Timeline
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline
Explore the history and important events behind the long-standing Middle East conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians from 1947 to today.
Contemporary History
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How Did Mass Production and Mass Consumption Take Off After World War II?
Discover how consumer goods have become cheap and ubiquitous in the global era.
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How Does History Inform the Chinese Communist Party’s Domestic and Foreign Policy Goals?
Learn how China’s transformation from a state of economic and political collapse to its rise as a global power shapes the motivations of its leaders today.
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What Is Fascism?
In this free resource, learn how Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler rose to power and the lessons their political journeys hold for today.
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How a Single Phrase Defined the War on Terror
What is the 2001 AUMF and what does it have to do with 9/11? From the invasion of Afghanistan, to the Iraq War, and more, learn how the United States justified U.S. counterterrorism policy for over two decades.
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The 1900 McKinley vs. Bryan Election and U.S. Strategy in the Pacific Today
War in the Philippines signaled a new era for American foreign policy—and sharply divided the American people.
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The 1880 Garfield vs. Hancock Election and Immigration Today
A forged letter on the eve of the election ignited riots over immigration, using rhetoric still common now.
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The 1828 Jackson vs. Adams Election and Tariffs Today
Dirty politics and the “tariff of abominations” divided American voters—and set the stage for years of economic debate.
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The 1808 Madison vs. Pinckney Election and Isolationism Today
President Jefferson’s contentious Embargo Act divided Americans at the polls—and raised ongoing questions about America’s role in the world.
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Eight “Hot Wars” During the Cold War
The United States and the Soviet Union never directly clashed, but the Cold War was far from bloodless. From Cuba to Korea, explore the proxy wars these superpowers fueled in this historical resource.
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Modern History: East Asia & The Pacific
East Asia is home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations.
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Modern History: South & Central Asia
Many of the countries that make up South and Central Asia are quite young: Pakistan and India became independent countries in 1947, Bangladesh followed in 1971, and Kazakhstan and its neighbors emerged as independent countries after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
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Modern History: Sub-Saharan Africa
For centuries, sub-Saharan Africa was home to prosperous empires that made groundbreaking advances in architecture, mathematics, and metalworking.
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Modern History: Middle East & North Africa
The Middle East was once home to great civilizations that made groundbreaking advances in astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.
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Modern History: Europe
For the past seventy-five-odd years, Europe has largely been at peace.
Timeline
Essential Events Since 1945
From the Cold War and decolonization to globalization, learn how recent historical developments shaped today’s world.
Video
How Did the Cold War Stay Cold?
Learn how the world’s superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR), avoided nuclear war.
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How Did Decolonization Reshape the World?
From India and the Palestinian Territories to Vietnam and Sudan, learn how former colonies sought independence—and how the shadow of colonialism still affects many regions today.
Timeline
Essential Events Between 1900 and 1945
Learn how two world wars and other major historical developments from the Spanish-American War to World War II reshaped global affairs in the first half of the twentieth century.
Reading
What Are the Origins of Communism?
Explore the different ways Marx, Lenin, and Stalin interpreted communism and dive into the history of translating an ideology into policy.
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How Did the United States Become a Global Power?
Learn how domestic expansion and three wars—the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II—transformed the United States’ standing in the world.
Video
How Do Countries Decide Whether to Go to War?
Learn how balances and imbalances of power contributed to World Wars I and II in this historical video.
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Why Did World War II Happen?
In this free resource on World War II, understand the causes of World War II and why these issues drove countries back to battle just two decades after World War I.
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Why Did World War I Happen?
In this free resource on World War I, explore the causes and effects of the Great War to understand how the conflict shaped world history.
Timeline
Essential Events Before 1900
From the Silk Road and Christopher Columbus to the Ottoman Empire and the Revolutionary War, explore this history timeline covering major moments in global history before the twentieth century.
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What Is Colonialism and How Did It Arise?
Explore how colonialism enriched empires and fundamentally reshaped countries such as India.
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What Is the Enlightenment and How Did It Transform Politics?
Explore how calls for liberty, equality, and individual rights caused revolutions around the world, from the American Revolution to the French and Haitian Revolutions.
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What Are the Causes and Consequences of Industrialization?
Learn about the Industrial Revolution and how technological innovations from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries continue to shape society today.
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How Did Humans Come to Live Longer and Healthier Lives?
From the history of vaccines and medical quarantines to the origin of the World Health Organization, explore how innovations in global health increased human longevity and prepared the world for COVID-19.
Video
Why Do We Live in Countries?
How did sovereignty become part of world history? In this educational video, learn why kingdoms turn into countries after the Thirty Years’ War.
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Modern History: The Americas
Although referred to as the “New World” by Europeans, the Americas have thousands of years of history.
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How Self-Determination Shaped the Modern World
Learn how the world’s nearly two hundred countries came to be, and whether the map is set in stone.
Timeline
The Changing Response to AIDS
A neglected global health crisis ultimately became a top priority for policymakers, donors, and doctors.
Reading
How Companies and Governments Do (and Don’t) Protect Your Data
The spread of the internet has far outpaced domestic and international privacy laws, making global coordination difficult and leaving personal data vulnerable.
Video
History of U.S. Immigration Policy
Explore how the United States has responded to migrants throughout history—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to DACA—and how immigration policy influences the society, economy, and politics of a country.
Timeline
The History of Terrorism and U.S. Counterterrorism Since 1945
From the creation of the CIA to the “War on Terror,” learn about the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism policies in this terrorism timeline.
Learning Journeys
A learning journey is a student facing, curated collection of resources that explore a topic from a specific perspective.
Learning Journey
Foreign Policy on the Ballot: Historical Cases
Explore past election-year foreign policy debates to see how they relate to the 2024 election.
Learning Journey
U.S. History Mini Simulations
In this series of historical mini simulations, students step into the shoes of policymakers to advise the U.S. president on how to respond to major foreign policy moments in U.S. history.
Learning Journey
What Does Fascism Really Mean?
Learn about the history of fascist movements and explore democratic backsliding to determine just how history informs the present.
Learning Journey
Contemporary History Post-1945: Introduction
Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events since 1945 have shaped today's world.
Learning Journey
Contemporary History World at War: Fascism and Communism
Explore this collection of learning resources to understand key tenets of fascism and communism and identify how they contrast with democracy.
Learning Journey
Contemporary History World at War: Introduction
Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events between 1900 and 1945 continue to shape today's world.
Learning Journey
Contemporary History Pre-1900: Industrialization and Imperialism
Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how imperialism and the Industrial Revolution shaped today’s world.
Learning Journey
Contemporary History Pre-1900: Introduction
Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events before 1900 continue to shape today's world.