New Page — Acceleration Academics

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BROAD ERA I: COSMIC & PLANETARY ORIGINS

13.8 Billion Years Ago to 541 Million Years Ago

From the birth of the universe through the formation of Earth, the emergence of simple life, and the buildup of conditions necessary for complex organisms.

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Sub-Era A: Cosmic Dawn

13.8B - 4.6B years ago

The birth of the universe, formation of the first stars and galaxies, and the creation of our solar system.

Big Bang & Early Universe

13.8 - 13.7 BYA

The explosive beginning of space, time, and matter, followed by rapid cosmic expansion.

Big Bang & Cosmic Inflation 13.8 billion years ago

Formation of First Atoms - Hydrogen & Helium 380,000 years after Big Bang

First Stars & Galaxies

13.6 - 12 BYA

The formation of the first luminous objects and the building blocks of modern galaxies.

First Stars Ignite 13.6 billion years ago

Supernovae Create Heavy Elements 13.5 billion years ago

First Galaxies Form 13.4 billion years ago

Milky Way Galaxy Formation 13.2 billion years ago

Solar System Formation

4.6 BYA

The collapse of a cloud of gas and dust into our Sun and planetary system.

Solar Nebula Collapses 4.6 billion years ago

Sun Forms 4.6 billion years ago

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Sub-Era B: Early Earth

4.6B - 2.5B years ago

Earth's formation, the creation of the Moon, the emergence of oceans, and the first simple life forms.

Hadean Eon

Earth's violent birth from molten rock and the giant impact that created the Moon.

Earth Accretion Begins 4.6 billion years ago

Giant Impact Forms Moon 4.5 billion years ago

Earth's Crust Solidifies 4.4 billion years ago

Archean Eon

The appearance of liquid water, the origin of life, and the beginning of photosynthesis.

First Oceans Form 4.0 billion years ago

First Prokaryotic Life Appears 3.8 billion years ago

Photosynthesis Emerges 3.5 billion years ago

Oxygen Begins Accumulating 2.7 billion years ago

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Sub-Era C: Oxygenation & Early Complex Life

2.5B - 541M years ago

The transformation of Earth's atmosphere with oxygen, the evolution of complex cells, and the first multicellular organisms.

Great Oxidation Event

2.4 - 2.3 BYA

The dramatic increase in atmospheric oxygen that transformed Earth's chemistry and climate.

Great Oxidation Event 2.4 billion years ago

Ozone Layer Forms 2.3 billion years ago

Eukaryotic Revolution

2.0 - 1.2 BYA

The evolution of complex cells with nuclei and the emergence of sexual reproduction.

First Eukaryotic Cells 2.0 billion years ago

Sexual Reproduction Evolves 1.2 billion years ago

Snowball Earth Events

720 - 635 MYA

Global glaciation events that covered Earth in ice from pole to pole.

First Multicellular Life

The appearance of the first organisms made of many cells working together.

First Multicellular Organisms 600 million years ago

Ediacaran Biota Appears 575 million years ago

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BROAD ERA II: THE AGE OF COMPLEX LIFE

541 Million Years Ago to 300,000 Years Ago

From the Cambrian Explosion of animal life through the rise of mammals and the emergence of the genus Homo.

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Sub-Era A: Paleozoic Era

541 - 252 MYA

The explosive diversification of animal life, colonization of land by plants and animals, and the assembly of Pangaea.

Cambrian Explosion

541 - 485 MYA

The rapid diversification of animal life forms with hard shells and complex body plans.

Cambrian Explosion - Rapid Diversification 541 million years ago

First Vertebrates 525 million years ago

Land Invasion

Ordovician through Devonian

Plants Colonize Land 470 MYA

First Insects 400 MYA

First Amphibians 365 MYA

Carboniferous Period

Giant Insects, Coal Forests

First Reptiles 312 MYA

Formation of Pangaea 300 MYA

Permian Period & the Great Dying

299 - 252 MYA

The final period of the Paleozoic Era ending with Earth's most catastrophic mass extinction.

Great Permian Extinction 96% of species die

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Sub-Era B: Mesozoic Era

252 - 66 MYA

The age of dinosaurs, the breakup of Pangaea, the evolution of flowering plants and birds, and the catastrophic asteroid impact.

Triassic Period

Dinosaurs Emerge

First Dinosaurs 230 MYA

First Mammals small, nocturnal

Jurassic Period

Age of Giants

Pangaea Breaks Apart 200 MYA

First Birds 150 MYA

Dinosaurs Dominate Ecosystems 150-66 MYA

Cretaceous Period

Flowers, T. Rex, Asteroid Impact

First Flowering Plants 130 MYA

Asteroid Impact at Chicxulub 66 MYA

Mass Extinction Event End of Dinosaurs

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Sub-Era C: Cenozoic Era

66 MYA - 300,000 years ago

The rise and diversification of mammals, the evolution of primates and early hominids, and the beginning of ice ages.

Paleogene Period

Mammal Explosion

Mammals Diversify & Grow Larger 66-55 MYA

India Collides with Asia Himalayas Form

First Primates 55 MYA

Neogene Period

Grasslands, Great Apes, Early Hominins

First Hominids Split from Apes 7-6 MYA

Ice Ages Begin 2.6 MYA

Australopithecus Appears 4 MYA

Early Pleistocene

Ice Ages, Genus Homo Emerges

Early Stone Tools 3.3 MYA

Genus Homo Emerges 2.8 MYA

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BROAD ERA III: HUMAN PREHISTORY

300,000 Years Ago to c. 3,000 BCE

The era of anatomically modern humans before written records, from our species' emergence through the invention of agriculture and the threshold of civilization.

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Sub-Era A: Paleolithic World

300,000 - 10,000 years ago

The emergence and global spread of Homo sapiens as hunter-gatherers, developing language, art, and complex tools.

Homo Sapiens Emerges

300,000 - 70,000 years ago

The appearance of anatomically modern humans in Africa and their early development.

Homo Sapiens Emerges in Africa 300,000 years ago

Control of Fire Mastered 400,000 years ago

Out of Africa & Global Migration

70,000 - 15,000 years ago

Human expansion out of Africa to populate every continent except Antarctica.

Out of Africa Migration 70,000 BCE

Neanderthals Coexist with Humans 400,000-40,000 years ago

Bering Land Bridge Crossing 15,000 years ago

Cultural Revolution

Art, Language, Tools

Cave Art & Symbolic Culture 40,000 years ago

Extinction of Neanderthals 40,000 years ago

Megafauna Extinctions

50,000 - 10,000 years ago

The disappearance of large animals like mammoths and giant sloths as humans spread across continents.

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Sub-Era B: Neolithic Revolution

10,000 - 3,000 BCE

The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, domestication of animals, and the establishment of permanent settlements.

Beginnings of Agriculture

10,000 - 8,000 BCE

The domestication of plants and animals, fundamentally transforming human society.

Domestication of Wheat & Barley 10,000 BCE

Domestication of Sheep & Goats 9,000 BCE

First Permanent Settlements Jericho

Spread of Farming & Village Life

8,000 - 4,000 BCE

Agriculture spreads globally, populations grow, and permanent settlements become common.

Pottery Invented 18,000 BCE

Domestication of Cattle & Pigs 8,000 BCE

Copper Smelting Begins 5,000 BCE

Proto-Civilizations & Megaliths

4,000 - 3,000 BCE

The rise of complex societies, monumental architecture, and the threshold of written history.

Invention of the Wheel 3,500 BCE

Proto-Writing Systems Emerge 3,200 BCE

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BROAD ERA IV: RECORDED HISTORY

c. 3,000 BCE to Present

The era defined by written records, complex states, and accelerating global interconnection.

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Sub-Era A: Ancient Period

3,000 BCE - 500 CE

The rise of the first civilizations, development of writing systems, formation of great empires, and the birth of major world religions.

Bronze Age Civilizations

3,000 - 1,200 BCE

The first complex urban societies with writing, monumental architecture, and bronze metallurgy.

Cuneiform Writing in Sumer 3,200 BCE

Egyptian Pyramids Built 2,600 BCE

Code of Hammurabi 1,750 BCE

Indus Valley Civilization Peak 2,600 BCE

Shang Dynasty Oracle Bones 1,200 BCE

Olmec Colossal Heads 1,200 BCE

Bronze Age Collapse 1,200 BCE

Iron Age & Axial Age

1,200 - 500 BCE

Iron technology spreads while revolutionary thinkers establish the world's major philosophical and religious traditions.

Ironworking Spreads 1,200 BCE

Hebrew Bible Written 800-400 BCE

Homer's Epics Composed 750 BCE

Zoroaster Founds Zoroastrianism 600 BCE

Buddha's Enlightenment 528 BCE

Confucius & Laozi Teach 500 BCE

Greek City-States Rise 800 BCE

Persian Empire Founded 550 BCE

Classical Age: Great Empires

500 BCE - 500 CE

Vast empires from Rome to China create unprecedented political unity, trade networks, and cultural achievements.

Athenian Democracy 508 BCE

Alexander's Conquests 334-323 BCE

Mauryan Empire Unifies India 322 BCE

Qin Unifies China Great Wall

Roman Republic Established 509 BCE

Julius Caesar Assassinated 44 BCE

Birth of Jesus Christ 4 BCE

Roman Empire at Peak Pax Romana

Han Dynasty Silk Road 130 BCE

Fall of Western Roman Empire 476 CE

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Sub-Era B: Medieval Period

500 - 1450 CE

The spread of Islam, feudal societies in Europe and Japan, the Mongol conquests, and the transition from medieval to early modern institutions.

Early Medieval

500 - 1000

The aftermath of Rome's fall, the rise of Islam, and the emergence of new kingdoms and empires.

Byzantine Empire Continues 330-1453 CE

Muhammad Founds Islam 610 CE

Islamic Conquests Spread 632-750 CE

Carolingian Empire Charlemagne

Viking Age Begins 793 CE

Tang Dynasty Golden Age 618-907 CE

Feudalism Develops 800s CE

High Medieval

1000 - 1300

European expansion, the Crusades, Mongol conquests, and flourishing civilizations across the globe.

Song Dynasty Innovations 960-1279 CE

First Crusade Launched 1096 CE

Angkor Wat Built 1113-1150 CE

Genghis Khan Unites Mongols 1206 CE

Mongol Empire Expands 1206-1294 CE

Magna Carta Signed 1215 CE

Mali Empire Peak Mansa Musa

Late Medieval

1300 - 1450

Pandemic disease, dynastic conflicts, and technological innovations mark the transition to the early modern world.

Black Death Pandemic 1347-1353 CE

Hundred Years' War 1337-1453 CE

Ming Dynasty Founded 1368 CE

Inca Empire Rises 1438 CE

Gutenberg Printing Press 1440 CE

Fall of Constantinople 1453 CE

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Sub-Era C: Early Modern Period

1450 - 1800 CE

Global exploration and colonization, the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment's new ideas about reason and liberty.

Renaissance & Age of Exploration

1450 - 1600 CE

A rebirth of learning and art in Europe combined with global exploration and colonization.

Columbus Reaches Americas 1492 CE

Spanish Conquest of Aztec & Inca 1519-1533 CE

Reformation & Religious Wars

1517 - 1648 CE

The split of Western Christianity and the devastating conflicts that followed.

Protestant Reformation Luther

Ottoman Empire Peak Suleiman

English Civil War 1642-1651 CE

Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment

1543 - 1800 CE

The emergence of modern science and reason-based philosophy that transformed human understanding.

Copernicus Heliocentric Model 1543 CE

Atlantic Slave Trade Begins 1500s CE

Scientific Revolution Galileo, Newton

Mughal Empire Peak 1556-1605 CE

Enlightenment Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau

American Revolution 1775-1783 CE

French Revolution 1789-1799 CE

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Sub-Era D: Modern Period

1800 - Present

Industrialization, world wars, decolonization, the Cold War, technological revolutions, and the emergence of a globally interconnected world.

Industrial Age

1800 - 1914

Steam power, factories, railroads, and fossil fuels revolutionize production, transform societies, and reshape the world.

Steam Engine Revolutionizes Transport 1800s CE

Latin American Independence 1810-1825 CE

Abolition of Slavery British Empire, then US

Communist Manifesto Published 1848 CE

Taiping Rebellion 1850-1864 CE

US Civil War 1861-1865 CE

Meiji Restoration Japan Modernizes

Scramble for Africa 1880-1914 CE

Theory of Evolution Published 1859 CE

Electricity & Light Bulb 1879 CE

World Wars Era

1914 - 1945

Two devastating global conflicts reshape political boundaries, introduce total war, and unleash weapons of mass destruction.

World War I Begins 1914 CE

Russian Revolution 1917 CE

Treaty of Versailles 1919 CE

Spanish Flu Pandemic 1918-1920 CE

Great Depression 1929-1939 CE

Rise of Fascism Hitler, Mussolini

World War II Begins 1939 CE

Holocaust 1941-1945 CE

Atomic Bombs Dropped 1945 CE

United Nations Founded 1945 CE

Cold War / Atomic Age

1945 - 1991

Superpower rivalry, nuclear deterrence, space exploration, and decolonization define the post-WWII era.

Iron Curtain Descends 1946 CE

Indian Independence & Partition 1947 CE

State of Israel Founded 1948 CE

NATO & Warsaw Pact 1949/1955 CE

Communist Revolution in China 1949 CE

Korean War 1950-1953 CE

DNA Structure Discovered 1953 CE

Space Race Sputnik, Moon Landing

Vietnam War 1955-1975 CE

Civil Rights Movement 1954-1968 CE

Fall of Berlin Wall 1989 CE

Collapse of Soviet Union 1991 CE

Information Age

1991 - Present

The digital revolution, internet connectivity, and the rise of information technology transforming every aspect of life.

World Wide Web Goes Public 1991 CE

European Union Forms 1993 CE

9/11 Terrorist Attacks 2001 CE

Iraq War 2003 CE

Global Financial Crisis 2008 CE

Arab Spring 2011 CE

Climate Change Acceleration 2000s-present

COVID-19 Pandemic 2019-2023 CE

AI Revolution Begins 2020s CE

The History of Everything