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, September 22, 2020
Does Trench Warfare Still Exist?
Tanks and planes made the trenches obsolete—or did they?
Demystified / World History

What was Alfred like as a governor of his kingdom?
What was Alfred like as a governor of his kingdom?
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
World History Videos
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World History
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World History Subcategories

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

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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French Revolution
1787–1799
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Meiji Restoration
Japanese history
- Mexican Revolution

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.
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Chichén Itzá
ancient city, Mexico
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Roman Empire
ancient state [27 bc-476...
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Seleucid empire
ancient empire, Eurasia

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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

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Wei dynasty
Chinese history [386-534/535]
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Fā?imid Dynasty
Islamic dynasty
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House of Este
Italian family

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Bohemond I
prince of Antioch
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Cosimo I
duke of Florence and Tuscany [1519–1574]
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Ivan the Terrible
tsar of Russia

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Daniel Boone
American frontiersman
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Sir Francis Drake
English admiral
- Baroque art and architecture

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.
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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]

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Andrew Jackson
president of United States
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Augustus
Roman emperor
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Alexander the Great
king of Macedonia

This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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League of Nations
international organization
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Spanish Inquisition
Spanish history [1478–1834]
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Two-state solution
Israeli-Palestinian history

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.
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Moche
ancient South American culture
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Aurignacian culture
prehistoric technology and art
- Prehistoric religion

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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Spanish-American War
Spain-United States
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Pearl Harbor attack
Japanese-United States history
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9-11 Commission
United States commission

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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Punic Wars
Carthage and Rome [264 bce–146...
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Vietnam War
1954–1975
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Pearl Harbor attack
Japanese-United States history