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. Investigating the causes and results of past events is critically important in gaining a full understanding and perspective of present-day issues.
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Featured content, January 18, 2021
How Secret Is Top Secret?
It has been said that two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, so what happens to classified information when millions...
Demystified / World History
Pirate School: 5 Things You Can Shoot from a Cannon
Hit me with your best shot.
#WTFact / World History
What Happened at the Rock Springs Massacre?
The Rock Springs Massacre of 1885 was one of the bloodiest cases of anti-Chinese violence in U.S. history. What happened,...
Companion / World History
Seven Years' War
Seven Years’ War, (1756–63), the last major conflict before the French Revolution to involve all the great powers of Europe....
Encyclopedia / World History
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...
Encyclopedia / World History
Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for a thousand years after the western half had crumbled...
Encyclopedia / World History
Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution, two revolutions in 1917, the first of which, in February (March, New Style), overthrew the imperial government...
Encyclopedia / World History
World History Quizzes
Warfare: Fact or Fiction?
One may describe a feeling of sadness as being "blue" and cowardice as being "yellow," but did American revolutionaries refer...
Wars Throughout History: Fact or Fiction?
Was The American Civil War fought between East and West? Did the Normans conquer England in 1066? From Hessians to the use...
History Makers: Fact or Fiction?
Was Nikita Khrushchev a tsar of Russia? Sort fact from fiction in this quiz of history makers.
The United States of America: Fact or Fiction?
Was Alaska once ruled by a king? Has an amendment to the U.S. Constitution ever been repealed? Earn your stars and stripes...
World Organizations: Fact or Fiction?
Is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization limited to European countries? Is France a member of the Group of Eight? Sort fact...
Prehistory and Origins: Fact or Fiction?
Was the first metal to be worked in prehistory aluminum? Are Homo sapiens the only human species to have existed?...
New or Old: Fact or Fiction?
Is the census a modern invention? Has hemp been grown for centuries? Sort fact from fiction in this quiz of new and old discoveries...
Historical Smorgasbord: Fact or Fiction?
Did The Diary of Anne Frank originally have a different title? Was paper money first issued because of a shortage...
A Study of History: Fact or Fiction?
Is there a lost city under the Mediterranean Sea? In days of old, were all pirate flags black? From the Dark Ages to the...
History 101: Fact or Fiction?
Was Buddhism founded in Japan? Does the Jamaican plantation system still flourish today? From Canada to the papacy, sort...
World History Videos
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World History Subcategories
Accidents & Disasters
Technology and its related processes have been the site of great innovation and advancement over the course of time, but sometimes such improvements came at a high price, after serious accidents, disasters, or tragedies belatedly prompted closer scrutiny of existing procedures. Advances in science have also improved the accuracy of human predictions on some of nature's most forceful manifestations, but earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural phenomena still yield devastating consequences worldwide.
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Challenger disaster
United States history [1986]
- 2010 Haiti earthquake
- Ebola outbreak of 2014–16
Age of Revolutions
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Meiji Restoration
Japanese history
- Mexican Revolution
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American Revolution
United States history
The Ancient World
The modern world has inherited many cultural elements from ancient civilizations, from communications systems to ways of improving technology. Their stories, battles, and views on life are still relevant today for a full understanding of our world and our cultural legacy.
Articles
- Ancient Egypt
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Sphinx
mythology
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Ancient Middle East
historical region, Asia
Historians
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Ibn Khaldūn
Muslim historian
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Leopold von Ranke
German historian
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A.J.P. Taylor
British historian and journalist
Historic Dynasties & Families
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Ming dynasty
Chinese history
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Wei dynasty
Chinese history [386-534/535]
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Fā?imid Dynasty
Islamic dynasty
Historic Nobility
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Ivan III
Russian prince
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Robert
duke of Apulia
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Itō Hirobumi
prime minister of Japan
Global Exploration
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Daniel Boone
American frontiersman
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Sir Francis Drake
English admiral
- Baroque art and architecture
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
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Norman Conquest
British history
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Western Schism
Roman Catholic history
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Battle of Tours
European history [732]
Military Leaders
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Julius Caesar
Roman ruler
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Andrew Jackson
president of United States
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Augustus
Roman emperor
The Modern World
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Tokugawa period
Japanese history
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Soviet Union
historical state, Eurasia
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World War I
1914–1918
Prehistoric Age
The prehistoric age covers the millions of years that transpired 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
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Stone tool industry
archaeology
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Dolmen
archaeology
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Acheulean industry
prehistoric toolmaking
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 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.
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United States presidential election of 1968
United States government
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War of 1812
United Kingdom-United States history
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Spanish-American War
Spain-United States
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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Vietnam War
1954–1975
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Pearl Harbor attack
Japanese-United States history
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Wars of the Roses
English history
