The Third Infantry California Volunteers, Band poses for photo.

A group of child survivors behind a barbed wire fence at the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in southern Poland, on the day of the camp’s liberation by the Red Army, 27th January 1945.

How the Declaration of Independence Was Printed—and Protected

Emperor Negus Menelik II of Ethiopia at Battle of Adwa 1896 Ethiopia (Photo by Chris Hellier/Corbis via Getty Images)

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment.

Jesse Greenspan

Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment.

Jesse Greenspan Archives | History.com

Home

Watch Full Episodes of Your Favorite Shows

HISTORY

https://dev-assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2023/03/logo.svg

History

Great Britain

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

America: Our Defining Hours

France, a large European nation with a diverse population, has a rich and fascinating history, including figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, and epic events like the French Revolution.

France

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

From religious and patriotic observances to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day and more.

Holidays

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.

World War II

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. From Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to Selma to Montgomery March to the Black Lives Matter movement, Black leaders, artists and writers have helped shaped the character and identity of a nation.

Black History

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements.

The Middle East is a large and diverse region composed of several countries and cultures in north Africa and western Asia. Its complex history includes the Persian Gulf War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Zionism and more.

Middle East

Russia, the largest nation in the world, has a colorful history that includes the Romanov family, the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, pogroms, the KGB, the fall of the Soviet Union and more.

Russia

Africa is a large and diverse continent that stretches from South Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. Its rich history, emerging political power and dramatic landscapes have fascinated people for generations. Updated !

Jesse Greenspan ‑ Stories

How Ethiopia Beat Back Colonizers in the Battle of Adwa

Ukraine Has Seen Centuries of Conflict

How the Declaration of Independence Was Printed—and Protected

What Is a War Crime?

46 Surprising Facts About 46 Presidents

California’s Little‑Known Role in the American Civil War

How Eisenhower Secretly Pushed Back Against McCarthyism

These Despots Had Different National Identities at Birth

14 Quotes Honoring US Veterans

6 Strategies Harriet Tubman and Others Used to Escape Along the Underground Railroad

How Jimmy Carter Brokered a Hard‑Won Peace Deal Between Israel and Egypt

The July Plot: When German Elites Tried to Kill Hitler