The history of the human race as a 24-hour story

Once upon a time, on the stroke of midnight, the earth was unclouded and serene. The people had the world to themselves.

All morning and all afternoon they moved quietly about their business - hunting animals with spears and arrows, taking shelter in caves.

At about six o'clock in the evening, they discovered that plants could be grown from seeds and animals could be tamed. They did not have to wander around looking for food any more.

They started to live closer together, and as half-past seven struck, bustling cities had sprung up all the way from Egypt to North India. Even at this early hour, men were groping their way towards a meaningful way of life.

Buddha in India, Socrates in Greece and Confucius in China all came and went together, although they did not know each other, at about 10 past 10. At 10.30 pm, Jesus strode on to the scene, while in China a large mass of people were building a great wall to protect their country. Another leader of men, Mohammed, appeared at 11 o'clock.

In the next hour, Northern Europe was a hive of activity as cities flourished and people grew confident. So much so that they began to eye the other countries of the world with interest.

From about a quarter to 12 onwards, people went out from these cities to explore the rest of the world. They decided to take over America; they settled down in India, and just after four minutes to midnight they marched into Africa.