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, May 16, 2022

The Dionne Quintuplets, accompanied by Mrs. Olive Dionne and Brother Gustave Sauve, taking part in a religious music program at Lansdowne Park, during the five-day Marian Congress celebrating the centenary of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, June 1947.
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
Still from the film Deliverance, 1919. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. View shows Keller in the cockpit/front seat of an airplane.
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
Vietnam War. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer, during a visit to military personnel, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, October 26, 1966. President Johnson
Vietnam War Timeline
Who, what, when, and where of the Vietnam War.
List / World History
King George V of Britain, c. 1910, shortly after his accession to the throne
How Did King George V Really Die?
Sometimes the truth takes time to come out.
Companion / World History
combatant in the Mexican Revolution
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: Battle of Zorndorf
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
Thirty Years’ War, (1618–48), in European history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including...
Encyclopedia / World History
Louis XVI: execution by guillotine
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

"Napoleon on the Battlefield", France. French Emporeror Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon I: Fact or Fiction?
You may think you know everything about Napoleon Bonaparte. But can you actually tell fact from fiction about this famous...
Quiz / World History
LOS ANGELES - FEB 08: Taylor Swift arrives to the Grammy Awards 2015 on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA
This Day in History Quiz: December 13
How much do you know about what happened in history on December 13? Take this quiz and find out.
Quiz / World History
Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula. Roman Julio-Claudian period, 37-41 A.D.; 50.8 cm. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Caligula: Fact or Fiction?
Did Caligula really make his horse consul? Was he as mad as they say? Find out in this true or false quiz.
Quiz / World History
Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) (ad 50-54) the fifth Roman emperor (ad 54-68), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius. Tyrannical, debauched and extravagant, he committed suicide in order to avoid being executed.
Nero: Fact or Fiction?
Did Nero start the great fire of Rome? Why did Nero start persecuting Christians? Find out with this quiz.
Quiz / World History
Old medieval wooden pirate military war ship with a cannon on the deck pointed out and aiming
Spot the Difference: Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, and Buccaneers
Ahoy, matey! Can you tell the difference between these four types of seafaring scalawags? Find out here.
Quiz / World History
King Henry VIII of England, 16th century.
Quick Quiz: King Henry VIII
“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” Remember that rhyme and ace this quick quiz on Henry VIII.
Quiz / World History
Engraving of Solomon Northup, c. 1853. (Twelve Years a Slave, 12 Years a Slave, slavery, African-American, Black History)
The History of Slavery in North America Quiz
Which of England’s American colonies became the first to recognize slavery as a legal institution? Which colony had the largest...
Quiz / World History
Viking Ship
More Than Just Vikings: Swedish History Quiz
Who was the “Theatre King,” a keen patron of the arts who founded the first opera company in Stockholm? Who was the only...
Quiz / World History
Tecumseh. Battle of the Thames, Ontario, Canada, and the death of Tecumseh. Col. Richard M. Johnson with the Kentucky volunteers on left battle with Tecumseh and his Native troops. Native American Shawnee chief. North American indian. (See Notes)
Native American History Quiz
Who was the Shawnee chief, orator, military leader, and advocate of intertribal Indian alliance who directed resistance...
Quiz / World History
Ancient Egyptian carving of Pharaoh Seti I holding his flail before the god of the underworld Osiris with Horus behind him. Abydos Temple, Egypt. Ancient carving, on public display for 2,000 years
Archaeology: Great Discoveries Quiz
What is the name of the largest religious structure in the world? Who is considered the father of Egyptian archaeology? Test...
Quiz / World History

World History Videos

Learn about Texan Confederate commanders and the state's legacy of slavery
Learn about Texan Confederate commanders and the state's legacy of slavery
Video / World History
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
Video / World History
Follow Eisenhower's path to become the Republican nominee in the United States presidential election of 1952
Follow Eisenhower's path to become the Republican nominee in the United States presidential election of 1952
Video / World History
view archival footage of the impoverished American population in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929
view archival footage of the impoverished American population in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929
Video / World History
Compare the Progressive politics of Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson
Compare the Progressive politics of Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson
Video / World History
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
Witness President Bill Clinton delivering his first inaugural address, January 20, 1993
Video / World History
Learn about the life of the Jewish partisans during winters
Learn about the life of the Jewish partisans during winters
Video / World History
Examine the failure of U.S. Gen. William Westmoreland's strategy against the Viet Cong's guerrilla warfare
Examine the failure of U.S. Gen. William Westmoreland's strategy against the Viet Cong's guerrilla warfare
Video / World History
Learn how the Third Reich utilized U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic to destroy Allied supply convoys
Learn how the Third Reich utilized U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic to destroy Allied supply convoys
Video / World History
Observe the events leading to the reunification of Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall
Observe the events leading to the reunification of Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall
Video / World History
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
The 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
Clement VII 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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