World History

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THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
1. The Religious Story of Creation - From God’s word (the

Bible)
2. The Scientific Theory of Evolution - Based on man’s wisdom

– “On the Origin of Species”, (1859)
PERIODS IN HISTORY
I. Prehistoric Period - A period when there were no written

records of man’s progress.
PALEOLITHIC OR OLD STONE AGE (2.5M - 8000BC)
Palaios “old” and Lithos “stone”

Greatest achievement - discovery of fire
Java Man, Peking Man, Neanderthal Man and Cro-Magnon Man
existed.
NEOLITHIC OR NEW STONE AGE (8000BC - 3000BC)
Neos “new” and Lithos “stone”

Period started after the disappearance of the Cro-Magnon
Man.
Greatest achievement - making of dugouts (the world’s
first boats)
METAL AGE (4000BC – 1500BC)
Copper was discovered near Mt. Sinai

Tin was later discovered.
By mixing copper and tin, bronze was produced.
Iron was first used by the Hittites
II. HISTORIC PERIOD - MENS’ PROGRESS WERE RECORDED.
THE INVENTION OF WRITING
Ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia invented in 3500 BC the

earliest writing called cuneiform, cuneus “wedge” and
forma “form”.
Egyptians invented their own writing, hieroglyphics.

The first alphabet was invented by the Phoenicians which

consisted of 22 letters (all consonants).
Later the Greeks improved it by adding the vowels.

THE ANCIENT WORLD FIRST CIVILIZATIONS WERE IN THE RIVER

ALLEYS:
Mesopotamia – region between the Tigris and Euphrates

River
Egypt – a long the Nile River in Africa
India – in the valley of Indus River
Chinese – along the Huang He (“Yellow River”) and Yangtze
rivers
MESOPOTAMIA (3500 B.C. - 2000 B.C.)
Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”.

The Cradle of Civilization. Birthplace of history and civilization.
Refers to an area, rather than a country. Also called “fertile
crescent”.
Ruled by Sumeria, Akkadia, Babylon, Assyria and Persia
SUMERIAN’S CONTRIBUTIONS
Cuneiform (system of writing)

Ur (oldest city state)
Ziggurat (temple)
Irrigation System
Wheel
Number System
Code of Ur-Nammu (oldest known law code surviving today)
AKKADIAN EMPIRE (24TH TO 22ND CENTURY BCE):
Founded by Sargon of Akkad

Established the first empire in history
BABYLONIAN EMPIRE (18TH TO 6TH CENTURY BCE):
Rose to prominence under Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi
Epic of Gilgamesh (oldest epic)
Marduk – their chief god
Hammurabi Code
Written by the ruler, Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC).
The code lists 282 specific laws dealing with everything that
affected the community, family relations, business conduct, and
crime.
It frequently applied the principle of retaliation (an eye for an

eye and a tooth for a tooth) to punish crimes.
Nebuchadnezzar - The Chaldean King who made Babylon to be

the most splendid city in the Ancient world.
The Hanging Gardens - Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging

Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for his
wife who missed her lush homeland
ASSYRIAN EMPIRE (25TH TO 7TH CENTURY BCE):
Known for the most brute and ferocious rule enforcement
Nineveh - its capital

Tiglath Pileser I – first great Assyrian ruler
Assur – Assyrian’s center
Ashurnasirpal II – next great Assyrian ruler; under his rule,
Assyria reached its peak
Ashur – their chief god
PERSIA
Modern day Iran
Cyrus the Great – their first leader; known as the “Great King”
Darius the Great – annexed Iran, Indus Valley, and more; this
made Persia the most powerful empire in the ancient world.
Zoroastrianism – Persia’s official religion; founded by

Zoroaster
Ahura Mazda – Chief God/God of Truth
Bow - national weapon
Wrote the first human charter

ANCIENT EGYPT (3200 B.C. – 600 B.C.)
The Nile River, the longest river in the world, gives abundant
water for irrigation, and its flood makes the soil fertile.
First discovered by a woman, Egyptus, who was a daughter of

Ham (son of Noah).
Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus became the first ruler of

Egypt
Society in ancient Egypt was divided into 4 social classes:
(1) nobles and priests,

(2) soldiers
(3) commoners
(4) slaves.
The ancient Egyptian writing was called hieroglyphics. It

means “sacred signs” because it was written by the priests.
THE ROSETTA STONE
In 1799, near the village of Rosetta, French scholars found

a polished black stone inscribed with a message in three
languages (pure hieroglyphics, simple hieroglyphics, and
Greek).
In 1822, a French scholar - Jean Francois Champollion,

finally broke the code of the hieroglyphics
OLD KINGDOM (AROUND 2660-2180 BCE)
Referred as “Age of Pyramids”
Famous for the construction of the pyramids at Giza
Observed Theocracy - a system of government in which

priests rule in the name of God or a God.
ANCIENT EGYPT’S Contributions
Literature: Pyramid Texts, The Book of the dead
Architecture: Pyramid, the oldest man-made stone

monument.
Devised the first 365 day calendar, which divided the year into
12 months of 30 days each.
World’s first builders. Erected magnificent palaces, obelisks

and temples.
Sculpture: The ancient Egyptians were skilled sculptors.

Among their sculptures, Sphinx was the most famous.
First to develop geometry. They utilized their mathematical

and geometrical knowledge in building the Pyramids.
Invented cement
Increased man’s knowledge of medicine, surgery and

mummification (embalming). The people of Egypt believed
that after death, the soul returns back to the body. So they
preserved the dead body of the Pharaoh by applying
chemicals in it.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the

Harappan Civilization, existed in the Indus River Valley
in what is now Pakistan and northwestern India.
Mature Indus Valley Civilization (26th to 19th century

BCE):
This civilization is characterized by well-planned cities

like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, advanced drainage
systems, standardized weights and measures, and a
script that remains undeciphered
Dravidians, dark-complexioned people, first inhabited the

Indus Valley. They were conquered by the Aryans (Indo-
Europeans), in about 1500 BC, and later called themselves
Hindus.
Developed the varnas (caste system), a rigid social

structure which was a part of Hinduism:
1. Brahmins – priests
2. Kshatriyas – rulers and warriors
3. Vaishyas – peasants and traders
4. Shudras – laborer
Siddhartha Gautama (563 - 483 BC), a Hindu prince, started a

new religion. He did not like the Hindu beliefs on caste system
which condemned a man to a certain class for life.
Later he was known as the Buddha, meaning “the

enlightened one”.
At the beginning of first century AD, Buddhism spread to

foreign countries: Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Burma, Thailand
and other South-east Asian nations.
ANCIENT INDIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS
India gave the world 4 religions – Hinduism, Buddhism,

Sikhism and Jainism.
Invented “yoga”, a Hindu philosophy that teaches a

person to experience inner peace by controlling the body
and mind.
Architecture: Taj Mahal
City Planning: sophisticated, laid out their cities on a

precise grid system.
LITERATURE:
1. Panchatantara (first fable)

2. The Clay Cart and Sakuntala (the first dramatic epics)
3. Mahabharata (longest epic with 100,000 couplets,
106,000 verses and 7x longer than the Greek Iliad and
Odyssey combined)
4. The Bhagavad Gita (world’s greatest philosophical
poem)
Aryans – the first nomads to occupy Indus
Veda – consists of four collections of prayers, oration,

and ritual guidelines
Rig Veda – the oldest and most important of the four

Vedas
ANCIENT CHINA (2000 B.C. – 400 B.C.)
Fossil remains show that ancestors of modern humans

lived in about 1.7 million years ago in northern China near
Beijing, known as the Peking Man.
The earliest settlement began in 2000 BC when the first

Chinese dynasty (Xia) was founded by an engineer and
mathematician named Yu.
There were no written records from this period, hence

actual events of this time are unknown.
Shang Dynasty (17th to 11th century BCE):
The first to provide a written history of China
Oracle Bones – proof that they have a writing system
Practiced Animism
Zhou Dynasty (11th to 3rd century BCE):
Known for the “Mandate of Heaven” concept, which

justified the rise and fall of dynasties.
Has the longest reign of any dynasty
Built roads and made coins
Made use of iron and bronze for weapons and farming tools
Saw advancements in philosophy e.g. Confucianism and
Taoism
Qin Dynasty (3rd to 2nd century BCE):
The Qin Dynasty united China under centralized rule,

standardized writing, measurements, and coinage.
Famous for building the Great Wall of China and the

Terracotta Army.
Han Dynasty (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE):
Founded by Liu Pang; he exercised a centralized

government.
Under Wu Ti’s rule, the civil service examination
started.
Paper and Seismoscope was discovered.
Silk Road became known.
Sima Chien – the first great historian of China
Sui Dynasty
A short lived dynasty, but laid the foundations for the

Golden Age of China
Under Yang Ti’s rule, the Grand Canal was built. It

connected the Yangtze and Huang He rivers.
Tang Dynasty (Golden Age of China)
Founded by Li Yuan
Tang Taitsung – known as Tang’s greatest emperor
Li Po, Tu Fu – great writers
Buddhism spreads
Sung Dynasty
Founded by Sung Taitsu
Discovery of magnetic compass, paper printing, and

gunpowder
Chinese philosophers: Confucius, Lao Tzu and Mencius.
Confucius (551 – 479 BC) wrote the Analects which are short and witty
sayings that treat moral values and good human relations.
Lao Tzu (604 – 517 BC) founded a new religion, Taoism. Wrote “Tao Te
Ching” His favorite saying: “He who overcomes others is strong, but he
who overcomes himself is stronger.”
Mencius (372 – 289 BC), the greatest pupil of Confucius. He taught that,
“He who gains the hearts of the people gains the throne, and he who loses
the people’s earts loses the throne.”
ANCIENT CHINA’S CONTRIBUTIONS
Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are

sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of
Ancient China
Introduced Sericulture (silk industry) and the use of

silk clothes which revolutionized clothing.
Printed the first paper money “flying money”; the oldest

known book “Diamond Sutra”; oldest newspaper in the
world “Peking Gazette”
Introduced the Civil Service Examination
Invented the Abacus, a calculator that used sliding beads to

help compute math problems quickly
Supplementary Notes
Egypt and Babylonia - women enjoy full property of rights

and could manage their own business affairs
Israel - modern day Canaan
Among the national God of Egypt of early dynasties was

believed to have incarnated in the form of a Ram
Supplementary Notes
Egyptians mummified the bodies of their dead because of

their belief in the immortality of the soul
While Ancient Egypt maintained medical schools for

practice of medicine, surgery treatment was not always
scientific because there used charms and magical arts
Huang Ho River of China is sometimes referred to as

China's Sorrow because it periodically devastated
large areas by flooding
In the ancient world, the Phoenicians were known for

many skills but not as mercenary soldiers
Advantages of the world's first coins issued by Lydian

Kings
Stamp of rulers guaranteed their value

No weight process was needed
Made of natural alloy of gold or silver
WESTERN WORLD
ANCIENT GREECE
The ancestors of the Greeks were the Indo-Europeans from the

valley of Danube
The 4 main Greek tribes:
1. Achaeans
2. Ionians - Athenians
3. Dorians - Spartans
4. Aetolians
They believed that they descended from a common

mythological ancestor, Hellen. Hence they called themselves
“Hellenes”, their country “Hellas” and their civilization
“Hellenic”.
The main focus of ancient Greek life was the city-state called
polis which means “city”, a political and social unit. Each
city-state included the city proper and the surrounding farms.
The main plaza and marketplace of a city-state is the agora,

their main business and political center
Tholos - a circular structure, often a temple, of

ancient Greece
Megaron - was the great hall in ancient Greek palace

complexes
Polis – the term for Greek city-stat

Acropolis – a polis built upon an area of elevated

ground
Phratry - A clan group consisting of a number of

families
Mt. Olympus – highest mountain in Greece; believed

to be the home of the gods
Invented direct democracy (state ruled by citizens, majority

rule decides vote)
Forms of government in a city-state:
1. Monarchy <one> Tyranny

2. Aristocracy <few> Oligarchy
3. Direct Democracy <many> Mobocracy
THE CITY-STATE OF ATHENS
Attica – main site of Athenian civilization

Practiced aristocracy and direct democracy
Draco – best known for his Draconian Code -
response to the unjust interpretation of oral law by
Athenian aristocrats
Solon – best known for his Council of the Four
Hundred, which laid the foundations of democracy.
The City-State of Sparta
Known for their great military force
Helots – the slave-warriors of Sparta
Delian League - was an association of Greek city-

states whose purpose was to continue fighting the
Persian Empire
Greek - Persian Wars
490 BC - Darius of Persia declared war on Athens. The

Athenians led by Miltiades, routed the Persian invaders in
the Battle of Marathon.
480 BC - Xerxes of Persia invaded Greece. 300 Spartan

warriors led by King Leonidas defended the narrow pass of
Thermopylae and died fighting unto the last.
479 BC - The Greeks defeated the Persians in the Battle of

Plataea and finally rid themselves from Persian invaders.
ANCIENT GREECE Contributions
Mythology about Gods and Goddesses. Ancient Greeks

believed in numerous gods and goddesses and that they lived
on Mt. Olympus.
Classical Architecture. 3 architectural styles perfected by

Greece: (1) Ionian, (2) Doric, (3) Corinthian. Finest example
of Greek architecture is the Parthenon, a magnificent marble
temple on the Acropolis in Athens.
The Iliad is an epic poem in 24 books that is traditionally

attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The epic is
about the wrath of the Greek hero Achilles. The subject of
this poem is the Trojan War.
The Odyssey is an epic poem about the story of

Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanders for 10 years
trying to get home after the Trojan War
OLYMPIC GAMES
The Greeks believed that athletic competitions were a

way to please the gods and honor dead heroes.
Dedicated to the god Zeus, the Olympics began in 776

B.C.
It is held every four years.

Earliest games: foot races, wrestling, boxing, jumping,

javelin-and-discus throwing events. Victorious Olympians
received a crown made of wild olive leaves.
Symbol – Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings

and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents
(Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe)
Motto - Citius, Altius, Fortius, a Latin expression meaning

"Faster, Higher, Stronger"
History. Herodutos “Father of History”. His masterpiece was

The History of the Persian Wars
Hippocrates – a Greek doctor; regarded as Father of
Medicine; professionals today swear by the Hippocratic
Oath
Mathematics. Euclid, a highly regarded mathematician who
opened a school of geometry in Alexandria. The Elements,
his best-known book
Archimedes accurately estimated the value of pi
Greek Philosophers
Socrates
Wisest man in Athens.

Master of the Socratic dialectic, reasoning by
questions and answers.
Plato
Student of Socrates.
His masterpiece was The Republic, which portrays an ideal
state.
Aristotle
Student of Plato.
Tutor of Alexander the Great
Pythagoras
Popularized the number doctrine; some numbers

are lucky like 3, 5 and 7.
Developed the Pythagorean Theorem.

Protagoras - Taught that “man is the measure of all things”
Government. Direct democracy - citizens rule by majority

vote.
Science and Technology. Accurate estimate of circumference

of earth by Eratosthenes (Father of Geography)
Development of simple machines: lever, pulley and pump

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES:
Alexander the Great - freed the Greek cities in Asia Minor from
Persian rule
King Philip II of Macedon - father of Alexander the Great
Greco-Persian Wars, (492–449 BCE), series of wars fought by Greek

states and Persia over a period of almost half a century
Herodotus - wrote the history of the Persian War

In Ancient Greek, the form of government was aristocracy which

was the "rule of the best" meaning nobles.
Greek women of the Dorian race in Sparta were strong link men
and had the spirit of courage and duty to the state accordingly
given training in gymnastics.
The far-sighted Greek statesmen Pericles had beauty of face and

bearing such that he was often compared to the Olympian Zeus.
Solon - one of the earliest Greek statesman whose laws gave

all classes of citizens some voice in government
Pericles - an outstanding figure in public life who believed

that every citizen should have equal opportunity in the state.
When Alexander the Great died, his huge empire broke into
large kingdoms including Saleucids, that covers
Persia
Mesopotamia
Syria
Ancient Rome
Roman Kingdom (8th to 5th century BCE):
The legendary period of Rome’s founding by Romulus

and Remus. It was a monarchy before transitioning to a
republic.
Senate was controlled by “patricians” (upper class). Poor

people called “plebeians” (lower class).
12 Tables of Laws - Set of laws inscribed on 12 bronze tablets

created in ancient Rome.
Hannibal - known for leading the Carthaginian army and a

team of elephants across the Alps in the Second Punic War
First Triumvirate – Crassus (belonged to the wealthy class),

Gnaues Pompeius (a known general), Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar Crossing the Rubicon – event that started the

Roman Civil War, between Pompey and Senate
“Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered), his famous

message to the Roman Senate after he conquered Egypt.
ROWLET REVIEW
Had a romance with Queen Cleopatra, “Serpent of

the Nile”
Caesar was assassinated by his two friends, MARCH

Brutus
2024 LET
and Cassius, inside the Senate
Ides of March - the date of the assassination of Julius

Caesar (March 15)
Second Triumvirate – Octavian (later known as

Augustus Caesar), Mark Antony, Marcus Lepidus
Pax Romana - long period of relative peacefulness

after the end of the Final War of the Roman Republic
In the Battle of Actium on 31 BC, Octavian defeated the

combined forces of Anthony and Cleopatra which ended the
Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Later, Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide.
Octavian (Augustus Caesar) became the first emperor of the

Roman Empire on 27 BC.
Corrupt Emperors (37 – 96 AD)
Tiberius – left Rome for a haven of debauchery in Capri,

Italy
Caligula – mentally disturbed; had his horse elected

consul
Nero – vicious; murdered many and persecuted the

Christians
Good Emperors (96 – 180 AD)
Trajan – enlarged social welfare

Hadrian – reorganized the bureaucracy
Antoninus Pius – reign largely a period of peace and
prosperity
Marcus Aurelius – brought Rome to height of
economic prosperi
Virgil – wrote ‘Aeneid’, the national epic of ancient

Rome
Horace – the leading Roman lyric poet during the time

of Augustus Caesar
Ovid - best known for ‘Metamorphoses’, a 15-book

continuous mythological narrative
Byzantine Empire
Diocletian – revived Old Rome and became Byzantine

Empire, the New Rome
Constantine – renamed Byzantine (a place) into

Constantinople, the center of the new empire;
Constantinople became the boundary between Asia and
Europe Under his rule, Christianity became a dominant
religion.
Justinian – first great leader of the empire; Hagia Sophia

was built during his time
Code of Justinian – set of laws that was issued; now

known formally as Corpus Juris Civilis
Vandals - a “barbarian” Germanic people who sacked

Rome, but defeated by Byzantine Empire
Maya Civilization
Flourished in Mesoamerica and is renowned for its advanced

mathematics, writing system, and monumental architecture.
Preclassic Period (2000 BCE to 250 CE):
During this time, Maya communities established the

foundation of their civilization, developing agriculture,
pottery, and trade networks.
Classic Period (250 to 900 CE):
The height of Maya culture, characterized by the construction

of grand cities like Tikal, Copán, and Palenque. They
developed a hieroglyphic writing system and elaborate
calendar.
Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire, also known as the Mexica Empire, was a

powerful Mesoamerican civilization with a rich cultural and
religious tradition.
The Aztecs established their capital city, Tenochtitlan, on an

island in Lake Texcoco. They practiced agriculture, trade, and
built impressive temples and pyramids. Their society was
organized around military and religious institutions.
Tenochtitlan – Capital of the empire
Huitzilopochtli – God of sun and war
Tlaloc – God of rain
Quetzalcoatl – God of wind and wisdom
Hernan Cortes – Spanish leader who overthrew the empire

Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, centered in the Andes Mountains of South

America, is known for its remarkable architecture and administrative
systems.
The Inca Empire was ruled by a divine emperor, the Sapa Inca. They
built an extensive road network, including the famous Inca Trail, and
their capital, Cusco, was a major cultural and political center. Machu
Picchu is a famous archaeological site associated with the Inca
civilization.
Manco Capac – founder of the civilization

Cuzco – Capital of the empire
Viracocha – Creator of earth
Inti – God of sun
Ayllu - the traditional form of a community
Francisco Pizarro captured the last free-reigning
Incan Emperor, Atahualpa
II. MEDIEVAL PERIOD
Dark Ages - a cultural-economic deterioration occurred in

Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire
founded by Charlemagne around 800CE; lasted for about a
thousand years.
Barbaric tribes, the Goths, the Vandals and the Huns

dominated.
Francis II – last Holy Roman emperor
Voltaire: “The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor

Roman, nor an empire”
Visigoth – found a territory in Gaul and Spain
Ostrogoth – under the leadership of Odoacer, they

overthrew Romulus Augustus
Middle Ages
Benedictine Rule – integration of prayer, manual labour,

and study into a daily routine
Crusades (1095-1291) - a series of religious wars to

recapture Christian lands from Muslim control, especially
of Holy Land
Third Crusade is also known as the The Kings’ Crusade

Bubonic Plague – also known as Black Death; originated

in China then killed up to 60% of the population in Europe
Thomas Aquinas – wrote Summa Theologica; divided

into three parts, each discussing God the Father, man, and
Jesus
Beowulf - one of the most important works of Old

English/Anglo- Saxon literature
Song of Roland – a French epic poem; based on the Battle of

Roncevaux Pass in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne
Nibelungenlied – a German epic poem; tells of dragon-slayer

Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered,
and of his wife Kriemhild’s revenge
Divine Comedy - a long narrative poem about an imaginative

vision of the afterlife by Dante Alighieri
Canterbury Tales – written by Geoffrey Chaucer; group of pilgrims

as they embarked a journey from London to Canterbury
Guild - an association of artisans or merchants who

oversee the practice of their craft in a particular
town
Mercantilism – promoted governmental regulation

of a nation’s economy for the purpose of
augmenting state power at the expense of rival
national powers
Manorialism - peasants of medieval Europe were

rendered dependent on their land and on their lord
Feudalism - relationships derived from the holding

of land in exchange for service or labor
John Wycliffe – an advocate for translation of the Bible

into the vernacular; attacked the privileged status of the
clergy;
John Huss – first Church reformer; morning star of the

Reformation
Martin Luther – wrote ’95 Theses’, which attacked the

indulgences set by the Church, therefore sparking the
Reformation
Ulrich Zwingli – most important figure in the Swiss

Protestant Reformation
John Calvin – wrote doctrines of predestination and of the

absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul
King Henry VIII - initiated the English Reformation,

separating the Church of England from papal authority and
appointing himself the Supreme Head of the Church of
England; best known for his six marriages
King William the Conqueror – wrote the book

‘Domesday Book’, a manuscript record of the “Great
Survey” of much of England and parts of Wales completed
in 1086
Henry II – introduced three important reforms: Common

Law, Circuit Courts, Jury System
King John – Magna Carta
Edward I – was able to unite England, Scotland, and

Wales
called for a Parliament; House of Lords – from the

wealthy people; House of Commons – from the
civilians
War of the Roses - a series of English civil wars for control

of the throne of England (House Lancaster vs. House of
York)
Hundred Years’ War – the long conflict between the

kingdoms of France and England from 1337 to 1453
Joan of Arc - led the French army in a momentous victory

at Orléans in 1429 that repulsed an English attempt to
conquer France during the Hundred Years' War.
Moors – a group of Muslims who invaded Spain and then

the whole Iberian Peninsula
Reconquisita - a series of campaigns by Christian states

to recapture territory from the Muslims (Moors)
Inquisition - a group of institutions within the

government system of the Catholic Church whose aim was
to combat heresy
The Americas
Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492
It was named after Amerigo Vespucci who explored the

coast of South America
It was known as Mesoamerica for it includes Central

America and Mexico
III. Modern Period
Renaissance Period
Means “rebirth”, “reawakening” or “revival” of learning.
Italy was located halfway between the Middle East and

eastern Europe. This geographical position gave Italian
city-states the opportunity to become rich, enabling them
to patronize arts and letters
Humanism - prime importance to human rather than

divine or supernatural matters
Francesco Petrarch – considered as the Father of

Humanism
Giovanni Boccacio – wrote ‘’Decameron’’, a collection of

novellas
Leonardo da Vinci – leading figure of Italian Renaissance;

best known for his works “The Last Supper” and the
“Mona Lisa”
Niccolo Machiavelli – wrote the “The Prince”; “The end

justifies the means”
Raphael Sanzio – best known for his works in architecture

and painting, especially ‘Transfiguration’ and Madonnas
Michelangelo Buonarotti – his most famous works

include: Sistine Chapel ceiling, David, Pieta
Johann Gutenberg – introduced a mechanical movable

type printing to Europe, thus starting the Printing
Revolution
Desiderius Erasmus – the greatest scholar of the northern

Renaissance; the first editor of the New Testament
Thomas More – wrote “Utopia”, a work of fiction and

socio- political satire depicting a ‘perfect’ society
Miguel de Cervantes – regarded as the greatest writer

in the Spanish language; wrote Don Quixote
Counter-Reformation - the period of Catholic resurgence

initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation
Diet of Worms – made famous by Martin Luther’s

appearance for his response to charges of heresy
Edict of Worms – declared Luther to be an obstinate

heretic and banned the reading or possession of his
writings
First Wave of Colonialism and Imperialism
Bartholomew Diaz – first known European to sail around

the southernmost tip of Africa
Vasco da Gama – first European to reach India by sea
Christopher Columbus – accidentally arrived upon the
Americas and thought the inhabitants were Indians
Amerigo Vespucci – the first person to recognize North
and South America as distinct continents
Sebastian el Canol - first completed the circumnavigation

of the Earth
Francisco Pizarro – led an expedition that conquered the
Inca Empire
Juan Ponce de Leon – the first Governor of Puerto Rico by
appointment of the Spanish crown
John Cabot – led the first European exploration of the
mainland of North America
Francis Drake – led the second circumnavigation of the

world in a single expedition
Alfonso de Albuquerque – led the conquest of Goa, India
and of Malacca in 1511; appointed head of the fleet of the
Arabian and Persian seas, and of the Indian Ocean
Columbian exchange – the widespread transfer of plants,
animals, culture, human populations, technology, and
ideas between the Americas and the Old World
Scientific Revolution
Nicolaus Copernicus – Polish astronomer who

reintroduced a heliocentric model of the Solar System
Johannes Kepler – best known for his laws of planetary
motion
Galileo Galilei – inventing the thermoscope and the
telescope for scientific observations of celestial objects
Rene Descartes – the father of analytical geometry
John Napier – the discoverer of logarithms; made

common the use of the decimal point in arithmetic and
mathematics
Christian Huygens – the inventor of the pendulum clock
Isaac Newton – formulated the laws of motion and

universal gravitation
Age of Enlightenment
centered on reason as the primary source of authority and

legitimacy
Thomas Hobbes – wrote “Leviathan”, which established
the social contract theory
John Locke – postulated that, at birth, the mind was a
tabula rasa; believed to start the concept of introspection
Voltaire – advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of
speech, and separation of church and state.
Baron de Montesquieu – wrote “The Spirit of the Laws”,

which includes a divided French society composed of
three classes: the monarchs, the aristocrats, and the
commoners
Jean-Jacques Rousseau – wrote “Emile, or On

Education” a treatise on the education of the whole
person for citizenship
Industrial Revolution
The name given by Arnold Toynbee to describe the changes in economic

life of England caused by remarkable series of inventions during the
period of 1777 – 1815. Main feature of this period is the replacement of
hand labor with machine labor. Machines were first powered by water
then by coal and electricity. Industrialization spread to other countries in
the late 19th century especially in Germany and United States.
The growth of an industrialized society brought with it many social

problem such as employment of child labor in factories and the growth
of new towns without regards for health and proper planning.
James Hargreaves – invented the spinning jenny in

1764
Richard Arkwright – the creator of the modern factory

system
Edmund Cartwright – invented the power loom

Reformation
Period of change in Western Christendom. Reform certain beliefs in

the Roman Catholic. The Catholic church reacted to the Protestant
movement by asserting itself and pushing back the tide of
Protestantism. The Council of Trent instituted many reforms dealing
with conduct of church officials but did not accept Protestant
changes Ignatius de Loyola, founded the society of Jesus and won
back territories which were dominated by Protestants. Through then
Catholicism was spread America and Asia.
American Revolution – (1775 – 1783)
Was a struggle for independence from British rule by the thirteen

colonies. It actually started over the issue of taxation (no taxation
without representation) and ended up as a war independence. The war
was fought for eight years, although by July 4, 1776, the Second
Continental Congress of the 13th colonies drew up the famous
Declaration Independence. At the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the
independence of the colonies was recognized and a republican
government was formed George Washington elected as the first
president.
Boston Tea Party – a group of Massachusetts colonists

disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships
and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor
First Continental Congress – a meeting of delegates from

twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in response to the British
Parliament’s enactment of the Coercive Acts in the
American colonies
Second Continental Congress – the convention

eventually led up to the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence – Main author: Thomas

Jefferson; Purpose: To announce and explain separation
from United Kingdom.
Before proclaiming independence, the Thirteen Colonies were

traditionally divided into three regions:
New England Colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts,

Rhode Island, and Connecticut)
Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
and Delaware)
Southern Colonies (Maryland; Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia)
French Revolution – (1789 – 1799)
It started with the Storming of the Bastille (royal fortress). A new

constitution was drawn up by the National Assembly limiting the power of
Louis XVI. By 1872 the French Republic was declared. The king was
deposed and beheaded. An orgy of bloodshed followed which was called
Reign of Terror (1793 – 1794) where Queen Marie Antoinette was
guillotined. Fresh from military campaigns Napoleon Bonaparte returned
to France to eventually rule as dictator for he was made Consul for life by
popular vote. Later the French Legislature made him Emperor and through
brilliant military campaigns became Master of Europe.
Oath of the Tennis Court – an oath by the French Estates-

General for the Third Estate (after which they were locked
from a meeting) never to separate until a written constitution
had been established for France
Reign of Terror – a period of about 11 months during the

French Revolution, after King Louis XVI’s death
Maximillen de Robespierre – the architect of the Reign of

Terror, then overthrown and arrested by the National
Convention
Napoleon I – the first emperor of France; military leader

who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and
led several successful campaigns during the French
Revolutionary Wars
Hundred Days’ War – the date on which Napoleon arrived

in Paris after escaping from exile on Elba, and the date of
the return of Louis XVIII to Paris
World War I (1914-1918)
Underlying causes:
(1) Nationalism – the desire to be a free nation

degenerated to jingoism or chauvinism, such bigoted kind
of nationalism existed in many European countries.
German jingoists considered themselves “superior race”
hence; they aspired to dominate the world.
(2) Imperialism – the policy of extending national

power by acquiring colonies and economic advantages.
Rivalry among European powers for colonies and trade
produced tensions between nations
(3) Militarism – a powerful army and a great navy are

required to support nationalism and imperialism. The
European arms race produced pressure. England had long
been the “Mistress of the Sea”, but Germany challenged it
by building a strong fleet. England accepted the German
challenge by constructing more warships, and so the
naval race was on
(4) Rival Alliances – competition between nations led to

the formation of two rival alliances
Triple Alliance – a secret agreement between Germany,

Austria- Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente – the understanding linking the Russian

Empire, France, and the United Kingdom
Assassination of the Austrian Archduke –
Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria’s throne was assassinated on

June 18, 1914 by a Serbian patriot, Gavrilo Princip. Austria
rejected Serbia’s offer for a peaceful settlement, and promptly
declared war to Serbia on July 18, 1914.
Allies versus Central Powers
Allies (France, Russia, Britain, Serbia)

Central Powers (Austria, Hungary, Germany, Turkey, Bulgaria)
War ended, with the Allies winning, on November 11, 1918.

In accordance with this armistice, all hostilities ceased at 11
am of the same day – “the eleventh hour on the eleventh
day of the eleventh month of the year”
League of Nations
The League was established in Geneva, Switzerland on

January 10, 1920 with 62 member states.
Its aims: (1) prevent war, (2) protect member countries

against aggression, (3) arbitrate all disputes between nations,
(4) promote international cooperation, & (5) implement the
provisions of the peace treaties ending World War I.
Supplementary Notes
Balkan Peninsula is also known as the powder keg (can

cause continuous conflicts) of Europe
Bolsheviks – founded by Vladimir Lenin, the minority

group of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party
Mensheviks – the minority group of the Russian Social

Democratic Labor Party
Big Three – the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United
Kingdom, or their leaders Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill
The Treaty of Versailles - was a peace treaty signed on 28 June

1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the
state of war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers.
League of Nations – an intergovernmental organization founded

on 10 January 1920 as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that
ended the First World War
The Great Depression (1929–1939)
was a period of economic depression that became evident

after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The
economic contagion began around September 1929 and led
to the Wall Street stock market crash of 24 October (Black
Thursday). It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread
depression of the 20th century.
World War II (1939-1945)
Underlying causes:
Clash between two rival political ideologies – democracy &

totalitarianism.
The unchecked aggressions of Germany, Italy and Japan.
The foolish dream of Hitler and Mussolini to be masters of
the world.
Failure of the League of Nations to settle international crisis.
World War II Timeline
September 1, 1939 - Germany invades Poland, inciting

Poland’s allies Britain and France to declare war on
Germany. World War II begins.
September 17, 1939 - Soviet Union invades Poland
September 27, 1939 - Warsaw surrenders to German
troops. Poland holds out for another 9 days before
capitulating.
December 13, 1939 - British cruisers defeat a German

pocket battleship at the Battle of the River Plate, the first
major naval engagement of World War II.
April 8, 1940 - Germany invades Norway, ending a 6-

month period of limited land operations called the “Phony
War.”
May 10, 1940 - Churchill becomes the UK Prime Minister

December 13, 1939 - Miracle of Dunkirk (Operation

Dynamo)
June 14, 1940 - Paris falls to German forces. France

capitulates 11 days later.
July 10-October 31, 1940 - Battle of Britain
September 7, 1940 – May 11, 1941 - The Blitz

December 9, 1940 – February 9, 1941 - Operation

Compass
February 12, 1941 - German General Erwin Rommel takes

command of the Afrika Korps, seeking to drive the British
out of North Africa.
June 22, 1941 - Hitler launches Operation Barbarossa
December 7, 1941 - Attack on Pearl Harbor

December 8, 1941 - Britain and US declare war on Japan
January 20, 1942 - Wannsee Conference. High-ranking

Nazi officials approve a systematic plan for the mass
extermination of Jews across Europe—the “Final
Solution.” Culminated in the Holocaust
June 4–7, 1942 - Battle of Midway

November 8, 1942 - Operation Torch
June 1943 - German U-boats withdraw from Atlantic.

Battle of Atlantic won by Allies.
July 1943 - Allies invade Sicily
June 6, 1944 - D-Day: Allied landings on the coast of

France begin at Normandy.
December 16 1944 - Battle of the Bulge Begins

April 28, 1945 - Mussolini captured and executed
April 30, 1945 - Hitler commits suicide
May 7, 1945 - Germany unconditionally surrenders
May 8, 1945 - V.E. day
August 6, 1945 - Atomic Bomb (Little Boy from Enola
Gay) dropped on Hiroshima
August 9, 1945 - Atomic bomb (Fat Man from Bockscar)
dropped on Nagasaki
August 14, 1945 - Japanese surrender
September 2, 1945 - MacArthur accepts Japan’s

unconditional surrender
Supplementary Notes
Kellogg-Briand Pact – a 1928 international agreement in

which signatory states promised not to use war to resolve
disputes
Appeasement – a diplomatic policy of making concessions to

an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict
Holocaust – murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime

Axis Powers – Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini

(Italy), and Emperor Hirohito (Japan)
Allied Powers – Franklin Roosevelt (the United States),

Winston Churchill (Great Britain), and Joseph Stalin (the
Soviet Union)
Nuremburg Trials – a series of military tribunals held by

the Allied forces under international law and the laws of
war after World War II
Blitzkrieg - German lightning war strategy
Manhattan Project - was a top-secret program to make

the first atomic bombs during World War II (J. Robert
Oppenheimer)
United Nations – a replacement for the ineffective League

of Nations
Cold War
was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States

and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western
Bloc and the Eastern Bloc, between 1945 and 1991
Iron Curtain - symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union to block

itself and its satellite states from open contact with the West and
non-Soviet-controlled areas; Bamboo Curtain - the People’s
Republic of China, and the capitalist and non-Communist states of
the region
Truman Doctrine – an American foreign policy created to counter

Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War
Berlin Wall – a guarded concrete barrier that physically and

ideologically divided Berlin, Germany
Mikhail Gorbachev - the last leader of the Soviet Union;

made efforts to democratize his country’s political system
and decentralize its economy
Glasnost – used by Mikhail Gorbachev as a political slogan

for increased openness and transparency in government
institutions and activities in the Soviet Union
Perestroika – a political movement for reformation within

the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty Agreement – were two

rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding
international treaties involving the United States and the
Soviet Union — the Cold War superpowers — on the issue
of arms control
THE END
FOR NOW...

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ROWLET REVIEW MARCH 2024 LET

THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

1. The Religious Story of Creation - From God’s word (the

2. The Scientific Theory of Evolution - Based on man’s wisdom

I. Prehistoric Period - A period when there were no written

PALEOLITHIC OR OLD STONE AGE (2.5M - 8000BC)

Palaios “old” and Lithos “stone”

NEOLITHIC OR NEW STONE AGE (8000BC - 3000BC)

Neos “new” and Lithos “stone”

METAL AGE (4000BC – 1500BC)

Copper was discovered near Mt. Sinai

II. HISTORIC PERIOD - MENS’ PROGRESS WERE RECORDED.

THE INVENTION OF WRITING

Ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia invented in 3500 BC the

Egyptians invented their own writing, hieroglyphics.

The first alphabet was invented by the Phoenicians which

Later the Greeks improved it by adding the vowels.

THE ANCIENT WORLD FIRST CIVILIZATIONS WERE IN THE RIVER

Mesopotamia – region between the Tigris and Euphrates

MESOPOTAMIA (3500 B.C. - 2000 B.C.)

Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”.

Cuneiform (system of writing)

AKKADIAN EMPIRE (24TH TO 22ND CENTURY BCE):

Founded by Sargon of Akkad

BABYLONIAN EMPIRE (18TH TO 6TH CENTURY BCE):

Rose to prominence under Hammurabi

Written by the ruler, Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC).

It frequently applied the principle of retaliation (an eye for an

Nebuchadnezzar - The Chaldean King who made Babylon to be

The Hanging Gardens - Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging

ASSYRIAN EMPIRE (25TH TO 7TH CENTURY BCE):

Known for the most brute and ferocious rule enforcement

Nineveh - its capital

Modern day Iran

Zoroastrianism – Persia’s official religion; founded by

Ahura Mazda – Chief God/God of Truth

Bow - national weapon

Wrote the first human charter

ANCIENT EGYPT (3200 B.C. – 600 B.C.)

First discovered by a woman, Egyptus, who was a daughter of

Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus became the first ruler of

Society in ancient Egypt was divided into 4 social classes:

(1) nobles and priests,

The ancient Egyptian writing was called hieroglyphics. It

THE ROSETTA STONE

In 1799, near the village of Rosetta, French scholars found

In 1822, a French scholar - Jean Francois Champollion,

OLD KINGDOM (AROUND 2660-2180 BCE)

Referred as “Age of Pyramids”

Famous for the construction of the pyramids at Giza

Observed Theocracy - a system of government in which

ANCIENT EGYPT’S Contributions

Literature: Pyramid Texts, The Book of the dead

Architecture: Pyramid, the oldest man-made stone

World’s first builders. Erected magnificent palaces, obelisks

Sculpture: The ancient Egyptians were skilled sculptors.

First to develop geometry. They utilized their mathematical

Increased man’s knowledge of medicine, surgery and

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the

Mature Indus Valley Civilization (26th to 19th century

This civilization is characterized by well-planned cities