1. The Invention of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (8,500 BC). The Neolithic Revolution. This will also include the invention of spoken language, the wheel, metallurgy, social order (government), and the idea of god and an afterlife (maybe), to name a few other “minor” items that go along with 8500 BC. As far as importance, nothing else comes close.
2. The invention of writing (5,000 BC).
3. The invention of the Printing Press (AD 1430).
4. The Discovery of the Scientific Method (AD 1469, Natural History published).
5. Tesla & Electricity Generation (AD 1881, first US Electrical power plant).
6. World War I, and World War II ( AD 1914-1945).
7. World Population explosion (AD 1800 on).
8. The Start of the Latest Interglacial Period (15,000 BC).
9. The Fall of the Western (AD 455) and the Eastern Roman Empire (AD 1453).
10. The Discovery of the New World (AD 1492).
11. The Industrial Revolution (AD 1804, first locomotive).
12. The Black Plague (AD 1341 China, 1347 Europe).
13. Pasteur’s theory of germs (AD 1864). Start of medical advances.
14. The Invention of Flight ( AD 1903). Leads to satellites, moon landing, jet aircraft etc.
15. The rise of Megacities (AD 1950).
16. The Invention of the Microprocessor (AD 1971, first types).
17. The Invention of the telephone (AD 1876). Leads to radio, TV, cell phones, etc.
18. Plato, Aristotle ( 429 BC). Philosophy begins.
19. The Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics (AD 1905). Start of modern science.
20. The Invention of the Internet (AD 1974).
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21. The philosophic/religious Wars of Communism (1917)
Some of these items, such as the telephone, represent the start of a tremendous advance covering many areas. Religious events are excluded. Which was more important, the birth of Christ, Mohammad, Buddha, or Lao Zi? All this will depend upon one’s religious beliefs, so all of them are excluded.
In this study of history, I conclude that people are both rational and irrational. In matters of science, engineering, and basic economic decisions people are at least 80 percent rational; however, in matters of politics, religion, social interaction, philosophy, and law people are at least 80 percent irrational. This dualistic nature of humankind is the source of many problems, and it is seemingly part of our genes. In this case, rational means the actions (or events, or results) can be understood on many levels by most people, can be copied for the betterment of all (or the vast majority), and can be built upon for advancement. Irrational is the opposite in that the actions cannot be understood on any level by most people, and if copied or built upon would bring immense harm.
Throughout this history I have sacrificed exactness for readability. Many statements are “slam dunk,” such as, in the reign of Augustus, the Pax Romana ushered in two hundred years of peace. Well, in fact, it did not because there was at least one civil war within the empire and other minor wars on the boarders, but to go into all the detail would destroy the readability of the text and ruin the super summary concept.
I apologize for the quality of the maps herein. Please use the Internet references to see the maps (and photographs) in full color, and in a size that is easy to read. The Internet, especially Wikipedia and Olga’s Gallery (http://www.abcgallery.com), is a wonderful source for viewing historical art in full color.
Good reading!
AD2
Dedications
To: My Wife, Lori, who puts up with all this history stuff, and her grandson Zimri (Z-man) for all the joy he brings into our lives.
To: Clarice Young, who read over endless amounts of text looking for errors, and was good-natured about it. How do people do that? And to Charlie Young, whose thoughts helped me delve deeper into history.
To: Dr. Sally A. Schumacher, my high school history teacher who taught me to love history, and Mrs. Grey my grade school teacher who saved my academic life when she had the South High School counselors put me into college prep classes—over their objections.
To: Sam McCall, of Bakersfield Jr. College who taught me to look at the big picture in history, and to the entire staff of Bakersfield Jr. College who were nonpareil in their instruction of this struggling and starving student.
To: Rita Rowland, Gary Lack, Allen Shaw, Gary Fachin, Tim Otto, Trudy Slater, Debbie Lund (faithful secretary and proof reader), Christopher Noyes, the Gifford family who saved me from starving while I was in college, especially Gail, Glen Spickler who looked after me in times of need, the Honorable Richard Oberholzer, Milo Hall, Dennis Sherman, a Bible teaching pastor, Ralph Kahlen and his dad who told me about the Eastern Front in WWII, Connie L. Daniel (mother), James R. Daniel (father), James K. Daniel (son), Cristin Daniel (daughter), Charlie Daniel (brother), and other friends too numerous to mention who have supported my fascination with history—or at least put up with it.
Thank You, thank you, one and all.
AD2
Chapter 1
Prehistory 150,000 BC to 3,500 BC (approximate)
Going back to the very beginning of time we discover the Big Bang started the entire universe off about 13 to 15 billion years ago. Currently accepted theories (Einstein’s Theories of Relativity for example) hold that our entire universe started out as a point far smaller than the period at the end of this sentence—in fact, smaller than an atom. Before the Big Bang space, time, and matter did not exist—at least as we know them. Then, for unknown reasons, the small point began to expand rapidly. An “explosion,” of sorts took place and the entire universe began to expand from that infinitesimal point. Researchers studying space are discovering leftovers from the big bang; for example, the cosmic radiation present everywhere we look in space. Scientists are finding numerous other proofs of this long past mysterious event; thus, the Big Bang theory enjoys wide scientific support. It is difficult to imagine stuffing all the matter from over 200 billion galaxies into an area much smaller than a pinpoint. Nonetheless, that is where our theories and our mathematics leave us. Thus, the mystery lingers.
While many interesting things go on in the first few billionths of a second after the Big Bang occurred one phenomenon is especially intriguing—inflation. As originally proposed, the Big Bang theory could not explain the universe as it exists now. Explaining the present nature of our universe required something more, for example, why does the universe have a uniform temperature, how could atoms come into existence, and the how did the basic forces controlling matter come about? Mr. Alan Guth, a physicist, came up with an explanation now termed “inflation.” Mr. Guth theorized that at 10-36 (that means a 10 with 36 zeros after it) of a second after the Big Bang the universe accelerated its speed of expansion, and this speed was incredibly different from the normal speed of the expansion—faster than the speed of light. At 10-34 of a second this acceleration (inflation) stopped. Thus, for something like three times less than a trillionth of a second the universe expanded at a rate more than 100 times greater than normal, then it went back to its normal rate of expansion. Without this inflationary period our universe would not exist. Alternatively, if the inflation took place for a different length of time our universe would not exist. Fundamentally, any change in the time of inflation destroys the ability of matter and atoms to come into existence. Brian Greene has a good explanation of this phenomenon for the non-scientist in The Elegant Universe, Greene, Vintage Books, 2003, page 355 et seq.
Our universe contains mysteries so deep that we earthlings may not solve them. As we have seen, the Big Bang theory states the universe started with a massive “explosion” of sorts; then, as the universe sailed off creating space, time, matter, and whatnot it cooled off and began to form atoms. From those atoms the universe, and our small blue world, were constructed—we think. What we measure and study here on earth is the framework for exploring the known u
niverse; however, recent discoveries call into question the assumption that the universe works the same in deep space as it does here on earth. Astronomers discovered that the galaxies we observe are not slowing down as they travel away from one another—they are speeding up! As we know from watching explosions here on earth, gravity slows down the flying debris and soon the explosion is over. If gravity acts the same way in deep space the galaxies should be slowing down, but they are not. Astronomers say this acceleration is a function of “dark energy,” an unexplained force in the universe. In another problem, astronomers found that atoms make up only four percent (4%) of the universe. The rest of the universe is some kind of “dark matter.” As dark matter and dark energy are concepts without foundations here on earth they are beyond scientific explanation at this point in time. In fact, they are little more than names. These mysteries may defy solution if we fail to reach beyond our solar system.
Here we may note the vastness of the universe. One light year is about six trillion miles, and it takes 100,000 light years to cross the Milky Way—our galaxy. The Milky Way may contain as many as 3 trillion stars (suns). From our sun it would take about 26,000 light years to reach the center of our galaxy. Our sun, which is at the end of one of several arms spiraling out from the center of our galaxy, revolves around the center of the Milky Way about once every 220 million years. The size of the universe is tough to determine, but the observable matter is about 93 billion light years across. Even our solar system is large. Neptune, the most distant planet from the sun in our system, is 2.8 billion miles away. No matter how one slices it the universe is a big place.
As the universe formed our solar system fell into place with its planets circling a medium sized yellow sun. Our earth circles in the diminutive life zone at the perfect distance from our sun. The moon, one of the largest and closest orbiting objects anywhere in the solar system, probably formed after a collision between earth and some other earth-sized planet. As the two planets blasted into one another the moon tore away, and by some means the earth managed to acquire more iron from the striking planet thereby creating an especially large iron core. This outsized iron core produces unusually strong magnetic fields which shield the earth from deadly cosmic rays. Without this large iron core no life would exist on this planet. This scenario is not fact, it is one of several theories trying to explain the uniqueness of our water-covered planet. After everything had formed up and the surface of the earth cooled enough the march to life began . . . somehow. It is extremely hard to say how. No one knows how life first formed or how it came to be so complex so quickly. The theory of evolution tries to explain the development of life after it began; however, it has no application to the question of how life started.
History deals with people and not the physical events described above, but knowing the earth is a rocky planet with water—lots of water—at the exact position in the solar system it needs to be, and with many exceptional features that sustain life, helps us understand the uniqueness of our planet and thus ourselves. Even our universe is exceptional. For life to exist anywhere in the universe several of its most fundamental properties must be present at pinpoint exactness. To illustrate: the relationship between the strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic force[1] could not vary by even one part in 10 to the 16th power (1016), otherwise life would not exist on our planet or anywhere else. Commentators and scientists remark that perhaps the most amazing thing about the universe is that it is understandable. Somehow, mere people—less than a flea speck in the universe—figured out how the universe works. These patterns ordering our universe are dense and intricate beyond all imagination, nevertheless, on both the subatomic and universal level the patterns are there. Because our species discovered these breathtaking patterns we know chaos does not rule our universe or our world. Why our world and the universe are so well ordered on so many levels cannot be explained by science.
Now, on to people, their decisions, and history.
For our purposes, prehistory starts about 150,000 BC when modern man comes onto the scene, and ends about 3,500 BC when writing makes its appearance in Sumeria—according to widely accepted current theories. By definition, history must revolve around the written word. Without the written word history, as we will use the term in this study, does not exist. When we say writings we mean text by someone who lived at or near in time to the events, and who witnessed or participated in the events or at least talked with those who did. In this way we can attempt to reach back into the past and pull up the thoughts, sights, emotions, and actions of those who were there. We cannot understand the ancient mind very well even with these writings, because their lives were so different from ours. Can we really know what is was like to live in a hut covered with animal hides, hunt for our food, drink from mud holes, and live in fear of the noises of the night? Until people start writing down their thoughts we must simply guess at what went on inside their heads.
Please be acutely aware of how inaccurate most dates are in prehistory and ancient history. Even though the dates seem to be precise numbers (2071 BC for example) most of them are rough educated guesses. Kings lists are good points to pin past events on if you know when at least one of the kings lived, but often we do not. A chronicler may say King Joe lived 50 years, but this may be an estimate by the ancient writer based on hearsay rather than personal knowledge.
From the writings of our forefathers we have proof that one thing never seems to change, at least from the time that writing began, and that one thing is human nature. From the earliest written legends to our latest 3D movies the nature of people remains a constant. What it was like at the very beginning of human existence is speculation, but once writing begins it is apparent that human nature remains unchanged throughout history. The mind of humanity remains remarkably consistent (or is that inconsistent . . .); accordingly, the fundamental thoughts and emotional processes of our ancient brethren are the same as ours today.
Before proceeding to the arrival of Homo sapiens sapiens[2] into Europe we should mention one proto human type that existed, more or less unchanged, for over one million years—Homo erectus (upright man). This archaic human type spread throughout the old world including China (Peking man, 600,000 BC), but did not manage the trek to the Americas. Home erectus was a fire user[3], built dwellings (some of impressive size up to fifty feet in length), carved wood into spears and bowls, used stone hand axes, and lived in groups. The ability to use fire is a big deal.[4] With fire Home erectus could ward off the cold, keep dangerous animals away, and light the night . . . at least a little bit. Art, at least sophisticated art, is missing from the evidence of Homo erectus. Modern humans alone seem to have the ability or desire to create detailed and refined art. One amazing fact about this ancestor (latest theory) is he lasted so long. Homo erectus is thought to have been around for over 1 million years and may have overlapped modern man by 50 or 60 thousand years or more. Homo sapiens have been around for about 150,000 years. Compared to the one million plus years for Homo erectus modern man has barely started.
Another interesting proto human was the Neanderthal. Neanderthals had, on average, a brain as large as Homo sapiens. Neanderthals inhabited Europe and areas as far east as Palestine by about 200,000 BC. After modern humans arrived in Europe about 50,000 BC Neanderthals went extinct, although some claim they intermingled with Homo sapiens making Neanderthals part of the modern human genome. If modern man and Neanderthals interbred this would mean they were the same species and should all be identified as Homo sapiens. Interbreeding is difficult to prove, nevertheless, modern DNA research is showing there are genetic similarities. Both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals are said to have the gene for speech, and a few researchers think that intermingling caused the gene sharing; however, all this is speculation and other investigators can cite evidence pointing to extinction.
Researchers using modern methods to image the human brain have recorded areas that are more active than others when the brain is involved in certain tas
ks. The doctors conclude the brain’s pre-frontal cortex (front part of the brain) is the center for generating long-term goals and analyzing how to achieve them. This area also manages the ability to learn from the past. It is also one of the most modern areas of the brain; that is, the newest or most recently evolved (Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Dr. Amen, 1998, Three Rivers Press). If this is so, we can speculate that Homo erectus may have lacked a developed pre-frontal cortex, thus lacking the ability to set goals far into the future and work toward achieving them as easily as Homo sapiens. Because of the developed pre-frontal cortex, Homo sapiens may have learned from previous errors far easier than Homo erectus. These two traits alone may account for the dominance of modern man over this successful but now obsolete predecessor.
The first true “humans” were the Homo sapiens and they developed in Africa (says the latest theory) by around 150,000 BC, then spread to Europe about 50,000 BC. We classify this period as the Old Stone Age or the Paleolithic because of the type of tools used and the houses Homo sapiens lived in. As the human race advanced and the tools and houses became more sophisticated humanity moved into the Middle Stone Age or Mesolithic. The final era of the stone ages is the Neolithic or New Stone Age, again classified by the tools used and houses lived in. The chart below may help the reader understand the three stone ages.
Paleolithic
2.5 million years BC to 80,000 BC
Types of Tools: Pebble tools to Acheulian hand axe
Mesolithic
80,000 to 10.000 BC
Types of Tools: blade tools, micro-lithe blades formed
15,000 BC
10,000 BC
Coldest period of Ice Age ends
Interglacial begins
Neolithic
10,000 to 5000 BC
Types of Tools: obsidians and flint blades well made pottery, and agriculture.
The Super Summary of World History Page 2