CIVILISATION HISTORY

Some may wonder when these successive civilizations appeared in chronological terms. The time line is roughly:

Civilization I - 3000 B.C. to 550 B.C.

Civilization II - 550 B.C. to 1450 A.D.

Civilization III - 1450 A.D. to 1920 A.D.

Civilization IV - 1920 A.D. to 1990 A.D.

Civilization V - 1990 A.D. to present

But, in fact, the different societies on earth entered these civilizations at different times. Civilizations are a cultural complex whose development is not set chronologically but by an organic process of growth and decay.



CIVILISATION HISTORY


Some Headline Events in the History of Civilization I

c.3000 B.C. Pharaoh Narmer unites Upper and Lower Egypt.
c.2589 B.C. Pharaoh Cheops begins reign.
c.2420 B.C. Pepi II's death ends Old Kingdom of Egypt.
c.2378 B.C. Urukagina of Lagash creates Sumerian empire.
c.2371 B.C. Lugalzaggisi conquers Urukagina's empire.
c.2340 B.C. Sargon I of Akkad, conquers Sumerians.
c.2230 B.C. Sargon's dynasty overthrown by Gutaeans.
c.2100 B.C. Legal code of Ur-Nammu instituted.
c.2040 B.C. Egyptian Middle Kingdom begins.
c.1792 B.C. Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon.
c.1732 B.C. Kassites found dynasty in Babylon.
c.1720 B.C. Hyksos tribes invade Egypt.
c.1595 B.C. Hittites sack Babylon.
c.1570 B.C. Ahmose I expels Hyksos from Egypt.
c.1500 B.C. Aryans invade India.
c.1400 B.C. Mycenaean Greeks destroy palaces on Crete.
c.1270 B.C. Ramses II signs peace treaty with Hittites.
c.1200 B.C. Mycenaean palaces in Greece sacked.
c.1087 B.C. Egyptian New Kingdom overthrown.
c.1027 B.C. Chou kings overthrow Chinese Shang dynasty
c.1000 B.C. David captures Jerusalem from Jebusites.
753 B.C. Rome founded.
745 B.C. Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser III conquers Babylonia.
606 B.C. Babylonians and Medes destroy Nineveh.
605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh Necho.
550 B.C. Persian king Cyrus II conquers Media.
539 B.C. Cyrus II founds Persian empire.
525 B.C. Cambyses of Persia conquers Egypt.
480 B.C. Greeks repel Persian invasion of Europe.
333 B.C. Alexander defeats Darius at battle of Isis.
323 B.C. Alexander the Great dies.
311 B.C. Seleucus Nicator occupies Babylon.
303 B.C. Chandragupta defeats Seleucus I in India.
247 B.C. Arsaces I founds Parthian kingdom.
221 B.C. Shih Hwang-ti establishes Chinese empire.
216 B.C. Hannibal defeats Romans at battle of Cannae.
214 B.C. Construction begins on Great Wall of China.
197 B.C. Romans defeat Philip V of Macedon.
146 B.C. Carthage destroyed after third Punic war.
133 B.C. Tiberius Gracchus is murdered.
71 B.C. Romans crush Spartacus' slave rebellion.
53 B.C. Parthians kill Marcus Crassus.
48 B.C. Julius Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus.
44 B.C. Julius Caesar assassinated.
31 B.C. Octavian defeats Anthony and Cleopatra.
9 A.D. Germans annihilate three Roman legions.
200 A.D. Han dynasty overthrown.
227 A.D. Ardeshir I founds Sasanian Persian empire.
320 A.D. Chandragupta I founds Gupta dynasty.
330 A.D. Constantine I founds city of Constantinople.
410 A.D. Visigoth king Alaric sacks Rome.
470 A.D. Ephthalite Huns raid India.
476 A.D. Last Roman emperor in West deposed.
581 A.D. Sui dynasty established in China.
647 A.D. King Harsha dies in India.
627 A.D. T'ai-tsung becomes Chinese emperor.
718 A.D. Suleiman fails to take Constantinople.
1214 A.D. Genghis Khan captures Beijing.
1368 A.D. Ming dynasty created after Mongols expelled.
1453 A.D. Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople.
1644 A.D. Manchus extinguish Ming dynasty.
1912 A.D. Last Chinese emperor deposed.
1919 A.D. First meeting of the League of Nations.
1945 A.D. United Nations established.
1946 A.D. War crimes tribunal held in Nuremberg.
1948 A.D. Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Some Headline Events in History of Civilization II


1375 B.C. Pharaoh Ikhnaton begins heretical reign.
1250 B.C. Hebrews start to invade Palestine.
925 B.C. Solomon dies and Hebrew empire splits.
600 B.C. Zoroaster has religious revelations.
586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem.
530 B.C. Buddha experiences enlightenment.
399 B.C. Socrates is tried and executed.
261 B.C. Emperor Asoka converts to Buddhism.
250 B.C. Buddhist convocation adopts Pali canon.
30 A.D. Jesus is crucified and resurrected.
45 A.D. St. Paul begins missionary travels.
67 A.D. St. Peter executed in Rome.
70 A.D. Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans.
100 A.D. Kanishka promotes Mahayana Buddhism.
242 A.D. Mani begins preaching new doctrine.
313 A.D. Constantine legalizes Christianity.
323 A.D. Council of Nicaea adopts doctrine of the trinity.
411 A.D. St. Augustine writes The City of God
431 A.D. Council of Ephesus condemns Nestorianism.
432 A.D. St. Patrick begins mission to Ireland.
496 A.D. Clovis, king of Franks, is baptized.
529 A.D. Benedict founds monastery at Monte Cassino.
590 A.D. Gregory I becomes Pope.
596 A.D. Gregory sends Augustine to England.
610 A.D. Mohammed has vision at Mt. Hira.
622 A.D. Mohammed moves to Medina. (the hegira)
632 A.D. Mohammed dies.
650 A.D. Official version of Koran is determined.
658 A.D. Mu'awiyah establishes Umayyad dynasty.
661 A.D. Caliph Ali is murdered.
664 A.D. Synod of Whitby binds England to Rome.
691 A.D. Dome of the Rock built in Jerusalem.
726 A.D. Byzantine emperor Leo III attacks icons.
732 A.D. Franks defeat Moslems at battle of Tours.
749 A.D. Abbasid dynasty is established at Baghdad.
751 A.D. Arabs defeat Chinese near Samarkand.
800 A.D. Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
841 A.D. Foreign religions persecuted in China.
910 A.D. Monastic reform movement begins at Cluny.
960 A.D. Fatimid caliphate established in Egypt.
989 A.D. Vladimir of Kiev baptized in Orthodox faith.
1054 A.D. Schism between Constantinople and Rome.
1055 A.D. Saljuq Turks capture Baghdad.
1086 A.D. Almoravid dynasty established in Spain.
1087 A.D. Gregory VII absolves Emperor Henry IV.
1095 A.D. Pope Urban II launches First Crusade.
1187 A.D. Saladin takes Jerusalem from Crusaders.
1206 A.D. Moslem state established at Delhi.
1273 A.D. St. Thomas Aquinas writes Summa Theologica.
1309 A.D. Papacy moved to Avignon, France.
1377 A.D. Papacy moved back to Rome.
1417 A.D. Martin V's papal election ends Great Schism.
1439 A.D. Byzantine emperor accepts papal authority.
1453 A.D. Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople.
1492 A.D. Moors expelled from Spain.
1517 A.D. Martin Luther posts 95 Theses on church door.
1525 A.D. Babur founds Mogul dynasty in India.
1534 A.D. Henry VIII founds Church of England.
1538 A.D. Nanak, first Sikh guru, dies.
1540 A.D. Ignatius Loyola founds Society of Jesus.
1565 A.D. Kingdom of Vijayanagar falls to Moslems.
1582 A.D. Mogul Emperor Akbar proclaims new religion.
1827 A.D. Joseph Smith discovers Mormon tablets.
1859 A.D. Charles Darwin publishes Origin of Species.
1948 A.D. Israel reestablished as a Jewish state.
1965 A.D. Paul Twitchell brings Eckankar to West.

Some Headline Events in the History of Civilization III

1215 A.D. King John of England signs Magna Carta.
1295 A.D. Marco Polo returns to Italy from China.
1341 A.D. Petrarch crowned poet laureate in Rome.
1401 A.D. Ghiberti wins arts competition in Florence.
1454 A.D. Gutenberg prints copies of Bible.
1469 A.D. Lorenzo de' Medici rules Florence.
1492 A.D. Columbus discovers America.
1498 A.D. Vasco da Gama sails around Africa to India.
1503 A.D. Leonardo da Vinci paints Mona Lisa.
1506 A.D. Bramante appointed architect of St. Peters.
1511 A.D. Portuguese establish base at Malacca.
1513 A.D. Machiavelli begins writing The Prince.
1521 A.D. Cortes conquers Aztec empire.
1522 A.D. Magellan's crew circumnavigates the earth.
1530 A.D. Pizarro invades Peru.
1543 A.D. Copernicus publishes book about solar system.
1557 A.D. Spanish crown is bankrupt.
1567 A.D. Dutch revolt against Spain begins.
1583 A.D. Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to Virginia.
1588 A.D. English defeat Spanish Armada.
1600 A.D. Elizabeth I charters East India Company.
1605 A.D. Shakespeare writes Macbeth and King Lear.
1606 A.D. Virginia Company is founded.
1609 A.D. Bank of Amsterdam is established.
1620 A.D. English Pilgrims found New England colony.
1649 A.D. Charles I of England is beheaded.
1681 A.D. William Penn receives charter for colony.
1687 A.D. Newton publishes Principia Mathematica.
1694 A.D. Bank of England is established.
1709 A.D. Czar Peter I defeats Swedes at Poltava.
1720 A.D. John Law's Mississippi scheme collapses.
1757 A.D. Clive wins battle of Plassey in India.
1759 A.D. Wolfe defeats Montcalm at battle of Quebec.
1769 A.D. Watt patents invention of steam engine.
1776 A.D. Americans issue Declaration of Independence.
1789 A.D. French Estates-General is convened.
1803 A.D. Jefferson purchases Louisiana from Napoleon.
1815 A.D. Napoleon defeated at battle of Waterloo.
1819 A.D. British Parliament passes First Factory Act.
1825 A.D. Parliament legalizes trade unions.
1842 A.D. Chinese Opium Wars end.
1848 A.D. Gold is discovered in California.
1854 A.D. Admiral Perry reopens Japan.
1863 A.D. Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation.
1869 A.D. Last spike driven in transcontinental railroad.
1886 A.D. American workers conduct "May Day" strike.
1888 A.D. Cecil Rhodes gains diamond-mining monopoly.
1901 A.D. Carnegie sells steel company to J.P. Morgan.
1914 A.D. Henry Ford offers $5-a-day minimum wage.
1917 A.D. Bolsheviks seize power in Russia.
1929 A.D. Stock market crashes in New York.
1947 A.D. British grant independence to India and Pakistan.

Some Headline Events in the History of Civilization IV

1823 A.D. Rules infraction leads to game of rugby.
1835 A.D. Barnum exhibits George Washington's "nurse".
1851 A.D. Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in London.
1853 A.D. Musical drama of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" opens.
1854 A.D. Millard Fillmore leads boat trip up Mississippi.
1859 A.D. Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on tightrope.
1869 A.D. First U.S. intercollegiate football game.
1871 A.D. Barnum organizes "Greatest Show on Earth".
1875 A.D. First Kentucky Derby is run.
1876 A.D. Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia.
1883 A.D. Buffalo Bill launches "Wild West Show".
1891 A.D. James Naismith invents game of basketball.
1892 A.D. Sullivan-Corbett heavyweight boxing match.
1896 A.D. Olympic games revived in Athens.
1903 A.D. First baseball "World Series" .
1913 A.D. Notre Dame upsets Army in football game.
1915 A.D. D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation opens.
1919 A.D. "Black Sox" baseball scandal.
1920 A.D. First broadcast on commercial radio station.
1922 A.D. BBC receives license to broadcast on radio.
1923 A.D. Houdini escapes from straight jacket while suspended in mid air.
1926 A.D. First U.S. radio network (NBC) established.
1927 A.D. Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs in a season.
1931 A.D. Gambling legalized in Nevada.
1932 A.D. Hollywood premiere of MGM's Grand Hotel.
1933 A.D. Franklin Roosevelt's "fireside chats" on radio.
1936 A.D. Jesse Owens wins gold medals at Olympics.
1937 A.D. First televised sports match.
1938 A.D. Orson Wells broadcast creates Martian scare.
1939 A.D. Atlanta premiere of Gone with the Wind.
1943 A.D. Oklahoma! opens on Broadway.
1944 A.D. Bobbysoxers riot at Frank Sinatra appearance.
1946 A.D. First Cannes international film festival.
1947 A.D. Jackie Robinson signs with Brooklyn Dodgers.
1952 A.D. Cinerama and 3-D movies introduced.
1953 A.D. Birth of Lucille Ball's baby on television.
1955 A.D. Opening of Disneyland park in California.
1956 A.D. Elvis Presley becomes singing sensation.
1958 A.D. The $64,000 Question" quiz show canceled.
1960 A.D. Kennedy-Nixon debate on television.
1961 A.D. FCC chairman calls TV a "vast wasteland".
1964 A.D. Beatles appear on Ed Sullivan show.
1967 A.D. Green Bay Packers win Superbowl I.
1969 A.D. Woodstock and Altamont music festivals.
1969 A.D. First television broadcast from the Moon.
1973 A.D. Billie Jean King-Bobby Riggs tennis match.
1974 A.D. Evel Knieval tries to jump across Snake River.
1977 A.D. "Star Wars" movie debuts.
1980 A.D. Ted Turner starts Cable News Network.
1986 A.D. Geraldo Riviera opens Capone safe on live TV.
1990 A.D. MCA sold to Matsushita.
1992 A.D. Johnny Carson retires from "Tonight Show".
1994 A.D. O.J. Simpson's "suicide" ride in Ford Bronco.
1998 A.D. Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home run contest.

The Fifth Civilization

The Fifth Civilization (Quintepoch) is one introduced by computer technology. Though electronic, this is of a different order than previous technologies of mass communication. Computers permit two-way communication between man and machine, or between several men mediated by machine. Today, in the infancy of this civilization, it is clear that computers and computer networks are having a profound impact upon society. So-called "snail mail" is replaced in some cases by "e-mail", a faster and cheaper way to communicate. What we call e-commerce promises to revolutionize the sale and distribution of goods. Computer-based education looms on the horizon. How all this will play out in the future is yet unclear; but the change will be of a magnitude such as to signal the creation of a new civilization.