5,300 years ago · approximate date

Writing is invented

Marks pressed into clay become the first written records.

The earliest writing began as a way to track goods and trade, then grew to record law, story and belief. With writing, knowledge could outlive the person who held it.

Period
Quaternary
Earth's history already passed
99.9999 percent
4.54 kilometres
5.3 millimetres from the end
One day
23:59:59
One year
December 31, 23:59
Source: Smithsonian Institution · Source to be verified