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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~850 C.E.Humans of the Sailendra Dynasty in modern-day Indonesia complete Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple.
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~850 C.E.The city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan becomes a major trade and intellectual center of the Muslim world
Bukhoro became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba.
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849 C.E.The Pagan Kingdom rises to power in modern-day Myanmar
The Kingdom of Pagan was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Myanmar.
-
~820 C.E.Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī publishes The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
Translated into Latin by Robert of Chester in 1145, it was used until the sixteenth century as the principal mathematical text-book of European universities. It also introduced the term "algebra" to European languages.
-
802 C.E.The Khmer Empire comes to power in modern-day Cambodia
The Khmer Empire, the predecessor state to modern Cambodia, was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor which was the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith.
-
~800 C.E. ???The Plains Indians begin their purification ceremonies held in sweat lodges
The sweat ceremony is intended as a spiritual reunion with the creator and a respectful connection to the earth itself as much as it is meant for purging toxins out of the physical body.
-
~800 C.E.Mayans begin construction of pyramid of Kukulcan at Chich’en Itza in modern-day Mexico
The Pyramid of Kukulcan (also know as El Castillo, a name given by the Spanish Conquistadors) is the central of Chich'en Itza, it was built over a preexisting temple between 800 and 900 AD.
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800 C.E.Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor
With his crowning, Charlemagne's kingdom is officially recognized by the Papacy as the largest in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire.
-
~800 C.E.The Maya civilization thrives in modern-day Belize
In the late classic period of the Maya civilization, it is estimated that between 400,000 and 1,000,000 people inhabited the area that is now Belize.
-
~800 C.E.Marajoara culture flourishes at the mouth of the Amazon
The Marajoara culture was a pre-Columbian era society that flourished at the mouth of the Amazon River likely between 800 AD and 1400 AD.
-
~850 C.E.Humans of the Sailendra Dynasty in modern-day Indonesia complete Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple.
-
~850 C.E.The city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan becomes a major trade and intellectual center of the Muslim world
Bukhoro became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba.
-
849 C.E.The Pagan Kingdom rises to power in modern-day Myanmar
The Kingdom of Pagan was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Myanmar.
-
~820 C.E.
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī publishes The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
Translated into Latin by Robert of Chester in 1145, it was used until the sixteenth century as the principal mathematical text-book of European universities. It also introduced the term "algebra" to European languages.
-
802 C.E.The Khmer Empire comes to power in modern-day Cambodia
The Khmer Empire, the predecessor state to modern Cambodia, was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor which was the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith.
-
~800 C.E. ???The Plains Indians begin their purification ceremonies held in sweat lodges
The sweat ceremony is intended as a spiritual reunion with the creator and a respectful connection to the earth itself as much as it is meant for purging toxins out of the physical body.
-
~800 C.E.Mayans begin construction of pyramid of Kukulcan at Chich’en Itza in modern-day Mexico
The Pyramid of Kukulcan (also know as El Castillo, a name given by the Spanish Conquistadors) is the central of Chich'en Itza, it was built over a preexisting temple between 800 and 900 AD.
-
800 C.E.Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor
With his crowning, Charlemagne's kingdom is officially recognized by the Papacy as the largest in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire.
-
~800 C.E.The Maya civilization thrives in modern-day Belize
In the late classic period of the Maya civilization, it is estimated that between 400,000 and 1,000,000 people inhabited the area that is now Belize.
-
~800 C.E.Marajoara culture flourishes at the mouth of the Amazon
The Marajoara culture was a pre-Columbian era society that flourished at the mouth of the Amazon River likely between 800 AD and 1400 AD.
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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.