Coke-fired iron smelting

1709Turning point

Abraham Darby smelts iron with coke instead of charcoal, making cheap iron possible.

Longest chain: The Big Bang → First stars ignite → Supernovae seed heavy elements → The Sun forms → Earth forms → First oceans → First life → Photosynthesis evolves → Great Oxidation Event → Complex cells (eukaryotes) → Multicellular life → Plants colonize land → First forests → Carboniferous coal forests → Britain turns to coal → Coke-fired iron smelting