The Big Bang
15 billion years ago

First galaxies
14 billion years ago

Earth and solar system in current configuration
4.6-4.7 billion years ago

At various points in the timeline, the Earth is shown in the form it took at that time. In this picture, it is the large, molten, red ball at the far left.

Primordial atmosphere (partly from volcanoes)
4.2 billion years ago

The volcanoes create clouds and rain cools the land. Oceans form.

Origin of life. Blue-green algae, bacteria, oxygen enters atmosphere
3.5 billion years ago

Water-covered Earth (upper right corner)

Marine algae
1 billion years ago

Metazoans appear
700 million years ago

First invertebrates, shelled animals
600-700 million years ago

Dry land without plants
510 million years ago

Trilobites, jawless fishes
500 million years ago

First land plants
412-435 million years ago

First insects and first lungfish on land
370-380 million years ago

Primitive forests
375 million years ago

First amphibians
350-360 million years ago

Winged insects, swamps
300-345 million years ago

First tropical forests
330 million years ago

First reptiles
280-320 million years ago

Modern insects
265 million years ago

First frogs
250 million years ago

First dinosaurs
210-230 million years ago

First pterosaurs
180 million years ago

Earth is at the top center of the picture. The continents are starting to split up.

First birds
140-170 million years ago

Flowering plants
135 million years ago

Asteroid hits Earth, dinosaurs extinct
65 million years ago

Small horses
23-35 million years ago

Mountain building (Himalayas, Alps)
30 million years ago

Modern mammals
1.64-5.2 million years ago

Cro-magnon man
200 thousand years ago

Last ice age
10-100 thousand years ago

Domestication of grain
5000-8000 BCE

Wheel, seagoing ships
3000-5000 BCE

Egyptian civilization
1000-2000 BCE

Coins
500-1000 BCE

Tower jumper
Eilmer, a.k.a. Oliver of Malmesbury
1010 CE

Zen comes to Japan
Approx. 1200 CE

Mechanical clock
1510 CE

Telescope invented
1608 or 1609 CE

United States
1776 CE

Old West
1800s CE

Earth in its current form is shown in the center

Mount Rushmore
1936 CE

Man walks on the moon
1969 CE

Global use of the internet
1990s CE