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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2021 C.E. May 3Multnomah County, Oregon bans natural gas in new county buildings
Multnomah county’s decision is one of the first Oregon fronts in the expanding “gas wars” which began in California in the summer of 2019 when Berkeley became the first city to ban gas in new construction.
-
2021 C.E. May 3Australia announces $100 million initiative to protect our oceans
Much of the funding will go towards ecosystems that involve seagrass and mangroves, which play a key role in drawing carbon out of the atmosphere.
-
2021 C.E. May 3New Mexico legalizes recreational cannabis
Home cannabis cultivators can grow up to six plants per person, or 12 plants per household. Police will no longer be able to use the scent of cannabis as grounds for arrest.
-
2021 C.E. April 30U.K. closes major loophole on plane and ship emissions
The UK has established an important international precedent, being the first major economy to account for its airline and shipping emissions under its carbon budget.
-
2021 C.E. April 30GPS tracking is helping tigers and humans coexist in Nepal
Significant progress has been made in wild tiger conservation in Nepal with the population doubling from 2009 to 2018.
-
2021 C.E. April 30Poland clinches ‘historic’ deal to phase out coal by 2049
The country depends on coal for around 70% of its energy needs, although it is planning to reduce this to 11% by 2040.
-
2021 C.E. April 29U.S. Department of Justice charges three Georgia men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery with federal hate crimes
All three defendants have also been charged in a separate state proceeding with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
-
2021 C.E. April 29Liberia, Mexico, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to support deployment of women in peace operations through UN Elsie Initiative Fund
The five receiving countries are in the process of conducting an in-depth barrier assessment to identify the obstacles to women’s selection and deployment to international peace operations and to start implementing their national plans.
-
2021 C.E. April 29Groundbreaking treaty protects environmental activists in Latin America
In addition to improving public access to environmental information and encouraging public participation in environmental policymaking, the treaty also requires participating countries to protect environmental human rights defenders.
-
2021 C.E. April 28World-first printable transistor is fully recyclable with water and sound
Engineers at Duke University have developed the world's first fully recyclable printed electronics, demonstrated in the form of a transistor that can be reduced to its original building blocks with the help of baths and sound waves.
-
2021 C.E. May 3Multnomah County, Oregon bans natural gas in new county buildings
Multnomah county’s decision is one of the first Oregon fronts in the expanding “gas wars” which began in California in the summer of 2019 when Berkeley became the first city to ban gas in new construction.
-
2021 C.E. May 3Australia announces $100 million initiative to protect our oceans
Much of the funding will go towards ecosystems that involve seagrass and mangroves, which play a key role in drawing carbon out of the atmosphere.
-
2021 C.E. May 3New Mexico legalizes recreational cannabis
Home cannabis cultivators can grow up to six plants per person, or 12 plants per household. Police will no longer be able to use the scent of cannabis as grounds for arrest.
-
2021 C.E. April 30U.K. closes major loophole on plane and ship emissions
The UK has established an important international precedent, being the first major economy to account for its airline and shipping emissions under its carbon budget.
-
2021 C.E. April 30GPS tracking is helping tigers and humans coexist in Nepal
Significant progress has been made in wild tiger conservation in Nepal with the population doubling from 2009 to 2018.
-
2021 C.E. April 30Poland clinches ‘historic’ deal to phase out coal by 2049
The country depends on coal for around 70% of its energy needs, although it is planning to reduce this to 11% by 2040.
-
2021 C.E. April 29U.S. Department of Justice charges three Georgia men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery with federal hate crimes
All three defendants have also been charged in a separate state proceeding with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
-
2021 C.E. April 29Liberia, Mexico, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to support deployment of women in peace operations through UN Elsie Initiative Fund
The five receiving countries are in the process of conducting an in-depth barrier assessment to identify the obstacles to women’s selection and deployment to international peace operations and to start implementing their national plans.
-
2021 C.E. April 29Groundbreaking treaty protects environmental activists in Latin America
In addition to improving public access to environmental information and encouraging public participation in environmental policymaking, the treaty also requires participating countries to protect environmental human rights defenders.
-
2021 C.E. April 28World-first printable transistor is fully recyclable with water and sound
Engineers at Duke University have developed the world's first fully recyclable printed electronics, demonstrated in the form of a transistor that can be reduced to its original building blocks with the help of baths and sound waves.
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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.