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Archive of Human Genius
The world’s largest database of good news and social change milestones from throughout human history
A Timeline of 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.
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Actor All Activists Artists & philosophers Athletes Business Cities Citizens Civil society Consumers Courts Early humans Engineers Finance Government Humanity Humankind Indigenous groups International organizations Inventors Kingdoms & empires Media & Journalists Military Nations Non-humans Regions Religious groups Science & academia Scientists & mathematicians Settlers & explorers States & provinces Utilities Workers World leaders
1790 C.E.
November 22 In 1790, the English inventor Thomas Saint invented the first sewing machine design, but he did not successfully advertise or market his invention. His machine was meant to be used on leather and canvas material.
1790 C.E.
September 25 Hui opera, or Huiju, remains as a popular regional genre of Chinese opera. It is now most prominent in the area around Huangshan City and Chizhou, as well as Wuyuan County, Jiangxi.
1790 C.E.
The first school lunches were thought to be served in 1790 in Munich, Germany, by an American-born physicist, Benjamin Thompson, also known as Count Rumford. In Munich, Thompson founded the Poor People's Institute, which employed both adults and children to make uniforms for the German Army. They were fed and clothed for their work, and the children were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Years later, Thompson would feed 60,000 people a day from his soup kitchen in London.
1788 C.E.
June 21 Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.
1787 C.E.
May 25 This idea formed the basis of the new U.S. Constitution, which became the law of the land in 1789.
1776 C.E.
March 9 The publishing of "The Wealth of Nations" marked the birth of modern capitalism as well as economics.
1775 C.E.
June 14 The Bengali Renaissance was a cultural, social, intellectual and artistic movement in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent during the period of the British Indian Empire, from the nineteenth century to the early twentieth century dominated by Bengalis.
1774 C.E.
October 26 John "Iron-Mad" Wilkinson invented precision boring machine that could bore cast iron cylinders, such as those used in steam engines of James Watt.
1773 C.E.
January 17 In 1773, James Cook and his crew crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time; however, although they discovered nearby islands, they did not catch sight of Antarctica itself.
1772 C.E.
June 28 The Siku Quanshu ended up surpassing the Ming dynasty's 1403 Yongle Encyclopedia in size, which was China's largest encyclopedia prior to the creation of the Siku Quanshu.
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