German General Alfred Schlieffen, author of the Schlieffen Plan for the defeat of Russian and France. (Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Greg Louganis of the USA sets his feet on the edge of the diving board before attempting a dive in the men's spring board competition during the 1988 Summer Olympic Games held in Seoul, South Korea.

Love letters written by poet Rupert Brooke, to his sweetheart Phyllis Gardner, on display at the British Museum in London. (Credit: Matthew Fearn/PA Images/Getty Images)

September 11, 2001, George W Bush on Air Force One

The bodies of the British soldiers lying dead in their trench during the Battle of the Somme, 1916. (Credit: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images)

Amanda Onion is a senior editor at HISTORY.com. She has worked as an editor and writer for multiple publications, including Newsweek, ABC News, Discovery News.

Amanda Onion

Amanda Onion is a senior editor at HISTORY.com. She has worked as an editor and writer for multiple publications, including Newsweek, ABC News, Discovery News.

Amanda Onion Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

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

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

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

Listicle

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.

Amanda Onion ‑ Stories

How Greg Louganis’ Olympic Diving Accident Forced a Conversation About AIDS

September 11: Six Ways Uncertainty Reigned Aboard Air Force One

Was Germany Doomed in World War I by the Schlieffen Plan?

Why Was the Battle of the Somme So Deadly?

How World War I Changed Literature

How the Great Compromise and the Electoral College Affect Politics