Short answers, pulled from the story.
Shaped sticks with notch marks from Kalambo Falls in southern Africa, dating to around 476,000 years ago, are among the earliest known examples of woodworking. The Clacton spearhead from Clacton-on-Sea, England, dating to around 400,000 years ago, is another early find.
Lu Ban and his wife Lady Yun, from the Spring and Autumn period (771 to 476 BC), are considered the progenitors of Chinese woodworking. Lu Ban is credited with introducing the plane and the chalk line to China, and his supposed teachings were compiled in the Lu Ban Jing, though that text is believed to have been written around 1,500 years after his death.
Ancient Egyptians invented the art of veneering and used varnishes for finishing, though the composition of those varnishes is not known today. They also used mortise and tenon joints from the earliest Predynastic period, and adopted animal glue only during the New Kingdom period.
Hardwoods come from broadleaf deciduous trees (angiosperms) and have a higher average density of around 1,041 kg/m3, making them more stable and durable. Softwoods come from coniferous trees (gymnosperms) and have a lower average density of around 432-592 kg/m3; they are generally cheaper and more readily available in the United States but more vulnerable to pests and moisture.
Computer Numerical Control machines allow woodworkers to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and with more complex designs than traditional methods. CNC wood routers can carve complicated, highly detailed shapes into flat stock to create signs or art objects.
Basswood is particularly popular with beginners because it has almost no grain and is notably soft. Aspen is similarly soft and readily available, while butternut has a deeper hue and an easy-to-carve grain that also suits beginners. Black walnut is a step up in cost but prized for its rich color and grain.