A German drawing of a submerged U boat in British waters during World War One. (Credit: Classic Image/Alamy)

Joseph A. Williams

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HISTORY

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History

Naval History

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. Over the centuries, Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of parties, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating for kids and adults.

Halloween

The 1970s are remembered as an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements competed with the Watergate scandal, the energy crisis and the ongoing Vietnam War for the world's attention.&nbsp;

1970s

In the Roaring Twenties, a surging economy created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.

Roaring Twenties

Labor Day

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 1970s were a time of profound social and economic change in the United States.&nbsp;

Inventors

<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

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Science

Shipwrecks

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded control over politics and business.

Joseph A. Williams ‑ Stories

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

This 1920s Inventor Sped Up Climate Change With His Chemical Creations

The Secret World War II Mission to Kidnap Hitler’s A‑Bomb Scientists

When Truckers Shut Down America to Protest Oil Prices—and Became Folk Heroes

In 1857, NYC Police Didn’t Keep the Peace—They Caused a Riot

The Deadly Speedboat Shooting That Spurred an End to Prohibition

The Daring Deep Sea Divers Who Helped Crack WWI German Codes