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World History

Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.
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Accidents & Disasters Age of Revolutions The Ancient World Historians Historic Dynasties & Families Historic Nobility Global Exploration The Middle Ages Military Leaders The Modern World Prehistoric Age United States History Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts

Featured content, June 07, 2024

Siberian taiga and the river Tunguska fall from a helicopter.
What Is Known (and Not Known) About the Tunguska Event
Here is what scientists have determined and supposed about the 1908 explosion in Siberia.
Joan of Arc at the Coronation of King Charles VII at Reims Cathedral, July 1429 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Oil on canvas, 240 x 178 cm, 1854. In the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
7 Women Warriors
Seven women who weren’t afraid to fight.
A soldier standing guard in a Washington, D.C. street with the ruins of buildings that were destroyed during the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., April 8, 1968.
There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part Two)
Unlawful assemblies to remember.
Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
How a single line of the U.S. Constitution guards against improper foreign influence on federal officeholders.
Industrial Revolution: spinning room
Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution, in modern history, the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated...
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was a celebrated Roman general and statesman, the conqueror of Gaul (58–50 bce), victor in the civil war of...
World War II: Germany invading Poland
World War II
World War II, conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45. The principal belligerents...
The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an insurrection carried out by 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies that began in 1775...

World History Quizzes

Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)
History Buff Quiz
You know basic history facts inside and out. But what about the details in between? Put your history smarts to the test to...
Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.
All-American History Quiz
Who was the original Edsel? When did a U.S. president first appear on TV? Go back in time for the all-American answers.
Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
World Wars
Fight for the title of War Wiz with this quiz on famous conflicts throughout history.
Close-up of terracotta Soldiers in trenches, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
History: Fact or Fiction?
Get hooked on history as this quiz sorts out the past. Find out who really invented movable type, who Winston Churchill called...
King George III, King of England, c1800. Full-length portrait of George III (1738-1820), king from 1760, in military uniform. Portrait inspired by Sir Henry William Beechey's.
Kings of England
How many kings of England have been named Henry? Who was the wife of Henry II? From the Magna Carta to the Battle of Agincourt,...
Gold funerary mask of King Tutankhamen, buried in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings in southern Egypt north of Luxor, 14th century BC. Valley of the Kings. King Tut's Tomb. Funeral mask of King Tutankhamen. King Tut funeral mask. King Tut funerary mask
Walk Like an Egyptian
Which Egyptian pharaoh believed in the idea of a single god? From the pyramids to famous mummies, decode your mental hieroglyphics...
South portico of the White House, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Presidents Facts
Who was the first U.S. president to live in the White House? How many presidents were born before the U.S. became a country?...
The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. Oil on canvas, 80 1/4 x 49 1/4 in. (203.9 x 125.1 cm) The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Napoleon I, Napoleon Bonaparte.
All About Napoleon Bonaparte
Men with short statures and quick tempers are said to have a Napoleon complex, but what was Napoleon Bonaparte’s nickname?...
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States - born Feby. 12th 1809, died April 15th 1865. Lithograph, hand-colored, published by Chr. Kimmel & Forster.
Presidents of the United States Quiz
Which two U.S. presidents died on the same day? Who was the first president to serve two terms in office? Test the knowledge...
American infantry streaming through the captured town of Varennes, France, 1918.This place fell into the hands of the Americans on the first day of the Franco-American assault upon the Argonne-Champagne line. (World War I)
World War I Quiz
Involving all the world’s superpowers, World War I resulted in more than 35 million casualties. In what strange way did the...

World History Videos

See how the Confederates' attack on the Union Army at Shiloh ended in large casualties for both sides
See how the Confederates' attack on the Union Army at Shiloh ended in large casualties for both sides
Did Vikings found the Russian state?
Did Vikings found the Russian state?
July Plot: A failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler
July Plot: A failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler
Behold the Athenian Acropolis and Roman Colosseum and drive down Appian Way on the Roman road system
Behold the Athenian Acropolis and Roman Colosseum and drive down Appian Way on the Roman road system
Birth of the Weimar Republic
Birth of the Weimar Republic
Examine how Stalin's Red Army defeated Hitler's Fourth and Sixth Armies in the Battle of Stalingrad
Examine how Stalin's Red Army defeated Hitler's Fourth and Sixth Armies in the Battle of Stalingrad
How did Adolf Hitler speak at the 1934 Nürnberg Rally?
How did Adolf Hitler speak at the 1934 Nürnberg Rally?
Watch Donald Trump take the oath of office
Watch Donald Trump take the oath of office
Follow the United States' path from isolationism toward joining the Allied powers in World War II
Follow the United States' path from isolationism toward joining the Allied powers in World War II
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World History
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World History Subcategories

Chile earthquake of 2010 Accidents & Disasters
Nature isn’t always peaceful and idyllic. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other powerful natural phenomena can have devastating consequences on communities and regions throughout the world. But nature is far from the only instigator of large-scale misfortune; human-made disasters and tragedies, both accidental and intentional, can cause significant misery, damage, and loss of life.
Articles
Louis XVI: execution by guillotine Age of Revolutions
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
ancient Middle East The Ancient World
The modern world may look very different from the world that existed in the time of ancient civilizations, but our modern-day life continues to show the influence of cultures, traditions, ideas, and innovations from hundreds of years ago. Learn more about important historical civilizations, sites, people, and events.
Articles
Livy Historians
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
branches of the Medici family Historic Dynasties & Families
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
subcategory placeholder Historic Nobility
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
David Livingstone. Global Exploration
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
subcategory placeholder The Middle Ages
The Middle Ages comprise the period in European history that began with the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE and lasted until the dawn of the Renaissance in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century. This interval of time saw the development of the Gothic style of art and architecture, flying buttresses and all. It was also the era of the Crusades and of papal monarchy, and it was during this period that the idea of Europe as a distinct cultural unit emerged.
Articles
Kemal Atatürk Military Leaders
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Kindertransport The Modern World
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Mississippian culture: Ocmulgee National Monument Prehistoric Age
The prehistoric age covers the millions of years that took place before human beings began to create written records of their life and of the world in which they lived. Archaeology and similar fields of study allow us to fill in the gaps and piece together an image of what life was like for our ancestors, including what kinds of flora and fauna they might have encountered.
Articles
Pearl Harbor attack United States History
As with most nations, the history of the United States contains a number of twists and turns throughout the centuries, from the time of the English colonization of North America up to the modern-day America that we're familiar with. Learn more about the people, events, and movements that left an indelible mark in history and shaped the development of the United States as a nation.
Articles
World War I Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts
Wars, battles, and other domestic or international conflicts, whether armed or diplomatic, are often the outcome of a dispute over natural resources or a struggle for power, influence, and wealth. Major conflicts between nations, peoples, and political groups can end up shifting the cultural and political geography of the world and can also effect change, whether intentional or not, in societal values and the balance of power.
Articles
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