Prehistory
Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Earth's Ancient Global Warming
A rapid release of thousands of billions of tonnes of carbon warmed the planet, acidified the oceans and reshaped marine and land life.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Prehistory
Formation of the Moon: The Giant Impact With Theia
Debris from a collision between the proto-Earth and a planet-sized body gathered in orbit to form the Moon, which has accompanied Earth ever since.
Modern Era
Year Without a Summer (1816): Famine, Frost and Frankenstein
Failed harvests caused the last great subsistence crisis in the Western world, with food riots, disease, mass emigration and lasting cultural echoes.
Modern Era
Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945): U-Boats, Convoys and Codes
The Allies defeated the U-boat campaign, keeping Britain supplied and making possible the build-up for the invasion of Europe.
Modern Era
Christmas Truce of 1914: When Enemies Met in No Man's Land
An unofficial, local ceasefire along much of the British-held front; fighting resumed afterwards and high commands prevented any repeat on the same scale.
Modern Era
Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816): The Gurkhas and the Company
East India Company victory; by the Treaty of Sugauli Nepal lost about a third of its territory and accepted a British Resident in Kathmandu.
Modern Era
Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821): From Dolores to Freedom
Spanish rule in New Spain ended with the Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba, and the Mexican Empire was proclaimed independent in September 1821.
Modern Era
Jacquard Loom (1804): Punched Cards That Wove Silk Patterns
The punched-card Jacquard mechanism let one weaver produce elaborate patterned fabric and became a key forerunner of programmable machines.
Modern Era
Concordat of 1801: Napoleon's Deal With the Catholic Church
Catholic worship was restored in France, with bishops nominated by the state, clergy paid by the state, and the Church's lost lands left in the hands of their new owners.
Middle Ages
Chichen Itza: History of the Great Maya-Toltec City
Chichen Itza became the dominant city of the northern Maya lowlands before declining, while remaining a major pilgrimage site.
Middle Ages
The Baqt (652): Treaty Between Christian Nubia and Muslim Egypt
A non-aggression and exchange agreement under which Makuria sent enslaved people north and received goods from Egypt, preserving Nubian independence for about 600 years.
Middle Ages
Shore Temple and Mahabalipuram: Masterpieces of Pallava Art
The Pallavas created one of the earliest groups of stone temples in southern India, setting patterns for later Dravidian temple architecture.