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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, April 23, 2024

The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (Massacre de la Saint-BarthAlemy in French) in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants), during th
How Did the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day Start?
Beginning on August 24, 1572, the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day in Paris resulted in the deaths of thousands. What did...
Apollo 12 astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad stands beside the U.S. flag after is was unfurled on the lunar surface during the first extravehicular activity (EVA-1) Nov. 19, 1969. Footprints made by the crew can be seen in the photograph.
How Many People Have Been to the Moon?
You may recall the Apollo program of the 1960s and ’70s, but you may find it challenging to keep track of how many missions...
Lead image for "A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps"
A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps
Time travel through more than four millennia.
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.
Leonardo da Vinci: Last Supper
Renaissance
Renaissance, period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages and conventionally held to have been characterized...
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire, empire created by Turkish tribes in Anatolia (Asia Minor) that grew to be one of the most powerful states...
Jacques-Louis David: The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries
Napoleon I
Napoleon I was a French general, first consul (1799–1804), and emperor of the French (1804–1814/15), one of the most celebrated...
Industrial Revolution: spinning room
Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution, in modern history, the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated...

World History Quizzes

Model T. Ford Motor Company. Car. Illustration of a red Ford Model T car, front view. Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 and automobile assembly line manufacturing in 1913.
American Industry and Innovation
Do you know which American building was the first to rise taller than 20 stories? From the transcontinental railroad to the...
Earth from space. Full-hemisphere views of the Earth showing Hurricane Linda at its peak approaching Baja California on 1997 September 11.
Human Exploration: From Earth to Space
Was Australia the last continent to be discovered? Who was the first human to orbit Earth? From treks through the South Pole...
Tile on a monument of a hammer and sickle. Communist symbolism, communism, Russian Revolution, Russian history, Soviet Union
Exploring Russian History
Who was the first democratically elected president of Russia? From "terrible" rulers to infamous Tsars, test your knowledge...
Napoleon Bonaparte. General Bonaparte on the bridge at Arcole, 17 November, 1796, by Antoine-Jean Gros, Musee National, Chateau de Versailles. The first emblematic image of the Napoleonic myth. Napoleon I
Exploring French History
From the French Revolution to the battle that ended Emperor Napoleon’s rule, dot your Eiffel Towers and cross your croissants...
Mayflower. Plymouth. Photograph of the Mayflower II a full-scale reproduction of the Mayflower. The Mayflower II built in Devon, England, crossed the Atlantic in 1957 maintained by Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA.
Early America
Which American colony was founded as a refuge for Catholics? Which colony did Benjamin Franklin represent? From Plymouth,...
Declaration of Independence. Close-up photograph of the Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776, Continental Congress, American history, American Revolution
Famous Documents
What famous document did Abraham Lincoln write? Thomas Jefferson? From the earliest known system of laws to The Communist...
Union Soldiers. Bottom half of the memorial honoring American Civil War General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant at the base of Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Photo: 2010 Memorial Day
History of Warfare
Was the Vietnam War the longest war in history? Was the Spanish American War fought in the 19th century? From battles in...
U.S. general Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, Oct. 1944 - Aug. 1945. General of the Army Gen. MacArthur (smoking a corncob pipe) probably at Manila, Philippine Islands, August 2, 1945.
Famous Faces of War
Did Alexander the Great conquer Iran? What are the leaders of the American Revolution called? From Hannibal to George Washington,...
Marble bust of Alexander the Great, in the British Museum, London, England. Hellenistic Greek, 2nd-1st century BC. Said to be from Alexandria, Egypt. Height: 37 cm.
Ancient Greece
When was the first modern Olympiad held? Who won the Peloponnesian War? From the city called the "birthplace of democracy"...
Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza and the Wall of Skulls (Tzompantli). Ruined ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza located in southeastern Mexico. UNESCO World Heritage site.
Exploring Latin American History
Was the Incan civilization located in Mexico? For whom was Bolivia named? From Belize to Gran Colombia, step back in time...

World History Videos

Learn about the Munich massacre of 1972
Learn about the Munich massacre of 1972
East and West German cultural changes: 1950s Music, fashion, and more
East and West German cultural changes: 1950s Music, fashion, and more
How did people respond to To Kill a Mockingbird?
How did people respond to To Kill a Mockingbird?
Listen to heart-wrenching stories of Kindertransport during WWII
Listen to heart-wrenching stories of Kindertransport during WWII
Witness the historic speech by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, May 2011
Witness the historic speech by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, May 2011
Deciding Germany's future: The Potsdam Conference
Deciding Germany's future: The Potsdam Conference
Examine the ways in which mythology functioned for the ancient Greek population
Examine the ways in which mythology functioned for the ancient Greek population
See how American abolitionists, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett, helped enslaved persons escape to freedom
See how American abolitionists, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett, helped enslaved persons escape to freedom
Learn about the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and China and its aftermath
Learn about the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and China and its aftermath
How families escaped the East German regime in the 1970s
How families escaped the East German regime in the 1970s
Image Gallery
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
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Articles
branches of the Medici family Historic Dynasties & Families
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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
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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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