Explore the timeline

Browse the history of the Earth by era, by topic or by century. Every page links to the same continuous timeline.

Eras

• 4.54 billion years ago to 4.03 billion years agoHadean the molten birth of Earth · 4 events
• 4.03 billion years ago to 2.5 billion years agoArchean continents, oceans and the first life · 4 events
• 2.5 billion years ago to 539 million years agoProterozoic oxygen, complex cells and Snowball Earth · 10 events
• 539 million years ago to 252 million years agoPaleozoic from the first animals to the first forests · 26 events
• 252 million years ago to 66 million years agoMesozoic the age of dinosaurs · 15 events
• 66 million years ago to 300,000 years agoCenozoic the rise of mammals and the ice ages · 32 events
• 300,000 years ago to 3,200 BCEHuman prehistory the human story before writing · 380 events
• 3,200 BCE to 500 CEAncient civilizations writing, cities and empires · 7,073 events
• 500 CE to 1500 CEMedieval world kingdoms, faiths and trade routes · 18,609 events
• 1500 CE to 1760 CEEarly modern world voyages, printing and new ideas · 13,883 events
• 1760 CE to 1914 CEIndustrial era steam, factories and revolutions · 37,323 events
• 1914 CE to 1945 CEModern era world wars and a changing world · 22,751 events
• 1945 CE to todayContemporary world the world since 1945 · 94,153 events

Topics

• 3,060 eventsUniverse & space
• 4,339 eventsEarth & climate
• 619 eventsEvolution & life
• 14,726 eventsCivilizations & archaeology
• 65,412 eventsWars, politics & history
• 11,576 eventsScience & technology
• 60,334 eventsArt, literature & culture
• 1,528 eventsExploration & discovery
• 32,669 eventsSociety, economy & sport

Centuries

From the 30th century BCE to the 21st century CE.

• 30th century BCE
• 28th century BCE
• 27th century BCE
• 26th century BCE
• 25th century BCE
• 24th century BCE
• 23rd century BCE
• 22nd century BCE
• 21st century BCE
• 20th century BCE
• 19th century BCE
• 18th century BCE
• 17th century BCE
• 16th century BCE
• 15th century BCE
• 14th century BCE
• 13th century BCE
• 12th century BCE
• 11th century BCE
• 10th century BCE
• 9th century BCE
• 8th century BCE
• 7th century BCE
• 6th century BCE
• 5th century BCE
• 4th century BCE
• 3rd century BCE
• 2nd century BCE
• 1st century BCE
• 1st century
• 2nd century
• 3rd century
• 4th century
• 5th century
• 6th century
• 7th century
• 8th century
• 9th century
• 10th century
• 11th century
• 12th century
• 13th century
• 14th century
• 15th century
• 16th century
• 17th century
• 18th century
• 19th century
• 20th century
• 21st century