This document provides a history of textiles from ancient times to present day. It describes how textiles originated over 100,000 years ago and were made from materials like flax, cotton, silk and hemp in ancient Egypt, India, China and Japan. Synthetic fibers like nylon were later introduced in the 20th century. While the basic processes of weaving, knitting and felting textiles have not changed substantially since the 14th century, equipment and manufacturing methods have modernized and sped up production.