Black and white formal portrait of King Alexander I of Greece, a young man wearing a military uniform, with his short cropped hair parted in the center

World War One - King of Greece Alexander I - 1916

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

European History

Explore the countries, civilizations, wars, leaders and major events from European history, including Stonehenge, the French Revolution and the fall of the Soviet Union.

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2018

Discover what happened on November 17 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

November 17

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

1717

2022

Legacy Unpublished

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History.com Editors

Discover what happened on May 19 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

May 19

1999

The final year of the 1980s saw the Berlin Wall toppled, heralding the Cold War’s imminent demise, while in Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution brought a nonviolent end to Communist rule. The Chinese military brutally squashed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, and the U.S. invaded Panama to depose dictator Manuel Noriega. Nintendo released the Game Boy handheld game console, selling 40,000 units the first day. And in a harbinger of things to come, a British scientist invented the world wide web.

1989

1916

After a devastating Windsor Castle fire and assorted family crises, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II called 1992 her “annus horribilis,” or horrible year. The police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles sparked one of the worst riots in U.S. history, while exploding sewers in Mexico killed hundreds. On the brighter side, South Africa ended apartheid, the U.S. and Russia declared the Cold War over, Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space and a big purple dinosaur named Barney hit TV, singing about love, kindness and cleaning up.

1992

World War I ended in 1918, when Germany signed an armistice agreement with the victorious Allies. The war had cost the lives of more than 9 million combatants plus millions of civilians. Meanwhile, an even more deadly threat emerged: the influenza pandemic, which would take another 50 million lives worldwide. Bolshevik revolutionaries executed the Romanov family, ending 300 years of Russian imperial rule. On the U.S. homefront, Congress enacted daylight savings time, only to repeal it the following year.

1918

Discover what happened on November 20 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

November 20

The first year of Roaring Twenties in the U.S. brought votes for women and an official start to the nationwide ban on alcohol. The League of Nations met for the first time in Geneva, and the Mexican Revolution ended after 10 years. The Band-Aid debuted, the first commercial radio broadcast hit the airwaves, transmitting the Harding-Cox presidential race results, and Jazz Age author F. Scott Fitzgerald published his first novel, “This Side of Paradise.”

1920

Discover what happened on June 24 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

June 24

Discover what happened on September 8 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 8

1997

Discover what happened on October 25 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

October 25

Discover what happened on March 24 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

March 24

Discover what happened on January 3 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

January 3

In 1925, Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini declared himself his country’s dictator, while soon-to-be German dictator Adolf Hitler released his memoir/manifesto, "Mein Kampf." In the U.S., Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryant squared off in the Scopes Monkey Trial over teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools. F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Great Gatsby," Charlie Chaplin released "The Gold Rush" and jazz horn great Louis Armstrong made his first recordings with his band the Hot Fives.

1925

Discover what happened on December 31 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

December 31

Discover what happened on March 8 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

March 8

Discover what happened on October 10 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

October 10

Discover what happened on April 30 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

European History ‑ This Day In History

Battle of Tours

Greece’s King Alexander dies after being bitten by a monkey

1st Masonic Grand Lodge formed in London

Prince Harry weds Meghan Markle

Queen Elizabeth II dies; Charles becomes King

Windsor Castle catches fire

Putin becomes acting president of Russia, following Yeltsin’s resignation

Velvet Revolution begins in Czechoslovakia

Big Ben clock stops at 12:11 p.m. for 43 minutes

Russian Bolshevik Party becomes the Communist Party

Easter Rising begins

Benito Mussolini declares himself dictator of Italy