Early Modern
Goree Island and the House of Slaves: Senegal's Memorial Site
Gorée became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 and a major memorial to the Atlantic slave trade, though historians debate its scale as a slave port.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Early Modern
Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759): Wolfe Takes Quebec
British victory; Wolfe and Montcalm were both mortally wounded and Quebec surrendered on 18 September 1759.
Early Modern
Yangzhou Massacre (1645): The Qing Sack of a Ming Loyalist City
Qing forces took Yangzhou, killed Shi Kefa and massacred much of the population; Nanjing surrendered weeks later.
Early Modern
Kösem Sultan: The Ottoman Valide Who Ruled for Decades
Kösem governed as regent for two child sultans and dominated Ottoman court politics until she was killed in a palace coup in 1651.
Early Modern
Linnaeus and Systema Naturae (1735): Naming the Living World
Linnaeus's ranked classification and consistent two-part species names became the foundation of modern biological nomenclature.
Early Modern
Dutch Revolt and the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648)
The seven northern provinces became the independent Dutch Republic, recognised by Spain in the Peace of Münster in 1648; the southern provinces remained under Spain.
Early Modern
Inca Civil War (c. 1529-1532): Atahualpa against Huáscar
Atahualpa's generals defeated and captured Huáscar in 1532, but the war left the empire divided and weakened just as the Spanish arrived.
Contemporary
War in Afghanistan (2001-2021): From 9/11 to the Fall of Kabul
The Taliban were overthrown in 2001 but fought a long insurgency and retook power in August 2021 as US and allied forces withdrew.
Contemporary
Ten-Day War (1991): Slovenia's Short Fight for Independence
Slovenian victory; the Brioni Agreement ended the fighting and the Yugoslav army withdrew from Slovenia by October 1991.
Contemporary
Miss America Protest (1968): Feminists in Atlantic City
The protest brought the women's liberation movement to national attention and gave rise to the lasting myth of feminist bra-burning.
Contemporary
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (1975): The Handshake in Space
Apollo and Soyuz 19 docked for about two days, the first international crewed space mission and a symbol of US-Soviet detente.
Contemporary
Singapore Independence 1965: Separation from Malaysia
Singapore left the Federation of Malaysia and became a sovereign republic, joining the United Nations in September 1965.