Data
Visual data/trends throughout history that I find interesting:
This chart shows how human population has grown from the end of the last Ice Age (10,000 BCE) to present day. The dramatic acceleration in recent centuries illustrates the exponential nature of population growth.
What's happening across time: Human population growth tells the story of our species' relationship with technology, resources, and survival. For most of human history, from 10,000 BCE to around 1800 CE, population grew incredibly slowly, constrained by limited food production, disease, and harsh living conditions. The hunter-gatherer societies of the early period supported only small, scattered groups, with global population likely under 10 million people. The agricultural revolution around 8,000 BCE marked the first major shift, as farming allowed permanent settlements and more reliable food sources, gradually pushing population to around 50 million by 1000 BCE. Ancient civilisations like Rome, China, and India saw steady but modest growth, reaching perhaps 300 million globally by 1 CE. The medieval period brought both growth and devastating setbacks from plagues like the Black Death, which killed a third of Europe's population. However, the real transformation began with the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. Suddenly, mechanised agriculture, improved sanitation, medical advances, and fossil fuel energy created an unprecedented population explosion. What took 10,000 years to reach 1 billion people (around 1800) took only 130 years to reach 2 billion (1930), then just 30 years to reach 3 billion (1960). This exponential growth reflects humanity's mastery over food production, disease control, and energy use, but also raises questions about resource sustainability and environmental impact as we approach 8 billion people today. Population estimates are based on historical demographic research from the UN Population Division, historical census data, and archaeological evidence, with early figures (pre-1800) representing estimates with significant uncertainty ranges.
This chart tracks Bitcoin's price from its creation in 2009 to the present day, showing the dramatic rise and volatility of the world's first cryptocurrency.
What's happening across time: Bitcoin's price journey is a story of technological innovation, speculation, adoption, and market maturation. From 2009 to 2012, Bitcoin existed largely as an experimental digital currency with virtually no market value—early adopters could mine thousands of coins on personal computers, and the first recorded Bitcoin purchase was 10,000 coins for two pizzas. The first major price movement came in 2013 when Bitcoin reached $1,000, driven by early media attention and the Silk Road marketplace, before crashing back down. The 2017 bull run saw Bitcoin explode from under $1,000 to nearly $20,000 in a matter of months, fuelled by mainstream media coverage, retail investor FOMO, and the ICO bubble, before crashing to $3,200 in 2018. The 2020-2021 cycle marked a different phase: institutional adoption by companies like Tesla and MicroStrategy, acceptance by payment processors like PayPal, and growing recognition as "digital gold" drove Bitcoin to an all-time high near $69,000. Throughout this journey, Bitcoin's price has grown from essentially zero to over $118,000 by October 2025, making early adopters extraordinarily wealthy. The volatility reflects Bitcoin's evolution from a cryptographic experiment to a speculative asset to an emerging store of value, with each cycle bringing more institutional infrastructure, regulatory clarity, and mainstream acceptance despite the dramatic price swings. Price data is sourced from CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, and blockchain analytics platforms, with early price data (2009-2010) being sparse due to limited trading activity.
This chart shows global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes since the Industrial Revolution began.
What's happening across time: Global CO₂ emissions tell the story of human industrial development and our growing impact on Earth's climate system. From 1750 to 1850, emissions were minimal—less than 100 million tonnes annually—as the world ran primarily on wood, water, and wind power. The Industrial Revolution's coal-powered factories, steam trains, and steel production began the upward trajectory, with emissions reaching 500 million tonnes by 1900. The 20th century brought explosive growth: World War I and II industrial production, the automobile revolution, electrification of cities, and post-war economic booms pushed emissions to 4 billion tonnes by 1950. The real acceleration came after 1950 during the "Great Acceleration"—rapid economic growth, suburban expansion, air travel, and industrial agriculture drove emissions to 15 billion tonnes by 1980. The late 20th century saw continued growth despite early climate awareness, reaching 25 billion tonnes by 2000 as developing nations industrialised. The 2000s marked the steepest climb as China's manufacturing boom and global consumption growth pushed emissions above 35 billion tonnes annually. Recent years show signs of decoupling in developed nations—emissions peaking or declining due to renewable energy, efficiency improvements, and service-based economies—but global totals remain near record highs as developing countries continue industrialising. This curve represents humanity's transformation from a species with minimal environmental impact to the dominant force reshaping Earth's atmosphere and climate. Emissions data comes from the Global Carbon Project, CDIAC (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center), and national greenhouse gas inventories compiled by climate research institutions.
This chart tracks the remarkable increase in human life expectancy worldwide, showing one of the greatest achievements in human history.
What's happening across time: Global life expectancy represents one of humanity's greatest triumphs—the conquest of premature death through medical science, public health, and improved living conditions. In 1800, global life expectancy was just 28-30 years, with most deaths occurring in childhood from infectious diseases, malnutrition, and poor sanitation. The 19th century brought gradual improvements as germ theory emerged, cities built sewage systems, and vaccination began, pushing life expectancy to around 35 years by 1900. The early 20th century saw accelerating progress: antibiotics like penicillin, improved surgical techniques, better nutrition, and public health campaigns against diseases like tuberculosis and polio raised life expectancy to 48 years by 1950. The post-war era brought the most dramatic gains: mass vaccination programs, the eradication of smallpox, clean water infrastructure, improved maternal care, and treatments for heart disease and cancer pushed global life expectancy above 60 years by 1990. The late 20th and early 21st centuries continued this upward trajectory despite challenges like HIV/AIDS, reaching over 72 years globally by 2020. However, this progress has been uneven—wealthy nations now see life expectancies above 80 years, while some developing regions still struggle with preventable diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reversed gains in many countries, highlighting how fragile this progress can be. This curve represents humanity's evolving relationship with mortality, disease, and the quality of life we can expect. Life expectancy data comes from the World Health Organization, World Bank, UN Population Division, and historical demographic research from institutions like Our World in Data.
This chart shows the performance of the S&P 500 stock market index, representing the 500 largest US companies and serving as a benchmark for American economic growth.
What's happening across time: The S&P 500's journey from 1950 to today as seen above tells the story of American economic dominance, technological innovation, and the power of compound growth over decades. Starting around 16 points in 1950, the index reflected a post-war economy rebuilding and expanding, with companies like General Motors, AT&T, and U.S. Steel dominating. The 1950s and 1960s saw steady growth to around 100 points, driven by suburban expansion, consumer goods adoption, and the baby boom economy. The 1970s brought stagnation and volatility due to oil crises, inflation, and economic uncertainty, with the index struggling to break above 100. The 1980s marked a new era of growth as Reagan-era policies, falling interest rates, and the beginning of the tech revolution pushed the index above 300. The 1990s internet boom created explosive growth from 300 to over 1,500 points, as companies like Microsoft, Intel, and early internet firms revolutionised business and society. The 2000 dot-com crash and 2008 financial crisis created major setbacks, but each recovery reached new highs as the American economy adapted and evolved. The 2010s brought unprecedented growth driven by technology giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon, pushing the index above 3,000. Recent years have seen continued growth despite COVID-19 disruption, reflecting the dominance of tech companies, low interest rates, and the resilience of American capitalism. This upward trajectory, despite numerous crises, demonstrates the long-term wealth creation power of owning pieces of America's most successful companies. S&P 500 data comes from Standard & Poor's, Yahoo Finance, and financial data providers, with historical data adjusted for stock splits and dividends where noted.
This chart shows YouTube's growth from a startup to the world's second-largest website, tracking monthly active users every quarter from its founding to today.
What's happening across time: YouTube's user growth tells the story of how video became the internet's dominant medium. Founded in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees in a garage in San Mateo, YouTube started with effectively zero users. The first video, "Me at the zoo", was uploaded on 23 April 2005. By the end of 2005, YouTube had attracted around 8 million monthly users through viral videos and word-of-mouth growth. The platform's growth accelerated rapidly in 2006, reaching 20 million monthly users by mid-year, which prompted Google to acquire it for $1.65 billion in October 2006, a decision that seemed risky at the time but proved visionary. From 2007 to 2010, YouTube grew from 50 million to 600 million monthly users, driven by improved video quality, the Partner Program (letting creators earn money from ads), and integration with Google's infrastructure. The early 2010s saw explosive growth from 800 million (2012) to 1 billion (2013) to 1.5 billion (2017) monthly users, as smartphones with front-facing cameras enabled vlogging, faster mobile internet made video streaming practical, and YouTube became the platform for entertainment, education, and self-expression. The 2010s also brought algorithmic recommendations that kept users watching longer, the rise of YouTube celebrities who commanded audiences larger than traditional media, and diversification into live streaming, YouTube Premium, and YouTube Music. By 2020, YouTube reached 2 billion monthly logged-in users, with over 1 billion hours of video watched daily. Recent years show continued growth to 2.5 billion monthly users in 2023 and approaching 2.7 billion by 2025, making YouTube the second-most-visited website after Google itself. YouTube's trajectory represents the shift from text-based internet to video-first consumption, the democratisation of content creation (anyone with a smartphone can be a broadcaster), and the platform's evolution from amateur video sharing to professional media empire. The platform now spans every imaginable niche: education (crash courses, tutorials), entertainment (music videos, comedy), news, gaming, vlogs, and everything in between. YouTube's growth reflects broader trends: increasing internet penetration in developing countries, smartphone adoption, cheaper data plans, and the human preference for visual storytelling over text. User data is sourced from YouTube's official announcements, Google earnings reports, Alphabet investor relations, and third-party analytics platforms like SimilarWeb and Statista, with early figures (2005-2009) representing estimates based on available traffic data.