Humans reach Europe
The first humans in Europe are thought to have appeared some 45,000 years ago.
Europe
Humans intentionally use adhesives for the first time, perhaps in modern-day Italy
This groundbreaking innovation profoundly improved early human hunting and survival capabilities. The invention of glue allowed for the creation of superior composite tools. It laid the foundation for complex engineering and materials science thousands of years later.
The Azores are discovered, possibly by Vikings
Although it was traditionally believed that Portuguese explorers were the first humans to arrive on the Azores – an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean – there is evidence to suggest otherwise. Researchers have discovered that 5-beta-stigmasterol is present in sediment samples from between 700 and 850 C.E. This compound is found in the feces of livestock, such as sheep and cattle, neither of which are native to the islands. Additionally, mice on the Azores were discovered to have mitochondrial DNA suggesting they first arrived from Northern Europe, suggesting that they were brought to the islands by Norwegian Vikings.