Boost general knowledge of world history with our collection of 65 history facts that all kids should know! Paired with brief descriptions of each topic, you can now easily pick and choose which facts to introduce to your students during which lessons. Whether you incorporate the facts into a fun quiz or combine them with your pre-existent curriculum, we guarantee that your students will have a blast learning!
1. Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is over 2,300 years old and is 13,170 miles long. It’s the longest man-made structure in the world.
Learn More: The Collector
2. Egyptian Pyramids
The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years. It was built for Pharaoh Khufu around 2580–2560 BC.
Learn More: National Geographic
3. Roman Roads
The Romans were known for their road-building skills. They built roads and walls- things we now take for granted.
Learn More: Geo Tech
4. Leonardo Da Vinci
Besides being a famous artist, Da Vinci also made sketches of things that wouldn’t be invented for hundreds of years, like helicopters and tanks.
Learn More: YouTube
5. Christopher Columbus
Columbus didn’t discover America, but his journeys marked the beginning of continuous European efforts to explore and colonize the Americas.
Learn More: History
6. Viking Navigation
Vikings used the position of stars, the color of the sea, and the presence of certain species of birds to navigate the seas.
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7. Machu Picchu
This Incan city in the mountains of Peru was never found by the Spanish invaders. It was merely rediscovered in 1911.
Learn More: Intrepid Travel
8. Rosetta Stone
Discovered in 1799, the Rosetta Stone helped experts learn how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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9. Julius Caesar
Caesar changed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire and his reforms paved the way for his nephew, Augustus Caesar, also known as Octavian, to become the first Roman Emperor.
Learn More: Daily Mail
10. The Moon Landing
On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed two astronauts named Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the moon.
Learn More: National Geographic Kids
11. The Colosseum
In its glory days, the Colosseum in Rome could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. It was used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, and dramas.
Learn More: Britannica
12. Mayan Calendar
The Mayans created a calendar that still accurately predicts solar eclipses.
Learn More: Live Science
13. Napoleon Bonaparte
Despite popular belief, Napoleon wasn’t short. He was actually of average height for his time.
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14. Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech was not planned. He improvised part of it.
Learn More: Britannica
15. Titanic
When the Titanic sank in 1912, it was on its maiden voyage from England to New York City.
Learn More: Britannica
16. Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was initially criticized for its design, but it has now become the global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.
Learn More: Travel + Leisure
17. Pompeii
The city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery.
Learn More: Britannica
18. Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.
Learn More: China Highlights
19. American Revolution
The American Revolution was a war fought by the 13 American colonies against Great Britain for independence. It lasted from 1775 to 1783.
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20. Wright Brothers
Orville and Wilbur Wright were credited with inventing and building the world’s first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered, and sustained heavier-than-air human flight in 1903.
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21. The Black Death
Also known as the Plague, it killed 25 million people in five years during the 14th century.
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22. Mona Lisa
It took Leonardo Da Vinci 12 years to paint Mona Lisa’s lips.
Learn More: Khan Academy
23. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in August 1945 marked the first time atomic bombs were used in war.
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24. Stonehenge
The prehistoric monument Stonehenge in England was built in several stages, with the first stage being erected around 3000 BC.
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25. American Civil War
The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865, primarily over the issue of slavery.
Learn More: Britannica
26. Invention of Printing Press
The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439. It revolutionized the spread of knowledge and literacy.
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27. World War I
World War I was a global war that took place from 1914 to 1918. It led to major political changes, including revolutions in many nations.
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28. World War II
World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, lasting from 1939 to 1945 and involving over 30 countries.
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29. Cleopatra
Cleopatra, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, was known for her beauty and her ability to speak multiple languages.
Learn More: History Skills
30. Greek Gods
Ancient Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses. Their pantheon of gods included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and many more.
Learn More: The Collector
31. Invention of Wheel
The wheel was invented in ancient Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. It is considered one of the most significant inventions in human history.
Learn More: Interesting Engineering
32. Tutankhamun
King Tut’s tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. It was almost intact and provided a wealth of artifacts and a wealth of knowledge about ancient Egypt.
Learn More: The Sun
33. Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s. It began in Great Britain and soon spread to other parts of the world.
Learn More: Britannica
34. The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They are often regarded as the most influential band of all time.
Learn More: Euro News
35. Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries.
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36. Invention of Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell is often credited with being the inventor of the telephone in the 1870s.
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37. Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and is known for leading the country through its Civil War, and on the course to abolish slavery.
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38. Declaration of Independence
The U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
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39. Invention of the Internet
The Internet was invented in the late 20th century by many people, but its foundations can be traced back to ARPANET in the 1960s.
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40. Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Hieroglyphs were a system of writing used by the ancient Egyptians. They combined logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements.
Learn More: The Past
41. The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars in the medieval period, primarily against Muslims in the Holy Land called for by Pope Urban II in 1095.
Learn More: Smithsonian Mag
42. Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was a naval fleet sent by Philip II of Spain in 1588 in an attempt to invade England. It was famously defeated.
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43. French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of radical political and societal change in France that lasted from 1789 to 1799.
Learn More: The Culture Trip
44. Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is a man-made sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Learn More: Britannica
45. The Invention of the Light Bulb
Though Thomas Edison is often credited with its invention, the light bulb was the work of many inventors, with Edison’s version being the most practical for home use.
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46. Space Exploration
The space age began with the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. This was the first human-made object to orbit the Earth.
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47. Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document signed in 1215 that limited the powers of the king and is considered a foundational text of constitutional law.
Learn More: Britannica
48. American Civil Rights Movement
The American civil rights movement was a fight for social justice for Black Americans, primarily occurring in the 1960s.
Learn More: AARP
49. The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting the East and West in ancient times.
Learn More: World History
50. Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773.
Learn More: Wikipedia
51. Mount Everest
Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest in 1865. It is the tallest mountain on Earth, with a peak of 8,848 meters above sea level.
Learn More: National Geographic
52. Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall, a guarded concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin, was officially opened to the West on November 9, 1989.
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53. Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire was a large and complex Native American civilization in modern Mexico running from the 14th to the 16th century.
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54. D-Day
D-Day was the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history began on June 6, 1944.
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55. The Code of Hammurabi
One of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length, the Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian law code dating back to about 1754 BC.
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56. Invention of the Camera
The first partially successful photograph was made in approximately 1816 by Nicephore Niepce, using a very small camera and a piece of paper coated with silver chloride.
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57. The Battle of Waterloo
Fought on 18 June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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58. Building of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal, an artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was built by the U.S. between 1904 and 1914.
Learn More: Chimu Adventures
59. Louis Pasteur
Pasteur made significant breakthroughs in the causes and prevention of diseases during the 19th century. His experiments supported the germ theory of disease.
Learn More: The Conversation
60. Galileo Galilei
Galileo, an Italian astronomer, and physicist, played a major role in the Scientific Revolution and is known for improving the telescope to observe celestial bodies more clearly.
Learn More: The Scientist
61. Prohibition in the U.S.
Prohibition, a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the U.S., lasted from 1920 to 1933.
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62. Discovery of DNA Structure
James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, marking a milestone in the field of genetics.
Learn More: Genomics Education
63. The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States.
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64. Charles Darwin & Evolution
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. His work forms the basis of modern evolutionary studies.
Learn More: YouTube
65. First Woman in Space
Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space. She orbited the Earth 48 times in her spacecraft Vostok 6 in 1963.
Learn More: NASA