A member of the White Helmets, looks at a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, on October 5, 2016. (Credit: SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images)

This illustration of the Halszkaraptor escuilliei dinosaur. The creature, about 18 inches (45 centimeters) tall. (Source Image: Image by Lukas Panzarin, scientific supervised by Andrea Cau) 

Chief of Police Kennedy opens up a fire hydrant, spraying water over children playing on Hester Street, a designated 'play street' closed to traffic, during the hot New York summer, 1960. (Credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

Women settlers standing guard while living on the American frontier. (Credit: Interim Archives/Getty Images)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", 1966

A member of the White Helmets with a white pigeon. (Credit: Amer Almohibany/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Brynn Holland

Brynn Holland 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

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

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

Religion and spiritual issues, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, the Bible, Wicca, Buddhism and more, are at the core of human values and history.

Religion

Listicle

Legacy Unpublished

From raising families to leading armies, women such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Amanirenas, Queen Elizabeth I, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and countless others have played a vital role in history.

Women’s History

Prehistory, the vast period of time before written records or human documentation, includes the Neolithic Revolution, Neanderthals and Denisovans, Stonehenge, the Ice Age and more.

Pre-History

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

World War II 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 the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy in 1945. Explore the battles, leaders and atrocities from the war and its impact on geopolitics and humankind.

World War II

The Middle Ages, the medieval period of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance, are sometimes referred to as the "Dark Ages."

Middle Ages

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 vast control over politics and business.

19th Century

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 two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

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.

Brynn Holland ‑ Stories

How the Iowa Caucus Has Shaped the US Presidential Race

Who Are the White Helmets?

7 of the Gutsiest Women on the American Frontier

Watching The Crown? Here Are the Real Facts You Need to Know

The Knights Templar Rulebook Included No Pointy Shoes and No Kissing Mom

Meet the Strangest New Dinosaur You’ve Ever Seen

First Look: Exclusive Documents from a Zodiac Killer Reporter

A Tour of the Biblical Treasures at D.C.’s New Museum of the Bible

History’s Biggest Common Sense Moments

How Donald Duck and Peanuts Saved Trick‑or‑Treating After WWII

Meet the Top Contenders for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize

The Surprising Trump–Truman Connection at the United Nations