World economy charts, business frameworks and diagrams
The Silk Road wasnt just about silk. It carried spices, glass, gold, and ideastransforming economies from China to Rome. Some historians call it the worlds first ‘globalized’ trade network.
Tulip Mania in 17th-century Netherlands is often seen as the first economic bubble. At its height, some tulip bulbs sold for more than a house. The crash left many bankrupt.
In 1944, the Bretton Woods Conference created the IMF and World Bank. It also pegged global currencies to the U.S. dollar, cementing Americas financial dominance after WWII.
In the 1800s, Britains Industrial Revolution made it the ‘workshop of the world.’ By 1850, it produced more iron than the rest of the world combined.
The U.S. Federal Reserve was created in 1913 after repeated banking crises. Its main goal: stabilize the economy and prevent panics that had plagued the 19th century.
Before coins or paper, ancient societies used ‘commodity money’ like salt, cattle, or even cacao beans. The word ‘salary’ comes from ‘salarium’Roman soldiers being paid in salt.
During the Great Fire of London in 1666, most people didnt have insurance. The devastation inspired the creation of the first modern fire insurance companies.
The worlds first stock exchange opened in Amsterdam in 1602. Investors gathered to trade shares of the Dutch East India Companycreating modern capitalism.
In the 1970s, OPECs oil embargo quadrupled oil prices, triggering stagflation in the Westhigh inflation + high unemployment. It reshaped global energy politics forever.
The Roman Empires economy thrived on trade routes that stretched from Britain to India. Roman coins have been found in Japan, proof of how far their money traveled.