A Single Point in Time

Era                   World Population         Major Historical Events

15,000 BCE           .85 million   Migrations across Bering Straits into the Americas.

10,000 BCE           1 million      Development of settlements into cities and development of skills such as the wheel, pottery, and improved methods of cultivation in Mesopotamia and elsewhere.

5,000–-3000 BCE   20 million    Predynastic Egyptian cultures develop (5500–3100 BC); begin using agriculture (c. 5000 BC). Earliest known civilization arises in Sumer (4500–4000 BC). Earliest recorded date in Egyptian calendar (4241 BC). First year of Jewish calendar (3760 BC). First phonetic writing appears (c. 3500 BC). Sumerians develop a city-state civilization (c. 3000 BC). Copper used by Egyptians and Sumerians. Western Europe is neolithic, without metals or written records.

2000–1500 BCE     35 million    Hyksos invaders drive Egyptians from Lower Egypt (17th century BC). Amosis I frees Egypt from Hyksos (c. 1600 BC). Assyrians rise to power—cities of Ashur and Nineveh. Twenty-four-character alphabet in Egypt. Cuneiform inscriptions used by Hittites. Peak of Minoan culture on Isle of Crete—earliest form of written Greek. Hammurabi, king of Babylon, develops oldest existing code of laws (18th century BC). Abraham becomes patriarch of Jewish Nation (1800 BC)

1500–1000 BCE     40 million    Ikhnaton develops monotheistic religion in Egypt (c. 1375 BC). His successor, Tutankhamen, returns to earlier gods. Greeks destroy Troy (c. 1193 BC). End of Greek civilization in Mycenae with invasion of Dorians. Chinese civilization develops under Shang Dynasty. Olmec civilization in Mexico—stone monuments; picture writing. Rabbinical Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BCE.

600–500 BCE        90 million    Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar builds empire, destroys Jerusalem (586 BC). Babylonian Captivity of the Jews (starting 587 BC). Jewish elders begin writing the Torah while in Babylonian captivity. Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Cyrus the Great of Persia creates great empire, conquers Babylon (539 BC), frees the Jews. Athenian democracy develops. Aeschylus, Greek dramatist (525–465 BC). Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician (582?–507? BC). Confucius (551–479 BC) develops ethical and social philosophy in China. The Analects or Lun-yü (“collected sayings”) are compiled by the second generation of Confucian disciples. Buddha (563?–483? BC) founds Buddhism in India.

400–300 BCE        120 million  Pentateuch—first five books of the Old Testament evolve in final form. Philip of Macedon assassinated (336 BC) after subduing the Greek city-states; succeeded by son, Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), who destroys Thebes (335 BC), conquers Tyre and Jerusalem (332 BC), occupies Babylon (330 BC), invades India, and dies in Babylon. His empire is divided among his generals; one of them, Seleucis I, establishes Middle East empire with capitals at Antioch (Syria) and Seleucia (in Iraq). Trial and execution of Greek philosopher Socrates (399 BC). Dialogues recorded by his student, Plato (c. 427–348 or 347 BC). Euclid's work on geometry (323 BC). Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384–322 BC). Demosthenes, Greek orator (384–322 BC). Praxiteles, Greek sculptor (400–330 BC).

1–49 CE                250 million  Birth of Jesus Christ (variously given from 4 B.C. to A.D. 7). After Augustus, Tiberius becomes emperor (dies, A.D. 37), succeeded by Caligula (assassinated, A.D. 41), who is followed by Claudius. Crucifixion of Jesus (probably A.D. 30). Han dynasty in China founded by Emperor Kuang Wu Ti. Buddhism introduced to China.

300–349 CE           300 million  Constantine the Great (rules A.D. 312–337) reunites eastern and western Roman empires, with new capital (Constantinople) on site of Byzantium (A.D. 330); issues Edict of Milan legalizing Christianity (A.D. 313); becomes a Christian on his deathbed (A.D. 337). Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) defines orthodox Christian doctrine. First Gupta dynasty in India (c. A.D. 320).