It's difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the first crops being planted because the development of agriculture happened gradually over thousands of years.
Here's what we do know:
* Earliest Evidence: The earliest evidence of agriculture, including the planting of crops, dates back to around 10,000 BC in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East. This is where archaeological evidence suggests people began cultivating grains like wheat and barley.
* Independent Development: Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world, such as in China, the Americas, and Africa. The exact dates vary, but most of these developments occurred between 10,000 and 5,000 BC.
* Gradual Transition: The shift from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural ones wasn't a sudden event. It involved a gradual process of experimentation, domestication of plants and animals, and changes in social structures.
So, while there isn't a definitive "first" date for planting crops, the evidence suggests that it began around 10,000 BC in the Fertile Crescent.