From the Big Bang to the age of AI
Timeline
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Borders 1815–2025: Natural Earth (public domain), regrouped by year · Imagery: NASA Blue Marble, close-up tiles via NASA GIBS · Place names: Natural Earth · Cities & event pins: hand-curated (public domain)
Timeline shows what happened when. Globe mode shows where.
Coloured shapes are approximate spheres of control, cultural presence, or inhabited footprints (schematic polygons), not exact ancient borders. Polities are solid, peoples are hatched with a dashed edge, and presence is a soft wash, all shown together (see the key on the globe). From 1815 the hand-drawn empires give way to real state borders (Natural Earth, regrouped by year), with colonies and vassal states shown paler in their ruler's colour; before 1914, land outside any state is left to the peoples and presence layers. Labels name each state as it was called that year (Prussia, Siam, Persia, Zaire …); more appear as you zoom in, with seas, mountain ranges and deserts close up. Cities carry the name they had in the slider year (Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul …) and appear as you zoom in; event pins mark timeline moments near that year where they happened. Tap a pin for its story.
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