A figure of 4.5 billion years (4.5 × 109years) is often quoted for the age of the Earth (1). But how can the Earth’s age be measured?
The Archbishop of Ireland, James Ussher (1581– 1656), famously used statements in the Bible to calculate that Earth had been created in 4004 BC, on Sunday 23 October. Many scientists disputed this figure. Some people preferred to believe that Earth was infinitely old and unchanging, but studies of fossils (2) by geologists including William Smith (1769–1839) showed otherwise. Smith’s nephew John Phillips (1800–1874) used fossil records to estimate that the Earth is about 96 million years old.
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