Still from the film "Battle of the Somme," showing British troops.

A military balloon deployed in the Civil War near Gaines Mill, Virginia (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Senegalese soldiers after attack, circa 1914-circa 1918. The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were recruited from Senegal and other sub-Saharan regions of the French empire.

Line of people at Rationing Board, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 1943.

French soldiers attach messages to carrier pigeons.

Medics helping the wounded onto stretchers, World War I.

Battle of Cambrai, World War I, WWI battles

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

World War I was fought from 1914 to 1918. Learn more about World War I combatants, battles and generals, and what caused World War I.

World War I: Causes and Timeline | HISTORY

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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

<a href="http://www.christopherklein.com/">Christopher Klein</a> is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom and Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.twitter.com_historyauthor&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=0ZpTu-He2V3GUI-VETMmkwm8-GyOWSyeMJXqt7G42KA&amp;m=K4QAG6bPcooItZtsSRYJId99sCdkkYnSQnbG55Y82ZU&amp;s=reHlmdZq8nMnpunXM6VDAaQCLeVwu9L3gbscryyWKD8&amp;e=">@historyauthor</a>.

Christopher Klein

<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__msbeckylittle.tumblr.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=zmyoc9Pijw9wmJOCBZEXDORhhj0TxUZKXRRMCwVGaTI&amp;e=">Becky Little</a> is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on <a title="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fmsbeckylittle.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aegm.com%7C2663a56e98de478ecc4108dd65759161%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638778277802339990%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6PAUrlZQy2qoyw95FxhBFEbAAeD6eFd4YU65oI9SW98%3D&amp;reserved=0" href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fmsbeckylittle.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aegm.com%7C2663a56e98de478ecc4108dd65759161%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638778277802339990%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6PAUrlZQy2qoyw95FxhBFEbAAeD6eFd4YU65oI9SW98%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-outlook-id="cfb94f9b-f0df-4c8f-91fa-a17329b660ca">Bluesky</a>.

Becky Little

Dave Roos is a journalist and podcaster based in the U.S. and Mexico. He's the co-host of <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WOj0eb3mc$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WOj0eb3mc$">Biblical Time Machine</a>, a history podcast, and a writer for the popular podcast <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WORJo2DiQ$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WORJo2DiQ$">Stuff You Should Know</a>. Learn more at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.daveroos.com/__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WO_YrhCB4$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.daveroos.com/__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WO_YrhCB4$">daveroos.com</a>.

Dave Roos

Patrick J. Kiger has written for GQ, the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, PBS NewsHour and Military History Quarterly. He's the co-author (with Martin J. Smith) of Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America.

Patrick J. Kiger

The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.

1970s

Elizabeth Yuko, Ph.D., is a bioethicist and journalist, as well as an adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University. She has written for numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.

Elizabeth Yuko

<a href="https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FHISTORY.com">HISTORY.com</a> is covering a range of angles about pandemics of the past to help frame the COVID-19 crisis.

Pandemics

Tim Ott has written for HISTORY.com and other A+E sites since 2012. He has also contributed to sites including MLB.com and Optimism, and teaches writing in his adopted hometown of Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Tim Ott

Listicle

During the 1920s (often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties"), a surging economy in the U.S. created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.

1920s

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

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

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

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

The 1950s were a decade marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the civil rights movement in the United States. At this time the U.S. economy was booming and more (mostly white) Americans could afford new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods. But the 1950s also saw great conflict and division, from the nascent civil rights movement to the crusade against communism at home and abroad in the Korean War.

1950s

Africa is a large and diverse continent that extends from South Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. The continent makes up one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth. Widely recognized as the birthplace of humankind, Africa saw the rise of great kingdoms, faced the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonization and Apartheid.

World War I ‑ Stories

How World War I Spurred the Invention of Blood Banks

When WWI, Pandemic and Slump Ended, Americans Sprang Into the Roaring Twenties

11 Objects Carried by World War I Infantrymen

The Heroic WWI Homing Pigeons That Saved Countless Lives

Inflation: 6 Times Americans Felt the Pinch

Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points: How a Vision for World Peace Failed

How Many People Died in World War I?

6 Key World War I Battles Fought in Africa

How Nations Have Spied from the Sky

How the World Learned to Manage the Flu

How German U‑Boats Were Used in WWI—And Perfected in WWII

How Imperialism Set the Stage for World War I