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The earliest civilizations emerged between 4000 and 3000 B.C.E., when the development of trade and agriculture made it possible for people to have an abundance of food and a stable economy. The fact that many people were no longer required to work in agriculture allowed a wide range of careers and interests to grow in a relatively small area. -
The ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia invented the cuneiform writing system around 3500 BCE. It is regarded as the biggest cultural contribution made by the Sumerians and the most significant among those made by the Sumerian city of Uruk. -
After a military campaign headed by Menes, also known as Narmer, who eventually became the first monarch of undivided Egypt, ancient Egypt came together approximately 3150 B.C.E. -
The Indus Valley Civilization existed from 3300 to 1300 BCE in its early years and from 2600 to 1900 BCE in its prime years. This civilization's domain stretched from what is now northeast Afghanistan through Pakistan and northwest India along the Indus River. -
Legend has it that Cheng Tang, a good man who deposed the evil monarch of the mythical Xia, created the Shang Dynasty somewhere around 1600 BCE. Over the span of just under 600 years, the Shang Dynasty was ruled by a succession of monarchs, numbering 29 or 30 in total. -
Around 1200 B.C., Mycenae and the Mycenaean civilization started to crumble. After several fires, Mycenae's residents left the citadel some 100 years later. Though there are many possibilities, it's not clear what destroyed Mycenae. -
Athens was the site of the earliest democracy that is known to exist. Democracy in Athens began to emerge about the fifth century B.C.E. One of the earliest examples of self-rule government in the ancient world was democracy, which originated in ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks' political and philosophical framework had a significant impact on how democracy evolved and how the U.S. government was established. -
After Qi's defeat in 221 BC, Qin took control of a united China. As the first sovereign emperor of a united China, Ying Zheng proclaimed himself "Qin Shi Huang" (literally, "First Emperor of Qin") and created the Qin dynasty. The Qin began seizing Zhao land in 229 B.C. and proceeded until they had conquered all five Zhou states, uniting China in 221 B.C. -
In Judea's Bethlehem, Jesus was born. At the time of Jesus' birth, Herod the Great was the ruler of Israel. But since he passed away in 4 BC rather than 0 BC, the time span from 7 to 4 BC can be regarded as Jesus' birth year. Mary and Joseph, who were engaged at the time of Jesus' birth, were his parents. Jesus was born a virgin, according to the Bible, via the power of the Holy Spirit.