Understanding our past is important. This is where we do it.
The French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799. It overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, and significantly altered French history. The revolution had far-reaching consequences for France and the rest of Europe, inspiring debates about the balance of power, individual rights, and nationalism.
- May 5, 1789: Estates-General convenes at Versailles
- July 14, 1789: Storming of the Bastille
- August 26, 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted
- September 21, 1792: Monarchy abolished; First French Republic established
- January 21, 1793: Execution of King Louis XVI
- September 5, 1793: Reign of Terror begins
- July 27, 1794: Robespierre executed, ending the Reign of Terror
- November 9, 1799: Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power in a coup d'état
The British Empire in India
The British Empire's rule in India, also known as the British Raj, lasted from 1858 to 1947. It began after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and ended with India's independence. The period was marked by significant economic, social, and political changes in the Indian subcontinent.
- 1600: East India Company established
- 1757: Battle of Plassey; British East India Company gains control of Bengal
- 1858: British Crown assumes direct control of India from the East India Company
- 1877: Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India
- 1885: Indian National Congress founded
- 1906: Muslim League established
- 1919: Jallianwala Bagh massacre
- 1935: Government of India Act passed
- 1947: India gains independence; Partition of India and Pakistan
World War 1
World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict lasting from 1914 to 1918. It involved many of the world's major powers, organized into two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. The war resulted in significant geopolitical changes and technological advancements in warfare.
- June 28, 1914: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo
- July 28, 1914: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, initiating the conflict
- August 1, 1914: Germany declares war on Russia, France mobilizes
- April 6, 1917: United States enters the war
- March 3, 1918: Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, exiting the war
- November 11, 1918: Armistice signed, ending World War I
- June 28, 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was the longest and deepest economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. The depression had devastating effects on both rich and poor countries, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty, and social upheaval.
- October 24, 1929: "Black Thursday" stock market crash
- 1930: Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act signed, exacerbating global economic decline
- 1931: European banking crisis begins
- 1932: US unemployment reaches 23.6%
- March 4, 1933: Franklin D. Roosevelt inaugurated, introduces New Deal policies
- 1935: Second New Deal launched, including Social Security Act
- 1937: Roosevelt's "court-packing" plan fails; economic recession
- 1939: World War II begins, effectively ending the Great Depression
World War 2
World War II was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving many of the world's nations. It was the deadliest and most destructive war in history, marked by significant events including the Holocaust, strategic bombing, and the use of nuclear weapons. The war reshaped the political alignment and social structure of the world.
- September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II in Europe
- December 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; US enters the war
- June 6, 1944: D-Day invasion of Normandy
- August 6 and 9, 1945: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders, officially ending World War II
- October 24, 1945: United Nations established
- November 20, 1945: Nuremberg trials begin
- September 8, 1951: San Francisco Peace Treaty signed, formally ending the war in the Pacific
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1947 to 1991. It wasn't a traditional war with direct military confrontation between the superpowers, but rather a sustained state of political and military tension. The conflict shaped international relations, divided the world into competing spheres of influence, and left a lasting impact on global politics, economics, and culture through proxy wars, the nuclear arms race, and the space race.
- February 4, 1945: Yalta Conference divides Europe into spheres of influence
- March 12, 1947: Truman Doctrine announced, marking the official start of the Cold War
- June 24, 1948: Soviet Union blockades West Berlin
- April 4, 1949: NATO established
- August 29, 1949: Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb
- June 25, 1950: Korean War begins
- August 13, 1961: Construction of the Berlin Wall begins
- October 16, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis brings world to brink of nuclear war
- July 20, 1969: US wins Space Race with Moon landing
- December 24, 1979: Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
- March 11, 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
- November 9, 1989: Berlin Wall falls
- December 25, 1991: Soviet Union officially dissolves, ending the Cold War
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