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Major periods in world history •Biography Online
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Major periods in world history
This is a list of the major periods in world history. It includes broad global eras, such as
the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. It also includes modern eras, which have
lasted only a few decades, such as the Gilded Age, Progressive Age and the Information
Age.
Stone Age (50,000–3000 BC) The Stone Age refers
to the broad range of ‘pre-history’ which lasted
from approx 30,000 BC to 6,000BC where the first
metals started to be use. In the stone age, use of
metals was scarce and the most common building
materials and weapons were wood and stone.
Much of his this history is undocumented, though
some archaeological evidence persists.
Bronze Age (3000–1300 BC) The Bronze age
refers to the broad period of history were cultures
in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world made
the first uses of bronze melt – from mining copper
and tin. Bronze enabled more powerful tools and
weapons. It was an age where the first writing
systems became devised and used.
Iron Age (1200–230 BC) The iron age was a period
of economic development, where iron and steel
enabled a greater use of metal tools which were
stronger than previous Bronze Age items. The era
led to developments in agricultural production and
we see the first evidence of written manuscripts,
which includes great religious texts such as the
Indian Vedas, (Sanskrit), and the Hebrew Bible.
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Ancient Egypt (3000 BC to 300 BC) Ancient Egypt
was a civilisation which inhabited the banks of the
Nile. Egypt was successful in using technology to
increase agricultural production, giving spare
labour for other pursuits, such as cultural, religious
and military. Egypt was ruled by powerful
Pharoahs, though there began a slow decline after
being invaded by foreign powers. By 30 BC Egypt
fell under the rule of the Roman Empire.
Ancient India (7000 BCE or earlier to c. 500 AD)
Ancient India refers to a long period of history
which includes the Vedic ages and the
development of Indus and Aryan civilisation.
Ancient India includes the period from the earliest
Vedic sages and Vedas and the great Indian epics
of the Ramayana and Mahabharata are said to
have occurred. See: Famous Indians
Ancient Greece (8th Century BC to 0 AD) Ancient
Greece is considered the birthplace of modern
democracy and representative government.
Ancient Greece also produced some of the earliest
Western philosophy, with great thinkers such as
Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Ancient
Greece also was an important source of early
Western literature, with epic poets, such as Homer.
Other contributions of Ancient Greece include
modern sports (Olympics) and scientific innovations. See: Famous Greeks
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Ancient Rome (8th Century BC to 476 AD) The
Roman Empire was centred on the city of Rome
and the Italian peninsula. Rome went through
different phases – from classical Republic
government to autocratic Emperors. At its peak,
the power of Rome extended throughout the
majority of Europe, laying many foundations of
Western civilisations. Towards the end of the Roman Empire, it adopted Christianity as
its official religion; this helped the religion to spread across Europe. See: Famous
Italians
Middle Ages (Europe, 5th century – 15th century)
Also known as the post-classical era. The Middle
Ages stretches from the end of the Roman Empire
and classical period and the Renaissance of the
15th Century. It includes the rise of Islam in the
Middle East. The Middle Ages is often considered a
period of relative darkness – with severe wars (e.g.
100 year war, crusades), plagues, religious
persecution and a relative lack of learning.
Islamic Golden Age (Middle East, 750 – 1300) This
refers to a period in the Islamic World which saw a
flourishing of science, mathematics and
preservation of classical writings, such as Aristotle.
The Islamic Golden Age saw the creation of centres
of learning, science and culture, beginning with the
House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
Age of Discovery (or Exploration) (Europe, 15th
century – 17th century) The Age of Discovery refers
to a period in the late Middle Ages / Renaissance
where foreign travel and discovery was an
influential part of European societies. In the Age of
Discovery, European powers discovered and
settled in different continents – changing the fate of
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the Americas, Africa and Asia. It led to a global spread of Christianity and ideas of
Western civilisation, it also marked the growth of the global slave trade. See: Famous
explorers
The Protestant Reformation (Europe, 16th
century) The Protestant Reformation was a
Christian movement, which criticised the
excesses of the Catholic Church and promoted a
new branch of Protestant Christianity – which
emphasised the pre-eminence of the Bible over
the priesthood and the church. The Protestant
Reformation began with Martin Luther pinning 95
theses to the church door of Wittenburg, Saxony.
The ideas of the Reformation were spread with
the help of the newly developed printing press. See: People of the Protestant
Reformation
The Renaissance (1350s to 1650s) The
Renaissance was a period in the late Middle Ages
which saw a rebirth of culture, arts, science and
learning. The Renaissance included artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and scientists
such as Galileo and Copernicus. See: People of
the Renaissance | Facts about the Renaissance
The Enlightenment (1650s to 1780s) The
enlightenment is a period which saw the growth in
intellectual reason, individualism and a challenge to
existing religious and political structures.
Enlightenment ideas had an influence on the
American and French revolutions and also limited
the power of religious authority. See: Famous
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People of The Enlightenment
Age of Revolution (1750 – 1917) The Age of
Revolution is a period in which the Western world
underwent several major revolutions, changing
society from autocratic monarchies to more
democratic republics. Major revolutions of this era,
include the American and French revolution,
European-political revolts of 1848, nationalist
revolutions of Italy, Greece and Latin America. It
also includes the Haitian revolution against slavery. See: Famous Revolutionaries
The Romantic Era (1790s to 1850s) Romantic poets
(Blake, Keats, Coleridge, Wordsworth and Shelley)
and Romantic artists, composers and writers. The
Romantic era was partly a reaction against the faith
in reason alone. It was also a reaction to the
industrial revolution retaining a faith in nature and
man’s spiritual needs.
Industrial Revolution (1750s – 1900) The industrial
revolution is a phase of social development which
saw the growth of mass industrial production and
the shift from a largely agrarian economy to an
industrial economy based on coal, steel, railways
and specialisation of labour.
Powerloom weaving
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Facts about Industrial Revolution | People of the
Industrial Revolution
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Age of Imperialism (c. 1700 – mid 20th Century)
The Age of Imperialism refers to the process of
(mostly) European powers conquering and
annexing less developed countries. Imperial
powers ruled dominion countries directly. The most
widely spread Empire was the British Empire, which
at its peak covered 25% of the globe, in countries,
such as India, West Indies and parts of Australasia.
The First World War (1914 – 1918) The First World
War was a devastating global war, mostly centred
on Europe and the battlefields of France and
Belgium. It featured troops from across the world,
and later involved the US. See: People of The First
World War
Inter-war era (1918 – 1939) A period of peace in
between the two world wars. It was characterised
by economic boom and bust, and the growth of
polarising ideologies, in particular, Fascism and
Communism.
Roaring Twenties (1919-1929) The roaring
twenties refers to the period of rapid economic
expansion and rise in US living standards. It also
saw an emergence of new music and a decline
in strict morality. The ‘Roaring Twenties’ was
associated particularly with the East coast of the
US and major European cities, such as Paris and
London.
Great Depression (1929-39) The 1930s were a
period of global economic downturn. Major
economies experienced mass unemployment and stark poverty. It also led to the rise of
political extremism, e.g. Nazi Party in Germany.
The Cold War (1948 – 1990) The Cold War refers to the period of ideological conflict
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between the Communist East, and Western
democracies. The cold war saw a period of rising
tension, especially over the proliferation of nuclear
weapons. There was no direct war between the US
and the Soviet Union, but both sides gave support
to ideological similar armies in minor conflicts
around the world. See: People of The Cold War
Information Age (1971–present)
The Information age refers to the new modern
technologies which have shaped the modern world.
These technologies, include the internet,
computers, mobile phones. Key figures include
business entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates and
Steve Jobs.
Periods of American history
American revolution (1765 – 1783) The American
Revolution was the period of political upheaval in
which the American colonies declared their
independence from British rule.
American Civil War (1861 – 1865) The American
civil war was the intense fighting between federal
army, led by President Abraham Lincoln and the
confederate armies of the south, who wished to
break away from the union to defend slavery.
Reconstruction era (United States, 1865–1877)
The period of rebuilding in the south after the
civil war.
The Gilded Age (US 1870-1900) – The Gilded Age refers to the last part of the US
industrial revolution. The Gilded Age included rapid economic growth, but also refers to
the immorality behind the accumulation of great wealth by a few leading industrialists,
such as J.D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie, who came to define the
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Gilded Age.
Progressive Era (1890-1920) The progressive era
was a period of political activism which included
causes such as votes for women, labour and trade
unions movements and civil rights. It also included
movements to regulate aspects of Capitalism and
big business.
Civil rights movement (1950s-1960s) The civil
rights movement is principally aimed at supporting
rights of African Americans and ending
segregation. The wider civil rights movement has
spread over the whole of American history, but the
1950s and 60s saw some of the most intense
activism.
Periods of British history
Elizabethan period (England, 1558–1603) A period
in English history marked by the rule of Queen
Elizabeth I. It saw Britain emerge as a major world
power. It also saw the English Renaissance, with
figures, such as Shakespeare and William Byrd.
Victorian age (1837 – 1901) The Victorian Age co-coincided with the later part of the
Industrial Revolution. In Britain, it also saw the growing strength and extent of the
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British Empire. The Victorian Age is associated with
a stricter type of morality.
Edwardian Age (UK 1901 – 1914). A period of
growth in science, technology and also rising
tensions between the major European powers. Also saw the ‘heroic age’ of exploration.
Historical centuries
The Nineteenth Century (1801-1900) The Nineteenth Century saw the economic boom
of the industrial revolution and world-wide movements for political change, which
included the suffrage movement for women, growing nationalist movements and also
the emergence of workers movements in response to the inequality of the industrial
revolution.
People of the Twentieth Century (1901 – 2000) Famous people of the turbulent century.
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