion decimates a remote part of Siberia
|-
|1914
|1918
|World War I
, which involves heavy bombardment, explosions, and poison gas warfare.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1918
|Spanish Flu
kills between 50 to 100 million people worldwide shortly after World War I
.
|-
|1932
|1937
|Exceptional precipitation absence in northern hemisphere exacerbated by human activities causes the Dust Bowl
drought of the US plains and the Soviet famine of 1932-1933
(harsh economic damage in US and widespread death in USSR)
|-
|1937
|1945
|Pacific War
and World War II
, with heavy bombardment, genocide, and explosions. Towards the end of the war, nuclear warfare
occurs for the first time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki are bombed
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|post-1945
|Nuclear tests are performed by the United States
, Soviet Union
, India
, Pakistan
, China
, North Korea
, the United Kingdom
, and France
. Above-ground detonations continue until the Partial Test Ban Treaty
is signed in 1963, causing fallout
and spreading radiation around the explosion sites.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1957
|Sputnik is launched, becomes first man-made object to orbit the earth, and triggers the Space Race
between the United States
and USSR, culminating with the First man in space
in 1961, and the Moon landing
, humanity's first ventures to the Moon in 1969
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1960
|World human population reached 3 billion mark.
|-
|1970s
|2010s
|Deindustrialization
occurs in the Midwest and then much of the United States
, as manufacturing industries (and their pollution) move to China
, India
, and other countries.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1980
|Mount St. Helens
erupts explosively in Washington state.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1984
|Bhopal disaster
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1986
|Chernobyl
meltdown and explosion, contaminating surrounding area, including Pripyat.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1987
|World human population reached 5 billion mark.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1999
|World human population reached the 6 billion mark.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
The timeline lists geological, astronomical, and climatological events in relation to events in human history which they influenced. For the history of humanity's perspective on these events, see timeline of the history of environmentalism. See List of periods and events in climate history for a timeline list focused on climate.
0 seconds
10 ^ -43 s
10 ^ -36 s
10 ^ - 32 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -12 s
10 ^ -6 s
10 s
180 s
1200 s
13.8 Ga
13.6 Ga
13.5 Ga
13.0 Ga
12.7 Ga
3.8 Ga
3.6 Ga
3.0 Ga
2.7 Ga
2.4 Ga
2.1 Ga
1.8 Ga
1.5 Ga
1.1 Ga
800 Ma
750 Ma
635 Ma
540 Ma
590 Ma
530 Ma
505 Ma
500 Ma
475 Ma
450 Ma
420 Ma
418 Ma
360 Ma
260 Ma
150 Ma
130 Ma
125 Ma
100 Ma
56 Ma
40 Ma
30 Ma
28 Ma
8.0 Ma
5.8 Ma
5.0 Ma
3.0 Ma
1.650 Ma
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
and the Holocene climatic optimum
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
, Paleolithic
, Stone age
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 2,588,000 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Pleistocene
era
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 21,000 BC
|Recent evidence indicates that humans processed (gathered) and consumed wild cereal grains as far back as 23,000 years ago.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 19,000 BC
|Last Glacial Maximum
/sea-level minimum
|-
|c. 20,000 BC
|c. 12,150 BC
|Mesolithic 1
period
|-
|c. 17,000 BC
|c. 13,000 BC
|Oldest Dryas
stadial
(cool period) during the last Ice age
/glaciation in Europe
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 13,000 BC
|Beginning of the Holocene extinction. Earliest evidence of warfare
|-
|c. 12,670 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Bølling oscillation
interstadial (warm and moist period) between the Oldest Dryas
and Older Dryas
stadials (cool periods) at the end of the Last glacial period. In places where the Older Dryas was not seen, it is known as the Bølling-Allerød
.
|-
|c. 12,340 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Cemetery 117
: site of the world's first battle/war.
|-
|c. 12,500 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Natufian culture
begins minor agriculture
|-
|c. 12,150 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Mesolithic 2
(Natufian culture
), some sources have Mesolithic 2 ending at 9500 BC
|-
|c. 12,000 BC
|c. 11,700 BC
|Older Dryas
stadial (cool period)
|-
|c. 11,700 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Allerød oscillation
|-
|c. 13,000 BC
|c. 11,000 BC
|Lake Agassiz
forms from glacial meltwater, floods through the Mackenzie River
into the Arctic Ocean
at 11,000 BC, possibly causing the Younger Dryas
cold period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,900 BC (calibrated) or
c. 8900 BC (non-calibrated)
|Younger Dryas impact event suspected at either of these dates.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,800 BC
|Younger Dryas
cold period begins.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9700 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9660 to c. 9600 BC
|Younger Dryas
cold period ends. Pleistocene
ends and Holocene
begins. Large amounts of previously glaciated land become habitable again. Some sources place the Younger Dryas as stretching from 10,800 BC to 9500 BC. This cool period
was possibly caused by a shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation
(Gulf Stream
/Jet Stream
), due to flooding from Lake Agassiz as it reformed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9500 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9000 BC
|First stone structures at Jericho
built.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8500 BC to 7370
|Jericho
is established as one of the oldest cities in the world sometime between 8500 BC and 7370 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 7900 BC
|c. 7700 BC
|Lake Agassiz
refills from glacial melt-water around 7900 BC as Glaciers retreat north
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7640 BC
|Date theorized for impact of Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
with Earth
and associated global cataclysm
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7500 BC
|
|-
|7500-7000 BC
|3500-3000 BC
|Neolithic Subpluvial
begins in northern Africa, Mesolithic
period ends. Until about 5000 BC, the Sahara desert is substantially wetter than today, comparable to a savannah
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6600 BC
|Jiahu symbols
, carved on tortoise shells in Jiahu
, Northern China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6500 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c.6440±25 BC
|Kurile volcano on Russia
's Kamchatka Peninsula
has VEI 7 eruption. It is one of the largest of the Holocene
epoch
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6400 BC
|Lake Agassiz drains into oceans for the final time, leaving Lakes Manitoba
, Winnipeg
, Winnipegosis
, and Lake of the Woods
, among others in the region, as its remnants. The draining may have caused the 8.2 kiloyear event, 200 years later
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6200 BC
|8.2 kiloyear event
, a sudden significant cooling episode
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6100 BC
|The Storegga Slide
, causing a megatsunami
in the Norwegian Sea
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5600 BC
|According to the Black Sea deluge theory
, the Black Sea
floods with salt water. Some 3000 cubic miles (12,500 km³) of salt water is added, significantly expanding it and transforming it from a fresh-water landlocked lake into a salt water sea.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5500 BC
|Beginning of the desertification
of north Africa, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Sahara
desert from land that was previously savannah
, though is still wetter than today. It's possible this process pushed people in the area into migrating to the region of the Nile
in the east, thereby laying the groundwork for the rise of Egyptian civilization
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5300 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 4570 BC
|c. 4250 BC
|Merimde
culture on the Nile River
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|4400 BC
|Predynastic Egypt
and Uruk period
begins in Mesopotamia
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3900 BC
|
|-
|3600 BC
|2800 BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3500 BC to 3000 BC
|end of the Neolithic Subpluvial
era, return of extremely hot and dry conditions in the Sahara Desert, hastened by the 5.9 kiloyear event
.
|-
|3100 BC
|2686 BC
|Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
. The hallmarks of Ancient Egypt
(art
, architecture
, religion) all formed during this period. This is widely assumed to be the time and place of the first writing system, the Egyptian hieroglyphs
(date is disputed, some claim they were used as far back as 3200 BC, while others believe they weren't invented until the 28th century BC
).
|-
|3200 BC
|3000 BC
|Protodynastic Period of Egypt
|-
|colspan="2"|between 3000 BC and 2800 BC
|30 km/19 mi-wide Burckle Crater
is formed in Indian Ocean
from a possible meteor or comet impact, possibly inspiring most flood myths.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 30th century BC
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2900 BC
|Floods at Shuruppak
from horizon to horizon, with sediments in Southern Iraq, stretching as far north as Kish
, and as far south as Uruk
, associated with the return of heavy rains in Nineveh
and a potential damming of the Karun River to run into the Tigris River. This ends the Jemdet Nasr period
and ushers in the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia
cultures of the area. Possible association of this event with the Biblical deluge
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2880 BC
|Germination
of Prometheus
(a bristlecone pine
of the species Pinus longaeva), formerly the world's oldest known non-clonal
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2832 BC
|Germination
of Methuselah
(a bristlecone pine
of the species Pinus longaeva), currently the world's oldest known non-clonal
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2807 BC
|Suggested date for an asteroid or comet impact occurring between Africa and Antarctica, around the time of a solar eclipse on May 10, based on an analysis of flood stories. Possibly causing the Burckle crater
and Fenambosy Chevron
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2650 BC
|
|-
|c. 2630 BC
|1815 BC
|Construction of the Egyptian pyramids
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2500 BC
|Sahara becomes fully desiccated, and conditions become largely identical to those of today. Desiccation
had been proceeding from 7500-6000 BCE, as a result of the shift in the West African tropical monsoon
belt southwards from the Sahel
, and intensified by the 5.9 kiloyear event
. Subsequent rates of evaporation in the region led to a drying of the Sahara, as shown by the drop in water levels in Lake Chad
. Tehenu of the Sahara attempt to enter into Egypt, and there is evidence of a Nile drought in the pyramid
of Unas
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2300 BC
|Neolithic
period ends in China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2200 BC
|Beginning of a severe centennial-scale drought
in northern Africa, southwestern Asia and midcontinental North America, which very likely caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom
in Egypt as well as the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia
. This coincides with the transition from the Subboreal period to the subatlantic period.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21st century BC
|construction of the Ziggurat of Ur
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900 BC
|The Atra-Hasis
Epic describes Babylonian flood, with warnings of the consequences
of human overpopulation
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600 BC
|Minoan eruption destroys much of Santorini
island, and decimates the Minoan civilization
on Crete
. This may have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1450 BC
|Minoan civilization
in the Mediterranean declines, but scholars are divided on the cause. Possibly a volcanic eruption was the source of the catastrophe (see Minoan eruption). On the other hand, gradual deforestation
may have led to materials shortages in manufacturing and shipping. Loss of timber and subsequent deterioration of its land was probably a factor in the decline of Minoan power in the late Bronze Age
, according to John Perlin in A Forest Journey.
|-
|1206 BC
|1187 BC
|Evidence of major droughts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hittite and Ugarit records show requests for grain were sent to Egypt, probably during the reign of Pharaoh Merenptah. Carpenter has suggested that droughts of equal severity to those of the 1950s
in Greece, would have been sufficient to cause the Late Bronze Age collapse
. The cause may have been a temporary diversion of winter storms north of the Pyrenees and Alps. Central Europe experienced generally wetter conditions, while those in the Eastern Mediterranean were substantially drier. There seems to have been a general abandonment of peasant subsistence agriculture in favour of nomadic pastoralism in Central Anatolia, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Sinai and NW Arabia.
|-
|c. 2000 BC
|c. 1000 BC
|
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|rowspan="2"|800 BC
|500 BC
|
|-
|200 BC
|Axial age
, a revolution in thinking that we know as Philosophy, begins in China, India, and Europe, with people such as Socrates
, Plato
, Homer
, Lao Tzu, Confucius
, among others, alive at this time.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|753 BC
|Ancient Rome
begins, with the founding of Rome
. This marks the beginning of Classical antiquity
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|508 BC
|Democracy
created in Athens
, Ancient Greece
|-
|356 BC
|323 BC
|Alexander the Great
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 225 BC
|The Sub-Atlantic period began about 225 BCE (estimated on the basis of radiocarbon dating) and has been characterized by increased rainfall, cooler and more humid climates, and the dominance of beech forests. The fauna of the Sub-Atlantic is essentially modern although severely depleted by human activities. The Sub-Atlantic is correlated with pollen zone IX; sea levels have been generally regressive during this time interval, though North America is an exception.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 200 BC
|Sri Lanka
first country in the world to have a nature reserve, King Devanampiyatissa
established a wildlife sanctuary
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|79 AD
|Mount Vesuvius
erupts, burying Pompeii
and Herculaneum
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|114
|117
|Rome reaches its greatest expanse in terms of territory, stretching from the Sahara desert, to England and Belgium, along the Danube River and Black Sea
to Mesopotamia
and modern-day Kuwait
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|186
|Hatepe eruption
in New Zealand turns the skies red over Rome and China.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 300
|Migration period
begins. This leads in a couple of centuries to the fall of Rome.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|301
|San Marino
founded, claims to be the world's oldest republic
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 450
|Malaria epidemic
in Italy
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|476
|Fall of Rome, end of the Western Roman Empire
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| 535
| 536
|535-536
: global climate abnormalities affecting several civilizations.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 850
|Severe drought exacerbated by soil erosion
causes collapse of Central American city states and the end of the Classic Maya civilization
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|874
|According to Landnámabók
, the settlement of Iceland
begins.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|930
|Althing
, oldest parliament
ary institution in the world that is still in existence, is founded
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|980s
|Greenland settled by Viking
colonists from Iceland
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|985
|1080
|Norse Colony at L'Anse aux Meadows
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1006
|SN 1006
supernova, brightest apparent magnitude
stellar event in recorded history (-7.5 visual magnitude)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1054
|SN 1054
supernova, created the Crab Nebula
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1099
|The Hodh Ech Chargui
and Hodh El Gharbi
Regions
of southern Mauritania
become desert.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1104
|Venice Arsenal in Venice
, Italy
is founded, employed 16,000 at its peak for the mass production
of sailing ships in large assembly lines, hundreds of years before the industrial revolution
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1150
|Renaissance of the 12th century
in Europe, blast furnace
for the smelting of cast iron
is imported from China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1185
|First record of windmill
s in Europe
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 1250
|c. 1850
|Start of the Little Ice Age
, a stadial
period within our interglacial
warm period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|end of the 13th century
|beginning of the Renaissance
era in Italy
, gradually spreads throughout Europe.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1315
|1317
|Great Famine of 1315–1317
(Europe)
|-
|1347
|1350s
|Bubonic plague
decimates Europe, creating the first attempts to enforce public health and quarantine laws.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1350
|Western Settlement
in Greenland abandoned, possibly due to the deteriorating climate caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1408
|last known recording (a wedding) of Norse settlers in Greenland
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1453
|Eruption of Kuwae
in Pacific contributes to fall of Constantinople
. Environmental Science is developed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1492
|Christopher Columbus
lands in Caribbean islands, starting the Columbian Exchange
, causing the Aztec Empire and Inca Empire
to fall to the Spanish in the next century, as well as bringing various species of animals and plants across the Atlantic Ocean.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1585
|1587
|Roanoke Colony
, now in North Carolina
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|End of the 16th century
|End of the Renaissance era, gradual transition towards the Baroque
, Romantic, Enlightenment
, and Modern eras.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600
|Huaynaputina
erupts in South America. The explosion had effects on climate around the Northern Hemisphere
(Southern hemispheric records are less complete), where 1601 was the coldest year in six centuries, leading to a famine in Russia; see Russian famine of 1601–1603
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 1750
|Beginning of Industrial Revolution
, which eventually turns to use of coal
and other fossil fuel
s to drive steam engine
s and other devices. Anthropogenic carbon pollution presumably increases.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1783
|the volcano Laki
erupts, emitting sufficient sulfur dioxide
gas and sulphate particles to kill a majority of Iceland
's livestock and cause an unusually cold winter in Europe and Western Asia.
|-
|1789
|1793
|a recent study of El Niño patterns suggests that the French Revolution
was caused in part by the poor crop yields of 1788-89 in Europe, resulting from an unusually strong El-Niño effect between 1789-93.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1796
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1798
|Thomas Robert Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population
, thus beginning Malthusian economics.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1815
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1816
|
|-
|1845
|1857
|European Potato Famine
s cause crop failures in both Ireland
(the Great Famine) and Scotland
(the Highland Potato Famine).
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1872
|Yellowstone National Park
, the world's first national park
, opens on March 1.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1883
|Eruption of Krakatoa
in Indonesia. The sound of the explosion is heard as far as Australia and China, the altered air waves causes strange colours on the sky and the volcanic gases reduce global temperatures during the following years. The vivid sunsets were captured in Edward Munch's The Scream
.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900
|The Galveston Hurricane of 1900
hits Galveston, Texas
and reverses the city's previously rapid growth.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1906
|San Francisco earthquake causes collapse of insurance markets and the Panic of 1907
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1908
|Tunguska Explosion decimates a remote part of Siberia
|-
|1914
|1918
|World War I
, which involves heavy bombardment, explosions, and poison gas warfare.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1918
|Spanish Flu
kills between 50 to 100 million people worldwide shortly after World War I
.
|-
|1932
|1937
|Exceptional precipitation absence in northern hemisphere exacerbated by human activities causes the Dust Bowl
drought of the US plains and the Soviet famine of 1932-1933
(harsh economic damage in US and widespread death in USSR)
|-
|1937
|1945
|Pacific War
and World War II
, with heavy bombardment, genocide, and explosions. Towards the end of the war, nuclear warfare
occurs for the first time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki are bombed
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|post-1945
|Nuclear tests are performed by the United States
, Soviet Union
, India
, Pakistan
, China
, North Korea
, the United Kingdom
, and France
. Above-ground detonations continue until the Partial Test Ban Treaty
is signed in 1963, causing fallout
and spreading radiation around the explosion sites.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1957
|Sputnik is launched, becomes first man-made object to orbit the earth, and triggers the Space Race
between the United States
and USSR, culminating with the First man in space
in 1961, and the Moon landing
, humanity's first ventures to the Moon in 1969
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1960
|World human population reached 3 billion mark.
|-
|1970s
|2010s
|Deindustrialization
occurs in the Midwest and then much of the United States
, as manufacturing industries (and their pollution) move to China
, India
, and other countries.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1980
|Mount St. Helens
erupts explosively in Washington state.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1984
|Bhopal disaster
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1986
|Chernobyl
meltdown and explosion, contaminating surrounding area, including Pripyat.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1987
|World human population reached 5 billion mark.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1999
|World human population reached the 6 billion mark.
|}
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2010
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2011
|
|}
Key:
- Astro : Astronomy
- Geo : Geology
- Clima : Climatology
- Evo : Evolutionary
- Tech : Technology
- Agro : Agriculture
- Arch : Architecture
- Art : Arts
Prolog
Prior to the arrival of Homo Sapiens the Universe and Earth and Evolution went through tremendous change. Time and events are emphasized and period naming ignored. This timeline is in outline form prior to the tables. Feel free to assist by converting the outline into a table.Big Bang
no time- Astro : Very early universe
0 seconds
- Astro : Planck epoch : Planck epochPlanck epochIn physical cosmology, the Planck epoch , named after Max Planck, is the earliest period of time in the history of the universe, from zero to approximately 10−43 seconds , during which, it is believed, quantum effects of gravity were significant...
10 ^ -43 s
- Astro : Grand unification epoch : Grand unification epochGrand unification epochIn physical cosmology, assuming that nature is described by a Grand unification theory, the grand unification epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe following the Planck epoch, starting at about 10−43 seconds after the Big Bang, in which the temperature of the universe was...
10 ^ -36 s
- Astro : Electroweak epoch : Electroweak epochElectroweak epochIn physical cosmology the electroweak epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the temperature of the universe was high enough to merge electromagnetism and the weak interaction into a single electroweak interaction . The electroweak epoch began when the strong force...
- Astro : Inflationary epoch : Inflationary epochInflationary epochIn physical cosmology the inflationary epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when, according to inflation theory, the universe underwent an extremely rapid exponential expansion...
10 ^ - 32 s
- Astro : End Inflationary Epoch
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Reheating : plasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Quark epoch : Quark epochQuark epochIn physical cosmology the quark epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the fundamental interactions of gravitation, electromagnetism, the strong interaction and the weak interaction had taken their present forms, but the temperature of the universe was still too high to...
10 ^ -6 s
- Astro : Hadron epoch : Hadron epochHadron epochIn physical cosmology, the hadron epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe during which the mass of the Universe was dominated by hadrons. It started approximately 10−6 seconds after the Big Bang, when the temperature of the universe had fallen sufficiently to allow the quarks...
14,000,000,000 ya + 1 Second
1 s- Astro : Lepton epoch : Lepton epochLepton epochIn physical cosmology, the lepton epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which the leptons dominated the mass of the universe. It started roughly 1 second after the Big Bang, after the majority of hadrons and anti-hadrons annihilated each other at the end of the hadron epoch...
10 s
- Astro : Photon epoch : Photon epochPhoton epochIn physical cosmology, the photon epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which photons dominated the energy of the universe. The photon epoch started after most leptons and anti-leptons were annihilated at the end of the lepton epoch, about 10 seconds after the Big Bang...
180 s
- Astro : Nucleosynthesis : Big Bang nucleosynthesisBig Bang nucleosynthesisIn physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 during the early phases of the universe...
1200 s
- Astro : Nucleosythesis Ends
13.8 Ga
- Astro : Matter domination :
13.6 Ga
- Astro : Recombination : Recombination (cosmology)Recombination (cosmology)In cosmology, recombination refers to the epoch at which charged electrons and protons first became bound to form electrically neutral hydrogen atoms.Note that the term recombination is a misnomer, considering that it represents the first time that electrically neutral hydrogen formed. After the...
13.5 Ga
- Astro : Dark age : Hydrogen lineHydrogen lineThe hydrogen line, 21 centimeter line or HI line refers to the electromagnetic radiation spectral line that is created by a change in the energy state of neutral hydrogen atoms. This electromagnetic radiation is at the precise frequency of 1420.40575177 MHz, which is equivalent to the vacuum...
13.0 Ga
- Astro : Reionization : ReionizationReionizationIn Big Bang cosmology, reionization is the process that reionized the matter in the universe after the "dark ages," and is the second of two major phase changes of gas in the universe. As the majority of baryonic matter is in the form of hydrogen, reionization usually refers to the reionization of...
- Astro : Formation of stars : Star formationStar formationStar formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
12.7 Ga
- Astro : Formation of galaxies : Galaxy formation and evolutionGalaxy formation and evolutionThe study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
- Astro : Formation of groups, clusters and superclusters : Large-scale structure of the cosmos
4,560,000,000 ya
4.56 Ga- Geo : Formation of our solar system: Solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
3.8 Ga
- Evo : Prokaryotes : Simple Cells
3.6 Ga
- Geo : VaalbaraVaalbaraVaalbara is theorized to be Earth's first supercontinent, beginning its formation about , completing its formation by about and breaking up by . The name Vaalbara is derived from the South African Kaapvaal craton and the West Australian Pilbara craton...
Supercontinent
3.0 Ga
- Evo : photosynthesisPhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
- Geo : UrUr (continent)Ur was a supercontinent that formed in the early Archean eon; the oldest continent on Earth, half a billion years older than Arctica. Ur joined with the continents Nena and Atlantica about to form the supercontinent Rodinia...
Supercontinent smaller than Australia is today
2.7 Ga
- Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Forms
2.4 Ga
- Geo : Great Oxygenation EventGreat Oxygenation EventThe Great Oxygenation Event , also called the Oxygen Catastrophe or Oxygen Crisis or Great Oxidation, was the biologically induced appearance of free oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. This major environmental change happened around 2.4 billion years ago.Photosynthesis was producing oxygen both before...
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Begins
2.1 Ga
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Ends - Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Splits
2,000,000,000 ya
2 Ga- Evo : complex cells (eukaryotes) Evolve
1.8 Ga
- Geo : NenaNena (supercontinent)Nena was an ancient minor supercontinent that consisted of the cratons of Arctica, Baltica, and East Antarctica. Forming about 1.8 billion years ago, the continent was part of the global supercontinent, Columbia. Nena is an acronym that derives from Northern Europe and North...
Supercontinent Forms
1.5 Ga
- Geo : ColumbiaColumbia (supercontinent)Columbia, also known as Nuna and Hudsonland, was one of Earth's oldest supercontinents. It was first proposed by J.J.W. Rogers and M. Santosh and is thought to have existed approximately 1.8 to 1.5 billion years ago in the Paleoproterozoic Era. Zhao et al...
Supercontinent : Forms
1,000,000,000 ya
1 Ga- Evo : multicellular life
1.1 Ga
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Forms
800 Ma
- Clima: CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Begins
750 Ma
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Splits
635 Ma
- Clima : CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Ends
600,000,000 ya
600 Ma- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Forms
540 Ma
- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Splits
590 Ma
- Evo : Animalia : Animals Evolve
530 Ma
- Evo : Chordata : Proto-Vertebrates
505 Ma
- Evo : Vertebrata : Vertebrates
500 Ma
- Evo : FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and proto-amphibians
475 Ma
- Evo : Land plants
450 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Begins
420 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Ends
418 Ma
- Geo : Oldredia Supercontinent : Forms
360 Ma
- Evo : Amphibians
- Clima : Karoo Ice AgeKaroo Ice AgeThe Karoo Ice Age from 360–260 Ma was the second major ice age of the Phanerozoic Eon. It is named after the glacial tills found in the Karoo region of South Africa where evidence for this ice age was first clearly identified....
: Begins
300,000,000 ya
300 Ma- Evo : Reptiles
- Geo : EuramericaEuramericaEuramerica was a minor supercontinent created in the Devonian as the result of a collision between the Laurentian, Baltica, and Avalonia cratons .300 million years ago in the Late Carboniferous tropical rainforests lay over the equator of Euramerica...
Supercontinent - Geo : PangaeaPangaeaPangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....
Supercontinent (~300–~180 million years ago) - Geo : GondwanaGondwanaIn paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
Supercontinent (~300–~30 million years ago) - Geo : LaurasiaLaurasiaIn paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
Supercontinent (~ 300–~60 million years ago)
260 Ma
- Clima : KarooKarooThe Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
Ice Age : Ends
250 000 000 ya
220 Ma- Evo : Mammalia : Mammals
- Evo : Theriiformes : Mammals that birth live young (i.e. non-egg-laying)
150 Ma
- Evo : Birds
130 Ma
- Evo : Flowers
125 Ma
- Evo : EutheriaEutheriaEutheria is a group of mammals consisting of placental mammals plus all extinct mammals that are more closely related to living placentals than to living marsupials . They are distinguished from noneutherians by various features of the feet, ankles, jaws and teeth...
: Placental mammals (i.e. non-marsupials) - Evo : BoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheria is a clade of placental mammals that is composed of the sister taxa Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires...
: Supraprimates, bats, whales, most hoofed mammals, and most carnivorous mammals
100 Ma
- Evo : EuarchontogliresEuarchontogliresEuarchontoglires is a clade of mammals, the living members of which are rodents, lagomorphs, treeshrews, colugos and primates .-Evolutionary relationships:...
: Supraprimates (primates, rodents, rabbits, treeshrews, and colugos)
75,000,000 ya
75 Ma- Evo : Primates : Primates Evolve
- Geo : EurasiaEurasiaEurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
Continent : Forms
56 Ma
- Clima : Paleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumPaleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumThe most extreme change in Earth surface conditions during the Cenozoic Era began at the temporal boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs . This event, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum , was associated with rapid global...
40 Ma
- Evo : HaplorrhiniHaplorrhiniThe haplorhines, the "dry-nosed" primates , are members of the Haplorhini clade: the prosimian tarsiers and the anthropoids...
: Dry-nosed primates (apes, monkeys, and tarsiers) - Evo : Simiiformes : Higher primates (or Simians) (apes, old-world monkeys, and new-world monkeys)
30 Ma
- Evo : CatarrhiniCatarrhiniCatarrhini is one of the two subdivisions of the higher primates . It contains the Old World monkeys and the apes, which in turn are further divided into the lesser apes or gibbons and the great apes, consisting of the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans...
: Narrow nosed primates (apes and old-world monkeys)
28 Ma
- Evo : Hominoidea : Apes
15,000,000 ya
15 Ma- Evo : HominidaeHominidaeThe Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
: Great apes (Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans) - Geo : AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Continent : Forms
8.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaeHomininaeHomininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, which includes humans, gorillas and chimpanzees, and some extinct relatives; it comprises all those hominids, such as Australopithecus, that arose after the split from orangutans . Our family tree, which has 3 main branches leading to chimpanzees, humans and...
: Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas
5.8 Ma
- Evo : HomininiHomininiHominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises Homo, and the two species of the genus Pan , their ancestors, and the extinct lineages of their common ancestor . Members of the tribe are called hominins...
: Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos
5.0 Ma
- Geo : Afro-EurasiaAfro-EurasiaAfro-Eurasia or less commonly Afrasia or Eurafrasia is the term used to describe the largest landmass on earth. It may be defined as a supercontinent, consisting of Africa and Eurasia...
Continent : Forms
3.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaHomininaThe more anthropomorphic primates of the Hominini tribe are placed in the Hominina subtribe. Referred to as hominans, they are characterized by the evolution of an increasingly erect bipedal locomotion. The only extant species is Homo sapiens...
: Bipedal apes (australopithecus and descendants)
2,500,000 ya
2.5 Ma- Clima : QuaternaryQuaternaryThe Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
Ice Age : Begins - Evo : HomoHomoHomo may refer to:*the Greek prefix ὅμο-, meaning "the same"*the Latin for man, human being*Homo, the taxonomical genus including modern humans...
: Humans, neanderthals, homo erectus, and their direct ancestors - Tech : Homonina Stone : Olduvai GorgeOlduvai GorgeThe Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site...
Mode 1 Industry
1.650 Ma
- Tech : Homo Erectus Stone : AcheuleanAcheuleanAcheulean is the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe. Acheulean tools are typically found with Homo erectus remains...
Mode 2 Industry
Pre-Holocene (1.5 Mya)
The time from roughly 15,000 BC to 5,000 BC was a time of transition, and swift and extensive environmental change, as the planet was moving from an Ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
Current sea level rise
Current sea level rise potentially impacts human populations and the wider natural environment . Global average sea level rose at an average rate of around 1.8 mm per year over 1961 to 2003 and at an average rate of about 3.1 mm per year from 1993 to 2003...
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
and the Holocene climatic optimum
Holocene climatic optimum
The Holocene Climate Optimum was a warm period during roughly the interval 9,000 to 5,000 years B.P.. This event has also been known by many other names, including: Hypsithermal, Altithermal, Climatic Optimum, Holocene Optimum, Holocene Thermal Maximum, and Holocene Megathermal.This warm period...
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna is the set of species of large animals — mammals, birds and reptiles — that lived on Earth during the Pleistocene epoch and became extinct in a Quaternary extinction event. These species appear to have died off as humans expanded out of Africa and southern Asia,...
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
Evolutionary pressure
Any cause that reduces reproductive success in a proportion of a population, potentially exerts evolutionary pressure or selection pressure. With sufficient pressure, inherited traits that mitigate its effects - even if they would be deleterious in other circumstances - can become widely spread...
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
Quaternary extinction event
The Quaternary period saw the extinctions of numerous predominantly larger, especially megafaunal, species, many of which occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch. However, the extinction wave did not stop at the end of the Pleistocene, but continued especially on...
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
, Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 2,588,000 BC | c. 12,000 BC | Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... era |
| c. 21,000 BC Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of... |
Recent evidence indicates that humans processed (gathered) and consumed wild cereal grains as far back as 23,000 years ago. | |
| c. 19,000 BC Late Pleistocene The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP... |
Last Glacial Maximum Last Glacial Maximum The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and... /sea-level minimum |
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| c. 20,000 BC | c. 12,150 BC | Mesolithic 1 Mesolithic The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic.... period |
| c. 17,000 BC | c. 13,000 BC | Oldest Dryas Oldest Dryas The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,... stadial Stadial A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods... (cool period) during the last Ice age Ice age An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers... /glaciation in Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... . |
| c. 13,000 BC | Beginning of the Holocene extinction. Earliest evidence of warfare | |
| c. 12,670 BC | c. 12,000 BC | Bølling oscillation Bølling Oscillation The Bølling oscillation was a warm interstadial period between the Oldest Dryas and Older Dryas stadials, at the end of the last glacial period. It is named after a peat sequence discovered at Bølling lake, central Jutland... interstadial (warm and moist period) between the Oldest Dryas Oldest Dryas The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,... and Older Dryas Older Dryas The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago... stadials (cool periods) at the end of the Last glacial period. In places where the Older Dryas was not seen, it is known as the Bølling-Allerød Bølling-Allerød The Bølling-Allerød interstadial was a warm and moist interstadial period that occurred during the final stages of the last glacial period. This warm period ran from c. 14,700 to 12,700 years before the present... . |
| c. 12,340 BC Paleolithic The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory... |
c. 11,140 BC Paleolithic The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory... |
Cemetery 117 Cemetery 117 Cemetery 117 is an ancient cemetery discovered in 1964 by a team led by Fred Wendorf near the northern border of Sudan. The remains discovered there were determined to be around 13,140 to 14,340 years old.... : site of the world's first battle/war. |
| c. 12,500 BC Epipaleolithic The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age... |
c. 10,800 BC Epipaleolithic The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age... |
Natufian culture Natufian culture The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture... begins minor agriculture |
| c. 12,150 BC | c. 11,140 BC | Mesolithic 2 Mesolithic The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic.... (Natufian culture Natufian culture The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture... ), some sources have Mesolithic 2 ending at 9500 BC |
| c. 12,000 BC | c. 11,700 BC | Older Dryas Older Dryas The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago... stadial (cool period) |
| c. 11,700 BC | c. 10,800 BC | Allerød oscillation Allerød Oscillation The Allerød period was a warm and moist global interstadial that occurred at the end of the last glacial period. The Allerød oscillation raised temperatures , before they declined again in the succeeding Younger Dryas period, which was followed by the present interglacial period.In some regions,... |
| c. 13,000 BC Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of... |
c. 11,000 BC Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of... |
Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First... forms from glacial meltwater, floods through the Mackenzie River Mackenzie River The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories... into the Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions... at 11,000 BC, possibly causing the Younger Dryas Younger Dryas The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present... cold period |
| c. 10,900 BC (calibrated) or c. 8900 BC (non-calibrated) |
Younger Dryas impact event suspected at either of these dates. | |
| c. 10,800 BC | Younger Dryas Younger Dryas The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present... cold period begins. |
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| c. 10,000 BC | ||
10th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 9700 BC | ||
| c. 9660 to c. 9600 BC | Younger Dryas Younger Dryas The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present... cold period ends. Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... ends and Holocene Holocene The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"... begins. Large amounts of previously glaciated land become habitable again. Some sources place the Younger Dryas as stretching from 10,800 BC to 9500 BC. This cool period Stadial A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods... was possibly caused by a shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation Thermohaline circulation The term thermohaline circulation refers to a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes.... (Gulf Stream Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean... /Jet Stream Jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds... ), due to flooding from Lake Agassiz as it reformed. |
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| c. 9500 BC | ||
| c. 9000 BC | First stone structures at Jericho Jericho Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently... built. |
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9th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 8500 BC to 7370 | Jericho Jericho Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently... is established as one of the oldest cities in the world sometime between 8500 BC and 7370 BC |
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| c. 8000 BC | ||
8th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 7900 BC | c. 7700 BC | Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First... refills from glacial melt-water around 7900 BC as Glaciers retreat north |
| c. 7640 BC | Date theorized for impact of Tollmann's hypothetical bolide Tollmann's hypothetical bolide Alexander Tollmann's bolide, proposed by Kristan-Tollmann and Tollmann in 1994, is a hypothesis presented by Austrian geologist Alexander Tollmann, suggesting that one or several bolides struck the Earth at 7640 BCE , with a much smaller one at 3150 BCE... with Earth Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets... and associated global cataclysm Disaster A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment... . |
|
| c. 7500 BC | ||
| 7500-7000 BC | 3500-3000 BC | Neolithic Subpluvial Neolithic Subpluvial The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa... begins in northern Africa, Mesolithic Mesolithic The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic.... period ends. Until about 5000 BC, the Sahara desert is substantially wetter than today, comparable to a savannah Savannah Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube... . |
7th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 6600 BC | Jiahu symbols Jiahu symbols Jiahu symbols refer to the 16 distinct markings on prehistoric artifacts found in Jiahu, a neolithic Peiligang culture site found in Henan, China, and excavated in 1999 C.E... , carved on tortoise shells in Jiahu Jiahu Jiahu was the site of a Neolithic Yellow River settlement based in the central plains of ancient China, modern Wuyang, Henan Province. Archaeologists consider the site to be one of the earliest examples of the Peiligang culture. Settled from 7000 to 5800 BC, the site was later flooded and abandoned... , Northern China |
|
| c. 6500 BC | ||
| c.6440±25 BC | Kurile volcano on Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... 's Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west... has VEI 7 eruption. It is one of the largest of the Holocene Holocene The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"... epoch |
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| c. 6400 BC | Lake Agassiz drains into oceans for the final time, leaving Lakes Manitoba Lake Manitoba Lake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake... , Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg... , Winnipegosis Lake Winnipegosis Lake Winnipegosis is a large lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada, some 300 km northwest of Winnipeg. It is Canada's eleventh-largest lake... , and Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of... , among others in the region, as its remnants. The draining may have caused the 8.2 kiloyear event, 200 years later |
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| c. 6200 BC | 8.2 kiloyear event 8.2 kiloyear event The 8.2 kiloyear event is the term that climatologists have adopted for a sudden decrease in global temperatures that occurred approximately 8,200 years before the present, or c. 6,200 BCE, and which lasted for the next two to four centuries... , a sudden significant cooling episode |
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| c. 6100 BC | The Storegga Slide Storegga Slide The three Storegga Slides are considered to be amongst the largest known landslides. They occurred under water, at the edge of Norway's continental shelf , in the Norwegian Sea, 100 km north-west of the Møre coast, causing a very large tsunami in the North Atlantic Ocean... , causing a megatsunami Megatsunami Megatsunami is an informal term to describe a tsunami that has initial wave heights that are much larger than normal tsunamis... in the Norwegian Sea Norwegian Sea The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a... |
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| c. 6000 BC | ||
6th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 5600 BC | According to the Black Sea deluge theory Black Sea deluge theory The Black Sea deluge is a hypothesized catastrophic rise in the level of the Black Sea circa 5600 BC due to waters from the Mediterranean Sea breaching a sill in the Bosporus Strait. The hypothesis made headlines when The New York Times published it in December 1996, shortly before it was published... , the Black Sea Black Sea The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean... floods with salt water. Some 3000 cubic miles (12,500 km³) of salt water is added, significantly expanding it and transforming it from a fresh-water landlocked lake into a salt water sea. |
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| c. 5500 BC | Beginning of the desertification Desertification Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:... of north Africa, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Sahara Sahara The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean... desert from land that was previously savannah Savannah Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube... , though is still wetter than today. It's possible this process pushed people in the area into migrating to the region of the Nile Nile The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major... in the east, thereby laying the groundwork for the rise of Egyptian civilization Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh... . |
|
| c. 5300 BC | ||
| c. 5000 BC | ||
5th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 4570 BC | c. 4250 BC | Merimde Merimde The Merimde culture was a Neolithic culture which corresponds in its later phase to the Faiyum A and the Badari cultures in Predynastic Egypt. It is estimated that the culture evolved between 4800 and 4300 BC... culture on the Nile River |
| 4400 BC | Predynastic Egypt Predynastic Egypt The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer.... and Uruk period Uruk period The Uruk period existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period and succeeded by the Jemdet Nasr period. Named after the Sumerian city of Uruk, this period saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. It was... begins in Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... |
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4th millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 3900 BC | ||
| 3600 BC | 2800 BC | |
| 3500 BC to 3000 BC | end of the Neolithic Subpluvial Neolithic Subpluvial The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa... era, return of extremely hot and dry conditions in the Sahara Desert, hastened by the 5.9 kiloyear event 5.9 kiloyear event The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g... . |
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| 3100 BC | 2686 BC | Early Dynastic Period of Egypt Early Dynastic Period of Egypt The Archaic or Early Dynastic Period of Egypt immediately follows the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt c. 3100 BC. It is generally taken to include the First and Second Dynasties, lasting from the Protodynastic Period of Egypt until about 2686 BC, or the beginning of the Old Kingdom... . The hallmarks of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh... (art Art of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptian art is the painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts produced by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BC to 300 AD. Ancient Egyptian art reached a high level in painting and sculpture, and was both highly stylized and symbolic... , architecture Ancient Egyptian architecture The Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations which developed a vast array of diverse structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture... , religion) all formed during this period. This is widely assumed to be the time and place of the first writing system, the Egyptian hieroglyphs Egyptian hieroglyphs Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood... (date is disputed, some claim they were used as far back as 3200 BC, while others believe they weren't invented until the 28th century BC 28th century BC The 28th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2800 BC to 2701 BC.-Events:*c. 2800 BC – 2700 BC: Seated Harp Player, from Keros, Cyclades, is made... ). |
| 3200 BC | 3000 BC | Protodynastic Period of Egypt |
| between 3000 BC and 2800 BC | 30 km/19 mi-wide Burckle Crater Burckle Crater Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event... is formed in Indian Ocean Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and... from a possible meteor or comet impact, possibly inspiring most flood myths. |
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3rd millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| ca. 30th century BC 30th century BC The 30th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC.-Events:* Before 3000 BC: Image of a deity, detail from a cong recovered from Tomb 12, Fanshan, Yuyao, Zhejiang, is made. Neolithic period. Liangzhu culture... |
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| 2900 BC | Floods at Shuruppak Shuruppak Shuruppak or Shuruppag was an ancient Sumerian city situated about 35 miles south of Nippur on the banks of the Euphrates at the site of modern Tell Fara in Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate.... from horizon to horizon, with sediments in Southern Iraq, stretching as far north as Kish Kish (Sumer) Kish is modern Tell al-Uhaymir , and was an ancient city of Sumer. Kish is located some 12 km east of Babylon, and 80 km south of Baghdad .... , and as far south as Uruk Uruk Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk... , associated with the return of heavy rains in Nineveh Nineveh Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq.... and a potential damming of the Karun River to run into the Tigris River. This ends the Jemdet Nasr period Jemdet Nasr period The Jemdet Nasr period is an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia that is generally dated to 3100–2900 BCE. It is named after the type-site Jemdet Nasr, where the assemblage typical for this period was first recognized. Its geographical distribution is limited to south–central Iraq... and ushers in the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... cultures of the area. Possible association of this event with the Biblical deluge Noah's Ark Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the... . |
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| ca. 2880 BC 29th century BC The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period.... |
Germination Germination Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the... of Prometheus Prometheus (tree) Prometheus was the oldest known non-clonal organism, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing near the tree line on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, United States... (a bristlecone pine Bristlecone pine The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years.... of the species Pinus longaeva), formerly the world's oldest known non-clonal Clonal colony A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet... orgasnism |
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| ca. 2832 BC 29th century BC The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period.... |
Germination Germination Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the... of Methuselah Methuselah (tree) Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. Its measured age of 4,842 years makes it the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism... (a bristlecone pine Bristlecone pine The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years.... of the species Pinus longaeva), currently the world's oldest known non-clonal Clonal colony A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet... orgasnism |
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| 2807 BC | Suggested date for an asteroid or comet impact occurring between Africa and Antarctica, around the time of a solar eclipse on May 10, based on an analysis of flood stories. Possibly causing the Burckle crater Burckle Crater Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event... and Fenambosy Chevron Fenambosy Chevron The Fenambosy Chevron is one of four chevron-shaped land features on the southwest coast of Madagascar, near the tip of Madagascar, 180 metres high and 5 km inland. It is composed mainly of material found on the ocean. Chevrons such as Fenambosy have been hypothesized as providing evidence of... . |
|
| 2650 BC | ||
| c. 2630 BC | 1815 BC | Construction of the Egyptian pyramids Egyptian pyramids The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found... |
| 2500 BC | Sahara becomes fully desiccated, and conditions become largely identical to those of today. Desiccation Desiccation Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:... had been proceeding from 7500-6000 BCE, as a result of the shift in the West African tropical monsoon Monsoon Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea... belt southwards from the Sahel Sahel The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea.... , and intensified by the 5.9 kiloyear event 5.9 kiloyear event The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g... . Subsequent rates of evaporation in the region led to a drying of the Sahara, as shown by the drop in water levels in Lake Chad Lake Chad Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ... . Tehenu of the Sahara attempt to enter into Egypt, and there is evidence of a Nile drought in the pyramid Pyramid A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces... of Unas Unas Unas was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and the last ruler of the Fifth dynasty from the Old Kingdom. His reign has been dated as falling between 2375 BC and 2345 BC... . |
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| 2300 BC | Neolithic Neolithic The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age... period ends in China |
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| 2200 BC | Beginning of a severe centennial-scale drought 4.2 kiloyear event The 4.2 kiloyear BP aridification event was one of the most severe climatic events of the Holocene period in terms of impact on cultural upheaval. Starting in ≈2200 BC, it probably lasted the entire 22nd century BC. It is very likely to have caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom in Egypt as... in northern Africa, southwestern Asia and midcontinental North America, which very likely caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom Old Kingdom Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was... in Egypt as well as the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... . This coincides with the transition from the Subboreal period to the subatlantic period. |
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| 21st century BC 21st century BC The 21st century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2100 BC to 2001 BC.- Events :Note: all dates from this long ago should be regarded as either approximate or conjectural; there are no absolutely certain dates, and multiple competing reconstructed chronologies, for this time period.* c.... |
construction of the Ziggurat of Ur | |
2nd millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1900 BC | The Atra-Hasis Atra-Hasis The 18th century BCE Akkadian epic of Atra-Hasis is named after its protagonist. An "Atra-Hasis" appears on one of the Sumerian king lists as king of Shuruppak in the times before the flood. The Atra-Hasis tablets include both a creation myth and a flood account, which is one of three surviving... Epic describes Babylonian flood, with warnings of the consequences Malthusian catastrophe A Malthusian catastrophe was originally foreseen to be a forced return to subsistence-level conditions once population growth had outpaced agricultural production... of human overpopulation Overpopulation Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth... . |
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| 1600 BC | Minoan eruption destroys much of Santorini Santorini Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera... island, and decimates the Minoan civilization Minoan civilization The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans... on Crete Crete Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits... . This may have inspired the legend of Atlantis. |
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| 1450 BC | Minoan civilization Minoan civilization The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans... in the Mediterranean declines, but scholars are divided on the cause. Possibly a volcanic eruption was the source of the catastrophe (see Minoan eruption). On the other hand, gradual deforestation Deforestation Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.... may have led to materials shortages in manufacturing and shipping. Loss of timber and subsequent deterioration of its land was probably a factor in the decline of Minoan power in the late Bronze Age Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age... , according to John Perlin in A Forest Journey. |
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| 1206 BC | 1187 BC | Evidence of major droughts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hittite and Ugarit records show requests for grain were sent to Egypt, probably during the reign of Pharaoh Merenptah. Carpenter has suggested that droughts of equal severity to those of the 1950s 1950s The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century... in Greece, would have been sufficient to cause the Late Bronze Age collapse Bronze Age collapse The Bronze Age collapse is a transition in southwestern Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age that some historians believe was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive... . The cause may have been a temporary diversion of winter storms north of the Pyrenees and Alps. Central Europe experienced generally wetter conditions, while those in the Eastern Mediterranean were substantially drier. There seems to have been a general abandonment of peasant subsistence agriculture in favour of nomadic pastoralism in Central Anatolia, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Sinai and NW Arabia. |
| c. 2000 BC | c. 1000 BC | |
1st millennium BC
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 800 BC | 500 BC | |
| 200 BC 200 BC Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta... |
Axial age Axial Age German philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age or axial period to describe the period from 800 to 200 BC, during which, according to Jaspers, similar revolutionary thinking appeared in India, China and the Occident... , a revolution in thinking that we know as Philosophy, begins in China, India, and Europe, with people such as Socrates Socrates Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ... , Plato Plato Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the... , Homer Homer In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is... , Lao Tzu, Confucius Confucius Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period.... , among others, alive at this time. |
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| 753 BC | Ancient Rome Ancient Rome Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... begins, with the founding of Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... . This marks the beginning of Classical antiquity Classical antiquity Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world... . |
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| 508 BC | Democracy Democracy Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law... created in Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Ancient Greece Ancient Greece Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the... |
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| 356 BC 356 BC Year 356 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ambustus and Laenas... |
323 BC 323 BC Year 323 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Longus and Cerretanus... |
Alexander the Great |
| c. 225 BC 225 BC Year 225 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Papus and Regulus... |
The Sub-Atlantic period began about 225 BCE (estimated on the basis of radiocarbon dating) and has been characterized by increased rainfall, cooler and more humid climates, and the dominance of beech forests. The fauna of the Sub-Atlantic is essentially modern although severely depleted by human activities. The Sub-Atlantic is correlated with pollen zone IX; sea levels have been generally regressive during this time interval, though North America is an exception. | |
| c. 200 BC 200 BC Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta... |
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the... first country in the world to have a nature reserve, King Devanampiyatissa Devanampiyatissa Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 BC to 267 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka... established a wildlife sanctuary |
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1st century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 79 AD | Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting... erupts, burying Pompeii Pompeii The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning... and Herculaneum Herculaneum Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt... |
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2nd century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 114 114 Year 114 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hasta and Vopiscus... |
117 117 Year 117 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus... |
Rome reaches its greatest expanse in terms of territory, stretching from the Sahara desert, to England and Belgium, along the Danube River and Black Sea Black Sea The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean... to Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... and modern-day Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... . |
| 186 186 Year 186 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Glabrio... |
Hatepe eruption Hatepe eruption The Hatepe eruption around the year 180 CE was Lake Taupo's most recent major eruption, and New Zealand's largest eruption during the last 20,000 years. It ejected some of material , of which was ejected in the space of a few minutes... in New Zealand turns the skies red over Rome and China. |
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4th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 300 300 Year 300 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius... |
Migration period Migration Period The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages... begins. This leads in a couple of centuries to the fall of Rome. |
|
| 301 301 Year 301 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Postumius and Nepotianus... |
San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... founded, claims to be the world's oldest republic |
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5th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 450 450 Year 450 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinianus and Avienus... |
Malaria epidemic Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases... in Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... . |
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| 476 476 Year 476 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Basiliscus and Armatus... |
Fall of Rome, end of the Western Roman Empire | |
6th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 535 535 Year 535 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Belisarius without colleague... |
536 536 Year 536 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Belisarius... |
535-536 Climate changes of 535–536 The extreme weather events of 535–536 were the most severe and protracted short-term episodes of cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The event is thought to have been caused by an extensive atmospheric dust veil, possibly resulting from a large volcanic eruption in the... : global climate abnormalities affecting several civilizations. |
9th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 850 850 Year 850 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Montoku succeeds Emperor Nimmyō as Emperor of Japan.- Europe :... |
Severe drought exacerbated by soil erosion Erosion Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere... causes collapse of Central American city states and the end of the Classic Maya civilization Maya civilization The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican... . |
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| 874 874 Year 874 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling in Reykjavík .... |
According to Landnámabók Landnámabók Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:... , the settlement of Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... begins. |
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10th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 930 930 Year 930 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* With the establishment of the Althing, now one of the world's oldest parliaments, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded.... |
Althing Althing The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant... , oldest parliament Parliament A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which... ary institution in the world that is still in existence, is founded |
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| 980s | Greenland settled by Viking Viking The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to... colonists from Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
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11th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 985 985 Year 985 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Barcelona is sacked by Al-Mansur.... |
1080 | Norse Colony at L'Anse aux Meadows |
| 1006 | SN 1006 SN 1006 SN 1006 was a supernova, widely seen on Earth beginning in the year 1006 AD; Earth was about 7,200 light-years away from the supernova. It was the brightest apparent magnitude stellar event in recorded history reaching an estimated -7.5 visual magnitude... supernova, brightest apparent magnitude Apparent magnitude The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere... stellar event in recorded history (-7.5 visual magnitude) |
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| 1054 | SN 1054 SN 1054 SN 1054 is a supernova that was first observed as a new "star" in the sky on July 4, 1054 AD, hence its name, and that lasted for a period of around two years. The event was recorded in multiple Chinese and Japanese documents and in one document from the Arab world... supernova, created the Crab Nebula Crab Nebula The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus... |
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| 1099 | The Hodh Ech Chargui Hodh Ech Chargui Hodh Ech Chargui is a large region in eastern Mauritania. Its capital is Néma. Other major cities/towns include Oualata. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Adrar, Tagant and Hodh El Gharbi to the west and Mali to the east and south.... and Hodh El Gharbi Hodh El Gharbi Hodh El Gharbi is a region in southern Mauritania. Its capital is Ayoun el Atrous. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Tagant to the north, Hodh Ech Chargui to the east, Mali country to the south and Assaba to the west.... Regions Regions of Mauritania ||Mauritania is divided into 12 regions and one capital district:During the Mauritanian occupation of Western Sahara , its portion of the territory was named Tiris al-Gharbiyya.The regions are subdivided into 44 departments; please see departments of Mauritania for further detail.-See also:*ISO... of southern Mauritania Mauritania Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest... become desert. |
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12th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1104 | Venice Arsenal in Venice Venice Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... is founded, employed 16,000 at its peak for the mass production Mass production Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines... of sailing ships in large assembly lines, hundreds of years before the industrial revolution Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times... |
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| 1150 | Renaissance of the 12th century Renaissance of the 12th century The Renaissance of the 12th century was a period of many changes at the outset of the High Middle Ages. It included social, political and economic transformations, and an intellectual revitalization of Western Europe with strong philosophical and scientific roots... in Europe, blast furnace Blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions... for the smelting of cast iron Cast iron Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due... is imported from China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
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| 1185 | First record of windmill Windmill A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important... s in Europe |
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13th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 1250 | c. 1850 | Start of the Little Ice Age Little Ice Age The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period . While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into the scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939... , a stadial Stadial A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods... period within our interglacial Interglacial An Interglacial period is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age... warm period |
| end of the 13th century | beginning of the Renaissance Renaissance The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not... era in Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... , gradually spreads throughout Europe. |
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14th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1315 | 1317 | Great Famine of 1315–1317 Great Famine of 1315–1317 The Great Famine of 1315–1317 was the first of a series of large scale crises that struck Northern Europe early in the fourteenth century... (Europe) |
| 1347 | 1350s | Bubonic plague Bubonic plague Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death... decimates Europe, creating the first attempts to enforce public health and quarantine laws. |
| 1350 | Western Settlement Western Settlement The Western Settlement was the smaller of the two main areas of Greenland settled in around 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland .... in Greenland abandoned, possibly due to the deteriorating climate caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age |
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15th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1408 | last known recording (a wedding) of Norse settlers in Greenland | |
| 1453 | Eruption of Kuwae Kuwae Kuwae is a submarine caldera between Epi and Tongoa islands. Kuwae Caldera cuts through the flank of the Tavani Ruru volcano on Epi and the northwest end of Tongoa.... in Pacific contributes to fall of Constantinople Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI... . Environmental Science is developed. |
|
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the... lands in Caribbean islands, starting the Columbian Exchange Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations , communicable disease, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres . It was one of the most significant events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in all of human history... , causing the Aztec Empire and Inca Empire Inca Empire The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century... to fall to the Spanish in the next century, as well as bringing various species of animals and plants across the Atlantic Ocean. |
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16th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1585 | 1587 | Roanoke Colony Roanoke Colony The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by... , now in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
| End of the 16th century | End of the Renaissance era, gradual transition towards the Baroque Baroque The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music... , Romantic, Enlightenment Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state... , and Modern eras. |
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17th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1600 | Huaynaputina Huaynaputina Huaynaputina is a stratovolcano located in a volcanic upland in southern Peru. The volcano does not have an identifiable mountain profile, but instead has the form of a large volcanic crater. It has produced high-potassium andesite and dacite... erupts in South America. The explosion had effects on climate around the Northern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator... (Southern hemispheric records are less complete), where 1601 was the coldest year in six centuries, leading to a famine in Russia; see Russian famine of 1601–1603 Russian famine of 1601–1603 The Russian famine of 1601–1603 was Russia's worst famine in terms of proportional effect on the population, killing perhaps two million people, a third of Russians, during the Time of Troubles, when the country was unsettled politically and later invaded by the Polish Commonwealth... . |
|
18th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| c. 1750 | Beginning of Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times... , which eventually turns to use of coal Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure... and other fossil fuel Fossil fuel Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years... s to drive steam engine Steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be... s and other devices. Anthropogenic carbon pollution presumably increases. |
|
| 1783 | the volcano Laki Laki Łąki may refer to the following places in Poland:*Łąki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Łąki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Łąki, Lublin Voivodeship... erupts, emitting sufficient sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel... gas and sulphate particles to kill a majority of Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... 's livestock and cause an unusually cold winter in Europe and Western Asia. |
|
| 1789 | 1793 | a recent study of El Niño patterns suggests that the French Revolution French Revolution The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years... was caused in part by the poor crop yields of 1788-89 in Europe, resulting from an unusually strong El-Niño effect between 1789-93. |
| 1796 | ||
| 1798 | Thomas Robert Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population An Essay on the Principle of Population The book An Essay on the Principle of Population was first published anonymously in 1798 through J. Johnson . The author was soon identified as The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. While it was not the first book on population, it has been acknowledged as the most influential work of its era... , thus beginning Malthusian economics. |
|
19th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1815 | ||
| 1816 | ||
| 1845 | 1857 | European Potato Famine European Potato Famine The European Potato Failure was a food crisis caused by potato blight that struck Northern Europe in the mid-1840s. The time is also known as the Hungry Forties. While the crisis produced excess mortality and suffering across the affected areas, particularly harshly affected were the Scottish... s cause crop failures in both Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... (the Great Famine) and Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... (the Highland Potato Famine). |
| 1872 | Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho... , the world's first national park National park A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or... , opens on March 1. |
|
| 1883 | Eruption of Krakatoa Krakatoa Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates... in Indonesia. The sound of the explosion is heard as far as Australia and China, the altered air waves causes strange colours on the sky and the volcanic gases reduce global temperatures during the following years. The vivid sunsets were captured in Edward Munch's The Scream The Scream Scream is the title of Expressionist paintings and prints in a series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, showing an agonized figure against a blood red sky... . |
|
20th century
| Year(s) | Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |
| 1900 | The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Galveston Hurricane of 1900 The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale... hits Galveston, Texas Galveston, Texas Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of... and reverses the city's previously rapid growth. |
|
| 1906 | San Francisco earthquake causes collapse of insurance markets and the Panic of 1907 Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on... . |
|
| 1908 | Tunguska Explosion decimates a remote part of Siberia Siberia Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th... |
|
| 1914 | 1918 | World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , which involves heavy bombardment, explosions, and poison gas warfare. |
| 1918 | Spanish Flu Spanish flu The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin... kills between 50 to 100 million people worldwide shortly after World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... . |
|
| 1932 | 1937 | Exceptional precipitation absence in northern hemisphere exacerbated by human activities causes the Dust Bowl Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936... drought of the US plains and the Soviet famine of 1932-1933 Soviet famine of 1932-1933 The Soviet famine of 1932–1933 killed many millions in the major grain-producing areas of the Soviet Union. These areas included Ukraine, Northern Caucasus, Volga Region and Kazakhstan, the South Urals, and West Siberia... (harsh economic damage in US and widespread death in USSR) |
| 1937 | 1945 | Pacific War Pacific War The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East... and World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... , with heavy bombardment, genocide, and explosions. Towards the end of the war, nuclear warfare Nuclear warfare Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage... occurs for the first time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki are bombed Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months... . |
| post-1945 | Nuclear tests are performed by the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... , Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... , North Korea North Korea The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea... , the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... , and France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... . Above-ground detonations continue until the Partial Test Ban Treaty Partial Test Ban Treaty The treaty banning nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty , Limited Test Ban Treaty , or Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is a treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons... is signed in 1963, causing fallout Fallout Fallout or nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion.Fallout may also refer to:*Fallout , a 1997 post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game released by Interplay Entertainment... and spreading radiation around the explosion sites. |
|
| 1957 | Sputnik is launched, becomes first man-made object to orbit the earth, and triggers the Space Race Space Race The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national... between the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... and USSR, culminating with the First man in space Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961.... in 1961, and the Moon landing Moon landing A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned... , humanity's first ventures to the Moon in 1969 |
|
| 1960 | World human population reached 3 billion mark. | |
| 1970s 1970s File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil... |
2010s 2010s The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019... |
Deindustrialization Deindustrialization Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple... occurs in the Midwest and then much of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , as manufacturing industries (and their pollution) move to China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... , and other countries. |
| 1980 | Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a... erupts explosively in Washington state. |
|
| 1984 | Bhopal disaster Bhopal disaster The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India... . |
|
| 1986 | Chernobyl Chernobyl Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932.... meltdown and explosion, contaminating surrounding area, including Pripyat. |
|
| 1987 | World human population reached 5 billion mark. | |
| 1999 | World human population reached the 6 billion mark. | |
21st century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
The timeline lists geological, astronomical, and climatological events in relation to events in human history which they influenced. For the history of humanity's perspective on these events, see timeline of the history of environmentalism. See List of periods and events in climate history for a timeline list focused on climate.
Key:
- Astro : Astronomy
- Geo : Geology
- Clima : Climatology
- Evo : Evolutionary
- Tech : Technology
- Agro : Agriculture
- Arch : Architecture
- Art : Arts
Prolog
Prior to the arrival of Homo Sapiens the Universe and Earth and Evolution went through tremendous change. Time and events are emphasized and period naming ignored. This timeline is in outline form prior to the tables. Feel free to assist by converting the outline into a table.Big Bang
no time- Astro : Very early universe
0 seconds
- Astro : Planck epoch : Planck epochPlanck epochIn physical cosmology, the Planck epoch , named after Max Planck, is the earliest period of time in the history of the universe, from zero to approximately 10−43 seconds , during which, it is believed, quantum effects of gravity were significant...
10 ^ -43 s
- Astro : Grand unification epoch : Grand unification epochGrand unification epochIn physical cosmology, assuming that nature is described by a Grand unification theory, the grand unification epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe following the Planck epoch, starting at about 10−43 seconds after the Big Bang, in which the temperature of the universe was...
10 ^ -36 s
- Astro : Electroweak epoch : Electroweak epochElectroweak epochIn physical cosmology the electroweak epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the temperature of the universe was high enough to merge electromagnetism and the weak interaction into a single electroweak interaction . The electroweak epoch began when the strong force...
- Astro : Inflationary epoch : Inflationary epochInflationary epochIn physical cosmology the inflationary epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when, according to inflation theory, the universe underwent an extremely rapid exponential expansion...
10 ^ - 32 s
- Astro : End Inflationary Epoch
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Reheating : plasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Quark epoch : Quark epochQuark epochIn physical cosmology the quark epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the fundamental interactions of gravitation, electromagnetism, the strong interaction and the weak interaction had taken their present forms, but the temperature of the universe was still too high to...
10 ^ -6 s
- Astro : Hadron epoch : Hadron epochHadron epochIn physical cosmology, the hadron epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe during which the mass of the Universe was dominated by hadrons. It started approximately 10−6 seconds after the Big Bang, when the temperature of the universe had fallen sufficiently to allow the quarks...
14,000,000,000 ya + 1 Second
1 s- Astro : Lepton epoch : Lepton epochLepton epochIn physical cosmology, the lepton epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which the leptons dominated the mass of the universe. It started roughly 1 second after the Big Bang, after the majority of hadrons and anti-hadrons annihilated each other at the end of the hadron epoch...
10 s
- Astro : Photon epoch : Photon epochPhoton epochIn physical cosmology, the photon epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which photons dominated the energy of the universe. The photon epoch started after most leptons and anti-leptons were annihilated at the end of the lepton epoch, about 10 seconds after the Big Bang...
180 s
- Astro : Nucleosynthesis : Big Bang nucleosynthesisBig Bang nucleosynthesisIn physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 during the early phases of the universe...
1200 s
- Astro : Nucleosythesis Ends
13.8 Ga
- Astro : Matter domination :
13.6 Ga
- Astro : Recombination : Recombination (cosmology)Recombination (cosmology)In cosmology, recombination refers to the epoch at which charged electrons and protons first became bound to form electrically neutral hydrogen atoms.Note that the term recombination is a misnomer, considering that it represents the first time that electrically neutral hydrogen formed. After the...
13.5 Ga
- Astro : Dark age : Hydrogen lineHydrogen lineThe hydrogen line, 21 centimeter line or HI line refers to the electromagnetic radiation spectral line that is created by a change in the energy state of neutral hydrogen atoms. This electromagnetic radiation is at the precise frequency of 1420.40575177 MHz, which is equivalent to the vacuum...
13.0 Ga
- Astro : Reionization : ReionizationReionizationIn Big Bang cosmology, reionization is the process that reionized the matter in the universe after the "dark ages," and is the second of two major phase changes of gas in the universe. As the majority of baryonic matter is in the form of hydrogen, reionization usually refers to the reionization of...
- Astro : Formation of stars : Star formationStar formationStar formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
12.7 Ga
- Astro : Formation of galaxies : Galaxy formation and evolutionGalaxy formation and evolutionThe study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
- Astro : Formation of groups, clusters and superclusters : Large-scale structure of the cosmos
4,560,000,000 ya
4.56 Ga- Geo : Formation of our solar system: Solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
3.8 Ga
- Evo : Prokaryotes : Simple Cells
3.6 Ga
- Geo : VaalbaraVaalbaraVaalbara is theorized to be Earth's first supercontinent, beginning its formation about , completing its formation by about and breaking up by . The name Vaalbara is derived from the South African Kaapvaal craton and the West Australian Pilbara craton...
Supercontinent
3.0 Ga
- Evo : photosynthesisPhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
- Geo : UrUr (continent)Ur was a supercontinent that formed in the early Archean eon; the oldest continent on Earth, half a billion years older than Arctica. Ur joined with the continents Nena and Atlantica about to form the supercontinent Rodinia...
Supercontinent smaller than Australia is today
2.7 Ga
- Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Forms
2.4 Ga
- Geo : Great Oxygenation EventGreat Oxygenation EventThe Great Oxygenation Event , also called the Oxygen Catastrophe or Oxygen Crisis or Great Oxidation, was the biologically induced appearance of free oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. This major environmental change happened around 2.4 billion years ago.Photosynthesis was producing oxygen both before...
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Begins
2.1 Ga
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Ends - Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Splits
2,000,000,000 ya
2 Ga- Evo : complex cells (eukaryotes) Evolve
1.8 Ga
- Geo : NenaNena (supercontinent)Nena was an ancient minor supercontinent that consisted of the cratons of Arctica, Baltica, and East Antarctica. Forming about 1.8 billion years ago, the continent was part of the global supercontinent, Columbia. Nena is an acronym that derives from Northern Europe and North...
Supercontinent Forms
1.5 Ga
- Geo : ColumbiaColumbia (supercontinent)Columbia, also known as Nuna and Hudsonland, was one of Earth's oldest supercontinents. It was first proposed by J.J.W. Rogers and M. Santosh and is thought to have existed approximately 1.8 to 1.5 billion years ago in the Paleoproterozoic Era. Zhao et al...
Supercontinent : Forms
1,000,000,000 ya
1 Ga- Evo : multicellular life
1.1 Ga
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Forms
800 Ma
- Clima: CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Begins
750 Ma
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Splits
635 Ma
- Clima : CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Ends
600,000,000 ya
600 Ma- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Forms
540 Ma
- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Splits
590 Ma
- Evo : Animalia : Animals Evolve
530 Ma
- Evo : Chordata : Proto-Vertebrates
505 Ma
- Evo : Vertebrata : Vertebrates
500 Ma
- Evo : FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and proto-amphibians
475 Ma
- Evo : Land plants
450 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Begins
420 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Ends
418 Ma
- Geo : Oldredia Supercontinent : Forms
360 Ma
- Evo : Amphibians
- Clima : Karoo Ice AgeKaroo Ice AgeThe Karoo Ice Age from 360–260 Ma was the second major ice age of the Phanerozoic Eon. It is named after the glacial tills found in the Karoo region of South Africa where evidence for this ice age was first clearly identified....
: Begins
300,000,000 ya
300 Ma- Evo : Reptiles
- Geo : EuramericaEuramericaEuramerica was a minor supercontinent created in the Devonian as the result of a collision between the Laurentian, Baltica, and Avalonia cratons .300 million years ago in the Late Carboniferous tropical rainforests lay over the equator of Euramerica...
Supercontinent - Geo : PangaeaPangaeaPangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....
Supercontinent (~300–~180 million years ago) - Geo : GondwanaGondwanaIn paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
Supercontinent (~300–~30 million years ago) - Geo : LaurasiaLaurasiaIn paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
Supercontinent (~ 300–~60 million years ago)
260 Ma
- Clima : KarooKarooThe Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
Ice Age : Ends
250 000 000 ya
220 Ma- Evo : Mammalia : Mammals
- Evo : Theriiformes : Mammals that birth live young (i.e. non-egg-laying)
150 Ma
- Evo : Birds
130 Ma
- Evo : Flowers
125 Ma
- Evo : EutheriaEutheriaEutheria is a group of mammals consisting of placental mammals plus all extinct mammals that are more closely related to living placentals than to living marsupials . They are distinguished from noneutherians by various features of the feet, ankles, jaws and teeth...
: Placental mammals (i.e. non-marsupials) - Evo : BoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheria is a clade of placental mammals that is composed of the sister taxa Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires...
: Supraprimates, bats, whales, most hoofed mammals, and most carnivorous mammals
100 Ma
- Evo : EuarchontogliresEuarchontogliresEuarchontoglires is a clade of mammals, the living members of which are rodents, lagomorphs, treeshrews, colugos and primates .-Evolutionary relationships:...
: Supraprimates (primates, rodents, rabbits, treeshrews, and colugos)
75,000,000 ya
75 Ma- Evo : Primates : Primates Evolve
- Geo : EurasiaEurasiaEurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
Continent : Forms
56 Ma
- Clima : Paleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumPaleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumThe most extreme change in Earth surface conditions during the Cenozoic Era began at the temporal boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs . This event, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum , was associated with rapid global...
40 Ma
- Evo : HaplorrhiniHaplorrhiniThe haplorhines, the "dry-nosed" primates , are members of the Haplorhini clade: the prosimian tarsiers and the anthropoids...
: Dry-nosed primates (apes, monkeys, and tarsiers) - Evo : Simiiformes : Higher primates (or Simians) (apes, old-world monkeys, and new-world monkeys)
30 Ma
- Evo : CatarrhiniCatarrhiniCatarrhini is one of the two subdivisions of the higher primates . It contains the Old World monkeys and the apes, which in turn are further divided into the lesser apes or gibbons and the great apes, consisting of the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans...
: Narrow nosed primates (apes and old-world monkeys)
28 Ma
- Evo : Hominoidea : Apes
15,000,000 ya
15 Ma- Evo : HominidaeHominidaeThe Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
: Great apes (Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans) - Geo : AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Continent : Forms
8.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaeHomininaeHomininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, which includes humans, gorillas and chimpanzees, and some extinct relatives; it comprises all those hominids, such as Australopithecus, that arose after the split from orangutans . Our family tree, which has 3 main branches leading to chimpanzees, humans and...
: Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas
5.8 Ma
- Evo : HomininiHomininiHominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises Homo, and the two species of the genus Pan , their ancestors, and the extinct lineages of their common ancestor . Members of the tribe are called hominins...
: Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos
5.0 Ma
- Geo : Afro-EurasiaAfro-EurasiaAfro-Eurasia or less commonly Afrasia or Eurafrasia is the term used to describe the largest landmass on earth. It may be defined as a supercontinent, consisting of Africa and Eurasia...
Continent : Forms
3.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaHomininaThe more anthropomorphic primates of the Hominini tribe are placed in the Hominina subtribe. Referred to as hominans, they are characterized by the evolution of an increasingly erect bipedal locomotion. The only extant species is Homo sapiens...
: Bipedal apes (australopithecus and descendants)
2,500,000 ya
2.5 Ma- Clima : QuaternaryQuaternaryThe Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
Ice Age : Begins - Evo : HomoHomoHomo may refer to:*the Greek prefix ὅμο-, meaning "the same"*the Latin for man, human being*Homo, the taxonomical genus including modern humans...
: Humans, neanderthals, homo erectus, and their direct ancestors - Tech : Homonina Stone : Olduvai GorgeOlduvai GorgeThe Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site...
Mode 1 Industry
1.650 Ma
- Tech : Homo Erectus Stone : AcheuleanAcheuleanAcheulean is the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe. Acheulean tools are typically found with Homo erectus remains...
Mode 2 Industry
Pre-Holocene (1.5 Mya)
The time from roughly 15,000 BC to 5,000 BC was a time of transition, and swift and extensive environmental change, as the planet was moving from an Ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
Current sea level rise
Current sea level rise potentially impacts human populations and the wider natural environment . Global average sea level rose at an average rate of around 1.8 mm per year over 1961 to 2003 and at an average rate of about 3.1 mm per year from 1993 to 2003...
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
and the Holocene climatic optimum
Holocene climatic optimum
The Holocene Climate Optimum was a warm period during roughly the interval 9,000 to 5,000 years B.P.. This event has also been known by many other names, including: Hypsithermal, Altithermal, Climatic Optimum, Holocene Optimum, Holocene Thermal Maximum, and Holocene Megathermal.This warm period...
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna is the set of species of large animals — mammals, birds and reptiles — that lived on Earth during the Pleistocene epoch and became extinct in a Quaternary extinction event. These species appear to have died off as humans expanded out of Africa and southern Asia,...
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
Evolutionary pressure
Any cause that reduces reproductive success in a proportion of a population, potentially exerts evolutionary pressure or selection pressure. With sufficient pressure, inherited traits that mitigate its effects - even if they would be deleterious in other circumstances - can become widely spread...
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
Quaternary extinction event
The Quaternary period saw the extinctions of numerous predominantly larger, especially megafaunal, species, many of which occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch. However, the extinction wave did not stop at the end of the Pleistocene, but continued especially on...
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
, Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 2,588,000 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
era
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 21,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|Recent evidence indicates that humans processed (gathered) and consumed wild cereal grains as far back as 23,000 years ago.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 19,000 BC
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP...
|Last Glacial Maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
/sea-level minimum
|-
|c. 20,000 BC
|c. 12,150 BC
|Mesolithic 1
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period
|-
|c. 17,000 BC
|c. 13,000 BC
|Oldest Dryas
Oldest Dryas
The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,...
stadial
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
(cool period) during the last Ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
/glaciation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 13,000 BC
|Beginning of the Holocene extinction. Earliest evidence of warfare
|-
|c. 12,670 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Bølling oscillation
Bølling Oscillation
The Bølling oscillation was a warm interstadial period between the Oldest Dryas and Older Dryas stadials, at the end of the last glacial period. It is named after a peat sequence discovered at Bølling lake, central Jutland...
interstadial (warm and moist period) between the Oldest Dryas
Oldest Dryas
The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,...
and Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
stadials (cool periods) at the end of the Last glacial period. In places where the Older Dryas was not seen, it is known as the Bølling-Allerød
Bølling-Allerød
The Bølling-Allerød interstadial was a warm and moist interstadial period that occurred during the final stages of the last glacial period. This warm period ran from c. 14,700 to 12,700 years before the present...
.
|-
|c. 12,340 BC
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
|c. 11,140 BC
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
|Cemetery 117
Cemetery 117
Cemetery 117 is an ancient cemetery discovered in 1964 by a team led by Fred Wendorf near the northern border of Sudan. The remains discovered there were determined to be around 13,140 to 14,340 years old....
: site of the world's first battle/war.
|-
|c. 12,500 BC
Epipaleolithic
The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age...
|c. 10,800 BC
Epipaleolithic
The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age...
|Natufian culture
Natufian culture
The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture...
begins minor agriculture
|-
|c. 12,150 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Mesolithic 2
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
(Natufian culture
Natufian culture
The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture...
), some sources have Mesolithic 2 ending at 9500 BC
|-
|c. 12,000 BC
|c. 11,700 BC
|Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
stadial (cool period)
|-
|c. 11,700 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Allerød oscillation
Allerød Oscillation
The Allerød period was a warm and moist global interstadial that occurred at the end of the last glacial period. The Allerød oscillation raised temperatures , before they declined again in the succeeding Younger Dryas period, which was followed by the present interglacial period.In some regions,...
|-
|c. 13,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|c. 11,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
forms from glacial meltwater, floods through the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
at 11,000 BC, possibly causing the Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,900 BC (calibrated) or
c. 8900 BC (non-calibrated)
|Younger Dryas impact event suspected at either of these dates.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,800 BC
|Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period begins.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,000 BC
|
- Preboreal periodBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
begins. - WorldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
: Sea levels rise abruptly and massive inland flooding occurs due to glacierGlacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
melt. - NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture begins, end of most recent glaciation. - First cave drawings of the Mesolithic period are made, with warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
scenes and religious scenes, beginnings of what became story telling, and metamorphosed into actingActingActing is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
.
|}
10th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9700 BC
|
- Lake AgassizLake AgassizLake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
reforms from glacial meltwater - Bering SeaBering SeaThe Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
: Land bridge from SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
to North America disappears as sea level rises. See Beringia for further information - North America: Long IslandLong IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
becomes an island, and not just a terminal moraineTerminal moraineA terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
, when rising waters break through on the western end to the interior lakeLong Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9660 to c. 9600 BC
|Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period ends. Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
ends and Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
begins. Large amounts of previously glaciated land become habitable again. Some sources place the Younger Dryas as stretching from 10,800 BC to 9500 BC. This cool period
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
was possibly caused by a shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation
Thermohaline circulation
The term thermohaline circulation refers to a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes....
(Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
/Jet Stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
), due to flooding from Lake Agassiz as it reformed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9500 BC
|
- Ancylus LakeAncylus LakeAncylus lake is a name given by geologists to the body of fresh water that replaced the Yoldia Sea after the latter had been severed from its saline intake across central Sweden by the isostatic rise of south Scandinavian landforms. The dates are approximately 9500-8000 BP calibrated, during the...
, part of the modern-day Baltic SeaBaltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, forms. - There is evidence of harvesting, though not necessarily cultivation, of wild grasses in Asia MinorAsia MinorAsia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
about this time. - End of the pre-BorealBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
period of European climate change. - Pollen Zone IV Pre-boreal, associated with juniper, willow, birch pollen deposits.
- NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era begins in Ancient Near EastAncient Near EastThe ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
. - Evidence of the earliest settlement in JerichoJerichoJericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
- Temporary global chilling, as the Gulf StreamGulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
pulls southward, and Europe ices over (1990 Rand McNally Atlas). - In Antarctica, long-term melting of the Antarctic ice sheets is commencing.
- Creosote bush - Larrea tridentata clonal colonyClonal colonyA clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
, named "King CloneKing CloneKing Clone is thought to be the oldest Creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert is estimated to be 11,700 years old. It is considered one of the oldest living organisms on Earth...
", germinatesGerminationGermination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
in the Mojave DesertMojave DesertThe Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
near the Lucerne ValleyLucerne Valley, CaliforniaLucerne Valley is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert of western San Bernardino County, California. It lies east of the Victor Valley, whose population nexus includes Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia...
in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9000 BC
|First stone structures at Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
built.
|}
9th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8500 BC to 7370
|Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
is established as one of the oldest cities in the world sometime between 8500 BC and 7370 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8000 BC
|
- Transition from Boreal periodBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
to Atlantic periodAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a... - Last glacial period ends
- Upper PaleolithicUpper PaleolithicThe Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
period ends and the MesolithicMesolithicThe Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period begins - Old Man in the Mountain formed in New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
by retreating glaciers - Antarctica — long-term melting of the Antarctic ice sheets is under way.
- Asia — rising sea levels caused by postglacial warming.
- North America — The glaciers were receding and by 8000 BCE the Wisconsin glaciationWisconsin glaciationThe last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
had withdrawn completely. - WorldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
— Inland flooding due to catastrophic glacier melt takes place in several regions. - Neolithic RevolutionNeolithic RevolutionThe Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
, humans begin to switch from a hunter-gathererHunter-gathererA hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
existence, to agricultureHistory of agricultureAgriculture was developed at least 10,000 years ago, and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation. The Fertile Crescent of Western Asia, Egypt, and India were sites of the earliest planned sowing and harvesting of plants that had previously been gathered...
|}
8th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 7900 BC
|c. 7700 BC
|Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
refills from glacial melt-water around 7900 BC as Glaciers retreat north
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7640 BC
|Date theorized for impact of Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
Alexander Tollmann's bolide, proposed by Kristan-Tollmann and Tollmann in 1994, is a hypothesis presented by Austrian geologist Alexander Tollmann, suggesting that one or several bolides struck the Earth at 7640 BCE , with a much smaller one at 3150 BCE...
with Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and associated global cataclysm
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7500 BC
|
- Mesolithic hunters reach IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
- 9,500 year old Norway spruce - Picea abies clonal colonyClonal colonyA clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
named "Old TjikkoOld TjikkoOld Tjikko is a 9,550 year old Norway Spruce tree, located on Fulufjället Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden. Old Tjikko is the world's oldest living individual clonal tree, however, there are many examples of much older clonal colonies , such as "Pando", estimated to be over 80,000 years...
" germinatesGerminationGermination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
|-
|7500-7000 BC
|3500-3000 BC
|Neolithic Subpluvial
Neolithic Subpluvial
The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
begins in northern Africa, Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period ends. Until about 5000 BC, the Sahara desert is substantially wetter than today, comparable to a savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
.
|}
7th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6600 BC
|Jiahu symbols
Jiahu symbols
Jiahu symbols refer to the 16 distinct markings on prehistoric artifacts found in Jiahu, a neolithic Peiligang culture site found in Henan, China, and excavated in 1999 C.E...
, carved on tortoise shells in Jiahu
Jiahu
Jiahu was the site of a Neolithic Yellow River settlement based in the central plains of ancient China, modern Wuyang, Henan Province. Archaeologists consider the site to be one of the earliest examples of the Peiligang culture. Settled from 7000 to 5800 BC, the site was later flooded and abandoned...
, Northern China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6500 BC
|
- English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
formed - ubaid periodUbaid periodThe Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
begins in MesopotamiaMesopotamiaMesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... - Chalcolithic (copper age) and invention of the wheel occur during this time
- PaleolithicPaleolithicThe Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
period ends and NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period begins in China, continues to 2300 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c.6440±25 BC
|Kurile volcano on Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
has VEI 7 eruption. It is one of the largest of the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
epoch
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6400 BC
|Lake Agassiz drains into oceans for the final time, leaving Lakes Manitoba
Lake Manitoba
Lake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake...
, Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, Winnipegosis
Lake Winnipegosis
Lake Winnipegosis is a large lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada, some 300 km northwest of Winnipeg. It is Canada's eleventh-largest lake...
, and Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of...
, among others in the region, as its remnants. The draining may have caused the 8.2 kiloyear event, 200 years later
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6200 BC
|8.2 kiloyear event
8.2 kiloyear event
The 8.2 kiloyear event is the term that climatologists have adopted for a sudden decrease in global temperatures that occurred approximately 8,200 years before the present, or c. 6,200 BCE, and which lasted for the next two to four centuries...
, a sudden significant cooling episode
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6100 BC
|The Storegga Slide
Storegga Slide
The three Storegga Slides are considered to be amongst the largest known landslides. They occurred under water, at the edge of Norway's continental shelf , in the Norwegian Sea, 100 km north-west of the Møre coast, causing a very large tsunami in the North Atlantic Ocean...
, causing a megatsunami
Megatsunami
Megatsunami is an informal term to describe a tsunami that has initial wave heights that are much larger than normal tsunamis...
in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6000 BC
|
- Climatic or Thermal MaximumHolocene climatic optimumThe Holocene Climate Optimum was a warm period during roughly the interval 9,000 to 5,000 years B.P.. This event has also been known by many other names, including: Hypsithermal, Altithermal, Climatic Optimum, Holocene Optimum, Holocene Thermal Maximum, and Holocene Megathermal.This warm period...
, the warmest period in the past 125,000 years, with minimal glaciation and highest sea levels. (McEvedy) - Rising sea levels form the Torres StraitTorres StraitThe Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, separate Australia from New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. - Increasing desiccation of the Sahara. End of the Saharan PluvialNeolithic SubpluvialThe Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
period. - Associated with Pollen Zone VI AtlanticAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a...
, oak-elm woodlands, warmer and maritime climate. Modern wild fauna plus, increasingly, human introductions, associated with the spread of the Neolithic farming technologies. - Rising sea levels from glacial retreat flood what will become the Irish SeaIrish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
, separating the island of Ireland from the British Isles and Continental EuropeContinental EuropeContinental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
.
|}
6th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5600 BC
|According to the Black Sea deluge theory
Black Sea deluge theory
The Black Sea deluge is a hypothesized catastrophic rise in the level of the Black Sea circa 5600 BC due to waters from the Mediterranean Sea breaching a sill in the Bosporus Strait. The hypothesis made headlines when The New York Times published it in December 1996, shortly before it was published...
, the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
floods with salt water. Some 3000 cubic miles (12,500 km³) of salt water is added, significantly expanding it and transforming it from a fresh-water landlocked lake into a salt water sea.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5500 BC
|Beginning of the desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
of north Africa, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert from land that was previously savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
, though is still wetter than today. It's possible this process pushed people in the area into migrating to the region of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
in the east, thereby laying the groundwork for the rise of Egyptian civilization
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5300 BC
|
- Vinča script (Tărtăria tabletsTartaria tabletsThe Tărtăria tablets are three tablets, known since the late 19th century excavation at the Neolithic site of Turdaş in Transylvania Romania, by Zsófia Torma, which date to around 5300 BC...
), among the oldest writing systems
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5000 BC
|
- The Older Peron transgressionOlder PeronThe Older Peron transgression was a period of unusually warm climate during the Holocene Epoch. It began in the 5000 BCE to 4900 BCE era, and lasted to about 4100 BCE...
, a global warm period, begins. - Use of a sail begins. The first known picture is on an Egyptian urn found in LuxorLuxorLuxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
. - Transition from Atlantic periodAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a...
to Subboreal period - MetallurgyMetallurgyMetallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
appears
|}
5th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 4570 BC
|c. 4250 BC
|Merimde
Merimde
The Merimde culture was a Neolithic culture which corresponds in its later phase to the Faiyum A and the Badari cultures in Predynastic Egypt. It is estimated that the culture evolved between 4800 and 4300 BC...
culture on the Nile River
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|4400 BC
|Predynastic Egypt
Predynastic Egypt
The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer....
and Uruk period
Uruk period
The Uruk period existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period and succeeded by the Jemdet Nasr period. Named after the Sumerian city of Uruk, this period saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. It was...
begins in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
|}
4th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3900 BC
|
- Intense aridification5.9 kiloyear eventThe 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
triggered worldwide migration to river valleyRiver ValleyRiver Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
s, which might have caused changes in human behaviourHuman Behaviour"Human Behaviour" is Icelandic singer Björk's first solo single, taken from the album Debut. It contains a sample of "Go Down Dying" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The lyrics reflect on human nature and emotion from a non-human animal's point of view. The song is the first part of a series of songs that...
, such as patriarchyPatriarchyPatriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
, institutionalised warfareMilitary-industrial complexMilitary–industrial complex , or Military–industrial-congressional complex is a concept commonly used to refer to policy and monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the industrial sector that supports them...
, social stratificationSocial stratificationIn sociology the social stratification is a concept of class, involving the "classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."...
, abuse of childrenChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, the development of the human ego, separation from the bodyTranscendence (religion)In religion transcendence refers to the aspect of God's nature which is wholly independent of the physical universe. This is contrasted with immanence where God is fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways...
(afterlifeAfterlifeThe afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
and reincarnationReincarnationReincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
worship), the rise of anthropomorphic gods and the concept of linear historic time. A possible inspiration for the myth/legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
of the fall of man. - Abrupt end of the Ubaid periodUbaid periodThe Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
.
|-
|3600 BC
|2800 BC
|
- Climatic deterioration in Western Europe and the Sahara.
- In Europe Pollen zonePollen zonePollen zones are a system of subdividing the last glacial period and Holocene paleoclimate using the data from pollen cores. The sequence provides a global chronological structure to a wide variety of scientists, such as geologists, climatologisists, geographists and archaeologists, who study the...
VII Sub Boreal, oak and beech. - Glacial advances of the Piora oscillationPiora OscillationThe Piora Oscillation was an abrupt cold and wet period in the climate history of the Holocene Epoch; it is generally dated to the period of c. 3200 to 2900 BCE...
, with lower economic prosperity in areas not able to irrigate in the Middle East.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3500 BC to 3000 BC
|end of the Neolithic Subpluvial
Neolithic Subpluvial
The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
era, return of extremely hot and dry conditions in the Sahara Desert, hastened by the 5.9 kiloyear event
5.9 kiloyear event
The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
.
|-
|3100 BC
|2686 BC
|Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
The Archaic or Early Dynastic Period of Egypt immediately follows the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt c. 3100 BC. It is generally taken to include the First and Second Dynasties, lasting from the Protodynastic Period of Egypt until about 2686 BC, or the beginning of the Old Kingdom...
. The hallmarks of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
(art
Art of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian art is the painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts produced by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BC to 300 AD. Ancient Egyptian art reached a high level in painting and sculpture, and was both highly stylized and symbolic...
, architecture
Ancient Egyptian architecture
The Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations which developed a vast array of diverse structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture...
, religion) all formed during this period. This is widely assumed to be the time and place of the first writing system, the Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
(date is disputed, some claim they were used as far back as 3200 BC, while others believe they weren't invented until the 28th century BC
28th century BC
The 28th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2800 BC to 2701 BC.-Events:*c. 2800 BC – 2700 BC: Seated Harp Player, from Keros, Cyclades, is made...
).
|-
|3200 BC
|3000 BC
|Protodynastic Period of Egypt
|-
|colspan="2"|between 3000 BC and 2800 BC
|30 km/19 mi-wide Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event...
is formed in Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
from a possible meteor or comet impact, possibly inspiring most flood myths.
|}
3rd millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 30th century BC
30th century BC
The 30th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC.-Events:* Before 3000 BC: Image of a deity, detail from a cong recovered from Tomb 12, Fanshan, Yuyao, Zhejiang, is made. Neolithic period. Liangzhu culture...
|
- c. 3000 BC: StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
begins to be built. In its first version, it consists of a circular ditch and bank, with 56 wooden posts. (National Geographic, June 2008). - Sumerian Cuneiform scriptCuneiform scriptCuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
, considered among the oldest alphabets, is created
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2900 BC
|Floods at Shuruppak
Shuruppak
Shuruppak or Shuruppag was an ancient Sumerian city situated about 35 miles south of Nippur on the banks of the Euphrates at the site of modern Tell Fara in Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate....
from horizon to horizon, with sediments in Southern Iraq, stretching as far north as Kish
Kish (Sumer)
Kish is modern Tell al-Uhaymir , and was an ancient city of Sumer. Kish is located some 12 km east of Babylon, and 80 km south of Baghdad ....
, and as far south as Uruk
Uruk
Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk...
, associated with the return of heavy rains in Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
and a potential damming of the Karun River to run into the Tigris River. This ends the Jemdet Nasr period
Jemdet Nasr period
The Jemdet Nasr period is an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia that is generally dated to 3100–2900 BCE. It is named after the type-site Jemdet Nasr, where the assemblage typical for this period was first recognized. Its geographical distribution is limited to south–central Iraq...
and ushers in the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
cultures of the area. Possible association of this event with the Biblical deluge
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2880 BC
29th century BC
The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period....
|Germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
of Prometheus
Prometheus (tree)
Prometheus was the oldest known non-clonal organism, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing near the tree line on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, United States...
(a bristlecone pine
Bristlecone pine
The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
of the species Pinus longaeva), formerly the world's oldest known non-clonal
Clonal colony
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2832 BC
29th century BC
The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period....
|Germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
of Methuselah
Methuselah (tree)
Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. Its measured age of 4,842 years makes it the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism...
(a bristlecone pine
Bristlecone pine
The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
of the species Pinus longaeva), currently the world's oldest known non-clonal
Clonal colony
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2807 BC
|Suggested date for an asteroid or comet impact occurring between Africa and Antarctica, around the time of a solar eclipse on May 10, based on an analysis of flood stories. Possibly causing the Burckle crater
Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event...
and Fenambosy Chevron
Fenambosy Chevron
The Fenambosy Chevron is one of four chevron-shaped land features on the southwest coast of Madagascar, near the tip of Madagascar, 180 metres high and 5 km inland. It is composed mainly of material found on the ocean. Chevrons such as Fenambosy have been hypothesized as providing evidence of...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2650 BC
|
- SumerianSumerian languageSumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
epic of GilgameshGilgameshGilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
describes vast tracts of cedar forests in what is now southern IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Gilgamesh defies the gods and cuts down the forest, and in return the gods say they will curse SumerSumerSumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
with fire (or possibly droughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
). By 2100 BC, soil erosion and salt buildupDryland salinityDryland salinity is salinity that occurs in a landscape that is not irrigated, as distinct from irrigation salinity and urban salinity.-Overview:...
have devastated agriculture. One Sumerian wrote that the "earth turned white." Civilization moved north to BabyloniaBabyloniaBabylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
and AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
. Again, deforestation becomes a factor in the rise and subsequent fall of these civilizations. - Some of the first laws protecting the remaining forests decreed in UrUrUr was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
.
|-
|c. 2630 BC
|1815 BC
|Construction of the Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2500 BC
|Sahara becomes fully desiccated, and conditions become largely identical to those of today. Desiccation
Desiccation
Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:...
had been proceeding from 7500-6000 BCE, as a result of the shift in the West African tropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
belt southwards from the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
, and intensified by the 5.9 kiloyear event
5.9 kiloyear event
The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
. Subsequent rates of evaporation in the region led to a drying of the Sahara, as shown by the drop in water levels in Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
. Tehenu of the Sahara attempt to enter into Egypt, and there is evidence of a Nile drought in the pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
of Unas
Unas
Unas was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and the last ruler of the Fifth dynasty from the Old Kingdom. His reign has been dated as falling between 2375 BC and 2345 BC...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2300 BC
|Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period ends in China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2200 BC
|Beginning of a severe centennial-scale drought
4.2 kiloyear event
The 4.2 kiloyear BP aridification event was one of the most severe climatic events of the Holocene period in terms of impact on cultural upheaval. Starting in ≈2200 BC, it probably lasted the entire 22nd century BC. It is very likely to have caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom in Egypt as...
in northern Africa, southwestern Asia and midcontinental North America, which very likely caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
in Egypt as well as the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
. This coincides with the transition from the Subboreal period to the subatlantic period.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21st century BC
21st century BC
The 21st century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2100 BC to 2001 BC.- Events :Note: all dates from this long ago should be regarded as either approximate or conjectural; there are no absolutely certain dates, and multiple competing reconstructed chronologies, for this time period.* c....
|construction of the Ziggurat of Ur
|}
2nd millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900 BC
|The Atra-Hasis
Atra-Hasis
The 18th century BCE Akkadian epic of Atra-Hasis is named after its protagonist. An "Atra-Hasis" appears on one of the Sumerian king lists as king of Shuruppak in the times before the flood. The Atra-Hasis tablets include both a creation myth and a flood account, which is one of three surviving...
Epic describes Babylonian flood, with warnings of the consequences
Malthusian catastrophe
A Malthusian catastrophe was originally foreseen to be a forced return to subsistence-level conditions once population growth had outpaced agricultural production...
of human overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600 BC
|Minoan eruption destroys much of Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
island, and decimates the Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. This may have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1450 BC
|Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
in the Mediterranean declines, but scholars are divided on the cause. Possibly a volcanic eruption was the source of the catastrophe (see Minoan eruption). On the other hand, gradual deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
may have led to materials shortages in manufacturing and shipping. Loss of timber and subsequent deterioration of its land was probably a factor in the decline of Minoan power in the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, according to John Perlin in A Forest Journey.
|-
|1206 BC
|1187 BC
|Evidence of major droughts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hittite and Ugarit records show requests for grain were sent to Egypt, probably during the reign of Pharaoh Merenptah. Carpenter has suggested that droughts of equal severity to those of the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
in Greece, would have been sufficient to cause the Late Bronze Age collapse
Bronze Age collapse
The Bronze Age collapse is a transition in southwestern Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age that some historians believe was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive...
. The cause may have been a temporary diversion of winter storms north of the Pyrenees and Alps. Central Europe experienced generally wetter conditions, while those in the Eastern Mediterranean were substantially drier. There seems to have been a general abandonment of peasant subsistence agriculture in favour of nomadic pastoralism in Central Anatolia, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Sinai and NW Arabia.
|-
|c. 2000 BC
|c. 1000 BC
|
- The Sarasvati RiverSarasvati RiverThe Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
dries up. Desertification of the Thar RegionThar DesertThe Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
begins. - Some theories of psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and human evolutionHuman evolutionHuman evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
have proposed that humans had a bicameral mind (similar to schizophreniaSchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
) without full self-awarenessSelf-awarenessSelf-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to reconcile oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals...
or self-consciousnessSelf-consciousnessSelf-consciousness is an acute sense of self-awareness. It is a preoccupation with oneself, as opposed to the philosophical state of self-awareness, which is the awareness that one exists as an individual being; although some writers use both terms interchangeably or synonymously...
as we know them, similar to instinctInstinctInstinct or innate behavior is the inherent inclination of a living organism toward a particular behavior.The simplest example of an instinctive behavior is a fixed action pattern, in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a...
s in animals until this time.
|}
1st millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|rowspan="2"|800 BC
|500 BC
|
- Sub-Atlantic period in Western Europe.
- Pollen Zone VIII, sub-Atlantic. End of last Sea Level rise.
- Spread of "Celtic fields", Iron Age AIron AgeThe Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, and HaalstadtHallstatt cultureThe Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
Celts. - Increased prosperity in Europe and the Middle East.
|-
|200 BC
200 BC
Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta...
|Axial age
Axial Age
German philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age or axial period to describe the period from 800 to 200 BC, during which, according to Jaspers, similar revolutionary thinking appeared in India, China and the Occident...
, a revolution in thinking that we know as Philosophy, begins in China, India, and Europe, with people such as Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
, Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, Lao Tzu, Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
, among others, alive at this time.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|753 BC
|Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
begins, with the founding of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. This marks the beginning of Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|508 BC
|Democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
created in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
|-
|356 BC
356 BC
Year 356 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ambustus and Laenas...
|323 BC
323 BC
Year 323 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Longus and Cerretanus...
|Alexander the Great
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 225 BC
225 BC
Year 225 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Papus and Regulus...
|The Sub-Atlantic period began about 225 BCE (estimated on the basis of radiocarbon dating) and has been characterized by increased rainfall, cooler and more humid climates, and the dominance of beech forests. The fauna of the Sub-Atlantic is essentially modern although severely depleted by human activities. The Sub-Atlantic is correlated with pollen zone IX; sea levels have been generally regressive during this time interval, though North America is an exception.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 200 BC
200 BC
Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta...
|Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
first country in the world to have a nature reserve, King Devanampiyatissa
Devanampiyatissa
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 BC to 267 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka...
established a wildlife sanctuary
|}
1st century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|79 AD
|Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
erupts, burying Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
and Herculaneum
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt...
|}
2nd century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|114
114
Year 114 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hasta and Vopiscus...
|117
117
Year 117 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus...
|Rome reaches its greatest expanse in terms of territory, stretching from the Sahara desert, to England and Belgium, along the Danube River and Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and modern-day Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|186
186
Year 186 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Glabrio...
|Hatepe eruption
Hatepe eruption
The Hatepe eruption around the year 180 CE was Lake Taupo's most recent major eruption, and New Zealand's largest eruption during the last 20,000 years. It ejected some of material , of which was ejected in the space of a few minutes...
in New Zealand turns the skies red over Rome and China.
|}
4th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 300
300
Year 300 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius...
|Migration period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
begins. This leads in a couple of centuries to the fall of Rome.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|301
301
Year 301 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Postumius and Nepotianus...
|San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
founded, claims to be the world's oldest republic
|}
5th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 450
450
Year 450 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinianus and Avienus...
|Malaria epidemic
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|476
476
Year 476 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Basiliscus and Armatus...
|Fall of Rome, end of the Western Roman Empire
|}
6th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| 535
535
Year 535 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Belisarius without colleague...
| 536
536
Year 536 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Belisarius...
|535-536
Climate changes of 535–536
The extreme weather events of 535–536 were the most severe and protracted short-term episodes of cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The event is thought to have been caused by an extensive atmospheric dust veil, possibly resulting from a large volcanic eruption in the...
: global climate abnormalities affecting several civilizations.
|}
9th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 850
850
Year 850 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Montoku succeeds Emperor Nimmyō as Emperor of Japan.- Europe :...
|Severe drought exacerbated by soil erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
causes collapse of Central American city states and the end of the Classic Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|874
874
Year 874 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling in Reykjavík ....
|According to Landnámabók
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
, the settlement of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
begins.
|}
10th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|930
930
Year 930 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* With the establishment of the Althing, now one of the world's oldest parliaments, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded....
|Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
, oldest parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary institution in the world that is still in existence, is founded
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|980s
|Greenland settled by Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
colonists from Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
|}
11th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|985
985
Year 985 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Barcelona is sacked by Al-Mansur....
|1080
|Norse Colony at L'Anse aux Meadows
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1006
|SN 1006
SN 1006
SN 1006 was a supernova, widely seen on Earth beginning in the year 1006 AD; Earth was about 7,200 light-years away from the supernova. It was the brightest apparent magnitude stellar event in recorded history reaching an estimated -7.5 visual magnitude...
supernova, brightest apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
stellar event in recorded history (-7.5 visual magnitude)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1054
|SN 1054
SN 1054
SN 1054 is a supernova that was first observed as a new "star" in the sky on July 4, 1054 AD, hence its name, and that lasted for a period of around two years. The event was recorded in multiple Chinese and Japanese documents and in one document from the Arab world...
supernova, created the Crab Nebula
Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1099
|The Hodh Ech Chargui
Hodh Ech Chargui
Hodh Ech Chargui is a large region in eastern Mauritania. Its capital is Néma. Other major cities/towns include Oualata. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Adrar, Tagant and Hodh El Gharbi to the west and Mali to the east and south....
and Hodh El Gharbi
Hodh El Gharbi
Hodh El Gharbi is a region in southern Mauritania. Its capital is Ayoun el Atrous. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Tagant to the north, Hodh Ech Chargui to the east, Mali country to the south and Assaba to the west....
Regions
Regions of Mauritania
||Mauritania is divided into 12 regions and one capital district:During the Mauritanian occupation of Western Sahara , its portion of the territory was named Tiris al-Gharbiyya.The regions are subdivided into 44 departments; please see departments of Mauritania for further detail.-See also:*ISO...
of southern Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
become desert.
|}
12th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1104
|Venice Arsenal in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
is founded, employed 16,000 at its peak for the mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
of sailing ships in large assembly lines, hundreds of years before the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1150
|Renaissance of the 12th century
Renaissance of the 12th century
The Renaissance of the 12th century was a period of many changes at the outset of the High Middle Ages. It included social, political and economic transformations, and an intellectual revitalization of Western Europe with strong philosophical and scientific roots...
in Europe, blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
for the smelting of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
is imported from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1185
|First record of windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s in Europe
|}
13th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 1250
|c. 1850
|Start of the Little Ice Age
Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period . While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into the scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939...
, a stadial
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
period within our interglacial
Interglacial
An Interglacial period is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age...
warm period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|end of the 13th century
|beginning of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, gradually spreads throughout Europe.
|}
14th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1315
|1317
|Great Famine of 1315–1317
Great Famine of 1315–1317
The Great Famine of 1315–1317 was the first of a series of large scale crises that struck Northern Europe early in the fourteenth century...
(Europe)
|-
|1347
|1350s
|Bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
decimates Europe, creating the first attempts to enforce public health and quarantine laws.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1350
|Western Settlement
Western Settlement
The Western Settlement was the smaller of the two main areas of Greenland settled in around 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland ....
in Greenland abandoned, possibly due to the deteriorating climate caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age
|}
15th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1408
|last known recording (a wedding) of Norse settlers in Greenland
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1453
|Eruption of Kuwae
Kuwae
Kuwae is a submarine caldera between Epi and Tongoa islands. Kuwae Caldera cuts through the flank of the Tavani Ruru volcano on Epi and the northwest end of Tongoa....
in Pacific contributes to fall of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
. Environmental Science is developed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1492
|Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
lands in Caribbean islands, starting the Columbian Exchange
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations , communicable disease, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres . It was one of the most significant events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in all of human history...
, causing the Aztec Empire and Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
to fall to the Spanish in the next century, as well as bringing various species of animals and plants across the Atlantic Ocean.
|}
16th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1585
|1587
|Roanoke Colony
Roanoke Colony
The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by...
, now in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|End of the 16th century
|End of the Renaissance era, gradual transition towards the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Romantic, Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, and Modern eras.
|}
17th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600
|Huaynaputina
Huaynaputina
Huaynaputina is a stratovolcano located in a volcanic upland in southern Peru. The volcano does not have an identifiable mountain profile, but instead has the form of a large volcanic crater. It has produced high-potassium andesite and dacite...
erupts in South America. The explosion had effects on climate around the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
(Southern hemispheric records are less complete), where 1601 was the coldest year in six centuries, leading to a famine in Russia; see Russian famine of 1601–1603
Russian famine of 1601–1603
The Russian famine of 1601–1603 was Russia's worst famine in terms of proportional effect on the population, killing perhaps two million people, a third of Russians, during the Time of Troubles, when the country was unsettled politically and later invaded by the Polish Commonwealth...
.
|}
18th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 1750
|Beginning of Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, which eventually turns to use of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and other fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s to drive steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s and other devices. Anthropogenic carbon pollution presumably increases.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1783
|the volcano Laki
Laki
Łąki may refer to the following places in Poland:*Łąki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Łąki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Łąki, Lublin Voivodeship...
erupts, emitting sufficient sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
gas and sulphate particles to kill a majority of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's livestock and cause an unusually cold winter in Europe and Western Asia.
|-
|1789
|1793
|a recent study of El Niño patterns suggests that the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
was caused in part by the poor crop yields of 1788-89 in Europe, resulting from an unusually strong El-Niño effect between 1789-93.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1796
|
- Night of June 6, 1796 - Ragundasjön was dried out in four hours when indalsälvenIndalsälvenIndalsälven is one of Sweden's longest rivers with a total length of 430 kilometers. Among its tributaries are Kallströmmen, Långan, Hårkan and Ammerån. A total of 26 hydropower plants are placed along its course, making it the third most power producing river of Sweden.-References:...
took a new course, at least partially as a result of canal digging activities. - Smallpox vaccineSmallpox vaccineThe smallpox vaccine was the first successful vaccine to be developed. The process of vaccination was discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, who acted upon his observation that milkmaids who caught the cowpox virus did not catch smallpox...
invented. This and other medical discoveries over the next two centuries help to increase life expectancyLife expectancyLife expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
and decrease infant mortalityInfant mortalityInfant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
, leading to a worldwide population boom.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1798
|Thomas Robert Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population
An Essay on the Principle of Population
The book An Essay on the Principle of Population was first published anonymously in 1798 through J. Johnson . The author was soon identified as The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. While it was not the first book on population, it has been acknowledged as the most influential work of its era...
, thus beginning Malthusian economics.
|}
19th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1815
|
- Eruption of Mt. TamboraMount TamboraMount Tambora is an active stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Sumbawa is flanked both to the north and south by oceanic crust, and Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone beneath it. This raised Mount Tambora as high as , making it...
in what is now Indonesia, largest in the 2nd millennium AD. Leads to the-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1816
|
- -"Year Without a SummerYear Without a SummerThe Year Without a Summer was 1816, in which severe summer climate abnormalities caused average global temperatures to decrease by about 0.4–0.7 °C , resulting in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere...
." across North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
|-
|1845
|1857
|European Potato Famine
European Potato Famine
The European Potato Failure was a food crisis caused by potato blight that struck Northern Europe in the mid-1840s. The time is also known as the Hungry Forties. While the crisis produced excess mortality and suffering across the affected areas, particularly harshly affected were the Scottish...
s cause crop failures in both Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(the Great Famine) and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(the Highland Potato Famine).
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1872
|Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, the world's first national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, opens on March 1.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1883
|Eruption of Krakatoa
Krakatoa
Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates...
in Indonesia. The sound of the explosion is heard as far as Australia and China, the altered air waves causes strange colours on the sky and the volcanic gases reduce global temperatures during the following years. The vivid sunsets were captured in Edward Munch's The Scream
The Scream
Scream is the title of Expressionist paintings and prints in a series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, showing an agonized figure against a blood red sky...
.
|}
20th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900
|The Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...
hits Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
and reverses the city's previously rapid growth.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1906
|San Francisco earthquake causes collapse of insurance markets and the Panic of 1907
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1908
|Tunguska Explosion decimates a remote part of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
|-
|1914
|1918
|World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, which involves heavy bombardment, explosions, and poison gas warfare.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1918
|Spanish Flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
kills between 50 to 100 million people worldwide shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
|-
|1932
|1937
|Exceptional precipitation absence in northern hemisphere exacerbated by human activities causes the Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
drought of the US plains and the Soviet famine of 1932-1933
Soviet famine of 1932-1933
The Soviet famine of 1932–1933 killed many millions in the major grain-producing areas of the Soviet Union. These areas included Ukraine, Northern Caucasus, Volga Region and Kazakhstan, the South Urals, and West Siberia...
(harsh economic damage in US and widespread death in USSR)
|-
|1937
|1945
|Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with heavy bombardment, genocide, and explosions. Towards the end of the war, nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
occurs for the first time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki are bombed
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|post-1945
|Nuclear tests are performed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Above-ground detonations continue until the Partial Test Ban Treaty
Partial Test Ban Treaty
The treaty banning nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty , Limited Test Ban Treaty , or Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is a treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons...
is signed in 1963, causing fallout
Fallout
Fallout or nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion.Fallout may also refer to:*Fallout , a 1997 post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game released by Interplay Entertainment...
and spreading radiation around the explosion sites.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1957
|Sputnik is launched, becomes first man-made object to orbit the earth, and triggers the Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and USSR, culminating with the First man in space
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
in 1961, and the Moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
, humanity's first ventures to the Moon in 1969
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1960
|World human population reached 3 billion mark.
|-
|1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
|2010s
2010s
The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...
|Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
occurs in the Midwest and then much of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as manufacturing industries (and their pollution) move to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and other countries.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1980
|Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
erupts explosively in Washington state.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1984
|Bhopal disaster
Bhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1986
|Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
meltdown and explosion, contaminating surrounding area, including Pripyat.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1987
|World human population reached 5 billion mark.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1999
|World human population reached the 6 billion mark.
|}
21st century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
The timeline lists geological, astronomical, and climatological events in relation to events in human history which they influenced. For the history of humanity's perspective on these events, see timeline of the history of environmentalism. See List of periods and events in climate history for a timeline list focused on climate.
Key:
- Astro : Astronomy
- Geo : Geology
- Clima : Climatology
- Evo : Evolutionary
- Tech : Technology
- Agro : Agriculture
- Arch : Architecture
- Art : Arts
Prolog
Prior to the arrival of Homo Sapiens the Universe and Earth and Evolution went through tremendous change. Time and events are emphasized and period naming ignored. This timeline is in outline form prior to the tables. Feel free to assist by converting the outline into a table.Big Bang
no time- Astro : Very early universe
0 seconds
- Astro : Planck epoch : Planck epochPlanck epochIn physical cosmology, the Planck epoch , named after Max Planck, is the earliest period of time in the history of the universe, from zero to approximately 10−43 seconds , during which, it is believed, quantum effects of gravity were significant...
10 ^ -43 s
- Astro : Grand unification epoch : Grand unification epochGrand unification epochIn physical cosmology, assuming that nature is described by a Grand unification theory, the grand unification epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe following the Planck epoch, starting at about 10−43 seconds after the Big Bang, in which the temperature of the universe was...
10 ^ -36 s
- Astro : Electroweak epoch : Electroweak epochElectroweak epochIn physical cosmology the electroweak epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the temperature of the universe was high enough to merge electromagnetism and the weak interaction into a single electroweak interaction . The electroweak epoch began when the strong force...
- Astro : Inflationary epoch : Inflationary epochInflationary epochIn physical cosmology the inflationary epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when, according to inflation theory, the universe underwent an extremely rapid exponential expansion...
10 ^ - 32 s
- Astro : End Inflationary Epoch
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Reheating : plasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
10 ^ -12 s
- Astro : Quark epoch : Quark epochQuark epochIn physical cosmology the quark epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe when the fundamental interactions of gravitation, electromagnetism, the strong interaction and the weak interaction had taken their present forms, but the temperature of the universe was still too high to...
10 ^ -6 s
- Astro : Hadron epoch : Hadron epochHadron epochIn physical cosmology, the hadron epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe during which the mass of the Universe was dominated by hadrons. It started approximately 10−6 seconds after the Big Bang, when the temperature of the universe had fallen sufficiently to allow the quarks...
14,000,000,000 ya + 1 Second
1 s- Astro : Lepton epoch : Lepton epochLepton epochIn physical cosmology, the lepton epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which the leptons dominated the mass of the universe. It started roughly 1 second after the Big Bang, after the majority of hadrons and anti-hadrons annihilated each other at the end of the hadron epoch...
10 s
- Astro : Photon epoch : Photon epochPhoton epochIn physical cosmology, the photon epoch was the period in the evolution of the early universe in which photons dominated the energy of the universe. The photon epoch started after most leptons and anti-leptons were annihilated at the end of the lepton epoch, about 10 seconds after the Big Bang...
180 s
- Astro : Nucleosynthesis : Big Bang nucleosynthesisBig Bang nucleosynthesisIn physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 during the early phases of the universe...
1200 s
- Astro : Nucleosythesis Ends
13.8 Ga
- Astro : Matter domination :
13.6 Ga
- Astro : Recombination : Recombination (cosmology)Recombination (cosmology)In cosmology, recombination refers to the epoch at which charged electrons and protons first became bound to form electrically neutral hydrogen atoms.Note that the term recombination is a misnomer, considering that it represents the first time that electrically neutral hydrogen formed. After the...
13.5 Ga
- Astro : Dark age : Hydrogen lineHydrogen lineThe hydrogen line, 21 centimeter line or HI line refers to the electromagnetic radiation spectral line that is created by a change in the energy state of neutral hydrogen atoms. This electromagnetic radiation is at the precise frequency of 1420.40575177 MHz, which is equivalent to the vacuum...
13.0 Ga
- Astro : Reionization : ReionizationReionizationIn Big Bang cosmology, reionization is the process that reionized the matter in the universe after the "dark ages," and is the second of two major phase changes of gas in the universe. As the majority of baryonic matter is in the form of hydrogen, reionization usually refers to the reionization of...
- Astro : Formation of stars : Star formationStar formationStar formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
12.7 Ga
- Astro : Formation of galaxies : Galaxy formation and evolutionGalaxy formation and evolutionThe study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
- Astro : Formation of groups, clusters and superclusters : Large-scale structure of the cosmos
4,560,000,000 ya
4.56 Ga- Geo : Formation of our solar system: Solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
3.8 Ga
- Evo : Prokaryotes : Simple Cells
3.6 Ga
- Geo : VaalbaraVaalbaraVaalbara is theorized to be Earth's first supercontinent, beginning its formation about , completing its formation by about and breaking up by . The name Vaalbara is derived from the South African Kaapvaal craton and the West Australian Pilbara craton...
Supercontinent
3.0 Ga
- Evo : photosynthesisPhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
- Geo : UrUr (continent)Ur was a supercontinent that formed in the early Archean eon; the oldest continent on Earth, half a billion years older than Arctica. Ur joined with the continents Nena and Atlantica about to form the supercontinent Rodinia...
Supercontinent smaller than Australia is today
2.7 Ga
- Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Forms
2.4 Ga
- Geo : Great Oxygenation EventGreat Oxygenation EventThe Great Oxygenation Event , also called the Oxygen Catastrophe or Oxygen Crisis or Great Oxidation, was the biologically induced appearance of free oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. This major environmental change happened around 2.4 billion years ago.Photosynthesis was producing oxygen both before...
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Begins
2.1 Ga
- Clima : HuronianHuronianThe Huronian glaciation extended from 2400 Mya to 2100 Mya, during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods of the Paleoproterozoic era, triggered by the oxygen catastrophe, which oxidised the atmospheric methane...
Ice Age : Ends - Geo : KenorlandKenorlandKenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents on Earth. It is believed to have formed during the Neoarchaean Era ~2.7 billion years ago by the accretion of Neoarchaean cratons and the formation of new continental crust...
Supercontinent : Splits
2,000,000,000 ya
2 Ga- Evo : complex cells (eukaryotes) Evolve
1.8 Ga
- Geo : NenaNena (supercontinent)Nena was an ancient minor supercontinent that consisted of the cratons of Arctica, Baltica, and East Antarctica. Forming about 1.8 billion years ago, the continent was part of the global supercontinent, Columbia. Nena is an acronym that derives from Northern Europe and North...
Supercontinent Forms
1.5 Ga
- Geo : ColumbiaColumbia (supercontinent)Columbia, also known as Nuna and Hudsonland, was one of Earth's oldest supercontinents. It was first proposed by J.J.W. Rogers and M. Santosh and is thought to have existed approximately 1.8 to 1.5 billion years ago in the Paleoproterozoic Era. Zhao et al...
Supercontinent : Forms
1,000,000,000 ya
1 Ga- Evo : multicellular life
1.1 Ga
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Forms
800 Ma
- Clima: CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Begins
750 Ma
- Geo : RodiniaRodiniaIn geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
Supercontinent : Splits
635 Ma
- Clima : CryogenianCryogenianThe Cryogenian is a geologic period that lasted from . It forms the second geologic period of the Neoproterozoic Era, preceded by the Tonian Period and followed by the Ediacaran...
Ice Age : Ends
600,000,000 ya
600 Ma- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Forms
540 Ma
- Geo : PannotiaPannotiaPannotia, first described by Ian W. D. Dalziel in 1997, is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from the Pan-African orogeny about six hundred million years ago to the end of the Precambrian about five hundred and fifty million years ago. It is also known as the Vendian supercontinent...
Supercontinent : Splits
590 Ma
- Evo : Animalia : Animals Evolve
530 Ma
- Evo : Chordata : Proto-Vertebrates
505 Ma
- Evo : Vertebrata : Vertebrates
500 Ma
- Evo : FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and proto-amphibians
475 Ma
- Evo : Land plants
450 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Begins
420 Ma
- Clima : Andean-SaharanAndean-SaharanThe Andean-Saharan glaciation was from 460 Ma to 430 Ma, during the late Ordovician and the Silurian period....
Ice Age : Ends
418 Ma
- Geo : Oldredia Supercontinent : Forms
360 Ma
- Evo : Amphibians
- Clima : Karoo Ice AgeKaroo Ice AgeThe Karoo Ice Age from 360–260 Ma was the second major ice age of the Phanerozoic Eon. It is named after the glacial tills found in the Karoo region of South Africa where evidence for this ice age was first clearly identified....
: Begins
300,000,000 ya
300 Ma- Evo : Reptiles
- Geo : EuramericaEuramericaEuramerica was a minor supercontinent created in the Devonian as the result of a collision between the Laurentian, Baltica, and Avalonia cratons .300 million years ago in the Late Carboniferous tropical rainforests lay over the equator of Euramerica...
Supercontinent - Geo : PangaeaPangaeaPangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....
Supercontinent (~300–~180 million years ago) - Geo : GondwanaGondwanaIn paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
Supercontinent (~300–~30 million years ago) - Geo : LaurasiaLaurasiaIn paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
Supercontinent (~ 300–~60 million years ago)
260 Ma
- Clima : KarooKarooThe Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
Ice Age : Ends
250 000 000 ya
220 Ma- Evo : Mammalia : Mammals
- Evo : Theriiformes : Mammals that birth live young (i.e. non-egg-laying)
150 Ma
- Evo : Birds
130 Ma
- Evo : Flowers
125 Ma
- Evo : EutheriaEutheriaEutheria is a group of mammals consisting of placental mammals plus all extinct mammals that are more closely related to living placentals than to living marsupials . They are distinguished from noneutherians by various features of the feet, ankles, jaws and teeth...
: Placental mammals (i.e. non-marsupials) - Evo : BoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheriaBoreoeutheria is a clade of placental mammals that is composed of the sister taxa Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires...
: Supraprimates, bats, whales, most hoofed mammals, and most carnivorous mammals
100 Ma
- Evo : EuarchontogliresEuarchontogliresEuarchontoglires is a clade of mammals, the living members of which are rodents, lagomorphs, treeshrews, colugos and primates .-Evolutionary relationships:...
: Supraprimates (primates, rodents, rabbits, treeshrews, and colugos)
75,000,000 ya
75 Ma- Evo : Primates : Primates Evolve
- Geo : EurasiaEurasiaEurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
Continent : Forms
56 Ma
- Clima : Paleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumPaleocene-Eocene Thermal MaximumThe most extreme change in Earth surface conditions during the Cenozoic Era began at the temporal boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs . This event, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum , was associated with rapid global...
40 Ma
- Evo : HaplorrhiniHaplorrhiniThe haplorhines, the "dry-nosed" primates , are members of the Haplorhini clade: the prosimian tarsiers and the anthropoids...
: Dry-nosed primates (apes, monkeys, and tarsiers) - Evo : Simiiformes : Higher primates (or Simians) (apes, old-world monkeys, and new-world monkeys)
30 Ma
- Evo : CatarrhiniCatarrhiniCatarrhini is one of the two subdivisions of the higher primates . It contains the Old World monkeys and the apes, which in turn are further divided into the lesser apes or gibbons and the great apes, consisting of the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans...
: Narrow nosed primates (apes and old-world monkeys)
28 Ma
- Evo : Hominoidea : Apes
15,000,000 ya
15 Ma- Evo : HominidaeHominidaeThe Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
: Great apes (Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans) - Geo : AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Continent : Forms
8.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaeHomininaeHomininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, which includes humans, gorillas and chimpanzees, and some extinct relatives; it comprises all those hominids, such as Australopithecus, that arose after the split from orangutans . Our family tree, which has 3 main branches leading to chimpanzees, humans and...
: Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas
5.8 Ma
- Evo : HomininiHomininiHominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises Homo, and the two species of the genus Pan , their ancestors, and the extinct lineages of their common ancestor . Members of the tribe are called hominins...
: Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos
5.0 Ma
- Geo : Afro-EurasiaAfro-EurasiaAfro-Eurasia or less commonly Afrasia or Eurafrasia is the term used to describe the largest landmass on earth. It may be defined as a supercontinent, consisting of Africa and Eurasia...
Continent : Forms
3.0 Ma
- Evo : HomininaHomininaThe more anthropomorphic primates of the Hominini tribe are placed in the Hominina subtribe. Referred to as hominans, they are characterized by the evolution of an increasingly erect bipedal locomotion. The only extant species is Homo sapiens...
: Bipedal apes (australopithecus and descendants)
2,500,000 ya
2.5 Ma- Clima : QuaternaryQuaternaryThe Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
Ice Age : Begins - Evo : HomoHomoHomo may refer to:*the Greek prefix ὅμο-, meaning "the same"*the Latin for man, human being*Homo, the taxonomical genus including modern humans...
: Humans, neanderthals, homo erectus, and their direct ancestors - Tech : Homonina Stone : Olduvai GorgeOlduvai GorgeThe Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site...
Mode 1 Industry
1.650 Ma
- Tech : Homo Erectus Stone : AcheuleanAcheuleanAcheulean is the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe. Acheulean tools are typically found with Homo erectus remains...
Mode 2 Industry
Pre-Holocene (1.5 Mya)
The time from roughly 15,000 BC to 5,000 BC was a time of transition, and swift and extensive environmental change, as the planet was moving from an Ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, towards an interstadial (warm period). Sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
s rose dramatically (and are continuing to do so
Current sea level rise
Current sea level rise potentially impacts human populations and the wider natural environment . Global average sea level rose at an average rate of around 1.8 mm per year over 1961 to 2003 and at an average rate of about 3.1 mm per year from 1993 to 2003...
), land that was depressed by glaciers began lifting up again, forests and deserts expanded, and the climate gradually became more modern. In the process of warming up, the planet saw several "cold snaps" and "warm snaps", such as the Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
and the Holocene climatic optimum
Holocene climatic optimum
The Holocene Climate Optimum was a warm period during roughly the interval 9,000 to 5,000 years B.P.. This event has also been known by many other names, including: Hypsithermal, Altithermal, Climatic Optimum, Holocene Optimum, Holocene Thermal Maximum, and Holocene Megathermal.This warm period...
, as well as heavier precipitation. In addition, the Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna
Pleistocene megafauna is the set of species of large animals — mammals, birds and reptiles — that lived on Earth during the Pleistocene epoch and became extinct in a Quaternary extinction event. These species appear to have died off as humans expanded out of Africa and southern Asia,...
became extinct due to environmental and evolutionary pressure
Evolutionary pressure
Any cause that reduces reproductive success in a proportion of a population, potentially exerts evolutionary pressure or selection pressure. With sufficient pressure, inherited traits that mitigate its effects - even if they would be deleterious in other circumstances - can become widely spread...
s from the changing climate. This marked the end of the Quaternary extinction event
Quaternary extinction event
The Quaternary period saw the extinctions of numerous predominantly larger, especially megafaunal, species, many of which occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch. However, the extinction wave did not stop at the end of the Pleistocene, but continued especially on...
, which was continued into the modern era by humans. The time around 11,700 years ago (9700 BC) is widely considered to be the end of the old age (Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
, Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, Wisconsin Ice Age), and the beginning of the modern world as we know it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 2,588,000 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
era
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 21,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|Recent evidence indicates that humans processed (gathered) and consumed wild cereal grains as far back as 23,000 years ago.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 19,000 BC
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP...
|Last Glacial Maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
/sea-level minimum
|-
|c. 20,000 BC
|c. 12,150 BC
|Mesolithic 1
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period
|-
|c. 17,000 BC
|c. 13,000 BC
|Oldest Dryas
Oldest Dryas
The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,...
stadial
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
(cool period) during the last Ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
/glaciation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 13,000 BC
|Beginning of the Holocene extinction. Earliest evidence of warfare
|-
|c. 12,670 BC
|c. 12,000 BC
|Bølling oscillation
Bølling Oscillation
The Bølling oscillation was a warm interstadial period between the Oldest Dryas and Older Dryas stadials, at the end of the last glacial period. It is named after a peat sequence discovered at Bølling lake, central Jutland...
interstadial (warm and moist period) between the Oldest Dryas
Oldest Dryas
The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period, which occurred during the coldest stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe. In the Alps, the Oldest Dryas corresponds to the Gschnitz stadial of the Würm glaciation. The three “Dryas” periods are named for a marker species, Dryas octopetala,...
and Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
stadials (cool periods) at the end of the Last glacial period. In places where the Older Dryas was not seen, it is known as the Bølling-Allerød
Bølling-Allerød
The Bølling-Allerød interstadial was a warm and moist interstadial period that occurred during the final stages of the last glacial period. This warm period ran from c. 14,700 to 12,700 years before the present...
.
|-
|c. 12,340 BC
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
|c. 11,140 BC
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
|Cemetery 117
Cemetery 117
Cemetery 117 is an ancient cemetery discovered in 1964 by a team led by Fred Wendorf near the northern border of Sudan. The remains discovered there were determined to be around 13,140 to 14,340 years old....
: site of the world's first battle/war.
|-
|c. 12,500 BC
Epipaleolithic
The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age...
|c. 10,800 BC
Epipaleolithic
The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age...
|Natufian culture
Natufian culture
The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture...
begins minor agriculture
|-
|c. 12,150 BC
|c. 11,140 BC
|Mesolithic 2
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
(Natufian culture
Natufian culture
The Natufian culture was a Mesolithic culture that existed from 12,500 to 9,500 BC in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture...
), some sources have Mesolithic 2 ending at 9500 BC
|-
|c. 12,000 BC
|c. 11,700 BC
|Older Dryas
Older Dryas
The Older Dryas was a stadial period between the Bølling and Allerød oscillations during the Pleistocene glacial period of ~11,700—12,000 uncalibrated years ago...
stadial (cool period)
|-
|c. 11,700 BC
|c. 10,800 BC
|Allerød oscillation
Allerød Oscillation
The Allerød period was a warm and moist global interstadial that occurred at the end of the last glacial period. The Allerød oscillation raised temperatures , before they declined again in the succeeding Younger Dryas period, which was followed by the present interglacial period.In some regions,...
|-
|c. 13,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|c. 11,000 BC
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
|Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
forms from glacial meltwater, floods through the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
at 11,000 BC, possibly causing the Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,900 BC (calibrated) or
c. 8900 BC (non-calibrated)
|Younger Dryas impact event suspected at either of these dates.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,800 BC
|Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period begins.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 10,000 BC
|
- Preboreal periodBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
begins. - WorldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
: Sea levels rise abruptly and massive inland flooding occurs due to glacierGlacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
melt. - NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture begins, end of most recent glaciation. - First cave drawings of the Mesolithic period are made, with warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
scenes and religious scenes, beginnings of what became story telling, and metamorphosed into actingActingActing is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
.
|}
10th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9700 BC
|
- Lake AgassizLake AgassizLake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
reforms from glacial meltwater - Bering SeaBering SeaThe Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
: Land bridge from SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
to North America disappears as sea level rises. See Beringia for further information - North America: Long IslandLong IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
becomes an island, and not just a terminal moraineTerminal moraineA terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
, when rising waters break through on the western end to the interior lakeLong Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9660 to c. 9600 BC
|Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief period of cold climatic conditions and drought between approximately 12.8 and 11.5 ka BP, or 12,800 and 11,500 years before present...
cold period ends. Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
ends and Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
begins. Large amounts of previously glaciated land become habitable again. Some sources place the Younger Dryas as stretching from 10,800 BC to 9500 BC. This cool period
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
was possibly caused by a shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation
Thermohaline circulation
The term thermohaline circulation refers to a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes....
(Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
/Jet Stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
), due to flooding from Lake Agassiz as it reformed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9500 BC
|
- Ancylus LakeAncylus LakeAncylus lake is a name given by geologists to the body of fresh water that replaced the Yoldia Sea after the latter had been severed from its saline intake across central Sweden by the isostatic rise of south Scandinavian landforms. The dates are approximately 9500-8000 BP calibrated, during the...
, part of the modern-day Baltic SeaBaltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, forms. - There is evidence of harvesting, though not necessarily cultivation, of wild grasses in Asia MinorAsia MinorAsia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
about this time. - End of the pre-BorealBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
period of European climate change. - Pollen Zone IV Pre-boreal, associated with juniper, willow, birch pollen deposits.
- NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era begins in Ancient Near EastAncient Near EastThe ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
. - Evidence of the earliest settlement in JerichoJerichoJericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
- Temporary global chilling, as the Gulf StreamGulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
pulls southward, and Europe ices over (1990 Rand McNally Atlas). - In Antarctica, long-term melting of the Antarctic ice sheets is commencing.
- Creosote bush - Larrea tridentata clonal colonyClonal colonyA clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
, named "King CloneKing CloneKing Clone is thought to be the oldest Creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert is estimated to be 11,700 years old. It is considered one of the oldest living organisms on Earth...
", germinatesGerminationGermination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
in the Mojave DesertMojave DesertThe Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
near the Lucerne ValleyLucerne Valley, CaliforniaLucerne Valley is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert of western San Bernardino County, California. It lies east of the Victor Valley, whose population nexus includes Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia...
in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 9000 BC
|First stone structures at Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
built.
|}
9th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8500 BC to 7370
|Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
is established as one of the oldest cities in the world sometime between 8500 BC and 7370 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 8000 BC
|
- Transition from Boreal periodBoreal (period)In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who first established the sequence. In peat bog sediments, the...
to Atlantic periodAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a... - Last glacial period ends
- Upper PaleolithicUpper PaleolithicThe Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
period ends and the MesolithicMesolithicThe Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period begins - Old Man in the Mountain formed in New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
by retreating glaciers - Antarctica — long-term melting of the Antarctic ice sheets is under way.
- Asia — rising sea levels caused by postglacial warming.
- North America — The glaciers were receding and by 8000 BCE the Wisconsin glaciationWisconsin glaciationThe last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
had withdrawn completely. - WorldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
— Inland flooding due to catastrophic glacier melt takes place in several regions. - Neolithic RevolutionNeolithic RevolutionThe Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
, humans begin to switch from a hunter-gathererHunter-gathererA hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
existence, to agricultureHistory of agricultureAgriculture was developed at least 10,000 years ago, and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation. The Fertile Crescent of Western Asia, Egypt, and India were sites of the earliest planned sowing and harvesting of plants that had previously been gathered...
|}
8th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 7900 BC
|c. 7700 BC
|Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
refills from glacial melt-water around 7900 BC as Glaciers retreat north
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7640 BC
|Date theorized for impact of Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
Tollmann's hypothetical bolide
Alexander Tollmann's bolide, proposed by Kristan-Tollmann and Tollmann in 1994, is a hypothesis presented by Austrian geologist Alexander Tollmann, suggesting that one or several bolides struck the Earth at 7640 BCE , with a much smaller one at 3150 BCE...
with Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and associated global cataclysm
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 7500 BC
|
- Mesolithic hunters reach IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
- 9,500 year old Norway spruce - Picea abies clonal colonyClonal colonyA clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
named "Old TjikkoOld TjikkoOld Tjikko is a 9,550 year old Norway Spruce tree, located on Fulufjället Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden. Old Tjikko is the world's oldest living individual clonal tree, however, there are many examples of much older clonal colonies , such as "Pando", estimated to be over 80,000 years...
" germinatesGerminationGermination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
|-
|7500-7000 BC
|3500-3000 BC
|Neolithic Subpluvial
Neolithic Subpluvial
The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
begins in northern Africa, Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period ends. Until about 5000 BC, the Sahara desert is substantially wetter than today, comparable to a savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
.
|}
7th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6600 BC
|Jiahu symbols
Jiahu symbols
Jiahu symbols refer to the 16 distinct markings on prehistoric artifacts found in Jiahu, a neolithic Peiligang culture site found in Henan, China, and excavated in 1999 C.E...
, carved on tortoise shells in Jiahu
Jiahu
Jiahu was the site of a Neolithic Yellow River settlement based in the central plains of ancient China, modern Wuyang, Henan Province. Archaeologists consider the site to be one of the earliest examples of the Peiligang culture. Settled from 7000 to 5800 BC, the site was later flooded and abandoned...
, Northern China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6500 BC
|
- English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
formed - ubaid periodUbaid periodThe Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
begins in MesopotamiaMesopotamiaMesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the... - Chalcolithic (copper age) and invention of the wheel occur during this time
- PaleolithicPaleolithicThe Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
period ends and NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period begins in China, continues to 2300 BC
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c.6440±25 BC
|Kurile volcano on Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
has VEI 7 eruption. It is one of the largest of the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
epoch
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6400 BC
|Lake Agassiz drains into oceans for the final time, leaving Lakes Manitoba
Lake Manitoba
Lake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake...
, Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, Winnipegosis
Lake Winnipegosis
Lake Winnipegosis is a large lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada, some 300 km northwest of Winnipeg. It is Canada's eleventh-largest lake...
, and Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of...
, among others in the region, as its remnants. The draining may have caused the 8.2 kiloyear event, 200 years later
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6200 BC
|8.2 kiloyear event
8.2 kiloyear event
The 8.2 kiloyear event is the term that climatologists have adopted for a sudden decrease in global temperatures that occurred approximately 8,200 years before the present, or c. 6,200 BCE, and which lasted for the next two to four centuries...
, a sudden significant cooling episode
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6100 BC
|The Storegga Slide
Storegga Slide
The three Storegga Slides are considered to be amongst the largest known landslides. They occurred under water, at the edge of Norway's continental shelf , in the Norwegian Sea, 100 km north-west of the Møre coast, causing a very large tsunami in the North Atlantic Ocean...
, causing a megatsunami
Megatsunami
Megatsunami is an informal term to describe a tsunami that has initial wave heights that are much larger than normal tsunamis...
in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 6000 BC
|
- Climatic or Thermal MaximumHolocene climatic optimumThe Holocene Climate Optimum was a warm period during roughly the interval 9,000 to 5,000 years B.P.. This event has also been known by many other names, including: Hypsithermal, Altithermal, Climatic Optimum, Holocene Optimum, Holocene Thermal Maximum, and Holocene Megathermal.This warm period...
, the warmest period in the past 125,000 years, with minimal glaciation and highest sea levels. (McEvedy) - Rising sea levels form the Torres StraitTorres StraitThe Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, separate Australia from New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. - Increasing desiccation of the Sahara. End of the Saharan PluvialNeolithic SubpluvialThe Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
period. - Associated with Pollen Zone VI AtlanticAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a...
, oak-elm woodlands, warmer and maritime climate. Modern wild fauna plus, increasingly, human introductions, associated with the spread of the Neolithic farming technologies. - Rising sea levels from glacial retreat flood what will become the Irish SeaIrish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
, separating the island of Ireland from the British Isles and Continental EuropeContinental EuropeContinental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
.
|}
6th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5600 BC
|According to the Black Sea deluge theory
Black Sea deluge theory
The Black Sea deluge is a hypothesized catastrophic rise in the level of the Black Sea circa 5600 BC due to waters from the Mediterranean Sea breaching a sill in the Bosporus Strait. The hypothesis made headlines when The New York Times published it in December 1996, shortly before it was published...
, the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
floods with salt water. Some 3000 cubic miles (12,500 km³) of salt water is added, significantly expanding it and transforming it from a fresh-water landlocked lake into a salt water sea.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5500 BC
|Beginning of the desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
of north Africa, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert from land that was previously savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
, though is still wetter than today. It's possible this process pushed people in the area into migrating to the region of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
in the east, thereby laying the groundwork for the rise of Egyptian civilization
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5300 BC
|
- Vinča script (Tărtăria tabletsTartaria tabletsThe Tărtăria tablets are three tablets, known since the late 19th century excavation at the Neolithic site of Turdaş in Transylvania Romania, by Zsófia Torma, which date to around 5300 BC...
), among the oldest writing systems
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 5000 BC
|
- The Older Peron transgressionOlder PeronThe Older Peron transgression was a period of unusually warm climate during the Holocene Epoch. It began in the 5000 BCE to 4900 BCE era, and lasted to about 4100 BCE...
, a global warm period, begins. - Use of a sail begins. The first known picture is on an Egyptian urn found in LuxorLuxorLuxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
. - Transition from Atlantic periodAtlantic (period)The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt-Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar to today’s, and was followed by the Sub-Boreal, a...
to Subboreal period - MetallurgyMetallurgyMetallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
appears
|}
5th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 4570 BC
|c. 4250 BC
|Merimde
Merimde
The Merimde culture was a Neolithic culture which corresponds in its later phase to the Faiyum A and the Badari cultures in Predynastic Egypt. It is estimated that the culture evolved between 4800 and 4300 BC...
culture on the Nile River
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|4400 BC
|Predynastic Egypt
Predynastic Egypt
The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer....
and Uruk period
Uruk period
The Uruk period existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period and succeeded by the Jemdet Nasr period. Named after the Sumerian city of Uruk, this period saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. It was...
begins in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
|}
4th millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3900 BC
|
- Intense aridification5.9 kiloyear eventThe 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
triggered worldwide migration to river valleyRiver ValleyRiver Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
s, which might have caused changes in human behaviourHuman Behaviour"Human Behaviour" is Icelandic singer Björk's first solo single, taken from the album Debut. It contains a sample of "Go Down Dying" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The lyrics reflect on human nature and emotion from a non-human animal's point of view. The song is the first part of a series of songs that...
, such as patriarchyPatriarchyPatriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
, institutionalised warfareMilitary-industrial complexMilitary–industrial complex , or Military–industrial-congressional complex is a concept commonly used to refer to policy and monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the industrial sector that supports them...
, social stratificationSocial stratificationIn sociology the social stratification is a concept of class, involving the "classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."...
, abuse of childrenChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, the development of the human ego, separation from the bodyTranscendence (religion)In religion transcendence refers to the aspect of God's nature which is wholly independent of the physical universe. This is contrasted with immanence where God is fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways...
(afterlifeAfterlifeThe afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
and reincarnationReincarnationReincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
worship), the rise of anthropomorphic gods and the concept of linear historic time. A possible inspiration for the myth/legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
of the fall of man. - Abrupt end of the Ubaid periodUbaid periodThe Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
.
|-
|3600 BC
|2800 BC
|
- Climatic deterioration in Western Europe and the Sahara.
- In Europe Pollen zonePollen zonePollen zones are a system of subdividing the last glacial period and Holocene paleoclimate using the data from pollen cores. The sequence provides a global chronological structure to a wide variety of scientists, such as geologists, climatologisists, geographists and archaeologists, who study the...
VII Sub Boreal, oak and beech. - Glacial advances of the Piora oscillationPiora OscillationThe Piora Oscillation was an abrupt cold and wet period in the climate history of the Holocene Epoch; it is generally dated to the period of c. 3200 to 2900 BCE...
, with lower economic prosperity in areas not able to irrigate in the Middle East.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|3500 BC to 3000 BC
|end of the Neolithic Subpluvial
Neolithic Subpluvial
The Neolithic Subpluvial — sometimes called the Holocene Wet Phase — was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa...
era, return of extremely hot and dry conditions in the Sahara Desert, hastened by the 5.9 kiloyear event
5.9 kiloyear event
The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
.
|-
|3100 BC
|2686 BC
|Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
The Archaic or Early Dynastic Period of Egypt immediately follows the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt c. 3100 BC. It is generally taken to include the First and Second Dynasties, lasting from the Protodynastic Period of Egypt until about 2686 BC, or the beginning of the Old Kingdom...
. The hallmarks of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
(art
Art of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian art is the painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts produced by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BC to 300 AD. Ancient Egyptian art reached a high level in painting and sculpture, and was both highly stylized and symbolic...
, architecture
Ancient Egyptian architecture
The Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations which developed a vast array of diverse structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture...
, religion) all formed during this period. This is widely assumed to be the time and place of the first writing system, the Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
(date is disputed, some claim they were used as far back as 3200 BC, while others believe they weren't invented until the 28th century BC
28th century BC
The 28th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2800 BC to 2701 BC.-Events:*c. 2800 BC – 2700 BC: Seated Harp Player, from Keros, Cyclades, is made...
).
|-
|3200 BC
|3000 BC
|Protodynastic Period of Egypt
|-
|colspan="2"|between 3000 BC and 2800 BC
|30 km/19 mi-wide Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event...
is formed in Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
from a possible meteor or comet impact, possibly inspiring most flood myths.
|}
3rd millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 30th century BC
30th century BC
The 30th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC.-Events:* Before 3000 BC: Image of a deity, detail from a cong recovered from Tomb 12, Fanshan, Yuyao, Zhejiang, is made. Neolithic period. Liangzhu culture...
|
- c. 3000 BC: StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
begins to be built. In its first version, it consists of a circular ditch and bank, with 56 wooden posts. (National Geographic, June 2008). - Sumerian Cuneiform scriptCuneiform scriptCuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
, considered among the oldest alphabets, is created
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2900 BC
|Floods at Shuruppak
Shuruppak
Shuruppak or Shuruppag was an ancient Sumerian city situated about 35 miles south of Nippur on the banks of the Euphrates at the site of modern Tell Fara in Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate....
from horizon to horizon, with sediments in Southern Iraq, stretching as far north as Kish
Kish (Sumer)
Kish is modern Tell al-Uhaymir , and was an ancient city of Sumer. Kish is located some 12 km east of Babylon, and 80 km south of Baghdad ....
, and as far south as Uruk
Uruk
Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk...
, associated with the return of heavy rains in Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
and a potential damming of the Karun River to run into the Tigris River. This ends the Jemdet Nasr period
Jemdet Nasr period
The Jemdet Nasr period is an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia that is generally dated to 3100–2900 BCE. It is named after the type-site Jemdet Nasr, where the assemblage typical for this period was first recognized. Its geographical distribution is limited to south–central Iraq...
and ushers in the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
cultures of the area. Possible association of this event with the Biblical deluge
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2880 BC
29th century BC
The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period....
|Germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
of Prometheus
Prometheus (tree)
Prometheus was the oldest known non-clonal organism, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing near the tree line on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, United States...
(a bristlecone pine
Bristlecone pine
The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
of the species Pinus longaeva), formerly the world's oldest known non-clonal
Clonal colony
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|ca. 2832 BC
29th century BC
The 29th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC.-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2400 BC: Sumerian pictographs evolve into phonograms.*2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period....
|Germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
of Methuselah
Methuselah (tree)
Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. Its measured age of 4,842 years makes it the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism...
(a bristlecone pine
Bristlecone pine
The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
of the species Pinus longaeva), currently the world's oldest known non-clonal
Clonal colony
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
orgasnism
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2807 BC
|Suggested date for an asteroid or comet impact occurring between Africa and Antarctica, around the time of a solar eclipse on May 10, based on an analysis of flood stories. Possibly causing the Burckle crater
Burckle Crater
Burckle Crater is a hypothesized undersea crater that has been proposed by the Holocene Impact Working Group. They considered that it likely was formed by a very large scale and relatively recent comet or meteorite impact event...
and Fenambosy Chevron
Fenambosy Chevron
The Fenambosy Chevron is one of four chevron-shaped land features on the southwest coast of Madagascar, near the tip of Madagascar, 180 metres high and 5 km inland. It is composed mainly of material found on the ocean. Chevrons such as Fenambosy have been hypothesized as providing evidence of...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2650 BC
|
- SumerianSumerian languageSumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
epic of GilgameshGilgameshGilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
describes vast tracts of cedar forests in what is now southern IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Gilgamesh defies the gods and cuts down the forest, and in return the gods say they will curse SumerSumerSumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
with fire (or possibly droughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
). By 2100 BC, soil erosion and salt buildupDryland salinityDryland salinity is salinity that occurs in a landscape that is not irrigated, as distinct from irrigation salinity and urban salinity.-Overview:...
have devastated agriculture. One Sumerian wrote that the "earth turned white." Civilization moved north to BabyloniaBabyloniaBabylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
and AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
. Again, deforestation becomes a factor in the rise and subsequent fall of these civilizations. - Some of the first laws protecting the remaining forests decreed in UrUrUr was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
.
|-
|c. 2630 BC
|1815 BC
|Construction of the Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2500 BC
|Sahara becomes fully desiccated, and conditions become largely identical to those of today. Desiccation
Desiccation
Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:...
had been proceeding from 7500-6000 BCE, as a result of the shift in the West African tropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
belt southwards from the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
, and intensified by the 5.9 kiloyear event
5.9 kiloyear event
The 5.9 kiloyear event was one of the most intense aridification events during the Holocene. It occurred around 3900 BC, ending the Neolithic Subpluvial and probably initiated the most recent desiccation of the Sahara desert. Thus, it also triggered worldwide migration to river valleys, e.g...
. Subsequent rates of evaporation in the region led to a drying of the Sahara, as shown by the drop in water levels in Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
. Tehenu of the Sahara attempt to enter into Egypt, and there is evidence of a Nile drought in the pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
of Unas
Unas
Unas was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and the last ruler of the Fifth dynasty from the Old Kingdom. His reign has been dated as falling between 2375 BC and 2345 BC...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2300 BC
|Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period ends in China
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2200 BC
|Beginning of a severe centennial-scale drought
4.2 kiloyear event
The 4.2 kiloyear BP aridification event was one of the most severe climatic events of the Holocene period in terms of impact on cultural upheaval. Starting in ≈2200 BC, it probably lasted the entire 22nd century BC. It is very likely to have caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom in Egypt as...
in northern Africa, southwestern Asia and midcontinental North America, which very likely caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
in Egypt as well as the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
. This coincides with the transition from the Subboreal period to the subatlantic period.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21st century BC
21st century BC
The 21st century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2100 BC to 2001 BC.- Events :Note: all dates from this long ago should be regarded as either approximate or conjectural; there are no absolutely certain dates, and multiple competing reconstructed chronologies, for this time period.* c....
|construction of the Ziggurat of Ur
|}
2nd millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900 BC
|The Atra-Hasis
Atra-Hasis
The 18th century BCE Akkadian epic of Atra-Hasis is named after its protagonist. An "Atra-Hasis" appears on one of the Sumerian king lists as king of Shuruppak in the times before the flood. The Atra-Hasis tablets include both a creation myth and a flood account, which is one of three surviving...
Epic describes Babylonian flood, with warnings of the consequences
Malthusian catastrophe
A Malthusian catastrophe was originally foreseen to be a forced return to subsistence-level conditions once population growth had outpaced agricultural production...
of human overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600 BC
|Minoan eruption destroys much of Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
island, and decimates the Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. This may have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1450 BC
|Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
in the Mediterranean declines, but scholars are divided on the cause. Possibly a volcanic eruption was the source of the catastrophe (see Minoan eruption). On the other hand, gradual deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
may have led to materials shortages in manufacturing and shipping. Loss of timber and subsequent deterioration of its land was probably a factor in the decline of Minoan power in the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, according to John Perlin in A Forest Journey.
|-
|1206 BC
|1187 BC
|Evidence of major droughts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hittite and Ugarit records show requests for grain were sent to Egypt, probably during the reign of Pharaoh Merenptah. Carpenter has suggested that droughts of equal severity to those of the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
in Greece, would have been sufficient to cause the Late Bronze Age collapse
Bronze Age collapse
The Bronze Age collapse is a transition in southwestern Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age that some historians believe was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive...
. The cause may have been a temporary diversion of winter storms north of the Pyrenees and Alps. Central Europe experienced generally wetter conditions, while those in the Eastern Mediterranean were substantially drier. There seems to have been a general abandonment of peasant subsistence agriculture in favour of nomadic pastoralism in Central Anatolia, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Sinai and NW Arabia.
|-
|c. 2000 BC
|c. 1000 BC
|
- The Sarasvati RiverSarasvati RiverThe Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
dries up. Desertification of the Thar RegionThar DesertThe Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
begins. - Some theories of psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and human evolutionHuman evolutionHuman evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
have proposed that humans had a bicameral mind (similar to schizophreniaSchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
) without full self-awarenessSelf-awarenessSelf-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to reconcile oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals...
or self-consciousnessSelf-consciousnessSelf-consciousness is an acute sense of self-awareness. It is a preoccupation with oneself, as opposed to the philosophical state of self-awareness, which is the awareness that one exists as an individual being; although some writers use both terms interchangeably or synonymously...
as we know them, similar to instinctInstinctInstinct or innate behavior is the inherent inclination of a living organism toward a particular behavior.The simplest example of an instinctive behavior is a fixed action pattern, in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a...
s in animals until this time.
|}
1st millennium BC
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|rowspan="2"|800 BC
|500 BC
|
- Sub-Atlantic period in Western Europe.
- Pollen Zone VIII, sub-Atlantic. End of last Sea Level rise.
- Spread of "Celtic fields", Iron Age AIron AgeThe Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, and HaalstadtHallstatt cultureThe Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
Celts. - Increased prosperity in Europe and the Middle East.
|-
|200 BC
200 BC
Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta...
|Axial age
Axial Age
German philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age or axial period to describe the period from 800 to 200 BC, during which, according to Jaspers, similar revolutionary thinking appeared in India, China and the Occident...
, a revolution in thinking that we know as Philosophy, begins in China, India, and Europe, with people such as Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
, Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, Lao Tzu, Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
, among others, alive at this time.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|753 BC
|Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
begins, with the founding of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. This marks the beginning of Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|508 BC
|Democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
created in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
|-
|356 BC
356 BC
Year 356 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ambustus and Laenas...
|323 BC
323 BC
Year 323 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Longus and Cerretanus...
|Alexander the Great
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 225 BC
225 BC
Year 225 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Papus and Regulus...
|The Sub-Atlantic period began about 225 BCE (estimated on the basis of radiocarbon dating) and has been characterized by increased rainfall, cooler and more humid climates, and the dominance of beech forests. The fauna of the Sub-Atlantic is essentially modern although severely depleted by human activities. The Sub-Atlantic is correlated with pollen zone IX; sea levels have been generally regressive during this time interval, though North America is an exception.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 200 BC
200 BC
Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta...
|Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
first country in the world to have a nature reserve, King Devanampiyatissa
Devanampiyatissa
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 BC to 267 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka...
established a wildlife sanctuary
|}
1st century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|79 AD
|Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
erupts, burying Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
and Herculaneum
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt...
|}
2nd century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|114
114
Year 114 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hasta and Vopiscus...
|117
117
Year 117 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus...
|Rome reaches its greatest expanse in terms of territory, stretching from the Sahara desert, to England and Belgium, along the Danube River and Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and modern-day Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|186
186
Year 186 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Glabrio...
|Hatepe eruption
Hatepe eruption
The Hatepe eruption around the year 180 CE was Lake Taupo's most recent major eruption, and New Zealand's largest eruption during the last 20,000 years. It ejected some of material , of which was ejected in the space of a few minutes...
in New Zealand turns the skies red over Rome and China.
|}
4th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 300
300
Year 300 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius...
|Migration period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
begins. This leads in a couple of centuries to the fall of Rome.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|301
301
Year 301 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Postumius and Nepotianus...
|San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
founded, claims to be the world's oldest republic
|}
5th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 450
450
Year 450 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinianus and Avienus...
|Malaria epidemic
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|476
476
Year 476 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Basiliscus and Armatus...
|Fall of Rome, end of the Western Roman Empire
|}
6th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| 535
535
Year 535 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Belisarius without colleague...
| 536
536
Year 536 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Belisarius...
|535-536
Climate changes of 535–536
The extreme weather events of 535–536 were the most severe and protracted short-term episodes of cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The event is thought to have been caused by an extensive atmospheric dust veil, possibly resulting from a large volcanic eruption in the...
: global climate abnormalities affecting several civilizations.
|}
9th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 850
850
Year 850 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Montoku succeeds Emperor Nimmyō as Emperor of Japan.- Europe :...
|Severe drought exacerbated by soil erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
causes collapse of Central American city states and the end of the Classic Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|874
874
Year 874 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling in Reykjavík ....
|According to Landnámabók
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
, the settlement of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
begins.
|}
10th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|930
930
Year 930 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* With the establishment of the Althing, now one of the world's oldest parliaments, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded....
|Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
, oldest parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary institution in the world that is still in existence, is founded
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|980s
|Greenland settled by Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
colonists from Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
|}
11th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|985
985
Year 985 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Barcelona is sacked by Al-Mansur....
|1080
|Norse Colony at L'Anse aux Meadows
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1006
|SN 1006
SN 1006
SN 1006 was a supernova, widely seen on Earth beginning in the year 1006 AD; Earth was about 7,200 light-years away from the supernova. It was the brightest apparent magnitude stellar event in recorded history reaching an estimated -7.5 visual magnitude...
supernova, brightest apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
stellar event in recorded history (-7.5 visual magnitude)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1054
|SN 1054
SN 1054
SN 1054 is a supernova that was first observed as a new "star" in the sky on July 4, 1054 AD, hence its name, and that lasted for a period of around two years. The event was recorded in multiple Chinese and Japanese documents and in one document from the Arab world...
supernova, created the Crab Nebula
Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1099
|The Hodh Ech Chargui
Hodh Ech Chargui
Hodh Ech Chargui is a large region in eastern Mauritania. Its capital is Néma. Other major cities/towns include Oualata. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Adrar, Tagant and Hodh El Gharbi to the west and Mali to the east and south....
and Hodh El Gharbi
Hodh El Gharbi
Hodh El Gharbi is a region in southern Mauritania. Its capital is Ayoun el Atrous. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Tagant to the north, Hodh Ech Chargui to the east, Mali country to the south and Assaba to the west....
Regions
Regions of Mauritania
||Mauritania is divided into 12 regions and one capital district:During the Mauritanian occupation of Western Sahara , its portion of the territory was named Tiris al-Gharbiyya.The regions are subdivided into 44 departments; please see departments of Mauritania for further detail.-See also:*ISO...
of southern Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
become desert.
|}
12th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1104
|Venice Arsenal in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
is founded, employed 16,000 at its peak for the mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
of sailing ships in large assembly lines, hundreds of years before the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1150
|Renaissance of the 12th century
Renaissance of the 12th century
The Renaissance of the 12th century was a period of many changes at the outset of the High Middle Ages. It included social, political and economic transformations, and an intellectual revitalization of Western Europe with strong philosophical and scientific roots...
in Europe, blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
for the smelting of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
is imported from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1185
|First record of windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s in Europe
|}
13th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|c. 1250
|c. 1850
|Start of the Little Ice Age
Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period . While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into the scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939...
, a stadial
Stadial
A stadial is a period of lower temperatures during an interglacial separating the glacial periods of an ice age. Such periods are of insufficient duration or intensity to be considered glacial periods...
period within our interglacial
Interglacial
An Interglacial period is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age...
warm period
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|end of the 13th century
|beginning of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, gradually spreads throughout Europe.
|}
14th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1315
|1317
|Great Famine of 1315–1317
Great Famine of 1315–1317
The Great Famine of 1315–1317 was the first of a series of large scale crises that struck Northern Europe early in the fourteenth century...
(Europe)
|-
|1347
|1350s
|Bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
decimates Europe, creating the first attempts to enforce public health and quarantine laws.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1350
|Western Settlement
Western Settlement
The Western Settlement was the smaller of the two main areas of Greenland settled in around 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland ....
in Greenland abandoned, possibly due to the deteriorating climate caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age
|}
15th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1408
|last known recording (a wedding) of Norse settlers in Greenland
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1453
|Eruption of Kuwae
Kuwae
Kuwae is a submarine caldera between Epi and Tongoa islands. Kuwae Caldera cuts through the flank of the Tavani Ruru volcano on Epi and the northwest end of Tongoa....
in Pacific contributes to fall of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
. Environmental Science is developed.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1492
|Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
lands in Caribbean islands, starting the Columbian Exchange
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations , communicable disease, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres . It was one of the most significant events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in all of human history...
, causing the Aztec Empire and Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
to fall to the Spanish in the next century, as well as bringing various species of animals and plants across the Atlantic Ocean.
|}
16th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
|1585
|1587
|Roanoke Colony
Roanoke Colony
The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by...
, now in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|End of the 16th century
|End of the Renaissance era, gradual transition towards the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Romantic, Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, and Modern eras.
|}
17th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1600
|Huaynaputina
Huaynaputina
Huaynaputina is a stratovolcano located in a volcanic upland in southern Peru. The volcano does not have an identifiable mountain profile, but instead has the form of a large volcanic crater. It has produced high-potassium andesite and dacite...
erupts in South America. The explosion had effects on climate around the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
(Southern hemispheric records are less complete), where 1601 was the coldest year in six centuries, leading to a famine in Russia; see Russian famine of 1601–1603
Russian famine of 1601–1603
The Russian famine of 1601–1603 was Russia's worst famine in terms of proportional effect on the population, killing perhaps two million people, a third of Russians, during the Time of Troubles, when the country was unsettled politically and later invaded by the Polish Commonwealth...
.
|}
18th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|c. 1750
|Beginning of Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, which eventually turns to use of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and other fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s to drive steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s and other devices. Anthropogenic carbon pollution presumably increases.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1783
|the volcano Laki
Laki
Łąki may refer to the following places in Poland:*Łąki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Łąki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Łąki, Lublin Voivodeship...
erupts, emitting sufficient sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
gas and sulphate particles to kill a majority of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's livestock and cause an unusually cold winter in Europe and Western Asia.
|-
|1789
|1793
|a recent study of El Niño patterns suggests that the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
was caused in part by the poor crop yields of 1788-89 in Europe, resulting from an unusually strong El-Niño effect between 1789-93.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1796
|
- Night of June 6, 1796 - Ragundasjön was dried out in four hours when indalsälvenIndalsälvenIndalsälven is one of Sweden's longest rivers with a total length of 430 kilometers. Among its tributaries are Kallströmmen, Långan, Hårkan and Ammerån. A total of 26 hydropower plants are placed along its course, making it the third most power producing river of Sweden.-References:...
took a new course, at least partially as a result of canal digging activities. - Smallpox vaccineSmallpox vaccineThe smallpox vaccine was the first successful vaccine to be developed. The process of vaccination was discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, who acted upon his observation that milkmaids who caught the cowpox virus did not catch smallpox...
invented. This and other medical discoveries over the next two centuries help to increase life expectancyLife expectancyLife expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
and decrease infant mortalityInfant mortalityInfant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
, leading to a worldwide population boom.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1798
|Thomas Robert Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population
An Essay on the Principle of Population
The book An Essay on the Principle of Population was first published anonymously in 1798 through J. Johnson . The author was soon identified as The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. While it was not the first book on population, it has been acknowledged as the most influential work of its era...
, thus beginning Malthusian economics.
|}
19th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1815
|
- Eruption of Mt. TamboraMount TamboraMount Tambora is an active stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Sumbawa is flanked both to the north and south by oceanic crust, and Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone beneath it. This raised Mount Tambora as high as , making it...
in what is now Indonesia, largest in the 2nd millennium AD. Leads to the-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1816
|
- -"Year Without a SummerYear Without a SummerThe Year Without a Summer was 1816, in which severe summer climate abnormalities caused average global temperatures to decrease by about 0.4–0.7 °C , resulting in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere...
." across North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
|-
|1845
|1857
|European Potato Famine
European Potato Famine
The European Potato Failure was a food crisis caused by potato blight that struck Northern Europe in the mid-1840s. The time is also known as the Hungry Forties. While the crisis produced excess mortality and suffering across the affected areas, particularly harshly affected were the Scottish...
s cause crop failures in both Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(the Great Famine) and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(the Highland Potato Famine).
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1872
|Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, the world's first national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, opens on March 1.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1883
|Eruption of Krakatoa
Krakatoa
Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates...
in Indonesia. The sound of the explosion is heard as far as Australia and China, the altered air waves causes strange colours on the sky and the volcanic gases reduce global temperatures during the following years. The vivid sunsets were captured in Edward Munch's The Scream
The Scream
Scream is the title of Expressionist paintings and prints in a series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, showing an agonized figure against a blood red sky...
.
|}
20th century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1900
|The Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...
hits Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
and reverses the city's previously rapid growth.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1906
|San Francisco earthquake causes collapse of insurance markets and the Panic of 1907
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1908
|Tunguska Explosion decimates a remote part of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
|-
|1914
|1918
|World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, which involves heavy bombardment, explosions, and poison gas warfare.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1918
|Spanish Flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
kills between 50 to 100 million people worldwide shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
|-
|1932
|1937
|Exceptional precipitation absence in northern hemisphere exacerbated by human activities causes the Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
drought of the US plains and the Soviet famine of 1932-1933
Soviet famine of 1932-1933
The Soviet famine of 1932–1933 killed many millions in the major grain-producing areas of the Soviet Union. These areas included Ukraine, Northern Caucasus, Volga Region and Kazakhstan, the South Urals, and West Siberia...
(harsh economic damage in US and widespread death in USSR)
|-
|1937
|1945
|Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with heavy bombardment, genocide, and explosions. Towards the end of the war, nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
occurs for the first time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki are bombed
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|post-1945
|Nuclear tests are performed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Above-ground detonations continue until the Partial Test Ban Treaty
Partial Test Ban Treaty
The treaty banning nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty , Limited Test Ban Treaty , or Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is a treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons...
is signed in 1963, causing fallout
Fallout
Fallout or nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion.Fallout may also refer to:*Fallout , a 1997 post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game released by Interplay Entertainment...
and spreading radiation around the explosion sites.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1957
|Sputnik is launched, becomes first man-made object to orbit the earth, and triggers the Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and USSR, culminating with the First man in space
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
in 1961, and the Moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
, humanity's first ventures to the Moon in 1969
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1960
|World human population reached 3 billion mark.
|-
|1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
|2010s
2010s
The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...
|Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
occurs in the Midwest and then much of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as manufacturing industries (and their pollution) move to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and other countries.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1980
|Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
erupts explosively in Washington state.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1984
|Bhopal disaster
Bhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1986
|Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
meltdown and explosion, contaminating surrounding area, including Pripyat.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1987
|World human population reached 5 billion mark.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1999
|World human population reached the 6 billion mark.
|}
21st century
{| class="wikitable"|+
!colspan="2"| Year(s)
!rowspan="2"| Event(s)
|-
! style="width:100px;"|Start
! style="width:100px;"|End
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2004
|Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
causes large tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005
|
- Hurricanes KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, RitaHurricane RitaHurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, and WilmaHurricane WilmaHurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
cause widespread destruction and environmental harm to coastal communities in the US Gulf Coast region, especially the New Orleans area. - Colour revolutions throughout EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2010
|
- Earthquake in Haiti2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
destroyed vital infrastructure. - Earthquake in Chile2010 Chile earthquakeThe 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
of a magnitude of 8.8, caused damage on many cities. - The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano2010 eruptions of EyjafjallajökullThe 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
affected activitiesAftermath of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionThe eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on 14 April 2010 affected the economic, political and cultural activities in Europe and across the world....
in Europe and across the world. - Deepwater Horizon oil spillDeepwater Horizon oil spillThe Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
in Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
causes millions of barrels of oil to pollute the gulf.
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2011
|
- Tsunami in Japan An Earthquake and later a Tsunami hit the country on March 11, 2011. After this disaster, nuclear power plants in Japan have been releasing radiation due to damage2011 Japanese nuclear accidentsThis is a list of articles describing aspects of the nuclear shut-downs, failures, and nuclear meltdowns triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.-Fukushima nuclear power plants:* Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant...
from the earthquake. - World human population reached the 7 billion mark
|}
See also
- Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric culturesSynoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric culturesThe synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures gives a rough picture of the relationships between the various principal cultures of prehistory outside the Americas, Antarctica, Australia and Oceania...
- CultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
- CivilizationCivilizationCivilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
- Cradle of civilizationCradle of CivilizationThe cradle of civilization is a term referring to any of the possible locations for the emergence of civilization.It is usually applied to the Ancient Near Eastern Chalcolithic , especially in the Fertile Crescent , but also extended to sites in Armenia, and the Persian Plateau, besides other Asian...
- Human history
- Recorded historyRecorded historyRecorded history is the period in history of the world after prehistory. It has been written down using language, or recorded using other means of communication. It starts around the 4th millennium BC, with the invention of writing.-Historical accounts:...
- History of the worldHistory of the worldThe history of the world or human history is the history of humanity from the earliest times to the present, in all places on Earth, beginning with the Paleolithic Era. It excludes non-human natural history and geological history, except insofar as the natural world substantially affects human lives...
- History of the Earth
- World HistoryWorld HistoryWorld History, Global History or Transnational history is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. It examines history from a global perspective...
- Human evolutionHuman evolutionHuman evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
- Timeline of human evolutionTimeline of human evolutionThe timeline of human evolution outlines the major events in the development of human species, and the evolution of humans' ancestors. It includes a brief explanation of some animals, species or genera, which are possible ancestors of Homo sapiens...
- Evolution of Homo sapiens
- Human evolutionary geneticsHuman evolutionary geneticsHuman evolutionary genetics studies how one human genome differs from the other, the evolutionary past that gave rise to it, and its current effects. Differences between genomes have anthropological, medical and forensic implications and applications...
- Behavioural modernity
- PaleoclimatologyPaleoclimatologyPaleoclimatology is the study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth. It uses a variety of proxy methods from the Earth and life sciences to obtain data previously preserved within rocks, sediments, ice sheets, tree rings, corals, shells and microfossils; it then...
- PaleotempestologyPaleotempestologyPaleotempestology is the study of past tropical cyclone activity by means of geological proxies as well as historical documentary records. The term was coined by Kerry Emanuel.-Sedimentary proxy records:...
- Temperature recordTemperature recordThe temperature record shows the fluctuations of the temperature of the atmosphere and the oceans through various spans of time. The most detailed information exists since 1850, when methodical thermometer-based records began. There are numerous estimates of temperatures since the end of the...
- Geologic time scaleGeologic time scaleThe geologic time scale provides a system of chronologic measurement relating stratigraphy to time that is used by geologists, paleontologists and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth...
- Technological singularityTechnological singularityTechnological singularity refers to the hypothetical future emergence of greater-than-human intelligence through technological means. Since the capabilities of such an intelligence would be difficult for an unaided human mind to comprehend, the occurrence of a technological singularity is seen as...
- Kardashev ScaleKardashev scaleThe Kardashev scale is a method of measuring an advanced civilization's level of technological advancement. The scale is only theoretical and in terms of an actual civilization highly speculative; however, it puts energy consumption of an entire civilization in a cosmic perspective. It was first...
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