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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Featured content, May 16, 2022

How the First Surviving Quintuplets Became a Tourist Attraction
The Dionne sisters were the first known set of quintuplets to survive infancy. The fame made family life impossible.
#WTFact / World History

How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
In 1946 deaf-blind writer and activist Helen Keller piloted a plane over the Mediterranean. How?
Demystified / World History

How Did King George V Really Die?
Sometimes the truth takes time to come out.
Companion / World History

Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution, (1910–20), a long and bloody struggle among several factions in constantly shifting alliances which resulted...
Encyclopedia / 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

Thirty Years’ War
Thirty Years’ War, (1618–48), in European history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including...
Encyclopedia / World History

French Revolution
French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789—hence...
Encyclopedia / World History
World History Quizzes
World History Videos
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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.
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Great Famine
famine, Ireland [1845–1849]
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complex humanitarian emergency
disaster event
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Chernobyl disaster
nuclear accident, Soviet Union [1986]

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Haitian Revolution
Haitian history
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Glorious Revolution
English history [1688–1689]
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Russian Revolution
Russian history [1917]

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.
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Seleucid empire
ancient empire, Eurasia
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sphinx
mythology
- pre-Columbian civilizations

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Livy
Roman historian
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Jules Michelet
French historian
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Thomas Carlyle
British essayist and historian

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Medici family
Italian family
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Tang dynasty
Chinese history
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house of Este
Italian family

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
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Ivan the Terrible
tsar of Russia
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Saint Alexander Nevsky
prince of Russia
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William I
king of England

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Sir Francis Drake
English admiral
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William Clark
American explorer
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Meriwether Lewis
American explorer

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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Fall of Constantinople
Byzantine history [1453]
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Battle of Agincourt
European history
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Magna Carta
England [1215]

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Kemal Atatürk
president of Turkey
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Oliver Cromwell
English statesman
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Hannibal
Carthaginian general [247-c.181 BC]

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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World War I
1914–1918
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Nürnberg Rally
Nazi Party rallies
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Adolf Hitler
dictator of Germany

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.
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Neolithic
anthropology
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megalith
ancient monument
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Magdalenian culture
prehistoric technology and art

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.
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Pearl Harbor attack
Japanese-United States history
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assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
United States history
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Burr-Hamilton duel
duel, Weehawken, New Jersey, United States [1804]

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.
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Crusades
Christianity
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Battle of Thermopylae
Greek history [480 bc]
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Cuban Revolution
Cuban history