Timeline of History
| Years Before the Present | |
|---|---|
| 13.5 billion | Matter and energy appear. Beginning of physics. Atoms and molecules appear. Beginning of chemistry. |
| 4.5 billion | Formation of planet Earth. |
| 3.8 billion | Emergence of organisms. Beginning of biology. |
| 6 million | Last common grandmother of humans and chimpanzees. |
| 2.5 million | Evolution of the genus Homo in Africa. First stone tools. 2 million Humans spread from Africa to Eurasia. Evolution of different human species. |
| 500,000 | Neanderthals evolve in Europe and the Middle East. |
| 300,000 | Daily usage of fire. |
| 200,000 | Homo sapiens evolves in East Africa. |
| 70,000 | The Cognitive Revolution. Emergence of fictive language. Beginning of history. Sapiens spread out of Africa. |
| 45,000 | Sapiens settle Australia. Extinction of Australian megafauna. |
| 30,000 | Extinction of Neanderthals. |
| 16,000 | Sapiens settle America. Extinction of American megafauna. |
| 13,000 | Extinction of Homo floresiensis. Homo sapiens the only surviving human species. |
| 12,000 | The Agricultural Revolution. Domestication of plants and animals. Permanent settlements. |
| 5,000 | First kingdoms, script and money. Polytheistic religions. |
| 4,250 | First empire – the Akkadian Empire of Sargon. |
| 2,500 | Invention of coinage – a universal money. The Persian Empire – a universal political order ‘for the benefit of all humans’. Buddhism in India – a universal truth ‘to liberate all beings from suffering’. |
| 2,000 | Han Empire in China. Roman Empire in the Mediterranean. Christianity. |
| 1,400 | Islam. |
| 500 | The Scientific Revolution. Humankind admits its ignorance and begins to acquire unprecedented power. Europeans begin to conquer America and the oceans. The entire planet becomes a single historical arena. The rise of capitalism. |
| 200 | The Industrial Revolution. Family and community are replaced by state and market. Massive extinction of plants and animals. |
| The Present | Humans transcend the boundaries of planet Earth. Nuclear weapons threaten the survival of humankind. Organisms are increasingly shaped by intelligent design rather than natural selection. |
| The Future | Intelligent design becomes the basic principle of life? Homo sapiens is replaced by superhumans? |