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
Topics
Region
Countries
State/Province
Institution
Sources
Filters
Search
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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2022 C.E. May 4
Amazon will pay U.S. staff travel expenses for abortions and other treatments
The new benefits will apply to treatments that are not available inside a 100-mile radius of an employee's home and for which virtual options are not available.
-
2022 C.E. May 4
India’s Madras High Court rules that nature has legal status on par with humans
The highest court in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has ruled that “Mother Nature” has the same legal status as a human being.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Spanish government to launch free LGBTQ+ helpline for advice and support
The service is set to be free, accessible in multiple languages and will be available 24/7, all year round.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Egypt to build world’s first climate-positive, net-zero city
The new city, Nexgen, to be located east of Cairo, will produce more food and energy than it consumes.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Washington state takes strongest clean commercial building action in the U.S.
Under the new code that will take effect in July 2023, new commercial buildings will be built with high-efficiency electric heat pumps for water and space heating.
-
2022 C.E. May 2
Massive planned solar-plus-storage project in Nevada secures $1.3 billion in financing
Located in southern Nevada, the project is set to be the largest continuous solar installation in the United States when it’s completed in 2023.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
Oregon wastewater facility is now turning sewage into renewable energy
Since August 2021, Oregon's Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility has been using methane gas from human waste to generate energy and bolster site resilience.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
South Korea’s supreme court overturns military convictions of two gay soldiers in landmark ruling
The supreme court’s new ruling sets the precedent that consensual same-sex sexual activity can no longer be punishable for military service members.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
E.U. makes history with its largest-ever ban on toxic chemicals
Using existing European laws as precedent, the E.U. has released a plan that seeks to eliminate about 12,000 toxic substances.
-
2022 C.E. April 28
England to ban glue traps in ‘momentous victory’ for wildlife
Protected and endangered species including hedgehogs, birds, bats, and pet cats have been known to sustain injuries in glue traps, many of which are fatal.
-
2022 C.E. May 4
Amazon will pay U.S. staff travel expenses for abortions and other treatments
The new benefits will apply to treatments that are not available inside a 100-mile radius of an employee's home and for which virtual options are not available.
-
2022 C.E. May 4
India’s Madras High Court rules that nature has legal status on par with humans
The highest court in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has ruled that “Mother Nature” has the same legal status as a human being.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Spanish government to launch free LGBTQ+ helpline for advice and support
The service is set to be free, accessible in multiple languages and will be available 24/7, all year round.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Egypt to build world’s first climate-positive, net-zero city
The new city, Nexgen, to be located east of Cairo, will produce more food and energy than it consumes.
-
2022 C.E. May 3
Washington state takes strongest clean commercial building action in the U.S.
Under the new code that will take effect in July 2023, new commercial buildings will be built with high-efficiency electric heat pumps for water and space heating.
-
2022 C.E. May 2
Massive planned solar-plus-storage project in Nevada secures $1.3 billion in financing
Located in southern Nevada, the project is set to be the largest continuous solar installation in the United States when it’s completed in 2023.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
Oregon wastewater facility is now turning sewage into renewable energy
Since August 2021, Oregon's Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility has been using methane gas from human waste to generate energy and bolster site resilience.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
South Korea’s supreme court overturns military convictions of two gay soldiers in landmark ruling
The supreme court’s new ruling sets the precedent that consensual same-sex sexual activity can no longer be punishable for military service members.
-
2022 C.E. April 29
E.U. makes history with its largest-ever ban on toxic chemicals
Using existing European laws as precedent, the E.U. has released a plan that seeks to eliminate about 12,000 toxic substances.
-
2022 C.E. April 28
England to ban glue traps in ‘momentous victory’ for wildlife
Protected and endangered species including hedgehogs, birds, bats, and pet cats have been known to sustain injuries in glue traps, many of which are fatal.
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Didn’t we humans do a bunch of terrible things too?
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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.