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The Neolithic Revolution Begins. (10,000BC)

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The Neolithic Revolution Begins. (10,000BC)

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The Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution, marked a fundamental shift in human history, transitioning societies from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agricultural communities, enabling larger populations and the development of civilizations.

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“Gunpowder,” as it came to be known, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal. Together, these materials will burn rapidly and explode as a propellant. Chinese monks discovered the technology in the 9th century CE, during their quest for a life-extending elixir.

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/13things/7687.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CGunpowder%2C%E2%80%9D%20as%20it%20came,for%20a%20life%2Dextending%20elixir.

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"Gunpowder," as it came to be known, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal. Together, these materials will burn rapidly and explode as a propellant.

Chinese monks discovered the technology in the 9th century CE, during their quest for a life-extending elixir. The key ingredient, saltpeter, had been in use by this same culture since the late centuries BCE for medicinal purposes. It was found to be incendiary and immediately applied to warfare.

The Mongols soon emerged as an ambitious and violent society, and their conquests and invasions acted as a vehicle by which gunpowder would spread to the rest of the world. It is documented that the technology had reached the Middle East by the 13th century CE, at which point traders as well as crusaders would have come into contact with it.

The main problem with gunpowder at this time was that the ingredients had to be measured properly in order for the mixture to ignite properly and explode. Thus, knowledge of the required materials was not so much the technology as was the knowledge of the formula.

Perfecting the formula can be noted as the first major landmark in technological development. The most effective ratio (very approximate) was believed to be 1 part sulfur: 3 parts charcoal: 9 parts saltpeter, according to 13th century Arabian documents. Sir Roger Bacon had been experimenting with something 29.5% sulfur, 29.5% charcoal, and 41% saltpeter, however it was eventually found that the best ratio was 10:15:75 (the modern formula). The next big improvement came when 14th century Europeans began adding liquid to the mixture, forming a paste that would dry and could be ground into balls--this came to be known as "corned powder." This greatly increased the practicality of the primitive bombs and guns, as corned powder was more durable, reliable, and safe (the dried paste would insure that almost all of the ingredients would ignite at the same time and explode as one).

As the European powers emerged into the Early Modern Period, saltpeter came into high demand as the key tool for warfare, or the "commodity or empire," as one author put it. The British and Dutch were the key players in this act (as France and Spain could self-sustain their saltpeter supply at this point). India was found to be rich in the demanded resources, and thus various overseas trading companies were established to further the European interest. Examples include the English East India Trading Company, the Dutch East India Company, the French ''Compagnie des Indes orientales'', and the Prussian Bengal and Asiatic Companies. This competition must quickly be compared to the scramble for oil in the 19th and 20th centuries, and was the first time that an element of a technology caused the world to mobilize to such an extent.

-The Elixir of Life.

-East India Trading Co.

Image sources: http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/images/fire.gif, http://www.maritimeheritage.org/images/eastindia.gif

Next: Advancement: Bigger Explosions.

Back to A History of Explosives: Chronology.

Back to the bomb main.

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"Gunpowder," as it came to be known, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal. Together, these materials will burn rapidly and explode as a propellant. Chinese monks discovered the technology in the 9th century CE, during their quest for a life-extending elixir.

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By 1440 Gutenberg had established the basics of his printing press including the use of a mobile, reusable set of type, and within ten years he had constructed a working prototype of the press.

https://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/mcdonald/incunabula/gutenberg/#:~:text=By%201440%20Gutenberg%20had%20established,of%20indulgences%20for%20the%20Church.

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The Industrial Revolution shifted societies from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing one, with products being made by machines rather than by hand. This led to increased production and efficiency, lower prices, more goods, improved wages, and migration from rural areas to urban areas.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp#:~:text=The%20Industrial%20Revolution%20shifted%20societies,rural%20areas%20to%20urban%20areas.

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Thomas Savery patented a pump with hand-operated valves to raise water from mines by suction produced by condensing steam. In about 1712 another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, developed a more efficient steam engine with a piston separating the condensing steam from the water.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/steam-engine

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The French Revolution was a period of major social upheaval that began in 1787 and ended in 1799. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power.

https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution

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Haitian Revolution begins (August 22, 1791)

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Haitian Revolution begins (August 22, 1791)

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the Haitian Revolution, a series of conflicts between 1791 and 1804, was the overthrow of the French regime in Haiti by the Africans and their descendants who had been enslaved by the French and the establishment of an independent country founded and governed by former slaves.

(https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution)

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Invention of the Machine gun (The Maxim Gun) (1884)

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Invention of the Machine gun (The Maxim Gun) (1884)

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Invented by Hiram S. Maxim in 1884, the first automatic machine gun was birthed in the United States. Maxim's machine gun was completely self-powered and worked by relying on the energy released in the firing cartridge that would then dislodge multiple bullets with nothing more than the pull of a trigger.

https://online.norwich.edu/online/about/resource-library/how-machine-gun-changed-combat-during-world-war-i#:~:text=Invented%20by%20Hiram%20S.,the%20pull%20of%20a%20trigger.

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Invention of the Machine gun (The Maxim Gun) (1884)

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Internal combustion engine invented (1860)

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Internal combustion engine invented (1860)

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George Brayton invented the first commercial liquid-fueled internal combustion engine. In 1876, Nicolaus Otto began working with Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, patented the compressed charge, four-cycle engine. In 1879, Karl Benz patented a reliable two-stroke gasoline engine.

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Internal combustion engine invented (1864)

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Russian Revolution begins (march 8, 1917)

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Russian Revolution begins (march 8, 1917)

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Revolution that overthrew the imperial government and placed the Bolsheviks in power. Increasing governmental corruption, the reactionary policies of Tsar Nicholas II, and catastrophic Russian losses in World War I contributed to widespread dissatisfaction and economic hardship.

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Russian-Revolution#:~:text=Russian%20Revolution%20of%201917%2C%20Revolution,widespread%20dissatisfaction%20and%20economic%20hardship.

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Chinese Revolution begins (october 10, 1911)

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Chinese Revolution begins (october 10, 1911)

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a group of revolutionaries in southern China led a successful revolt against the Qing Dynasty, establishing in its place the Republic of China and ending the imperial system.

(https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/chinese-rev#:~:text=In%20October%20of%201911%2C%20a,and%20ending%20the%20imperial%20system.)

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The Green Revolution begins (mid-20th century.)

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The Green Revolution begins (mid-20th century.)

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The Green Revolution was the emergence of new varieties of crops, specifically wheat and rice varietals, that were able to double if not triple production of those crops in two countries.

https://www.britannica.com/event/green-revolution

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Neil Armstrong steps onto the surface of the moon (july 20, 1969)

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Neil Armstrong steps onto the surface of the moon (july 20, 1969)

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It marked the first time that humans landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC.

https://www.nasa.gov/history/apollo-11-mission-overview/

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Neil Armstrong steps onto the surface of the moon (july 20, 1969)

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The Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) was a social and armed conflict led by Fidel Castro to overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista. Many people in Cuba were unhappy with the social and racial inequality, the corruption, and the lack of justice of Batista's regime.

(https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-Revolution)

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The digital revolution – also known as the third industrial revolution – refers to the historical period beginning in the mid-20th century that saw the shift from analogue or mechanical electronic technologies to digital electronics

https://www.telefonica.com/en/communication-room/blog/digital-revolution-what-is-it/

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 Invention of the First Wheel (c. 3500 BCE)

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 Invention of the First Wheel (c. 3500 BCE)

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First, transport: the wheel began to be used on carts and battle chariots. Second, and more importantly, it contributed to the mechanisation of agriculture (animal traction, crop irrigation) and craft industries

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Ended Catholicism's monopoly on spiritual authority in Western Europe. Lead to the formation of many new Christian denominations. Millions of Europeans left the Catholic Church. Lead to several major religious wars.

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dramatically reduced the amount of time it took to separate cotton seeds from cotton fiber. Prior to Whitney's invention, cotton seeds had to be removed by hand or with other primitive tools, making it a tedious and time consuming process.

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The printing press was a big innovation in communications until the telegraph was developed. Printing remained the key format for mass messages for years afterward, but the telegraph allowed instant communication over vast distances for the first time in human history.

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The advent of human flight not only boosted our power of movement, but also enhanced our vision: We gained the ability to see the Earth from above. Before the Wrights' epochal breakthrough, there had been perhaps thousands of human flights, mostly in balloons.

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Plastics made possible the development of computers, cell phones, and most of the lifesaving advances of modern medicine. Lightweight and good for insulation, plastics help save fossil fuels used in heating and in transportation.

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The Model T's agile transmission made shifting gears easy for everyone. These improvements and innovations allowed the world to move towards a more urban way of life.

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A more professional and effective army emerged from the battle. And the tactics developed there, including the use of tanks and creeping barrages, laid some of the foundations of the Allies' successes in 1918. The Somme also succeeded in relieving the pressure on the French at Verdun.

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Radar could pick up incoming enemy aircraft at a range of 80 miles and played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain by giving air defences early warning of German attacks. Radars today are used to detect and track aircraft, spacecraft, and ships at sea as well as insects and birds in the atmosphere; measure the speed of automobiles; map the surface of the earth from space; and measure properties of the atmosphere and oceans.

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 An Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Nagasaki (1945)

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 An Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Nagasaki (1945)

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By the end of 1945, the bombing had killed an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki. In the years that followed, many of the survivors would face leukemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation. “Each person had a name.

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Pong's success changed the gaming landscape forever. It not only launched Atari into the spotlight but also inspired many other companies to create their own games. Pong is often credited with starting the video game industry as a profitable business.

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Creation of the World Wide Web (1989–1991)

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Creation of the World Wide Web (1989–1991)

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It connected the world in a way that made it much easier for people to get information, share, and communicate. It has since allowed people to share their work and thoughts through social networking sites, blogs, video sharing, and more.

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Beyond being a mere social networking platform, Facebook has played a profound role in shaping global culture and connectivity since its inception in 2004. From connecting long-lost friends to influencing political movements, Facebook is certainly a cultural force.

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The most significant development since the iPhone's invention is the ability to keep everything in one place. Your calls, texts, emails, photos, videos, music, calculators, maps, GPS, games, and more are now in a single device. However, most users today use cloud-based apps and storage for more features and security

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The mediating effects indicated that academic workload and time pressure were likely to promote procrastination and memory impairment among students through the use of ChatGPT. Also, these stressors dampened students' academic performance through the excessive use of ChatGPT. Writers can use ChatGPT to improve grammatical or contextual errors or to help brainstorm ideas for content