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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 13, 2025

Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar
Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar
In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced a more accurate calendar. But switching over wasn’t easy.
"The Duyfken off Australia, 1606". Produced 2011. "The Dutch East India Company vessel 'Duyfken' sailed south from Batavia in 1606 to discover and partially map for the first time the coastline of northern Australia. The painting imagines the landfall in
5 Fast Facts About the East India Company
Learn more about the East India Company, whose actions had a huge impact on world history.
Capital Execution at the Place de la Revolution between August 1793 and June 1794, oil on canvas by Pierre Antoine De Machy (Demachy), Musee Carnavalet, Paris, France. 37 x 53.5 cm. (Reign of Terror, hanging, guillotine execution, French Revolution)
The 12 Months of the French Republican Calendar
New regimes call for new months.
Portrait of Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, image taken from A General History of the Pyrates, 1725; illustration by B. Cole. (pirates)
Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What’s the Difference?
What we talk about when we talk about pirates.
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...
This map shows the territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to its greatest extent in 1683-99, highlighting different periods under rulers such as Mehmed II, Selim I, and Süleyman the Magnificent, and marking key cities, seas, and geographical boundaries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
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...

World History Quizzes

President and Mrs. Kennedy at Love Field, Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy, President Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Kennedy's assassination
Important Locations in U.S. History
From President Kennedy’s assasination to the Missouri Compromise and Louisiana Purchase, take a trip through American states...
Ottoman Empire. Wall hanging of a an Ottoman empire coat of arms. Sultans of the Ottoman Empire had their own monograms or tughras which served as a royal symbol. Turkey, Turkish Culture
The Ottoman Empire and the Middle East
What is the title of the former kings of Iran? What republic replaced the Ottoman Empire in its capital of Istanbul? Journey...
A patriotic print after a painting by William Bauly, issued by New York art publisher William Schaus in Sept. 1861. "Fate of the Rebel Flag" has a militant Unionist theme. (Confederate flag, see notes) Fort Sumter, American Civil War initial engagement
Give Us Liberty
From Great Britain and the Easter Rising of 1916 to Texas’s struggle for independence with Mexico, test your knowledege of...
A British North Lancashire Regiment patrol a street in the southern part of Cambrai, France, October 9, 1918.
Weapons and Warfare
Who invented the revolver? At which battle did the iconic raising of the American flag by U.S. Marines occur? Unleash your...
Marco Polo. Contemporary illustration. Medieval Venetian merchant and traveler. Together with his father and uncle, Marco Polo set off from Venice for Asia in 1271, travelling Silk Road to court of Kublai Khan some (see notes)
Expedition Europe
What city was founded, according to legend, by twins named Romulus and Remus? From royal European families to ancient Roman...
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.
Exploration and Discovery
Which spacecraft was first to land on the moon? Can you name the Viking who discovered Greenland? From Earth to outer-space,...
Union Jack, British flag, Flag of Great Britain, British Culture, British Empire, England, English Culture, English Flag
British Culture and Politics
In what year was King John forced to sign the first Magna Carta? Mercantile theory holds that colonies best serve their mother...
Betsy Ross showing George Ross and Robert Morris how she cut the stars for the American flag; George Washington sits in a chair on the left, 1777; by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (published c. 1932).
USA Facts
How many stars are there in the American flag? From airlines to the Pony Express, count your stripes in this test of all...
German political theorist Karl Marx; communism
A Study of History: Who, What, Where, and When?
When was the world’s first detective bureau founded? Where was the 1939 World’s Fair held? From Karl Marx to penicillin,...
7:045 Gold: Gold Is Where You Find It, pirate with treasure chest full of gold on beach, ship sails away
Criminality and Famous Outlaws
How many prisoners escaped from Alcatraz? With what country is the outlaw Ned Kelly associated? From bandana-wearing pirates...

World History Videos

Witness the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse into Puget Sound between the Olympic Peninsula and the Washington mainland
Witness the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse into Puget Sound between the Olympic Peninsula and the Washington mainland
Examine the ways in which mythology functioned for the ancient Greek population
Examine the ways in which mythology functioned for the ancient Greek population
Examine African American soldiers' involvement in the American Civil War
Examine African American soldiers' involvement in the American Civil War
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
American Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg
American Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg
This Week in History, March 16-22: Learn about the 1992 apartheid referendum in South Africa, the first person to walk in space, and the events leading to the Iraq War
This Week in History, March 16-22: Learn about the 1992 apartheid referendum in South Africa, the first person to walk in space, and the events leading to the Iraq War
Learn about the 54th Regiment, a Black infantry unit from Massachusetts that fought in the Civil War
Learn about the 54th Regiment, a Black infantry unit from Massachusetts that fought in the Civil War
Who were the Sons of Liberty?
Who were the Sons of Liberty?
How did Britain become a global empire?
How did Britain become a global empire?
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
The Western Schism and the Roman Catholic Church 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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