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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, January 08, 2025

American soldiers in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.
9 Questions About World War II Answered
Important questions asked and answered, briefly.
Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution
The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?
Workers pressure cleaning rocks coated in oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, March 1990. In the intertidal zone, Prince William Sound, Alaska. pollution disaster
9 of the Biggest Oil Spills in History
Disasters of epic proportions.
Viking ships on the water
Did the Vikings Discover America?
Learn how the Vikings beat Christopher Columbus to America by 500 years.
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
Where and when did the Industrial Revolution take place?Historians conventionally divide the Industrial Revolution into two...
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...

World History Quizzes

People arriving at the Chicago theater for show starring, in person, Jack Carson, Marion Hutton, and Robert Alda. By Stanley Kubrick for Look magazine, 1949. Kubrick became a staff photographer for Look magazine at age 17.
Chicago History: Fact or Fiction?
Whether you’ve lived in Chi-town your whole life or just look at photos on Instagram, test your knowledge of the Windy City...
Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon
U.S. Presidential Nicknames
Do you know your "Wobbly Willy" from your "Tricky Dick"? Test your knowledge of U.S. presidents’ nicknames.
View of the ROV Hercules investigating the stern of Titanic during a 2004 expedition deployed from the NOAA ship, the Ronald H. Brown. (disasters, ships)
The Titanic
The Titanic was a marvel. How much do you know about this infamous ship? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Squadron of soldiers of the Ertugrul Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard of Abdulhamid II of the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey.
The Ottoman Empire
What was a dragoman? What happened on June 15, 1826? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Mamluk (Mameluke) of Ottoman Imperial Guard. The Mamluk fought Napoleon when he invaded Egypt but lost power in massacre of 1811 instigated by Muhammad Ali Pasha (1769-1849). Aquatint c1820
Egypt Since the Pharaohs
You may have studied Ancient Egypt, but how much do you know about the time after the pharaohs? Test your knowledge with...
Temple of Artemis at Jerash, Jordan. (Jarash, Jordan)
Ancient Anatolia
Which Anatolian kingdom was the lengendary King Midas said to have ruled? Test your knowledge of Ancient Anatolia.
James Bowie fighting from his sick bed during the Battle of the Alamo, from the book, "The Lost Gold of Montezuma," 1898. (Whether Bowie was capable of fighting by then has been disputed.) Texas Revolution, Texas revolt, Texas independence, Texas history.
Texas Revolution
What was the deciding battle of the Texas Revolution? Where was the Texas Declaration of Independence signed? Test your knowledge...
Cowboy wrassling horses
This or That? Cowboy vs Ranger
Do you know the difference between a cowboy and a ranger? Match these famous men with their professions.
FBI mug shot of Baby Face Nelson aka Lester M. Gillis, Lester Gillis or George Nelson. Federal Bureau of Investigation historical photograph, 1931
Mobster Names
Were "Pretty Boy" and "Bugsy" actually people’s given names? Test your knowledge of mobsters’ names, nicknames, and epithets...
Customers walk out of a closing Borders Bookstore on July 22, 2011, in San Francisco, California. Economy, unemployment, Great Recession of 2008-09
Financial Crisis of 2007-08
What contributed to the financial crisis, and who was involved? Test your economic knowledge with this quiz.

World History Videos

View archival footage of German troops invading Poland and forcing Europe into war
View archival footage of German troops invading Poland and forcing Europe into war
Uncover the military career and accomplishments of Winfield Scott, one of the United States most distinguished soldiers
Uncover the military career and accomplishments of Winfield Scott, one of the United States most distinguished soldiers
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
Witness Douglas MacArthur offering surrender terms to imperial Japan aboard the battleship USS Missouri
Witness Douglas MacArthur offering surrender terms to imperial Japan aboard the battleship USS Missouri
John Tyler: The first U.S. vice president to succeed a dead president
John Tyler: The first U.S. vice president to succeed a dead president
Birth of the Weimar Republic
Birth of the Weimar Republic
See an animated map on the defeat of the Union army at the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War
See an animated map on the defeat of the Union army at the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War
Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the anti-Semitism they fomented in pre-WWII Germany
Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the anti-Semitism they fomented in pre-WWII Germany
Learn how the opening of the Louisiana Territory led to mass migrations in the U.S.
Learn how the opening of the Louisiana Territory led to mass migrations in the U.S.
Learn how the nonaggression pact between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union sealed Poland's fate before World War II
Learn how the nonaggression pact between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union sealed Poland's fate before World War II
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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