the emergence of the first primates
The earliest ancestors of primates evolve from small, tree-dwelling mammals.
The split between Old World and New World monkeys
Primates split into two major branches: the monkeys of the Americas and those of Africa/Asia.
the appearance of the first apes
The ancestors of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and humans develop separately from other apes.
the last common ancestor
Around this time, the evolutionary line leading to humans splits off from that of chimpanzees and bonobos.
Australopithecus afarensis: Lucy
An early hominid that walked upright, discovered as the famous fossil 'Lucy' in Ethiopia.
Homo habilis and the first tools
This 'handy man' creates the first deliberately manufactured stone tools.
Homo erectus masters fire
Homo erectus learns to make and use fire, and is the first hominid to migrate out of Africa.
Rise of Homo sapiens
Anatomically modern humans appear in Africa, with a larger brain and more complex behaviour.
The cognitive revolution
An explosion of symbolic thought, language and art fundamentally changes humankind.
the great exodus from Africa
Groups of Homo sapiens leave the African continent and spread toward the Middle East, Asia and later Europe.
rise of cave art and symbolic thinking
Humans begin decorating caves with paintings of animals, handprints and abstract symbols, a sign of advanced symbolic thinking.
Domestication of the wolf into the dog
Humans begin taming wolves, leading to the first domesticated animals and a new bond between humans and animals.
Migration to the American continent
Groups of hunter-gatherers cross the Bering land bridge from Siberia to Alaska and spread across North and South America.
Warming of the climate after the last ice age
The earth slowly warms, ice caps retreat and new habitats emerge for humans and animals.
The agricultural revolution
Humans begin growing crops and domesticating animals, leading to permanent settlements.
Rise of the first cities
In Mesopotamia, the first urban settlements arise, such as Uruk, in which thousands of people live together.
Invention of writing
In Sumer, cuneiform script is developed, the first form of written communication.
The Bronze Age and the rise of empires
The use of bronze tools and weapons spreads, and the first great empires such as Egypt and Babylonia arise.
Classical antiquity: Greece and Rome
Greco-Roman civilisation flourishes, with major developments in philosophy, science, law and democracy.
the fall of the Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire collapses after centuries of political instability and invasions by Germanic peoples.
The Islamic Golden Age
In the Middle East, a civilization flourishes that preserves, translates and further develops the science, philosophy and medicine of antiquity.
The Mongol invasions and the fall of Baghdad
Mongol armies led by Hulagu Khan destroy Baghdad, the centre of the Islamic Golden Age.
The Black Death ravages Eurasia
A devastating pandemic of the plague spreads via trade routes from Asia to Europe and the Middle East.
Rise of early humanism in Italy
Scholars and artists in Italian city-states rediscover classical texts and lay the foundation for the Renaissance.
The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution
A cultural and intellectual revival in Europe leads to innovations in art, science and philosophy.
The Enlightenment
An intellectual movement that placed reason, science and individual freedom at the centre of thinking about humanity and society.
agricultural revolution in Europe
Innovations in farming techniques and crop rotation drastically increased food production, enabling population growth.
The American and French revolutions
Political upheavals that brought down monarchical power and spread ideals of freedom, equality and civil rights.
The industrial revolution
Machines, steam power and factories transform humanity from agrarian into industrial societies.
The rise of electricity and mass communication
Electricity and telecommunications drastically change daily life.
The rise of the automobile and the airplane
Inventions such as the automobile and the airplane profoundly change transport and warfare.
Scientific breakthroughs and industrial mass production
Discoveries in physics and chemistry, together with Fordist production methods, transform society and industry.
Two world wars and the atomic age
Large-scale conflicts accelerate technological development and reveal humanity's destructive power.
The digital revolution and the internet age
Computers and the internet connect people worldwide and fundamentally change society and the economy.
The rise of smartphones and social media
The introduction of smartphones and social networks changes the way people communicate, share information and interact with each other worldwide.
Breakthrough of artificial intelligence and machine learning
Artificial intelligence develops from an experimental technology into an omnipresent force that transforms industries, science and daily life.
Global transition to sustainable energy and climate technology
Under pressure from the climate crisis, humanity accelerates the shift to renewable energy sources and develops new technologies to combat global warming.
Breakthrough of genetic engineering and biotechnology
Scientists unravel the human genome and begin to redesign life at the molecular level.
Worldwide acceptance of genetic enhancement
Genetically enhanced humans become socially accepted and regulated by international treaties.
First artificial general intelligence (AGI) developed
Scientists create the first AGI that matches or exceeds human intelligence in nearly all areas.
Introduction of neuro-biological interfaces for communication
First experimental technologies enabling people to communicate with computers and each other via direct brain signals, as a precursor to full cyborg technology.
Fusion of man and machine
speculative: genetic manipulation and artificial intelligence merge with the human body and brain
Colonization of Mars completed
The first permanent, self-sufficient settlements on Mars achieve full independence from Earth.
Rise of the Neural Collectives
Humanity develops shared consciousness networks in which individual minds can be connected to one another.
Humanity as a multiplanetary, post-human species
Speculative: by the year 6000, humanity has spread across multiple planets and evolved into a new species.
Kolonisatie van het Melkwegstelsel begint
Humanity, by now a post-human species with widely diverging genetic and technological variants, begins the systematic exploration and colonization of star systems beyond the solar system.
The Great Synthesis: fusion of biological and digital consciousness
A turning point at which the majority of the post-human population decides to fully integrate their consciousness with digital, distributed networks, leading to a new form of collective intelligence.
The Galactic Weave
A network of connected consciousness nodes stretches across thousands of star systems, formed by humans, their descendants and allied intelligences.
The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution
Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and scientists such as Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton challenged traditional views and laid the basis for modern science. Gutenberg's invention of the printing press greatly accelerated the spread of knowledge, ultimately paving the way for the later industrial revolution.