The Stone Age began about 2.6 million years ago, and lasted until about 3,300 B.C. when the Bronze Age began. It is typically broken into three distinct periods: the Paleolithic Period, Mesolithic Period and Neolithic Period.

During this prehistoric era, man lived as hunter-gatherers and learned to conjure fire, domesticate mans best friend, and make stone tools and weapons.

Taking root around 12,000 years ago, agriculture triggered such a change in society and the way in which people lived that its development has been dubbed the "Neolithic Revolution." Traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles, followed by humans since their evolution, were swept aside in favor of permanent settlements and a reliable food supply.

The Bronze Age is a historic period, approximately 3,300 BC to 1,200 BC, that was characterized by the use of bronze, in some areas writing, and other early features of urban civilization.

The Iron Age begins anywhere from 1,200 BC to 500 AD when the post-classical period begins. It is marked when the production of iron or steel has advanced to the point where iron tools and weapons replace their bronze equivalents in common use.

Castles, guilds, and universities define the feudal order. The printing press spreads knowledge, legal codes formalize faith and law, and paper money sets the stage for an age of exploration.

The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), from 15th century to the 17th century, in which seafaring nations explored regions across the globe.

The Industrial Age is defined by mass production, broadcasting, the rise of the nation state, power. This revolution began the transition from hand production methods to machines, increasing use of steam power, the development of machine tools and the rise of the mechanized factory system.

The Atomic Age split the atom and remade medicine, energy, and war. Antibiotics conquered old plagues, nuclear power lit whole cities, and the first rockets pointed civilization toward the stars.

The Space Age began with the development of several technologies that converged with the world's first artificial satellite. The Space Age ushered in a new era of political, scientific and technological achievements by the rapid development of new technology and a race for achievement. Rapid advances were made in rocketry, materials science, and other areas.

The Digital Revolution is the shift from mechanical and analogue electronic technology to digital electronics which began in the later half of the 20th century, with the adoption and proliferation of digital computers and digital record-keeping, that continues to the present day. Central to this revolution is the mass production and widespread use of digital logic, transistors, integrated circuit chips, and their derived technologies, including computers, microprocessors, digital cellular phones, and the Internet.

Machines now do more than compute: they act. Robotics moves labor from human hands to tireless machines, and artificial general intelligence begins to reason alongside its creators. Industry, logistics, and even discovery itself run on automated systems that improve themselves faster than any workforce in history.