The whole of time in 11 dates

1. The Universe appeared c. 13.7 bys ago

2. The Earth, c. 4.5 bys ago

3. First living organisms c. 3.8 bys ago

4. First multi-celled organisms c. 600 mys ago

5. Dinosaurs wiped out c. 67 mys ago

6. First “hominines” appeared c. 7 mys ago

7. Our species, Homo sapiens, c. 200,000 ys ago

8. First agricultural societies, c. 10,000 ys ago

9. First civilizations and written documents c. 5,000 ys ago

10. Industrial Revolution (and the USA!) c. 250 ys ago

11. Humans enter space c. 50 ys ago

Another way of seeing time:If the Universe began 13 years ago, then …

– the earth would have existed for about • five years [4.5 billion ys]

– large organisms with many cells for • 7 months [600 million ys]

– the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs would have landed • 3 weeks ago [67 million ys]

– Hominines would have existed for just • 3 days [c. 7 million ys]

– our own species, Homo Sapiens, for • 53 minutes [c. 200,000 ys]

– agricultural societies would have existed for • 5 minutes [c. 10,000 ys]

– the entire recorded history of civilization for • 3 minutes [c. 5,000 ys: that’s when most world history courses start!]

– modern industrial societies (and the USA!) for• 6 seconds [c. 250 ys]

– 1st humans in space and on the moon• 1 second [c. 50 ys] I live here!

A Living Timeline: 13.7 b. years

1. The Universe appeared c. 13.7 bys ago [start of timeline]

2. The Earth, c. 4.5 bys ago [c. 67% along the line]

3. First living organisms c. 3.8 bys ago [c. 72% along]

4. First multi-celled organisms c. 600 mys ago [96% along]

5. Dinosaurs wiped out c. 67 mys ago [99.5% along]

6. First “hominines” appeared c. 7 mys ago [99.9% along]

7. Our species, Homo sapiens, c. 200,000 ys ago [too close! c. 99.99%]

8. First agricultural societies, c. 10,000 ys ago [too close!]

9. First civilizations and written documents c. 5,000 ys ago

10. Industrial Revolution (and the USA!) c. 250 ys ago

11. Humans enter space c. 50 ys ago

A Living Timeline: 67 m. years

1. Dinosaurs wiped out [start of timeline]

2. First apes, c. 20 mys ago [c. 70% along the line]

3. First hominines, c. 7 mys ago [c. 90% along]

4. Lucy, c. 3.5 mys ago [94.5% along]

5. Homo erectus, c. 2 mys ago [97% along]

6. Homo sapiens, c. 200,000 ys ago [99.7% along]

7. Agriculture, c. 10,000 ys ago [too close! c. 99.99%]

8. Industrial Revolution and USA, c. 250 ys ago [too close]

9. Humans enter space c. 50 ys ago

Some Resources on timescales

1. Scales of Ten Websites [several versions]

2. Nigel Calder, Timescale [dates but superb on scales]

3. E.O. Wilson, Consilience [about unifying the sciences]

4. David Christian, Maps of Time [includes 8 timelines]

5. David Christian, This Fleeting World [a short history of the last 200,000 years]

6. World History for us all website: resources for teachers of world historyhttp://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/dev/default.htm