It's hard to pinpoint an exact date for the "beginning" of physics, as it's a field that developed gradually over centuries. However, we can identify key milestones:

* Ancient Greece (6th century BC): Philosophers like Thales and Pythagoras began questioning the nature of the world and observed patterns in nature, laying the groundwork for scientific inquiry.

* Ancient Rome (3rd century BC): Archimedes made significant contributions to mechanics, optics, and mathematics, establishing a foundation for practical applications of physical principles.

* Medieval Islamic World (8th-13th centuries): Islamic scholars translated Greek texts and made advancements in optics, astronomy, and mathematics, furthering the development of physics.

* Renaissance (14th-16th centuries): The Renaissance saw a renewed interest in scientific inquiry, with figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Nicolaus Copernicus making important contributions to physics.

* Scientific Revolution (16th-18th centuries): This period is marked by groundbreaking discoveries like Galileo Galilei's work on motion and Johannes Kepler's laws of planetary motion, which laid the foundation for modern physics.

* 19th Century: The 19th century saw the development of key concepts in thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and optics, further solidifying physics as a distinct discipline.

Therefore, while we can't pinpoint a single date, it's safe to say that the study of physics has been ongoing for at least 2,500 years, with continuous development and breakthroughs throughout history.