BRIEF HISTORY OF
MANKIND
PREHISTORIC ERA
c. 2.5 million BCE - c. 3,000 BCE
c. 2.5 mil – c. 300,000 c. 300,000 – c. 10,000 c. 10,000 – c. 3,000 BCE c. 3,000 – c. 1,200
BCE BCE BCE
Early Human Paleolithic Era Neolithic Early Metallurgy
Evolution Hunter-gatherer Revolution Development of
Emergence of societies, Transition to bronze tools and
early hominins, migration patterns, agriculture, weapons, rise of
development of and the domestication of early
basic tools, and development of plants and civilizations, and
early symbolic early art and animals, and the the beginning of
behavior culture establishment of trade networks
permanent
settlements
ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS
c. 3,000 BCE – c. 1500 CE
c. 3,000 – c. 1,500 BCE c. 1,500 BCE – c. 500 CE c. 500 CE – c. 1,000 CE c. 1,000 – c. 1,500 CE
Early River Classical Transregional Medieval
Valley Civilisations Interactions Empires and
Civilisations Rise of Greece, Expansion of States
Development of Rome, Persia, trade routes and Development of
complex India, and cultural empires and
societies along Mesoamerican exchanges states like the
major rivers like cultures, across Europe, Byzantine
Mesopotamia, marked by Africa, and Asia, Empire, Islamic
Egypt, the Indus significant including the Caliphates, and
Valley and early cultural and Silk Road kingdoms in
China political Africa and Asia
advancements
EARLY MODERN
PERIOD
c. 1,400 CE – c. 1,800 C
c. 1,400 – c. 1,500 CE c. 1,500 – c. 1,700 CE c. 1,600 – c. 1,700 CE c. 1,700 – c. 1,800 CE
Early Age of Scientific Enlightenment
Renaissance Exploration Revolution Intellectual and
Revival of European Major political
classical art and exploration and advancements changes leading
learning in colonization of in science and to revolutions
Europe, leading the Americas, technology, such as the
to Africa, and Asia, including American and
advancements establishing significant French
in culture and global trade figures like Revolutions
thought networks Galileo and
Newton
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
c. 1,800 CE – c. 1,900 CE
c. 1,800 – 1,900 CE c. 1,800 – c. 1,900 CE c. 1,800 – c. 1,900 CE c. 1,850 – c. 1,900 CE
Industrial Age of Political and Scientific and
Revolution Imperialism Social Change Technological
Transformation Expansion of Rise of new Progress
of economies European political Advances in
through empires and ideologies, labor medicine,
industrialization, global movements, transportation,
technological colonialism and social and
innovation, and leading to reforms communication
urbanization significant technologies
geopolitical
changes
WORLD AT WAR
c. 1,900 CE – c. 2,000 CE
c. 1,900 – 1,914 CE c. 1,914 – c. 1,945 CE c. 1,945 – c. 1,989 CE c. 1,850 – c. 1,900 CE
Early 20th Wars and Division and Globalization
Century Upheavals Decolonization and
Rapid World War I and The Cold War Technological
advancements World War II divided the Advancements
in technology caused massive world into The end of the
and industry, upheaval ideological blocs Cold War led to
alongside rising worldwide, while many increased
nationalist and leading to the countries in economic
imperialist reshaping of Africa, Asia, and globalization,
tensions, set the national the Caribbean with
stage for global borders, gained technological
conflict. economic independence innovations
systems, and from colonial transforming
colonial empires rule communication,
commerce, and
cultural
exchange
AGE OF
CONNECTIVITY
c. 2,000 CE
c. 2000 – c. 2010 CE c. 2010 – c. 2020 CE c. 2020 – c. 2022 c. 2022 - present
Early 21st Digital Age Pandemic and Current Trends
Century Pervasive digital Accelerated and Future
The rise of the technology and Change Directions
internet and social media The COVID-19 Advances in
digital influenced pandemic artificial
technologies global culture caused global intelligence,
revolutionized and politics, and disruption, renewable
global there was a prompting rapid energy, and
communication heightened advancements evolving
and commerce, focus on climate in healthcare, geopolitical
while the world change and remote work, dynamics
faced environmental and digital continue to
challenges such sustainability transformation reshape the
as the War on global
Terror and landscape, with
economic crises increasing
attention to
