"Beginning in 1850 and organized by decade, 6,000 timeline entries cover events year by year in the categories of science, medicine, and technology; religion, philosophy, and education; history and politics; business and commerce; daily life and society; and the arts. In addition, 300 spotlight articles explore, in greater detail, the most intriguing events of each decade. Augmenting the text are thousands of photographs, drawings, and paintings"--From publisher description.