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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 15, 2024

Freddie Mae Rhodes, at about age 17, taken from her "high school cumulative card" which was a card with your picture and all your grades. Mother of EB contributor Charles Blow who wrote the Mendel feature on Juneteenth
A Teen Girl Recalls Juneteenth in the 1950s
The New York Times columnist Charles Blow recounts his mother’s recollections of celebrating Juneteenth as a free-spirited...
Old medieval wooden pirate military war ship with a cannon on the deck pointed out and aiming
Pirate School: 5 Things You Can Shoot from a Cannon
Hit me with your best shot.
A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin
Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine
Get to know the infamous drug kingpin.
President Barack Obama signs the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans Executive Order in the Oval Office, July 26, 2012
What Is an Executive Order?
How does the U.S. president’s primary instrument of executive action work?
World War I
World War I
World War I, an international conflict that in 1914–18 embroiled most of the nations of Europe along with Russia, the United...
Berlin blockade and airlift
Cold War
Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union...
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...

World History Quizzes

Battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, lithograph by Kurz and Allison, circa 1888.
American Civil War: Who Won Which Battles?
While you probably know the Battles of Gettysburg and Antietam, do you remember who were the victors? Take this quiz to test...
Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, attends the 12th African Union Summit Feb. 2, 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Robert Mugabe: Fact or Fiction?
How much do you know about one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders? Test your knowledge with this quiz about Robert Mugabe’s...
Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal. (Himalayan Mountains; mountain range; mountain landscape; Mt. Everest)
Mount Everest
Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, has long been a place of fascination and an alluring draw for climbers and adventure...
Abraham Lincoln, three quarter length portrait.
Abraham Lincoln
He is arguably the most-popular U.S. president, but how well do you really know Abraham Lincoln? Take our quiz to find out.
Undated photograph of Julius Nyerere, the first prime minister of Tanganyika, which eventually became Tanzania.
African Leaders: Part One
Do you think you can match these African leaders to the countries they’ve led? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (R) (D-MI) asks Sec. of Defense Robert M. Gates a question as Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) looks on during a hearing in WA, D.C. concerning the future of Iraq, April 10, 2008. Ted Kennedy
Modern U.S. Political Scandals
How much do you know about political scandals? Test your knowledge of public officials behaving badly.
Salem Witch Trials. A women protests as one of her accusers, a young girl, appears to have convulsions. A small group of women were the source of accusations, testimony, and dramatic demonstrations.
Salem Witch Trials
Do you know what really happened at the Salem witch trials? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Battle of Midway. Midway Islands. (left of panorama asset 160828) USS Astoria (CA-34) steams by USS Yorktown (CV-5), shortly after the carrier had been hit by 3 Japanese bombs on June 4, 1942. Dense smoke is from fires in Yorktown's uptakes. (notes)
Match the Battle with the War
Can you tell your Hastings from your Hattin?
Haile Selassie
African Leaders: Part Two
Do you think you can match these African leaders to the countries they’ve led? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Gilbert Stuart, American, 1755-1828, John Adams, c. 1800/1815, oil on canvas, overall: 73.7 x 61 cm (29 x 24 in.), Gift of Mrs. Robert Homans, 1954.7.1, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Which John Adams?
Two U.S. presidents, one name: John Adams. Can you tell the father from the son? Prove it with this quiz.

World History Videos

Federal Republic of Germany: Founding and significance
Federal Republic of Germany: Founding and significance
Witness the trial records and the death warrant of King Charles I with Oliver Cromwell's signature and seal, in the United Kingdom Parliamentary Archives
Witness the trial records and the death warrant of King Charles I with Oliver Cromwell's signature and seal, in the United Kingdom Parliamentary Archives
Gauge the moods of the European people and statesmen as Woodrow Wilson arrived to forge an end to World War I
Gauge the moods of the European people and statesmen as Woodrow Wilson arrived to forge an end to World War I
Operation Barbarossa: Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa: Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union
How families escaped the East German regime in the 1970s
How families escaped the East German regime in the 1970s
Learn about the U.S. government's prior knowledge of the military coup against and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem
Learn about the U.S. government's prior knowledge of the military coup against and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem
The unexpected fall of the Berlin Wall explained
The unexpected fall of the Berlin Wall explained
Learn about the debate on the legacy of the American Civil War
Learn about the debate on the legacy of the American Civil War
This Week in History, March 24–29: Find out about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the renaming of Constantinople, and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident
This Week in History, March 24–29: Find out about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the renaming of Constantinople, and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident
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
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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