The document discusses several key events and periods in history: - The emergence of early human "Lucy" in Ethiopia 130,000 years ago. - Ancient civilizations including the Nile Valley civilization in Egypt. - Ancient Greece and important works by Homer like the Iliad and Odyssey. - Alexander the Great's invasion of Egypt in the 4th century BC. - The defeat of half of Rome's western troops by Germanic tribes around 500-1000 AD. - Three great West African kingdoms that emerged during Europe's Dark Ages.