Earth | A short recap

• 4.54 billion years ago: The Earth is formed from the solar nebula, a cloud of gas and dust left over from the formation of the Sun.
• 3.8 billion years ago: The earliest evidence of life on Earth appears in the form of microbial mats, stromatolites, and fossilized microorganisms.
• 2.5 billion years ago: Oxygen-producing photosynthesis evolves, leading to the Great Oxygenation Event and the oxygenation of the atmosphere.
• 1 billion years ago: The first multicellular organisms evolve.
• 541 million years ago: The Cambrian explosion, a rapid diversification of life forms, occurs.
• 250 million years ago: The largest mass extinction in Earth’s history, the Permian-Triassic extinction event, occurs, wiping out 96% of marine species and 70% of land species.
• 65 million years ago: The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event occurs, likely caused by a meteorite impact, resulting in the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs and many other species.
• 2.5 million years ago: The Pleistocene epoch begins, characterized by cycles of glacial and interglacial periods and the evolution of Homo erectus and later, Homo sapiens.
• 12,000 years ago: The Holocene epoch begins, characterized by a relatively stable and warm climate and the development of agriculture and human civilizations.
• 1750 AD: The beginning of the Industrial Revolution leads to significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
• 1969 AD: The first manned landing on the Moon occurs as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
• Present Day: Human activity continues to have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity, leading to concerns about climate change and the Anthropocene epoch.