German men showing off a Nazi flag while on expedition from the book, "The Third Reich in Antarctica: The German Antarctic Expedition 1938-39."

<p>Eric Niiler is a science/climate reporter at <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>. His work has also appeared in <em>WIRED</em>, <em>National Geographic</em>, <em>The</em> <em>Washington Post </em>and others.</p>


Eric Niiler

Eric Niiler is a science/climate reporter at The Wall Street Journal. His work has also appeared in WIRED, National Geographic, The Washington Post and others.

Eric Niiler Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

<p>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.</p>


World War I

<p>The 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."</p>


1960s

<p>The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, when agricultural societies became more industrialized and urban. The transcontinental railroad, the cotton gin, electricity and other inventions permanently changed society.</p>


Industrial Revolution

<p>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.</p>


World War II

<p>Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, includes the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger, and people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.</p>


Space Exploration

<p>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.</p>


Inventions & Science

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.</div>
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Black History

<p>Ancient Egypt was home to one of the greatest empires in history, with leaders like Tutankhamen (King Tut), Cleopatra, Ramses II and landmarks like the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Sphinx.</p>


Eric Niiler ‑ Stories

Why Civil Rights Activists Protested the Moon Landing

When the Pentagon Dug Secret Cold War Ice Tunnels to Hide Nukes

How Did King Tut Die?

How the Second Industrial Revolution Changed Americans’ Lives

The Only Major U.S. Warship Lost During WWI Sank in NY Waters—Now We Know Why

How Landing the First Man on the Moon Cost Dozens of Lives

The Apollo Mission That Nearly Ended With a Mutiny in Space

Hitler Sent a Secret Expedition to Antarctica in a Hunt for Margarine Fat

World Cup 1938: When Nazi Germany Forced Austrians to Play For Them—And Lost

Life on Mars? The Search for Signs Goes Back Centuries

Sonic Weapons’ Long, Noisy History