Home Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture 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, January 29, 2024

Skyline Barcelona at sunset, Spain
Is Castilian Spanish Spoken with a Lisp?
The rumor is that a medieval Spanish king’s subjects imitated his lisp. What’s the truth?
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
The opposite of Lady Luck.
Clouds of smoke billow up from controlled burns taking place in the Gulf of Mexico May 19, 2010. The controlled burns were set to reduce the amount of oil in the water following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP spill
The Perils of Industry: 10 Notable Accidents and Catastrophes
Innovation has its price.
Magnifying glass focusing on Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounding countries on world map
Where Did the -stan Country Name Suffix Come From?
In several languages, the -stan suffix refers to some aspect of the concept of place.
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan Mongolian warrior-ruler, one of the most famous conquerors of history, who consolidated tribes into a unified...
Vladimir Lenin
Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution, two revolutions in 1917, the first of which, in February (March, New Style), overthrew the imperial government...
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...

World History Quizzes

Close-up profile view of American aviator Amelia Earhart sitting in the cockpit of a helicopter. Earhart wears a bomber jacket and flight goggles on her head.
Quick Quiz: Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
On June 1, 1937, Amelia Earhart set off to become the first person to fly around the world at the Equator. Instead,...
M101 (NGC 5457, The Pinwheel Galaxy). Hubble Space Telescope image of face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101 (M101). Largest most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy that has ever been released from Hubble. Created from 1994-2003
Women in Space Quiz
Who was the first woman to leave Earth? What about the first woman to walk in space? Find out how much you know about women...
Beer glasses on dark table
Oktoberfest Quiz
Beer wasn’t a part of the very first Oktoberfest—but what was? Test your knowledge of the famous festival with this quiz.
Prohibition - Whisky is poured down a sewer during Prohibition in the 1920s in the United States.
Quiz: Al Capone, Public Enemy Number One
Al Capone is perhaps America’s most famous gangster, with his participation in organized crime making him the first Public...
Nazca Lines showing hands, one of the geoglyphs on the Pampa Colorado, northwest of the city of Nazca, Peru. (Nasca Lines)
Is There a Whale in a Peruvian Desert?
The Nazca Lines are geoglyphs in southern Peru. Discovered in the 1920s, these huge drawings are more than 2,000 years old,...
Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Jean-Francois Janinet, 1777. Color etching and engraving with gold leaf printed on two sheets, 30x13.5 in.
True or False: Famous Misconceptions
“Napoleon was short.” “Dracula was based on a real person.” Do you know the truth behind these famous misconceptions?...
General view of Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California. (prisons, penitentiary
True or False: Daring Escapes
Whether you’re stuck behind the Berlin Wall or behind bars at Alcatraz, it seems like there’s always something to escape....
Salem Witch Trials. A women protests as one of her accusers, a young girl, appears to have convulsions. A small group of women were the source of accusations, testimony, and dramatic demonstrations.
True or False: Famous Curses
Were the Chicago Cubs cursed because of a pet rooster? What do we really know about the Bermuda Triangle? See how much you...
Charles I of England.
Off With His Head Quiz
Whether by rifle, sword, guillotine, or axe, there’s no shortage of murdered rulers in history. Take this quiz to discover...
Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane), c. 1890. Head and shoulders portrait from a cabinet card by H.J. Myers.
Quick Quiz: Around The World With Nellie Bly
How much do you know about the journalist who traveled around the globe, investigated corruption, and fought sexism while...

World History Videos

Examine early U.S. involvement in Vietnam under the Eisenhower administration during the First Indochina War
Examine early U.S. involvement in Vietnam under the Eisenhower administration during the First Indochina War
Listen to holocaust survivors talking about their hesitation to speak about the painful past
Listen to holocaust survivors talking about their hesitation to speak about the painful past
Explore what caused the SS Eastland's capsizing, resulting in one of America's worst maritime catastrophes
Explore what caused the SS Eastland's capsizing, resulting in one of America's worst maritime catastrophes
Listen to a Turkish perspective on the Gallipoli Campaign, known to Turkish people as the Battle of Çanakkale, 1915–16
Listen to a Turkish perspective on the Gallipoli Campaign, known to Turkish people as the Battle of Çanakkale, 1915–16
Examine how the Rookery building symbolized the rise of the modern city from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Examine how the Rookery building symbolized the rise of the modern city from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Learn about Old Tippecanoe's marches against Native Americans and brief term as president of the United States
Learn about Old Tippecanoe's marches against Native Americans and brief term as president of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Learn about the hieroglyphics and the pyramids of ancient Egypt and their contribution to the Egyptian civilization
Learn about the hieroglyphics and the pyramids of ancient Egypt and their contribution to the Egyptian civilization
Learn how the ancient Greeks and later Romans used barbarian to refer to peoples outside Greece and Rome
Learn how the ancient Greeks and later Romans used barbarian to refer to peoples outside Greece and Rome
Explore the great men from Elizabeth I's reign such as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare
Explore the great men from Elizabeth I's reign such as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare
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
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
Britannica Premium Subscription
Did you know you’re not getting the full Britannica experience? Sign up for Premium to get access to all of our trusted content and exclusive originals. Subscribe today!