Timeline

Everything on this site, on one line of time, region by region. Start with the whole of human time to see how short written history is, then zoom in.

Drag sideways to move through time. Use the buttons, or the plus and minus keys, to zoom. Each dot is an event; select it to open its page. Where events crowd together they are gathered into a numbered circle: select it to zoom in.

Every event, in order

Our species and the Old Stone Age

  1. about 315,000 years agoThe oldest known fossils of our speciesAfrica
  2. at least 67,800 years agoThe oldest dated hand stencilAsia
  3. at least 51,200 years agoA painted scene with people and a pigAsia
  4. 44,200 to 41,500 years agoA modern human jaw in Kents CavernEurope
  5. at least 37,300 years agoHand stencils in EuropeEurope

Farming and the New Stone Age

  1. about 11,700 years agoThe last ice age endsWhole world
  2. from about 9600 BCGreat stone enclosuresThe Middle East
  3. About 11,000 years agoHunters camp at Star CarrEurope
  4. About 4000 BCFarming reaches BritainEurope

First cities and the Bronze Age

  1. 3400 to 3200 BCWriting, in MesopotamiaThe Middle East
  2. About 3000 BCThe first Stonehenge, an earthworkEurope
  3. About 2551 to 2528 BCKhufu reigns; the Great PyramidAfrica
  4. About 2500 BCThe stones of Stonehenge are raisedEurope
  5. About 2490 to 2472 BCMenkaure reigns; the third Giza pyramidAfrica
  6. About 2300 BCThe Amesbury Archer is buriedEurope
  7. About 1981 to 1975 BCMeketre’s tomb modelsAfrica
  8. About 1254 to 1197 BCWu Ding reigns at AnyangAsia
  9. about 1250 BCWriting, in ChinaAsia

The Iron Age and growing states

  1. About 1200 BCLady Hao is buried at AnyangAsia
  2. About 1041 BCThe Shang dynasty endsAsia
  3. Around the ninth century BCMust Farm burnsEurope

The classical world

  1. From about 400 BC, for 300 yearsMaiden Castle’s great rampartsEurope
  2. about 300 to 200 BCMaya writingThe Americas
  3. 196 BCThe Rosetta decreeAfrica
  4. 55 and 54 BCCaesar crosses to BritainEurope
  5. AD 43The Roman invasionEurope
  6. AD 60 to 61Boudica’s revoltEurope
  7. AD 122Hadrian’s Wall begunEurope
  8. AD 211Severus dies at YorkEurope
  9. AD 286 to 296Carausius rules BritainEurope
  10. AD 400 to 410The Roman army leaves BritainEurope
  11. About 420 to the early 600sWest Stow villageEurope

After the empires

  1. 597Augustine’s mission arrivesEurope
  2. About 625The Sutton Hoo ship burialEurope
  3. 635Aidan founds LindisfarneEurope
  4. 8 June 793Vikings raid LindisfarneEurope

Revolutions and the first factories

  1. 27 September 1822Champollion announces he can read hieroglyphsEurope

Industry, empire and world war

  1. 1899Inscribed oracle bones are noticed in BeijingAsia
  2. 1928 to 1937The first excavations at AnyangAsia
  3. June 1939The Sutton Hoo burial chamber is reachedEurope

The world since 1945

  1. 20 July 1969People walk on the MoonWhole world
  2. 1976Lady Hao’s tomb is foundAsia

Era names and their dividing lines are a convenience for finding your way, not hard edges. Each event keeps the sources on its own page. Years before 10,000 BC are given as years ago; we write 2551 BC and AD 43.