There's a lot of good information and visuals about population and emergent technologies in this letter, and it has a cool layout. Definitely worth reading.
Two centuries ago, Paris, a city with a population of half a million, barely extended beyond its medieval footprint. São Paulo was still largely a small trading outpost for gold and exploration expeditions. And Los Angeles was just a pueblo of a few dozen buildings.
Explore BBC Earth's unique interactive, personalised just to you. Find out how, since the date of your birth, your life has progressed; including how many times your heart has beated, and how far you have travelled through space.