Reinforcements disembarking from a landing barge at Normandy during the Allied Invasion of France on D-Day.

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

The Panjandrum was a rocket-propelled metal wheel armed with explosives.

Spectators show the Hitler salute during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on August 1, 1936 in Berlin.

London Blitz evacuation of children, 1940.

The Women’s Voluntary Services provide tea and sandwiches at the Liverpool Street station in October 1940.

Winston Churchill gives his famous victory sign on VE Day, 1945.

Beer Hall Putsch Commemoration German Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945), Hermann Goering and Werner von Blomberg lead a procession of Nazis to the Munich Burgerbrau Cellar, to commemorate the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Germany, 10th November 1937. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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

World War II was fought from 1939 to 1945. Learn more about World War II combatants, battles and generals, and what caused World War II.

World War II: Causes and Timeline | HISTORY

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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

Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment.

Jesse Greenspan

<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

Ratha Tep, based in Dublin, is a frequent contributor to The New York Times. She also writes books for children.

Ratha Tep

Jessica Pearce Rotondi is the author of <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/InheritLegacies__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhfRRBy0w$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/InheritLegacies__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhfRRBy0w$">What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers</a>. Find her at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/JPRTwitter__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhdpRBiTQ$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/JPRTwitter__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhdpRBiTQ$">@JessicaRotondi</a> or at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/WhatWeInherit__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhsaTHWD4$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/WhatWeInherit__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhsaTHWD4$">JessicaPearceRotondi.com</a>.

Jessica Pearce Rotondi

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

Kellie B. Gormly is an award-winning journalist who writes for publications including The Washington Post, Smithsonian and Woman's World. She specializes in Civil War history.

Kellie B. Gormly

us-government

Food is an integral part of human history, serving as both sustenance and a symbol of culture, trade and power. From the earliest days of hunter-gatherers to modern-day globalization, what people eat has influenced the course of history.

Food

Listicle

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

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.

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On the Ground on D‑Day: 5 Stories – Videos

7 Weird Weapons From World War II

Inflation: 6 Times Americans Felt the Pinch

How Hitler’s Failed Beer Hall Putsch Helped Fuel His Rise

8 Ciphers That Shaped History

How Hollywood Star Hedy Lamarr Invented the Tech Behind Wi‑Fi