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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, May 16, 2024

Rosa Parks 1913-2005, whose refusal to move to the back of a bus touched off the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. Fingerprinting Parks is Deputy Sheriff D .H. Lackey. December 1, 1955.
Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement
How Rosa Parks became “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”
Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Jean-Francois Janinet, 1777. Color etching and engraving with gold leaf printed on two sheets, 30x13.5 in.
Did Marie-Antoinette Really Say “Let Them Eat Cake”?
Party like it’s 1789
Iroquois Native American
The 6 Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy
Who are the six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy?
Old medieval wooden pirate military war ship with a cannon on the deck pointed out and aiming
Pirate School: 5 Things You Can Shoot from a Cannon
Hit me with your best shot.
World War I
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...
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...
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire, empire created by Turkish tribes in Anatolia (Asia Minor) that grew to be one of the most powerful states...

World History Quizzes

United States' Kobe Bryant, left, drives past Puerto Rico's Elias Ayuso during in the third quarter of their FIBA Americas Championship basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007
This Day in History Quiz: August 23
How much do you know about what happened in history on August 23? Take this quiz and find out.
Prince Charles and Diana, princess of Wales, returning to Buckingham Palace after their wedding, July 29, 1981. (Princess Diana, royal wedding)
This Day in History Quiz: August 28
How much do you know about what happened on August 28? Take this quiz to find out!
New Taipei city, Taiwan, Dec 11, 2015 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen
This Day in History Quiz: August 31
From serial killers to Thomas Edison’s inventions, a lot has happened on August 31 throughout history. Find out what you...
Great Fire of London, 1666 (c1865). Boats full of citizens who have escaped cross the Thames while others look back to Old St Pauls and the blazing city from the safety of the South Bank. (LtoR) Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector and Charles II.
This Day in History Quiz: September 2
September 2 is a historically significant date throughout history. Take this quiz and find out why!
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
41 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular World History Quizzes
This quiz collects 41 of the toughest questions from Britannica’s most popular quizzes on world history. If you want to ace...
"The Fifteenth Amendment. Celebrated May 19th, 1870" color lithograph created by Thomas Kelly, 1870. (Reconstruction) At center, a depiction of a parade in celebration of the passing of the 15th Amendment. Framing it are portraits and vignettes...
Reconstruction Era Quiz
This quiz will enable you to test how well you understand the essential components of
Potrait of Ivan the Terrible, Valentin Vasnetsov (1530-84), Ruler of Russia. Painting by Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnecov. (tsar, czar)
Rulers with Unfortunate Nicknames: The Quiz
Some rulers in history have...well, rather boring epithets: Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, Frederick the Great, Hugh...
Publicity still of Jerry Orbach (foreground) and Jesse L. Martin from the television series "Law & Order"; photo undated, but Martin was on the show from 1999-2008.
This Day in History Quiz: September 13
What happened on September 13 throughout history? Take this quiz to find out!
George Washington presides over the Constitutional Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 25 - September 17, 1787. (Philadelphia Convention)
This Day in History Quiz: September 17
From allegorical novels to naval battles, September 17 is filled with monumental events. Try this quiz to see how many you...
Aerial view of the "Amant Double" (L'Amant Double) film screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals, May 26, 2017, Cannes, France. (red carpet)
This Day in History Quiz: September 20
September 20 is an iconic date throughout history. Take this quiz to learn why!

World History Videos

Economic and political crises faced by Germany's Weimar Republic
Economic and political crises faced by Germany's Weimar Republic
See how Allied commanders Eisenhower and Montgomery trapped Rommel to end Axis North Africa campaigns
See how Allied commanders Eisenhower and Montgomery trapped Rommel to end Axis North Africa campaigns
Learn about the Munich massacre of 1972
Learn about the Munich massacre of 1972
Examine how U.S. westward movement and the annexation of Texas sparked the Mexican-American War
Examine how U.S. westward movement and the annexation of Texas sparked the Mexican-American War
Who was Ivar the Boneless, the legendary Viking chieftain?
Who was Ivar the Boneless, the legendary Viking chieftain?
See how the Louisiana Purchase led to the forcible removal of Indian tribes and fueled the slavery debate
See how the Louisiana Purchase led to the forcible removal of Indian tribes and fueled the slavery debate
See how the Confederates' attack on the Union Army at Shiloh ended in large casualties for both sides
See how the Confederates' attack on the Union Army at Shiloh ended in large casualties for both sides
Examine President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society legislation and handling of the Vietnam War
Examine President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society legislation and handling of the Vietnam War
Transfer of power from Walter Ulbricht to Erich Honecker in East Germany
Transfer of power from Walter Ulbricht to Erich Honecker in East Germany
Watch U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to dismantle the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987
Watch U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to dismantle the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987
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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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