Short answers, pulled from the story.
The oldest discovered bricks date before 7500 BC and were found at Tell Aswad in the upper Tigris region. These early units formed from clay-bearing earth or mud dried until strong enough for use.
United States modern standard bricks have actual dimensions of 194 by 92 by 57 mm. With a standard inch mortar joint these give nominal dimensions of 8 by 4 by 2.25 inches.
Fired bricks appeared around 4400 BC at Chengtoushan in Neolithic China. These red clay bricks fired on all sides reached temperatures above 600 degrees Celsius and functioned as flooring within the walled settlement of the Daxi culture.
Richard A. Ver Valen of Haverstraw New York patented the first brick-making machine in 1852. Bradley & Craven Ltd Stiff-Plastic Brickmaking Machine received patent in 1853 and became the dominant manufacturer of machinery.
The oldest extant brick building above ground is possibly Songyue Pagoda dated to 523 AD. Fired bricks were first mass-produced during the construction of Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb where floors contained an estimated 230,000 bricks measuring 28x14x7 cm.