Archive of Human Genius
The world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news.
A Timeline of Human History
We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history.
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Era Tomorrow (2026 C.E. - ???)
Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)
Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
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Topic All #Resist Abortion rights & access Activism & Protests Agriculture Air pollution Animal husbandry & domestication Animal rights & well-being Architecture & design Artificial intelligence Arts, music, literature & entertainment Astronomy & space exploration Athletics & sport Black Lives Matter Blockchain & cryptocurrency Capital punishment Caste abolition Child well-being Circular economy & zero waste Cities Civilization Clean & renewable energy Climate crisis Clothing Colonialism Communication & language Conscious management Consumer rights & well-being Corporate responsibility COVID-19 Crime Culture Dark skies Death & Grief Debt Decolonization Democracy & voting Disabilities & special needs Discovery & exploration Drinking water; sanitation & hygiene Drugs & Entheogens Economic inequality Education Elections Electrification Environment Ethical sourcing Ethics Evolution Finance Flora & fauna Food & diet Free speech & censorship Fresh water conservation Gay rights Gender Genocide Government Green bonds Green space Gun safety Hate speech Healthcare Houselessness Human rights Immigration Independence Indigenous rights & well-being Infrastructure International cooperation Internet rights Journalism Justice system Kindness Kingdoms & empire Law LGBTQ+ rights & well-being Life expectancy & mortality Literature Local resilience Marine conservation Medicine Men's health & well-being Mental health & addiction Migration & settlement Military Mindfulness & self-care Minimum wage Mythology & folklore Nations Natural gas & divestment News & media No coal No fracking Nuclear disarmament Numbers & math Ocean health Oil Oil, natural gas & divestment Parenting Paris Agreement Peace Philanthropy Philosophy Physics Plastic pollution Police reform Pollution Poverty alleviation Prison justice Privacy & security Public health & disease Public safety Racial justice Refugees Religion Reparations Reproductive rights Responsible sourcing & consumption Revolution Rights of nature Same-sex marriage Seniors' rights & well-being Sexual assault & domestic violence Shamanism & rituals Social media Sustainability Sustainable Development Goals Technology & innovation Tourism Trade Transgender rights & well-being Transportation Trees & reforestation Universal basic income Water pollution Wildlife & land conservation Women's rights & well-being Workers' rights & well-being Youth & student movements
Country All Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia-Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Chad Cherokee Nation Chile China Colombia Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia European Union Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Navajo Nation Nepal New Caledonia New Zealand / Aotearoa Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue North Korea North Macedonia Northern Ireland Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Korea South Sudan Soviet Union Spain Sri Lanka St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Tahiti Taiwan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia The Netherlands The Philippines Timor Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad & Tobago Tristan da Cunha Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wales Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
Actor All Activists Artists & philosophers Athletes Business Cities Citizens Civil society Consumers Courts Early humans Engineers Finance Government Humanity Humankind Indigenous groups International organizations Inventors Kingdoms & empires Media & Journalists Military Nations Non-humans Regions Religious groups Science & academia Scientists & mathematicians Settlers & explorers States & provinces Utilities Workers World leaders
2025 C.E.
November 19 England has achieved a major victory for public health by making the morning-after pill free across community pharmacies. This expansion eliminates the significant financial barrier that previously cost patients up to £30. Public health experts predict this policy will lead to a crucial decline in unintended pregnancies. By ensuring immediate and widespread access, the National Health Service (NHS) is actively promoting reproductive autonomy and health equity.
2025 C.E.
November 19 The City of Sydney has taken a pioneering step toward eliminating fossil fuels from its buildings. The council voted to mandate that all new major buildings must be built all-electric, effectively banning natural gas connections. This major policy shift is critical for accelerating the city's transition to net-zero emissions. By removing indoor gas pollution, the mandate also creates healthier, safer urban environments for its residents.
2025 C.E.
November 13 A groundbreaking legal reform in Nigeria has created a strong deterrent against illegal wildlife trafficking. The new law increases penalties, targeting the pervasive trade where shipments of pangolin scales alone have reached staggering weights, such as 51 tons in 2019. This decisive action strengthens national enforcement and the capacity of rangers. It provides crucial protection for endangered species like pangolins and forest elephants, reinforcing the commitment to biodiversity in Nigeria and abroad.
2025 C.E.
November 14 A landmark international coalition has committed to formally recognizing 395 million acres of Indigenous and traditional community lands worldwide. The nine countries making this pledge are Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Gabon, Guatemala, the Republic of Congo, Peru, and Venezuela. This massive commitment to land tenure security empowers millions of Indigenous and local people to be the primary stewards of their ancestral territories, ensuring the permanent protection of globally vital carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots.
2025 C.E.
November 12 The Klamath River Basin is celebrating a profound ecological comeback. While salmon returned to the lower river immediately after dam removal in 2024, they have now reached the Upper Klamath Basin for the first time. This unprecedented migration, confirmed by tribal and state monitoring crews, has successfully opened nearly 400 miles of ancestral spawning habitat. This is the largest river restoration project in US history, led by the Yurok, Karuk, and Hoopa Valley Tribes.
2025 C.E.
November 11 A breakthrough in early cancer detection is offering crucial hope against pancreatic cancer. The NHS has launched a national validation trial involving over 6,000 patients to test a simple breathalyzer device. Developed by researchers at Imperial College London, this non-invasive test identifies unique chemical signatures of the disease. This pioneering diagnostic tool promises to increase the percentage of patients eligible for potentially life-saving surgery.
2025 C.E.
November 10 The Church of Norway has reached a major milestone by issuing a formal apology for its past treatment of LGBTQ+ people. The church acknowledged that its past teachings and institutional practices contributed to the oppression, exclusion, and condemnation of LGBTQ+ members. This historic act of institutional repentance is part of a global wave of reconciliation seen across multiple denominations. This move reinforces the church's commitment to full inclusivity, serving as an inspirational model for religious bodies worldwide.
2025 C.E.
November 9 The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, formalized at COP28 in 2023, committed nearly 200 countries to ambitious renewable energy goals.
Since that pledge, the pace of new installations has surged, with an average of over 550 gigawatts (GW) of new renewables capacity added annually, according to data from energy think tank Ember. To meet the tripling target, analysts say, renewable additions need to grow by just 12% each year from 2026 to 2030.
This massive, coordinated push is critical for keeping the crucial 1.5°C warming limit within reach.
2025 C.E.
November 4 Virginia has reached a defining political milestone by electing Democrat Abigail Spanberger as the state's first female Governor. This historic victory shatters a long-standing political barrier in the Commonwealth. Spanberger, whose platform centered on strengthening public education and expanding infrastructure, secured a clear mandate for pragmatic and inclusive governance. Her win is a triumph for political equity and mobilization, providing a powerful source of inspiration for women seeking political leadership nationwide.
2025 C.E.
November 4 Mamdani's decisive victory, achieved through powerful community organizing, signals an embrace of democratic socialism and progressive ideals in the nation's largest city and beyond. The result stands as a clear repudiation of President Trump and conservative national narratives, demonstrating that an inclusive, equitable platform can successfully win the highest offices and inspire historic political participation. This triumph sets a powerful precedent for diverse, grassroots, progressive leadership nationwide.
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