Donald Johanson was surveying the Afar Depression in Ethiopia on November 24, 19

1974 Event

Lucy Found in Ethiopia: 3.2 Million Years of Human History

Donald Johanson was surveying the Afar Depression in Ethiopia on November 24, 1974, when he spotted a fragment of arm bone protruding from a hillside. Over the next two weeks, his team recovered 47 bones representing about 40% of a single female skeleton, an extraordinary completeness for a 3.2-million-year-old fossil. They named her Lucy because the camp tape player was repeatedly playing 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' during the excavation. Officially designated AL 288-1, Lucy was classified as Australopithecus afarensis. She stood about 3 feet 7 inches tall and weighed roughly 64 pounds. Her pelvis and knee joint proved she walked upright, demonstrating that bipedalism preceded the dramatic brain expansion that characterizes later human species. Humans didn't evolve to think first; they stood up first, and bigger brains came a million years later.

Talk About This Event

November 24, 1974

52 years ago

What Else Happened on November 24

380 Event

Theodosius I entered Constantinople in a formal adventus, signaling his consolidation of power after years of military instability. By reclaiming the capital, h…

847 Event

A massive earthquake leveled major urban centers across Syria, Iraq, and the Levant, shattering the infrastructure of Antioch, Damascus, and Mosul. The disaster…

1190 Event

Conrad of Montferrat secured his claim to the throne of Jerusalem by marrying Queen Isabella I, consolidating his authority over the remaining Crusader territor…

1190 Event

Isabella of Jerusalem wed Conrad of Montferrat at Acre, securing his claim to the throne during the height of the Third Crusade. This strategic union consolidat…

1221 Event

Genghis Khan crushes the fleeing prince Jalal al-Din at the Battle of the Indus, extinguishing any hope of a Khwarazmian resurgence. This decisive victory seals…

1227 Event

Assassins ambushed and killed Polish High Duke Leszek I the White during a gathering of regional rulers at Gąsawa. His sudden death fractured the fragile unity …

View all events on November 24 →

Talk to History

Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.

Start Talking

← Back to November 24

Lucy Found in Ethiopia: 3.2 Million Years of Human History

Key Figures & Places

What Else Happened on November 24

Talk to History