The world’s largest database of social change milestones from throughout 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.
Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more. Submit your own milestones!
3899
social change milestones archived
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Era
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
- Today (2017 C.E. - ???)
Year
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Era
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
- Today (2017 C.E. - ???)
Year
Topics
Region
Countries
State/Province
Institution
Sources
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2020 C.E. November 17
47 faith institutions from 21 countries to divest from fossil fuels
The institutions which announced their divestment include the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, Irish religious order the Sisters of Our Lady Apostles, the American Jewish World Service, and the Claretian Missionaries in Sri Lanka. Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish organizations joined the coalition.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
India announces new incentives for solar modules and battery manufacturing
The incentive is available to Indian as well as foreign companies looking to set up shop in India. The Indian government will offer US$605 million for solar PV modules and US$2.4 billion for batteries.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
Vaccine alliance Gavi raises $2 billion to buy COVID shots for poor nations
Over the last two decades, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 822 million children – and prevented more than 14 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
Tristan da Cunha establishes a massive marine protected area
The government of Tristan da Cunha, a four-island archipelago of about 250 people, has announced that it will be protecting approximately 700,000 square kilometers of its waters, creating the world’s fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Purina introduces sustainable pet food made from insect protein
The company’s new “Purina Beyond Nature’s Protein” will include insect protein from black soldier fly larvae as well as plant proteins from fava beans and millet. The kibble is being launched in Switzerland this month with other countries in Europe slated for the near future.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Marlins hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first female general manager
Ng becomes the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues, and she is believed to be the first female GM for a men's team in a major professional sport in North America, the Marlins said.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Promising flu vaccine derived from tobacco plant passes clinical trials
The recent development, promises to be a huge boost to the annual fight against the seasonal flu, as plants can be engineered to produce viral proteins and cultivated at scale.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
New York City will try a police-free approach to addressing mental health crises
Thanks to a new pilot program, 911 calls in New York City that are evidently mental health-related will be taken care of by mental health and crisis workers instead of law enforcement. The move is the result of months of protests around the country over police brutality, sparked by the tragic death of George Floyd.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
Pizza Hut becomes first nationwide pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings
Hamburger joints were early adopters of plant-based meat options, but now, Pizza Hut’s collaboration with Beyond Meat makes them the first national pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings across their 7,000 locations.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
Chatham House launches online tool to track circular economy trade flows
The tool is hosted by circulareconomy.earth – an online portal developed by Chatham House to enable users to “explore the policy and trade dynamics associated with transitioning from linear to circular economic models.”
-
2020 C.E. November 17
47 faith institutions from 21 countries to divest from fossil fuels
The institutions which announced their divestment include the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, Irish religious order the Sisters of Our Lady Apostles, the American Jewish World Service, and the Claretian Missionaries in Sri Lanka. Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish organizations joined the coalition.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
India announces new incentives for solar modules and battery manufacturing
The incentive is available to Indian as well as foreign companies looking to set up shop in India. The Indian government will offer US$605 million for solar PV modules and US$2.4 billion for batteries.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
Vaccine alliance Gavi raises $2 billion to buy COVID shots for poor nations
Over the last two decades, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 822 million children – and prevented more than 14 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries.
-
2020 C.E. November 16
Tristan da Cunha establishes a massive marine protected area
The government of Tristan da Cunha, a four-island archipelago of about 250 people, has announced that it will be protecting approximately 700,000 square kilometers of its waters, creating the world’s fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Purina introduces sustainable pet food made from insect protein
The company’s new “Purina Beyond Nature’s Protein” will include insect protein from black soldier fly larvae as well as plant proteins from fava beans and millet. The kibble is being launched in Switzerland this month with other countries in Europe slated for the near future.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Marlins hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first female general manager
Ng becomes the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues, and she is believed to be the first female GM for a men's team in a major professional sport in North America, the Marlins said.
-
2020 C.E. November 13
Promising flu vaccine derived from tobacco plant passes clinical trials
The recent development, promises to be a huge boost to the annual fight against the seasonal flu, as plants can be engineered to produce viral proteins and cultivated at scale.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
New York City will try a police-free approach to addressing mental health crises
Thanks to a new pilot program, 911 calls in New York City that are evidently mental health-related will be taken care of by mental health and crisis workers instead of law enforcement. The move is the result of months of protests around the country over police brutality, sparked by the tragic death of George Floyd.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
Pizza Hut becomes first nationwide pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings
Hamburger joints were early adopters of plant-based meat options, but now, Pizza Hut’s collaboration with Beyond Meat makes them the first national pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings across their 7,000 locations.
-
2020 C.E. November 12
Chatham House launches online tool to track circular economy trade flows
The tool is hosted by circulareconomy.earth – an online portal developed by Chatham House to enable users to “explore the policy and trade dynamics associated with transitioning from linear to circular economic models.”
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Submit a Milestone
Did we miss a social change milestone? What social progress have you seen around the world that I should include? Let us know!
NOTE: We cannot guarantee we will post all stories submitted here. We only post stories that represent milestones in human development (as opposed to “feel good” stories). We want something that would make sense to put on a timeline of human progress. For example, a story like “Random customer leaves a huge tip” isn’t a great fit. “Country X passes economic inequality reform bill” is a great fit.