Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

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.
Browse Subcategories
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 20, 2025

Gilles de Rais (1404-1440). Breton baron, marshal of France. Fought in guards of Joan of Arc. Accused of being serial killer of children.
Gilles de Rais: History’s First Serial Killer?
Gilles de Rais was a wealthy nobleman and a war hero. Today, though, he is remembered for something much more sinister.
Freddie Mae Rhodes, at about age 17, taken from her "high school cumulative card" which was a card with your picture and all your grades. Mother of EB contributor Charles Blow who wrote the Mendel feature on Juneteenth
A Teen Girl Recalls Juneteenth in the 1950s
The New York Times columnist Charles Blow recounts his mother’s recollections of celebrating Juneteenth as a free-spirited...
Map of the United States-Mexico border.
How the Border Between the United States and Mexico Was Established
Despite the acceptance by many Americans in the 1840s of the concept of Manifest Destiny, the future boundary between the...
Korean War - U.S. Marines watch explosions of bombs dropped by Marine Vought F4U Corsair fighter bomber planes during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Korea, in December 1950. soldiers
Korean War Timeline
What happened during the Korean War, and when?
Hagia Sophia: mosaic
Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for a thousand years after the western half had crumbled...
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...
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....
Europe after the Thirty Years' War, 1648
Thirty Years’ War
Thirty Years’ War, (1618–48), in European history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including...

World History Quizzes

Mayflower. Plymouth. Photograph of the Mayflower II a full-scale reproduction of the Mayflower. The Mayflower II built in Devon, England, crossed the Atlantic in 1957 maintained by Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA.
Early America
Which American colony was founded as a refuge for Catholics? Which colony did Benjamin Franklin represent? From Plymouth,...
Declaration of Independence. Close-up photograph of the Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776, Continental Congress, American history, American Revolution
Famous Documents
What famous document did Abraham Lincoln write? Thomas Jefferson? From the earliest known system of laws to The Communist...
Union Soldiers. Bottom half of the memorial honoring American Civil War General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant at the base of Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Photo: 2010 Memorial Day
History of Warfare
Was the Vietnam War the longest war in history? Was the Spanish American War fought in the 19th century? From battles in...
U.S. general Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, Oct. 1944 - Aug. 1945. General of the Army Gen. MacArthur (smoking a corncob pipe) probably at Manila, Philippine Islands, August 2, 1945.
Famous Faces of War
Did Alexander the Great conquer Iran? What are the leaders of the American Revolution called? From Hannibal to George Washington,...
Marble bust of Alexander the Great, in the British Museum, London, England. Hellenistic Greek, 2nd-1st century BC. Said to be from Alexandria, Egypt. Height: 37 cm.
Ancient Greece
When was the first modern Olympiad held? Who won the Peloponnesian War? From the city called the "birthplace of democracy"...
Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza and the Wall of Skulls (Tzompantli). Ruined ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza located in southeastern Mexico. UNESCO World Heritage site.
Exploring Latin American History
Was the Incan civilization located in Mexico? For whom was Bolivia named? From Belize to Gran Colombia, step back in time...
Winston Churchill. Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain. British statesman, orator, and author, prime minister (1940-45, 1951-55). Photo 1942?
Famous People in History
Who is known as the "Father of Medicine"? Where was Karl Marx, the communist philosopher, born? From Renaissance philosophers...
Buffalo Bill. William Frederick Cody. Circus poster, I am coming, Col. W.F. Cody. Portrait of Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) on stampeding bison (buffalo). Folk hero of the American West. Chromolithograph, c1900
American Personalities
What was Buffalo Bill’s real name? Who was the first African American to be depicted on a postage stamp? Take a snapshot...
Statue of Thomas Jefferson, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
History of American Politics
Who wrote the American Declaration of Independence? Which political program is associated with Franklin Roosevelt? From presidents...
Warm water fuels Hurricane Katrina. This image depicts a 3-day average of actual dea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005.
Disasters of Historic Proportion
You may have experienced the common cold, but do you know what illness caused 20 million deaths in 1918? From earthquakes...

World History Videos

Travel across the United States with gold miners to explore the dynamics of the California Gold Rush
Travel across the United States with gold miners to explore the dynamics of the California Gold Rush
What was the Boston Tea Party?
What was the Boston Tea Party?
What happened during the Iran-Iraq War?
What happened during the Iran-Iraq War?
History and role of the SS in Nazi Germany
History and role of the SS in Nazi Germany
See U.S. president Richard M. Nixon speaking about the Watergate scandal
See U.S. president Richard M. Nixon speaking about the Watergate scandal
The conflicting legacies of King Henry VIII
The conflicting legacies of King Henry VIII
Why are North and South Korea divided?
Why are North and South Korea divided?
Exploring the world's oldest known gold mine
Exploring the world's oldest known gold mine
How the Stasi suppressed resistance in East Germany
How the Stasi suppressed resistance in East Germany
Five famous “firsts” accomplished by women
Five famous “firsts” accomplished by women
Image Gallery
World History
Never Miss a Day in History
Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers delivered right to your inbox.

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
The Western Schism and the Roman Catholic Church 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
Britannica Premium
Did you know you're not getting the full Britannica experience? Access unlimited content with none of the ads by becoming a Britannica Premium subscriber.
Subscribe