Timeline of the universe
Universe is defined in our dictionaries as all existing matter and space considered as a whole, the cosmos. It is believed to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and has been expanding since its beginning, 13,800,000,000 years ago, known as the BIG BANG.
In less than a second; electrons, protons and neutrons appeared, followed minutes later by hydrogen, helium, lithium and boron. It took a while and it appears our sun evolved 5 billion years ago, quickly followed by planet earth 4,540,000,000 years ago and our moon 20 million years after the earth.
Single cells were next, with DNA, and after many millions of years, plants made their appearance, followed by insects, mammals, birds and, of course, our dinosaurs, but they disappeared after 150 million years of roaming our earth and leaving their fossils buried for us to find.
The appearance of the genus, Homo, make their debut some 3,000,000 years ago, followed by Homo erectus, anatomically close to modern man. It takes time and eventually 300,000 years go by and the first Homo sapiens arrive. Cave paintings are discovered and writing appears to be invented in Sumeria in 3,500 BC. Abraham, Moses, David, Confucius, Buddha and Aristotle arrive, followed by Jesus, Mohammed and Luther and set the stages for religion.
Meanwhile man is busy inventing: the clock in 1094, eyeglasses in 1270 and the printing press in 1450 and a few years, later Columbus heads to America. Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Kepler continue discoveries, including planetary motion.
The 1800’s arrive with the birth of cellular theory, Darwin and Natural Selection and Mendel’s Laws, explaining how genes are transferred from one generation to the next.
In the 1900’s we get Einstein and relativity along with Hubble demonstrating that there is more than one galaxy. Armstrong sets foot on the moon in 1969 and we explore Mars in 1976.
In the distant future our sun will die in 4,500,000,000 years and the gas necessary for star formation will eventually be exhausted and a thermal death of the Universe will end all activity when the Universe has fully expanded.
In the short period, let us remember that the only time we really have is this moment, the one right now.
All past moments are gone and the future ones are not here yet. Enjoy the NOW!