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Tens of thousands of Romans take their seats in an enormous stadium made of stone and concrete. It's the year 80, and these people are entering the newly built Colosseum for the first time. Men wearing togas and women in long dresses called stolas will spend the next hundred days watching gladiator games and wild animal fights to celebrate the opening of this amphitheater.

These ancient people were living in the center of a vast empire that spanned across Europe, northern Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Lasting over a thousand years, the ancient Roman civilization contributed to modern languages, government, architecture, and more.

History of ancient Rome

Around the ninth or tenth century B.C., Rome was just a small town on the Tiber River in what's now central Italy. (One myth says that the town was founded by two brothers-Romulus and Remus-who were raised by a wolf.) For about 500 years, the area was ruled by a series of kings as it grew in strength and power.

But around the year 509 B.C., the last king was overthrown, and Rome became a republic. That meant that some citizens could vote for their leaders and other important matters. Only male Roman citizens could cast votes; women and enslaved people-often brought back as prisoners from military battles-could not.

Elected officials included two consuls who acted sort of like today's U.S. presidents and kept each other from taking too much power. Both consuls worked with senators, who advised the consuls and helped create laws. Senators were appointed by other officials and could hold their positions for life.

The Roman army fought many wars during this period, first conquering all of what's now Italy. In 146 B.C., they destroyed the city of Carthage (in modern-day Tunisia, in northern Africa), which was Rome's greatest rival for trade in the western Mediterranean Sea. Next they conquered Greece.

For 500 years, the republic system mostly worked. But then a series of civil wars divided the people. In 59 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar, a politician and military general, used the chaos to take power. Serving as consul, Caesar made new laws that benefitted his troops and other regular citizens. Then he conquered what's now France and invaded Britain.

Even though his troops and many Roman citizens supported him, the Senate worried he was too powerful and wanted him gone. Knowing this, Caesar marched his loyal army into Rome. It was an illegal act that started a civil war, which Caesar would eventually win.

At first, he was named dictator for 10 years. (Before that, a dictator served during times of emergencies for only six months.) He canceled people's debts and granted Roman citizenship to people outside of Italy so they could vote. Caesar also traveled to Egypt, making an alliance with the pharaoh Cleopatra.

In 44 B.C., Caesar named himself dictator for life. Fearing he was becoming a king, a group of senators killed him on the floor of the Senate. Caesar was gone, but his supporters chased down the assassins. His heir and nephew, Octavian, and general Mark Anthony battled for power.

Octavian eventually won and renamed himself Augustus Caesar. (The family name, Caesar, would become a title that future emperors would use to connect themselves back to Gaius Julius Caesar.) He convinced the Senate to give him absolute power and served successfully for 45 years. After his death, he was declared a god.

For the rest of its existence, Rome was ruled by emperors who were not elected-they reigned for life. The Senate was still part of the government, but it had very little power. Some emperors, like Claudius, were good at their jobs; others, like Nero and Caligula, were so cruel that even their guards turned against them.

By A.D. 117, the Roman Empire included what's now France, Spain, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, parts of northern Africa, England, Romania, and more. At one point, one out of every four people in the world lived under Rome's control.

But emperors and the Senate found this vast empire difficult to rule from the city of Rome. In the year 285, it was split into a Western Roman Empire and an Eastern Roman Empire. Known as the Byzantine Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire was ruled from the city of Constantinople, now the modern-day city of Istanbul in Turkey.

The Byzantine Empire would last for almost another thousand years, but the Western Empire-Rome-began to fall apart. Civil wars, plagues, money troubles, and invasions from other groups made the empire unstable. In the year 476, a Germanic king overthrew Romulus Augustus, the last Roman emperor.

Life in ancient Rome

Most people in the city of Rome lived in crowded apartment buildings called insulae that were five to seven stories high. Wealthier Romans lived in houses called domus that had a dining room and an atrium-an open-air courtyard that often had a pool at the center. Some Romans even had vacation homes in Pompeii and Herculaneum, two Roman cities that were destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.

Rich or poor, Romans gathered to relax, socialize, and clean themselves at Roman baths. Like modern spas, these structures had exercise rooms, swimming pools, saunas, hot and cold plunge pools, and massage spaces. The people also gathered to watch plays, chariot races, and gladiator battles.

Roman citizens enjoyed relaxing, but enslaved people in ancient Rome had a much more difficult life. Many worked in fields, mines, and on ships. Others, like educated Greeks who tutored wealthy children, were forced to work in rich people's homes. However, some enslaved people were able to buy or earn their freedom and eventually become Roman citizens.

Roman women sometimes worked as midwives-helping to deliver babies-or became priestesses. But in Roman society, women's main role was to look after the home and family. Although Romans could easily get divorced, children legally belonged to the father (or a male relative if he was no longer living).

Romans believed in many gods, including the sky god Jupiter; Mars, a god who protected Romans in war; and Vesta, the goddess of the home. People would worship these gods and goddesses both at public temples and in their homes.

Why ancient Rome still matters

Today, the city of Rome is the capital of Italy, with around three million people. Visitors can still see many ancient Roman ruins, from the Colosseum to the Roman Forum, where much of ancient Roman politics took place.

But beyond the crumbling buildings, Rome's impact is seen all over the world today, from huge sports stadiums inspired by the Colosseum to the way that we vote for politicians. The republic's system of checks and balances on power even inspired the founders of the United States government.

If you drive in Europe or the Middle East today, you might be on a route created by the ancient Romans. Those engineers built a system of 50,000 miles of roads that connected the empire, allowing troops to easily conquer new land and traders to travel and bring back wealth. (It's where we get the saying, "All roads lead to Rome.")

You can also thank Roman engineers for perfecting a system for getting running water. They built aqueducts, which were long channels that delivered fresh water from up to 57 miles away for people's baths, fountains, and even toilets. (Some ancient aqueducts still provide water to modern-day Rome!)

Julius Caesar even gave the world its 365-day calendar with an extra day every fourth year, or leap year. The month of July is named after him, and August is named after his successor, Augustus.

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Find out why this ancient civilization is still important more than 2,000 years after its fall.

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Kingdom

The first settlers of Rome were people known as Latins, and the region around the city was called Latium. According to legend, twin brothers named Romulus and Remus founded Rome in 753 . Shortly before 600 bce, warriors from Etruria, a region north of Rome, attacked the city. The warriors, called Etruscans, conquered Rome.

Rome grew steadily under Etruscan kings. It became the largest and richest city on the Italian peninsula. In about 509 bce the Romans forced the last Etruscan king out of the city. Rome then became a republic. This meant that the Roman people elected the government.

Republic

The most important Roman leaders were called consuls. There were two consuls. Assemblies, or groups, of adult male Roman citizens chose both consuls. At first the consuls had to be patricians, or members of upper-class families.

An important group called the Senate gave advice to the consuls. The members, called senators, were patricians. They met in a building in the Forum, an area of Rome that was the center of public life. The Senate grew more powerful over the years.

Most Romans were not patricians but plebeians, or common people. The plebeians staged an uprising in 494 bce. They gradually won more power. By 367 bce one of the two consul positions was set aside for the plebeians.

Rome suffered some setbacks as it slowly expanded its territory. In about 390 bce a northern group called the Gauls took over the city. They would not leave until the Romans paid them a large amount of gold. Another group called the Samnites defeated the Romans in 321 bce. In general, however, Rome's conquests could not be stopped. By 275 bce Rome had forced the Greeks to give up their colonies in Italy.

By 260 bce Rome's last remaining rival in the western Mediterranean was the city of Carthage, in North Africa. For more than a century the Romans fought Carthage for power. It took three wars-called the Punic Wars-before the Roman forces totally destroyed Carthage in 146 bce.

Rome then turned to other areas, including Sicily, Spain, Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor (now Turkey). Governors called proconsuls managed most of the conquered lands. They had great power. The Romans taxed the conquered people heavily. They also enslaved many conquered people. The Romans put these captives to work on farms and as personal servants in cities. Slaves were used in Rome until about the 300s ce.

Empire

In about 133 bce Rome entered a period of unrest and civil war. Peoples in Italy rebelled against Rome's strict rule in 90 bce. During 73-71 bce a gladiator, or professional fighter, named Spartacus led an army of runaway slaves in a war against Rome. Rome defeated both of these rebellions.

Meanwhile, Rome continued to expand its empire. The most successful general was Julius Caesar. He won victories in far-off areas and then took power in Rome. However, his enemies assassinated him in 44 bce. This set off another period of civil war.

Peace finally came under the leadership of Julius Caesar's grandnephew Octavian. Octavian defeated his rivals for power, including the Roman general Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, by 30 bce. He was crowned Rome's first emperor in 27 bce. He became known as Augustus Caesar. During Augustus' rule, the emperor gained absolute control over the state and came to be worshiped like a god.

Two centuries of peace and progress followed. The empire's frontiers expanded all the way to Britain and the Arabian Peninsula. The Romans built roads, bridges, and aqueducts, or water pipes, throughout their vast empire. They also brought their laws to conquered lands.

The emperor Tiberius ruled from 14 to 37 ce. During this time the Roman government in Palestine put Jesus to death. Some of Jesus' followers, called Christians, later set up a community in Rome. At first the Romans did not agree with the Christian religion. They mistreated and killed many Christians. But in 312 ce the emperor Constantine I became a Christian himself. Christianity eventually became the main religion of the Roman Empire.

Downfall

By this time, the empire was weakening. Constantine believed he could strengthen the empire if he moved its center away from Rome. In 330 he created a new capital in the Greek colony of Byzantium. He renamed the city Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey).

After the death of the emperor Theodosius I in 395, the Roman Empire split in two. The Eastern Roman Empire was based in Constantinople. The Western Roman Empire was based in Rome. Several groups of outside peoples, including the Vandals and the Huns, attacked the western empire. A group called the Visigoths attacked the city of Rome in 410. The last western emperor fell in 476. This brought an end to the Western Roman Empire. The eastern empire continued as the Byzantine Empire until 1453.

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The ancient city of Rome was the center of one of the largest and most powerful empires the world has ever seen. The Roman Empire was based in what is now Italy. As the Roman...

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Titanic - the iconic vessel that came to a very tragic end. But how much do you know about this world-famous ship? It's time to find out in our twenty top Titanic facts!
Titanic facts

1) Titanic was built by a company called White Star Line. She was completed and ready for the on 31 March 1912, after three years in construction in Belfast,.

3) On 10 April 1912, Titanic set out on her maiden voyage (first big journey), taking people from Southampton, England, to New York, USA. On route, she called by Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland to pick up more passengers.

DID YOU KNOW? Boats are traditionally referred to as 'she'. Historians think this may be the result of links in our language to Ancient English. Or perhaps it dates back to the idea of goddesses protecting ships on dangerous journeys!

4) Titanic's full title was RMS Titanic. Any idea what RMS means? It stands for ' Royal Mail Steamer'. As well as passengers, the ship carried nearly 3,500 sacks of letters, packages and documents.

5) There were over 2,200 people on board Titanic, 900 of which were crew members. The passengers included holiday makers, business men and people hoping to start a new life in America.

6) Life on board Titanic depended on who you were and how much money you had...

Third class: the third class facilities were much more basic, but they were still far better than those on other boats at that time. Located at the bottom of the ship, cabins slept up to ten people and each had a sink and mirror. There was also a dining room where food was served three times a day. But the big down side? All 700 third class passengers had to share two bathtubs!

8) Titanic was also known as the 'Ship of Dreams', and White Star Line claimed she was the safest ship of all time. To make sure she wouldn't sink, her hull was made up of 16 separate sections. If two, or even three sections were damaged and water got in, the ship would still have time to sail to safety. So all good, right? Wrong...

9) Just before midnight on day five, in the freezing cold North Atlantic Ocean, an iceberg loomed out of the darkness. Too big to quickly change direction, Titanic scraped along the side of the ice, tearing holes in at least four sections of the hull. Uh oh...

10) The Captain of Titanic - Edward John Smith - and his crew knew that the collision meant disaster; Titanic would sink in just a few hours. Distress signals were sent out to nearby ships and passengers were ordered to get to the lifeboats, fast!

11) But there was one very big problem. Titanic only carried twenty lifeboats - only enough to hold around half of the people on board! What's worse, the first lifeboats were launched half-empty, wasting precious spaces. In panic, many people jumped into the ocean to escape the sinking ship!

12) As Titanic sank, the bow (the front) went down first, causing the stern (the back) to rise out of the water and into the air. At around 2am, this tilt caused the ship to break in two, sending all those still on board into the freezing cold ocean...

13) In the -2°C waters, most passengers who went into the sea would have died from the cold within 15 minutes. Some managed to survive a little longer by treading water or clinging onto bits of floating wreckage.

14) The first ship to respond to Titanic's distress signals was called the RMS Carpathia. But despite setting out immediately and travelling at top speed, she didn't arrive until around 3.30am - over an hour after the Titanic had sunk.

15) On arrival at the disaster, the RMS Carpathia rescued those who had made it into the lifeboats. There were around 705 survivors in total, and all were transported safely to New York, USA.

16) But tragically, more than 1,500 people lost their lives on the Titanic, most never to be seen again. In the days following the wreckage, ships headed out to the disaster area and recovered 300 bodies from the water. These were either buried at sea or taken to Halifax in Canada (the nearest major port) to be identified.

18) Since then, there have been many expeditions to Titanic - and over 6,000 interesting items have been salvaged from the wreckage. These can be seen today in museums around the world and include jewellery, perfumes, plates, clothes, furniture and even lunch menus!

19) The longest living survivor from Titanic was Millvina Dean, who lived to be 97 years old. She was just a baby when she, her mother and brother made it into one of the lifeboats. Millvina lived to tell the tragic tale until 2009, when she passed away.

20) There have been lots of documentaries and movies made about Titanic. The first was a silent movie called Saved from the Titanic, made just one month after the disaster. The most popular today is the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster Titanic, which became one of the highest-earning movies of all time!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Titanic primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Would you have survived Titanic?

So, now you know all about this incredible ship and its tragic tale. But here's the big question: if you had been on board, would you have survived? It all depends on who you were...

- YOU were a woman or child: Women and children were allowed to board the lifeboats first. However, some men did get a place when the first few lifeboats didn't fill up.

- YOU were rich: First-class passengers were lucky - they had cabins on the upper decks, closest to the lifeboats. Many poorer passengers, in 'steerage' class on the lower decks, didn't reach the lifeboat deck in time.

- YOU obeyed orders: If you had got into a lifeboat as soon as the crew told you to, you would probably have survived. Remember that, next time you're on a ship!

- YOU were brave: Many people were too scared to leave the big ship for the tiny lifeboats. Others stayed on board because they didn't want to lose sight of their friends or family. To survive, you needed the courage to go for it.

- YOU were willing to push: In the final struggle for lifeboat places, those who pushed, won!

- YOU had stamina: Some survivors were plucked from the icy water after hanging onto bits of floating wreckage for more than half an hour. They had clung on to life!

Photos and Illustrations: Getty Images UK

What did you think of our twenty Titanic facts? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Titanic facts for kids | History | National Geographic Kids

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Learn about the most famous ship in history with our twenty Titanic facts. How big was the Titanic? Where did she sink? How many people died on the Titanic?

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On its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean, a passenger ship called the Titanic struck a huge iceberg. The ship sank on April 15, 1912, killing more than 1,500 people. It was one of the most famous disasters of the 20th century.

Before there were airplanes, people crossed oceans on ships called ocean liners. The Titanic was one of the largest ocean liners of its time. It was more than 880 feet (270 meters) long and had nine decks, or floors. The hull, or body, was made of steel and divided into 16 compartments. Some people said that the Titanic was unsinkable.

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set out from Southampton, England. It was bound for New York City. Some of the passengers were rich people on business or pleasure trips. Others were poor European emigrants who were looking for a better life in North America.

Lookouts saw an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14. The ship could not move out of the way fast enough. The hull was torn apart and the ship began to fill with water. At 2:20 am the next day, the Titanic sank.

About 705 people escaped in lifeboats. However, there were not nearly enough lifeboats for the 2,224 people that the ship carried. Governments strengthened safety rules for ships after the disaster.

In 1985 deep-sea explorers found the remains of the Titanic at a depth of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) near the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Underwater vessels explored the ship and brought pieces of wreckage to the surface.

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On its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean, a passenger ship called the Titanic struck a huge iceberg. The ship sank on April 15, 1912, killing more than 1,500 people. It...

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Read about the tragic shipwreck in the frigid North Atlantic Ocean.

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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Discover Ancient Rome

Understanding people in the past can be fun, learning about ancient Rome is interesting and enjoyable. Some kings like Lucius were not very popular and sometimes cruel to people. They became very powerful and conquered other lands. They had patricians who were rich nobles and owner a lot of land. The plebeians were servants, tradesmen and generally had smaller farms. Enjoy learning and do not forget it is about having fun.

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Discover Ancient Rome Understanding people in the past can be fun, learning about ancient Rome is interesting and enjoyable. Some kings like Lucius were not very popular and sometimes cruel to people. They became very powerful and conquered other lands. They had patricians who were rich nobles and owner a lot of land.

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After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union were the superpowers of the world. They became rivals as they each sought to prevent the other from gaining too much...

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During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had fought on the same side, though they did not fancy each other a lot.

Americans had been worried about Russian Communism for a long time and Russians thought that the US should have joined them sooner so more Russians would not have died in the war.

The term 'cold war' first came up in an essay written by English author George Orwell. It was called 'You and the Atomic Bomb.'

Overview

In the 1950s, there was a war between the US and USSR. This war became a big part of everyday life in both countries.

The war was fueled by two things: the arms race and the fear of nuclear weapons. These things were happening at the same time as wars in Korea and Southeast Asia.

In Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union was trying to take over other countries. This made American's scared of a Russian plan for world control. That made the Russians mad because they thought American officials were always threatening them and trying to stop their plans for power.

The result was that both sides started fighting. It became a Cold War where nobody could win.

Within months, writer George Orwell's prediction came true. The US and the USSR were suspicious of one another and wanted to keep power in the wake of World War II by creating allies in capitalism and communism, respectively.

The "long telegram"

By the time World War II ended, American officials decided that the best defense the US could have against the Soviets was through containment.

A diplomat named George Kennan (1904-2005) explained this policy in his famous "Long Telegram." The Soviet Union was a political force committed to the idea that there could not be peace with the US. That is why the US's choice was to contain Russia and contain its expansionist tendencies.

Starting in 1947, the US military power became important to both countries after President Truman asked for money to help Turkey and Greece. He was trying to stop the influence of the Soviet Union in these two countries which were very near the USSR.

This was called the Truman Doctrine. The US usually became involved with other countries by giving them money and arms to fight the USSR in their own territories. It was like the US fought a war outside of its own territory and in the name of other countries.

After World War II, the line between East and West was frozen. Conflicts like the ones in Greece and Turkey happened in Asia, Africa, and Latin America too for the next five decades. Some of these conflicts got mixed up with the Cold War because the countries wanted to influence anti-colonial movements.

The Atomic Age

Some of the leaders of the Soviet Union were afraid that the US would attack Russia. The US had used an atomic bomb to end World War II in Japan. This showed the Soviets that America was a possible threat to their government.

The Russians also didn't want Germany to become independent after World War II because they had invaded Russia twice and killed many people before. Russia wanted to occupy Germany and prevent another attack. The US didn't want Germany occupied, but they agreed with the Soviets on this point.

The containment strategy also provided the reason for an increase in money for the military. Truman's recommendation was to use military force against communism anywhere that it was happening. To do that, he proposed a huge increase of money for the US defense.

The United States went on to develop atomic weapons. They started an arms race with the Soviet Union.

In 1949, the Soviets tested an atom bomb of their own. In response, President Truman announced that the United States would build an even more destructive atomic weapon: a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) or "superbomb". Stalin followed suit.

Because of the Cold War, the stakes were high. The first H-bomb test made a 25-square-mile fireball. It made a hole in the ocean floor and could have destroyed half of Manhattan. There were radioactive wastes that came out of later American and Soviet tests.

The Cold War had a great effect on life in the US. People built bomb shelters in their backyards. They practiced attack drills at schools and other public places.

The 1950s and 1960s saw an epidemic of popular films that horrified moviegoers with depictions of nuclear destruction and mutant creatures. In these ways, the Cold War was always there for Americans' everyday lives.

The Space Race

Space exploration was also used as a front in the Cold War. American people were not happy when a Soviet missile put an object in space first. The United States wanted to keep up with the Soviet Union, so they started exploring space too.

In 1958 the US launched its own satellite, Explorer I, and the Space Race began. In that year President Dwight Eisenhower signed a public order to create NASA to explore space.

The Soviets were one step ahead of the US, though, because they launched a man into space in 1961 for the first time. In May, a US citizen became the first American man in space.

President JFK said that by the end of the decade the US would land a man on the Moon. His prediction came true on July 20 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon.

The astronauts were seen as heroes and Soviets were seen as villains because they couldn't do it themselves. After Apollo 11 landed on the moon, six more Apollo missions followed. One of these was Apollo 13. The crew had an explosion in their space ship and they survived.

The red scare

The government of the United States started to prevent communism from expanding after World War II. Many Americans had become fear that communism might spread and threaten democracy in the US.

The House Un-American Activities Committee was created to find communist activities in the US. The government was afraid the Soviet Union had spies in the country.

The Committee brought the Cold War home by doing a series of hearings. They wanted to show that communist subversion existed in the United States.

The federal government and state governments attacked what they thought were communist threats. Senator Joseph McCarthy chaired one such committee, and the hope was to end communism in the federal government.

In Hollywood, the Committee made people say something that wasn't true about their politics, which meant they lost their jobs. More than 500 people lost their jobs. People who were blacklisted couldn't work again for a long time.

Thousands of people were investigated, fired, or even prosecuted during the 1950s. After communism became a topic, liberal college professors lost their jobs, and people were asked to testify against colleagues. Loyalty oaths became commonplace during this time period.

The war abroad

The fight against subversion at home was like the fight against the Soviet threat abroad. In 1950, the Cold War had its first military move when the North Korean People's Army, which was backed by the USSR, invaded South Korea, which was backed by the US. Truman sent American troops into Korea, but the Korean War dragged to a stalemate and ended in 1953.

Some other international disputes happened. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy had a lot of trouble in his own hemisphere. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 seemed to prove that the real communist threat now lay in countries that were unstable and postcolonial, like Cuba.

In Vietnam, there was a struggle between the American-backed nationalist Ngo Dinh Diem in the south and the communist nationalist Ho Chi Minh in the north. The US wanted to stop communists from taking over so they supported Diem. But by 1964, it became clear that if they wanted to stop communists from taking over Vietnam, then they had to help Diem more.

The US sent a lot of troops to Vietnam to fight for a lost cause. Many young soldiers died in the Vietnam war. Finally, the US had to retire its troops and Vietnam unified into a communist country.

The end of the Cold War

Richard Nixon became the US president in the 1970s. He didn't view the world as just one country with more power. Instead, he believed that people should use diplomacy instead of fighting to have more power.

To this end, he did things like recognizing China after their government became communist. He also established diplomatic relations with China and the Soviet Union at a time when they were not friends.

Then Mikhail Gorbachev took office in the USSR. He did two things that changed how Russia was seen by other countries: "glasnost" which means the country was more open to new ideas, and "perestroika" which meant that there were to be very strong economic changes inside the USSR.

In 1989, Eastern Europe changed. Every other communist country replaced its government with a noncommunist one. On November 9, the Berlin Wall was finally demolished. By 1991, the Soviet Union had fallen apart and there was no more Cold War. The US had no other "big" enemy with whom to fight.

Though the Cold War ended in the 1980s, it still affects today's geopolitics.

The United States is called the superpower because it has a lot of allies in countries where it sent money and arms to fight. The US also has a lot of weapons and military outposts all over the globe.

Sources

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The Cold War Facts for Kids - History for Kids

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During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had fought on the same side, though they did not fancy each other a lot. Americans had been worried about Russian Communism for a long time and Russians thought that the US should have joined them sooner so more Russians would not have died ...

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The Cold War - KS3 History - BBC Bitesize

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KS3 History The Cold War learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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In 1946 Sir Winston Churchill gave an address on foreign affairs at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In it he uttered this ominous sentence: “From Stettin in the…

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In 1495 the Portuguese king asked da Gama to lead an expedition eastward to India. In da Gama's time, Europeans wanted many goods from the East, particularly spices. Muslim traders controlled the land routes to the East. The Portuguese and Spanish monarchs knew that if they could control another trade route to the East, they would gain great wealth and power. They were eager to find a sea route to India. Another Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, had earlier discovered that there was a passage around the bottom of Africa called the Cape of Good Hope. But he had not made it to India.

Da Gama made three voyages to India. On the first voyage, from 1497 to 1499, he and his fleet reached Calicut, an important trading center in southern India. However, da Gama was unable to make a trade agreement with the ruler of the city. Da Gama returned to Portugal with samples of spices and precious stones.

On his second trip, in 1502-03, da Gama returned to Calicut but also went on to Cochin, where he made an agreement with the ruler of that city. In 1524 da Gama was sent back to India as the Portuguese viceroy, or governor. His task was to improve the administration of the Portuguese colony at Goa, on the west coast of India. Da Gama reached Goa in September 1524. He soon fell ill, possibly because of overwork. Da Gama died in Cochin on December 24, 1524.

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In 1495 the Portuguese king asked da Gama to lead an expedition eastward to India. In da Gama's time, Europeans wanted many goods from the East, particularly spices. Muslim traders controlled the land routes to the East. The Portuguese and Spanish monarchs knew that if they could control another trade route to the East, they would gain great wealth and power.

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On the 4th of July 1497 he left Lisbon with four ships: the São Gabriel, the São Rafael, the Berrio, and a storage ship of unknown name. He intended that his ships sail to India. No European explorer before him had sailed further than the place that is now called South Africa.

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Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator, and the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.

Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family. Little is known of his early life. In 1497, he was appointed to command an expedition equipped by the Portuguese government, whose intention was to find a maritime route to the East.

Setting off in July 1497, da Gama's expedition took advantage of the prevailing winds by sailing south down the coast of Africa, then veering far out into the Atlantic and swinging back in an arc to arrive off the southern African coast. This established a route still followed by sailing vessels. The expedition then rounded the Cape of Good and, after sailing up the coast of east Africa, took on an Arab navigator who helped them reach the Indian coast, at Calicut (now Kozhikode) in May 1498. This voyage launched the all-water route from Europe to Asia.

Da Gama returned to Portugal. The king immediately dispatched another expedition to secure a trading post at Calicut. After hearing of the massacre of all those at the trading post, da Gama sailed for India again in 1502 attacking Arab Muslim ships he met on the way. He forced the ruler of Calicut to make peace and, on his return voyage along the east African coast established Portuguese trading posts in what is now Mozambique.

Back in Portugal, da Gama was granted further privileges and revenues and continued to advise the king on Indian matters. After 20 years at home, in 1524, he was nominated as Portuguese viceroy in India and sent to deal with the mounting corruption among Portuguese authorities there. Arriving in Cochin, he fell ill and died on 24 December 1524. In 1539, his body was taken back to Portugal for burial.

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Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator, and the first person to sail directly from Europe to India. Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family. Little is known of his early life.

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Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s - 1524) was a Portuguese explorer and became the first European sailor to reach India by sea. He is credited with linking Europe and Asia by an ocean route that connected the Atlantic and Indian Oceans by going around the southern tip of Africa known as the Cape of Good Hope.
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Key Facts & Information

VASCO DA GAMA'S BACKGROUND

Vasco da Gama was born in southwest Portugal in a seaport town called Sine. He was the third of five sons and had one sister.

Da Gama's father, Estêvão da Gama, was a knight and had a successful military career. He also became the civil governor of Sine around the time of Vasco's birth. Vasco's mother was João Sodré and came from a well-connected family.

Little is known of da Gama's early life.

Around 1480, da Gama followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Order of Santiago. The master of Santiago was Prince John who would go on to be King John II of Portugal in 1481.

John was very fond of the Order of Santiago and da Gama's career benefited from this attention.

NAVIGATION BEFORE DA GAMA

Portugal had a long history of exploration before da Gama. In the 15th century, Prince Henry the Navigator had already explored the coastline of West Africa in search of gold, ivory, slaves and other riches.

In 1474, Prince John II asked his father, the king, to allow him to take over the business of African exploration.

When John became king, he wanted to make the crown wealthy so that it was less dependent on the nobility for income. He decided that royal commerce and trade with Africa was the way to do that. While expanding trade with Africa, he wanted to start trading profitable spices from Asia, but this was mostly done by land and dominated by Venice. John challenged his captains to find a sea route.

EARLY VOYAGES OF VASCO DA GAMA

Vasco da Gama was now in his 20s and captain Bartolomeu Dias had returned from going around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

The king wanted an explorer to investigate the new African coastline and find a way to India and da Gama was the man for the job.

On 8 July 1497, da Gama set sail with a fleet of four ships and a crew of 170 men from Lisbon. The four ships were the São Gabriel, São Rafael, Berrio and an unnamed storage ship.

The journey around the southern tip of Africa to India and back again was long and dangerous. Despite having the most experienced navigators of the time on the voyage, two ships were lost and only 55 men survived.

The expedition at first followed the route established by early explorers past Tenerife, the Cape Verde Islands and Sierra Leone.

Da Gama then went south across the open ocean using the South Atlantic westerly winds that Bartolomeu Dias had discovered. Four months later, and having sailed more than 6000 miles of open ocean, the expedition made landfall in Southern Africa in November.

Come 16 December, da Gama's expedition had reached the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and then continued into unchartered waters.

Nearing Christmas, da Gama's expedition arrived in an area they named Natal, meaning "the birth of Christ" in Portuguese.

By March of 1498, the voyage had reached Mozambique.

The region was Muslim and hostile to Christians, so da Gama impersonated being Muslim in order to speak with the Sultan and arrange trade. The meeting was unsuccessful, however, and da Gama and his crew fled to their ships and fired cannons to escape.

Da Gama again encountered hostility when reaching Mombasa in modern-day Kenya in April 1498 as he and his crew had resorted to piracy of unarmed Arab trading ships.

Continuing north, the expedition reached Malindi in Kenya and the first evidence of trade with India was observed. Da Gama commissioned a pilot with knowledge of the monsoon winds to guide the fleet of ships to Calicut, on the southwest coast of India. They departed for India on 24 April 1498.

The fleet finally arrived in Kappadu, near Calicut, on 20 May 1498. Da Gama was received with grand hospitality and he gave the king gifts of scarlet cloth, hats, coral, brass vessels, sugar, oil and honey. This did not impress the king who preferred gold and silver.

Come 29 August 1498, and with strained relations with Calicut the leadership, da Gama left for Portugal in October, ignoring warnings of the monsoon wind patterns. The journey across the Indian Ocean was treacherous and took 132 days to complete, rather than the 23 days it took to get to India. Many of his crew died of scurvy and there were only enough to man two ships.

The remaining vessels split up and the Berrio returned to Lisbon in July 1499. Da Gama had stayed back in Cape Verde because his brother was gravely ill.

When da Gama's brother was well enough, they attempted to return to Portugal, but he died, so da Gama stopped in the Azores to bury him. After a time of grieving, he returned to Lisbon on 29 August 1499 where he was given a hero's welcome.

LATER LIFE OF VASCO DA GAMA

Despite the mission failing in its original ambition of developing a spice trade for Portugal and the high death toll, da Gama is celebrated for finding a direct sea route to Asia.

Da Gama was rewarded with the town of Sines but because of competing Orders, was eventually forced to change from the Order of Santiago to the rival Order of Christ in 1507 to claim his reward.

Nevertheless, he still received substantial monetary reward from the crown and was given the title of Dom (lord). In 1502 he was awarded the title of Admiral of the Seas of Arabia, Persia, India and all the Orient.

Da Gama married Catarina de Ataíde in 1501 and had six sons and one daughter.

In 1502, he embarked on a follow-up expedition with the Fourth India Armada in order to take revenge on conflict with the previous India Armada. The Fourth Armada reached India with substantial amounts of gold by suppressing the island of Kilwa and from captured Arab vessels. Tragically, the Armada killed everyone on a pilgrim ship returning from Mecca.

The Portuguese fleet then bombarded Calicut after failed negotiations and news of da Gama's violent treatment of people quickly spread but he failed to subdue the region.

After waging war in Calicut, da Gama returned to Portugal in 1503 where he lived quietly for nearly 20 years. In 1521, King John III took the throne and da Gama rose to become an advisor and eventually Viceroy.

He set out on his third voyage to India in April 1524 to India. He contracted malaria and died on 24 December 1524. He was buried first at St. Francis Church in Kochi, Portugal, then re-interred in Vidigueira in a casket decorated with gold and jewels.

Vasco da Gama Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Vasco da Gamaacross 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Vasco da Gama worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s - 1524) who was a Portuguese explorer and became the first European sailor to reach India by sea. He is credited with linking Europe and Asia by an ocean route that connected the Atlantic and Indian Oceans by going around the southern tip of Africa known as the Cape of Good Hope.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

Vasco da Gama Facts

Da Gama's Story

Travels Through Time

Explore the Truth

Da Gama's Legacy

Navigational Gaps

Letters of Adventure

Two Sides of History

Learning from the Past

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Vasco da Gama Facts, Worksheets, Background & Early Voyages For Kids

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Introduction
Between 1347 and 1351 a great outbreak of disease known as the Black Death ravaged Europe. This pandemic took a proportionately greater toll of life than any other known epidemic or war up to that time. The Black Death is widely believed to have been the result of plague that was caused by infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Most scientists think that this bacterium was first passed from infected rodents to humans through the bite of fleas. Then it spread quickly from one person to another.

The Disease
Plague is an infectious fever that takes three forms in humans: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. The bubonic type is the mildest, accounting today for virtually no deaths and in the past killing about half of its victims. It is named for one of the disease's characteristics, the formation of buboes, or inflamed lymph glands. Pneumonic plague attacks the lungs and is often fatal in three or four days without treatment. In septicemic plague, bacteria overwhelm the bloodstream and often cause death within 24 hours, before other symptoms have a chance to develop. The pandemic was called the Black Death because of the black spots that appeared on the skin of many victims.

It is believed that the Black Death was a combination of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague does not pass directly from person to person. The bacteria are carried from rodent to person or from person to person by infected fleas. Pneumonic plague, however, is highly infectious. The bacteria can be passed from person to person in droplets from coughs or sneezes. The living conditions in medieval cities and towns encouraged the spread of the disease. Poor sanitation in cities such as London and Bristol, England, created breeding grounds for rats that carried the disease. In addition, overcrowded housing in the cities encouraged the spread of plague from person to person.

Reach of the Black Death
Plague is an ancient disease that has been verified as occurring as early as the 6th century ad. The epidemic of the 14th century originated in China and Central Asia. It was transmitted to Europe in 1347, when a Eurasian army besieged the Genoese trading post of Kaffa in the Crimean Peninsula. The army catapulted plague-infested corpses into the town in an effort to infect the enemy. From Kaffa, Genoese ships carried the disease westward to Mediterranean ports, and from there it spread inland. Plague reached Sicily in 1347; North Africa, mainland Italy, Spain, England, and France in 1348; Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and the Low Countries in 1349; and Scandinavia and the Baltic lands in 1350. There were recurrences of plague in 1361-63, 1369-71, 1374-75, 1390, and 1400.

Death rates from the Black Death varied from place to place. The rate of contagion was greater in the more populated towns than in the countryside. Even the great and powerful, who were more capable of flight, were struck down. Eleanor, queen of Peter IV of Aragon, and King Alfonso XI of Castile succumbed. Joan, daughter of the English king Edward III, died at Bordeaux on the way to her wedding with Alfonso's son. Canterbury lost two successive archbishops, John de Stratford and Thomas Bradwardine. The writer Petrarch lost not only Laura, who inspired so many of his poems, but also his patron, Giovanni Cardinal Colonna. The papal court at Avignon was reduced by one-fourth. Whole communities and families were annihilated.

J. Paul Getty Museum (object no. 86.PC.463); digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program

The death rate was especially high in monastic communities. Plague spread rapidly through monasteries because monks lived in close contact with one another. Monasteries received many visitors ranging from royal delegations to poor pilgrims, offering many chances for disease to enter the community. Although monks took good care of the sick, they could only do so much to combat an illness as contagious as plague. The Black Death wiped out whole monasteries. Others, with only a few survivors, shut their doors. Historians have estimated that monasteries in England lost about half of their residents during the epidemic. Priests who cared for the sick and administered last rites to the dying were also very vulnerable. As the disease took the lives of clergy, there were not enough priests to tend to the dying. Pope Clement VI responded by granting remission (forgiveness) of sins to everyone who died of the Black Death. He also declared that the dying could make their final confessions to anyone and still achieve salvation. Before that, only clergy could perform last rites.

Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine

The study of contemporary archives suggests that the death rates varied in the different regions between one-eighth and two-thirds of the population. The French chronicler Jean Froissart 's statement that about one-third of Europe's population died in the epidemic may be fairly accurate. The population in England in 1400 was perhaps half what it had been 100 years earlier. In that country alone, the Black Death certainly caused the depopulation or total disappearance of about 1,000 villages. A rough estimate is that 25 million people in Europe died from plague during the Black Death. The overwhelming number of victims led to the development of a grim ritual in which the dead were collected each night and hauled off to mass graves known as "plague pits."

Responses to the Black Death
The people of the time struggled to understand the catastrophe they faced. Medieval medicine was not advanced enough to determine the causes of the Black Death or to prevent it. In keeping with prevailing theories of the Middle Ages, doctors turned to astrology and superstition in their attempts to explain the disease. They could provide only ineffective treatments such as herbs and bloodletting.

Some people considered the disease to be an expression of God's wrath. In an effort to appease God, people known as flagellants held processions throughout Europe in which they whipped themselves while praying for forgiveness. Other people devised conspiracy theories in which the Jews were poisoning wells to harm Christians. Such anti-Semitism led to deadly attacks on Jewish communities in Europe.

Effects of the Epidemic
The Black Death was an unprecedented epidemic that brought about many consequences. In the short term, wars stopped and trade slumped. A more lasting consequence was the drastic reduction of the labor force. The shortage of labor proved to be the ruin of many landowners. Hired laborers began to demand higher wages and better food. Peasant tenants, also fewer in number, asked for better conditions of tenure when they took up land. These changes began to blur the lines between the social classes. The English government's attempt to set maximum wages during the labor shortage led to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

Another lasting consequence of the Black Death was a decline in the status of the Roman Catholic Church. Disillusioned by the church's inability to stop the epidemic, people increasingly turned to heretical movements or mysticism to save their souls.

In some areas the psychological effects of the Black Death were reflected by a preoccupation with death and the afterlife, as displayed in poetry, sculpture, and painting. The most famous literary work to use the Black Death as a backdrop is Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. This collection of tales begins with the flight of a group of young people from plague-stricken Florence in 1348.

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Between 1347 and 1351 a great outbreak of disease known as the Black Death ravaged Europe. This pandemic took a proportionately greater toll of life than any other known...

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The Black Death was a plague that killed many people. It first showed up in Europe in October 1347.

It came to Europe on 12 ships from the Black Sea.

Authorities in Sicily ordered the fleet of death ships to leave the harbor, but it was too late.

Over the next five years, more than 20 million people died from a disease that almost killed one-third of Europe's population.

Plague is one of the most deadly diseases. It is second only to smallpox. It is a disease that comes from rodents and fleas, but it can also quickly go to people in close contact with each other. Keep reading to learn more Black Death facts.

The 14th century saw the worst plague in human history. The "Great Pestilence" or "Great Plague" was the term used by medieval people to describe it. Contemporary writers referred to it as the "Great Mortality."

In the 1340s, rumors about the Great Pestilence were spreading before it hit Europe. It first started in China, then India, Persia, Syria, and Egypt.

It is believed that the plague started in Asia over 2000 years ago. People think it was spread by trading ships, but new research has shown that it could have existed in Europe as early as 3000 B.C.

The plague first arrived in Europe at port cities. It went by sea and land, following trade routes. The most common form was the bubonic plague.

The Black Plague was a very contagious disease. It spread quickly from person to person. Even if people were healthy in the morning, they might die at night. Some towns shut themselves down and sealed their gates so no one could come in or out.

First, the Black Death came to Messina. After that, it traveled to Marseilles in France and Tunis in North Africa. Then it went to Rome and Florence. These were places where people had lots of trade routes, so many people came there too. In the middle of 1348, the Black Death spread to Paris, Lyon, and London.

Some of the worst-hit regions were mountainous and remote areas, such as in Snowdonia in Wales or Mangona, a mountain village north of Florence. It is difficult to explain why the Black Death did not hurt Milan and Douai in Flanders. For some reason, they did not have a big problem with it.

Many people died when the Black Death came. The authorities didn't know what to do with the bodies, so they just piled them up in carts and left them lying there. They told people to stay at home and not talk to anyone since they might get sick.

There weren't enough regular gravesites for all the dead. So new plague cemeteries were opened.

Some people think that the Black Death spread at a rate of one mile or more each day. But other accounts say it traveled as fast as 8 miles every day. It is thought to have traveled 30 to 100 times faster than the bubonic plagues of the 20th century.

People used to think that the Black Death was a person. They would show him as the Grim Reaper who would come to take healthy people.

The Black Death: Rats and the Disease

In the fall of 1347, a ship came from Asia. It had people on board too, but also rats. The rats carried the Black Death and the bubonic plague with them.

The bubonic plague happened because of two groups of rats: those who were not vulnerable to the disease and those who were. When the second population dies, the fleas move on to other animals and then to people. They make people sick.

The rat carries the fleas that make people sick. The black rat was the original carrier of the plague-infected fleas thought responsible for the Black Death. The bacterium responsible for the Black Death is called Yersinia pestis. Other animals that can carry the plague are cats and dogs.

Symptoms of the Black Death

The plague affected everyone. It did not matter if you were rich or not, old or young, man or woman. The Black Death was very bad for all people in society.

The Black Death killed many knights, ladies, and merchants. It also killed many people in convents, friaries, and monasteries. Artisans lost their jobs because of this event.

The plague had three distinct strains, each of which resulted in a variety of symptoms.

The first one was the bubonic plague. This was a disease with symptoms like painful swellings. Buboes were found around the neck, armpits, and groin. They oozed pus or blood. The symptoms damaged your skin and tissue until you were covered in dark blotches.

Most people who got the plague died in about a week. This would kill 30-75% of those who had it.

The second one was the pneumonic plague, which was a type of airborne sickness. It attacked the lungs before it went to any other part of the body. This is why it was so deadly during the Black Death.

Finally, if you contracted the septicemic plague, you got sick because of your blood. The septicaemic plague caused dangerous bleeding in your body, which was almost always deadly. This was the deadliest form of plague in medieval times.

Medieval Doctors and Medicine

In the past, doctors wore a mask and clothes to protect them from the plague. The costume looked like a bird and had different scents.

The mask had openings for the eyes. Straps held the beak in front of the doctor's nose, which was a type of respirator.

Doctors thought that if there were bad smells, they could remove them. They thought this would prevent the disease. They also thought herbs could remove the smell of evil and keep people from getting infected with the plague.

A wooden cane was used to point out problems and examine patients without disturbing them. A cane was also used to keep people away and remove clothing from plague victims without having to touch them.

Many important developments in the history of medicine and health happened during times when there was the plague. Doctors learned how to do surgery, they learned about blood circulation, and they also figured out how to make public places safer from disease.

People thought they could get cured using unusual remedies. Here are some of them:

God sent the plague to punish people who did bad things. If you do good things, then the plague will not be given to you.

Mix tree resin, roots of white lilies, and human excrements and spread it on your skin.

Bathing should not be avoided. Bathing with vinegar and rosewater is an option, or you can bathe in your own urine if you prefer.

Quarantine for 40 days (quarantine derives from Latin for "forty").

To capture the pestilence, place a live hen near the sores. Drink two glasses of your own urine twice a day to draw out the disease.

Make an emerald tea by grinding the gem. Sip it in wine.

Drink a hot drink of eggs shells, some flowers, and treacle. Do it every day.

Many people left the city. They couldn't escape the disease. People were desperate to save themselves, so they left their sick relatives in the city.

This disease also affected sheep. A lot of them died. This caused a European wool shortage.
Read more about Medieval Medicine
Consequences

The best estimates are that at least 25 million people died in Europe from 1347 to 1352. This is about 40% of the population (some estimates say 60%).

Half the people in Paris who lived there died. In Italy, Florence's population was reduced from 120,000 people to 50,000. The plague was a disaster that is hard to find in recorded history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover after the plague.

The plague never ended. It came back years later. But the people in the Venetian-controlled port city of Ragusa were able to slow its spread.

They put sailors in isolation until they were sure that they did not have the disease. They also created social distancing by keeping people apart to slow down the spread of the disease. The sailors were held on their ships for 30 days, and this was later increased to 40 days or a quarantine.

The plague made the system of serfdom collapse. There were fewer laborers, so people who still had their jobs could charge more for their work. There was more land, food, and money to go around.

Women gained property rights. Laws varied depending on the region, but in some parts of England, women who had lost husbands could keep their land for a certain period until they remarried or remarried and still keep the property.

People who were descendants of people who survived the plague were more likely to live to their 50s or beyond. That was because their ancestors had some genetic advantage that allowed them to survive the plague.

The Great Plague of London happened in 1665. It was the last major plague in England. In the 17th century, the plague also disappeared from Spain and Germany. The last major plague epidemic happened in Marseilles, France, from 1720-1721.

Modern sanitation and public-health practices have significantly reduced the number of people who get the disease, but it is still around. Antibiotics can be used to kill the Black Death, but there are still about 1,000 to 3,000 cases every year, according to the WHO (World Health Organization).

Sources

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The Black Death Facts and History - History for Kids

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The Black Death was a plague that killed millions of people. It first showed up in Europe in October 1347. Click to learn more facts!

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The Black Death | Bubonic Plague | For Kids

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What Caused The Black Death? | Bubonic Plague | The Dr Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz

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Disease
Bubonic plague

Location

Eurasia, North Africa

Date

1346-1353

75,000,000 - 200,000,000 (estimate)

The Black Death was a pandemic (an epidemic spreading over a large area) that killed millions of people.

It started in Europe in 1347, and lasted until 1351. Almost one out of every three people in Europe died from the disease, so about 25 million. The disease started in Asia. Most people think that the disease was the bubonic plague. This disease is carried and spread by fleas living on rats. Traders from the Silk Road may have brought the infected fleas to Europe.

Another disease that could have been the Black Death is Anthrax. Anthrax could have been spread by cattle. Looking at the quick spread of the disease, Viral hemorrhagic fevers are other ideas for what specific disease the Black Death might have been.

Fleas started the problem; the infected fleas were carried by black rats. Rats that were carrying the fleas would go into cities. When the fleas bit somebody, they would inject a little bit of the bacteria into the wound. This would cause the person to be infected. Rats were often on ships. This meant the disease spread extremely quickly, all over Europe.

In humans, the disease caused swelling in the groin, under the arms and behind the ears. These swellings were a black and purple colour, hence the name 'The Black Death'. The dark swellings were called buboes. People were in pain and victims died a horrible death. The symptoms could be seen 3-7 days after victims were bitten by a flea.

It killed between a third and two-thirds of Europe's population. Including in the Middle East, India and China, it killed at least 75 million people.

The same disease is thought to have returned to Europe every generation with different degrees of intensity and fatality until the 1700s. Later outbreaks include the Italian Plague of 1629-1631, the Great Plague of London (1665-1666), the Great Plague of Vienna (1679), the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720-1722 and the 1771 plague in Moscow. There is some controversy over the identity of the disease, but in its virulent form seems to have disappeared from Europe in the 18th century.

The Black Death had a very big effect on Europe's population. It changed Europe's social structure. It was a serious blow to the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in widespread persecution of minorities such as Jews, Muslims, foreigners, beggars and lepers. The uncertainty of daily survival influenced people to live for the moment, as illustrated by Giovanni Boccaccio in The Decameron (1353).

The initial fourteenth-century European event was called the "Great Mortality" by contemporary writers and, with later outbreaks, became known as the 'Black Death'.

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Disease Bubonic plague Location Eurasia, North Africa Date 1346-1353 75,000,000 - 200,000,000 (estimate) The Black Death was a pandemic (an epidemic spreading over a large area) that killed millions of people. It started in Europe in 1347, and lasted until 1351. Almost one out of every three people in Europe died from the disease, so about 25 million.

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Titanic | The Story Lives On | Stories for Kids

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The RMS Titanic was a British passenger ship. It was built by Harland and Wolff ship builders, in Belfast, for the White Star Line company. She sank during her first trip at sea. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time.

Before she sailed, many people thought it would be almost impossible for ships of this design to sink.

Background

The name Titanic derives from the Titans of Greek mythology. Built in Belfast, Ireland, in what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, RMS Titanic was the second of the three Olympic-class ocean liners-the first was RMS Olympic and the third was HMHS Britannic. Britannic was originally to be called Gigantic and was to be over 1,000 feet (300 m) long. They were by far the largest vessels of the British shipping company White Star Line's fleet, which comprised 29 steamers and tenders in 1912. The three ships had their genesis in a discussion in mid-1907 between the White Star Line's chairman, J. Bruce Ismay, and the American financier J. P. Morgan, who controlled the White Star Line's parent corporation, the International Mercantile Marine Co. (IMM).

The White Star Line faced an increasing challenge from its main rivals, Cunard-which had recently launched Lusitania and Mauretania, the fastest passenger ships then in service-and the German lines Hamburg America and Norddeutscher Lloyd. Ismay preferred to compete on size rather than speed and proposed to commission a new class of liners that would be larger than anything that had gone before, as well as being the last word in comfort and luxury. Thus, the Olympic and Titanic would replace RMS Teutonic of 1889, RMS Majestic of 1890 as well as RMS Adriatic of 1907. RMS Oceanic would remain on the route until the third new ship could be delivered. Majestic would be brought back into her old spot on White Star Line's New York service after Titanic's loss.

The ships were constructed by the Belfast shipbuilder Harland & Wolff. Cost considerations were a relatively low priority; Harland & Wolff were authorised to spend what it needed on the ships, plus a five percent profit margin. In the case of the Olympic-class ships, a cost of £3 million (approximately £310 million in 2019) for the first two ships was agreed plus "extras to contract" and the usual five percent fee.

On July 29, 1908, Harland and Wolff presented the drawings to J. Bruce Ismay and other White Star Line executives. Ismay approved the design and signed three "letters of agreement" two days later, authorising the start of construction. At this point, the first ship-which was later to become Olympic-had no name but was referred to simply as "Number 400", as it was Harland and Wolff's four-hundredth hull. Titanic was based on a revised version of the same design and was given the number 401.

Building and preparing the ship

The sheer size of Titanic and her sister ships posed a major engineering challenge for Harland and Wolff; no shipbuilder had ever before attempted to construct vessels this size. The ships were constructed on Queen's Island, now known as the Titanic Quarter, in Belfast Harbour. Harland and Wolff had to demolish three existing slipways and build two new ones, the largest ever constructed up to that time, to accommodate both ships. Their construction was facilitated by an enormous gantry built by Sir William Arrol & Co., a Scottish firm responsible for the building of the Forth Bridge and London's Tower Bridge. The Arrol Gantry stood 228 feet (69 m) high, was 270 feet (82 m) wide and 840 feet (260 m) long, and weighed more than 6,000 tons. It accommodated a number of mobile cranes. A separate floating crane, capable of lifting 200 tons, was brought in from Germany.

Titanic was launched at 12:15 pm on 31 May 1911 in the presence of Lord Pirrie, J. Pierpont Morgan, J. Bruce Ismay and 100,000 onlookers. Twenty-two tons of soap and tallow were spread on the slipway to lubricate the ship's passage into the River Lagan. In keeping with the White Star Line's traditional policy, the ship was not formally named or christened with champagne. The ship was towed to a fitting-out berth where, over the course of the next year, her engines, funnels and superstructure were installed and her interior was fitted out.

The work took longer than expected due to design changes requested by Ismay and a temporary pause in work occasioned by the need to repair Olympic, which had been in a collision in September 1911. Had Titanic been finished earlier, she might well have missed her collision with an iceberg.

At 11:40 PM on 14 April 1912, during the Titanic's first trip, she hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. The iceberg broke the Titanic's hull (bottom), letting water into the ship. The Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes later at 2:20 AM on 15 April.

As she sank, the Titanic split in two. The wreck killed over 1,500 people. Only around 705 people survived. It was one of the worst shipwrecks that was not during a war.

One reason why so many people died was that the ship did not have enough lifeboats for everyone on board. The Titanic had 20 lifeboats with room for 1,178 passengers, only a third of the number of passengers the ship could carry. It actually had more lifeboats than was needed by law (it needed 16 with room for 990 passengers). This was because the laws in the UK were out of date. They did not say that a ship needed enough lifeboats for all passengers. They only said that a ship weighing more than 10,000 tons needed 16 lifeboats (the Titanic weighed 46,000 tons). Furthermore, the White Star Line believed that the lifeboats on the Titanic would only be needed to take passengers a short distance to a rescue ship.

Other reasons why fewer than a third of those aboard the Titanic survived the disaster include:

There was no information. The ship didn't have an alarm system (like the common ones, where sirens could be sounded). This means that the crew had to tell each passenger to go and evacuate the ship. There was less crew for second and third class, and there were much more people.

People who paid less had no access to certain decks.

There was a clear separation between the classes. The passage between decks of different classes could be locked. This was especially a problem in the first phase of the evacuation. According to some survivors, some passages were not opened even when the ship started sinking.

Many people travelling in third class were foreigners. Their language skills were limited.

The radio was off on the SS Californian, the ship closest to the Titanic. The Californian crew did not hear about the accident.

The Titanic had flares but they were white. Back then (and still now), red meant emergency and other colors were used for identification (White=White Star Line). The Californian and other ships saw the flares but they didn't think of the flares as distress signals. Another ship, the SS Carpathia, did hear about the accident and collected all 705 survivors.

Higher class women and children were allowed on the lifeboats first, and passengers who sailed in first class (which meant that they paid for better rooms on the ship) were allowed on before other passengers. Few of the poorer people who had paid less (called second class and third class passengers) got out safely (only 3% of first-class women were lost while 54% of those in third-class died). The differences by gender were even bigger: nearly all female crew members, first- and second-class passengers were saved. Men from the First Class died at a higher rate than women from the Third Class. In total, 50% of the children survived, 20% of the men and 75% of the women.

Many of those who died didn't die because they couldn't leave the ship before it sank. They died of hypothermia, while they were floating in the cold water (which was only a bit over the freezing point at that time). Many lifeboats rowed away from those who were in the water shouting for help. The people in the lifeboats were afraid the lifeboat would capsize when people entered it from the water. Only lifeboat Number four returned to the shouting people in the water. Five people could be rescued, but two of them died in the lifeboat. Around 3 am ship's time, 40 minutes after the sinking, the last calls for help ceased. After three am, lifeboat number 14, commanded by Officer Harold Lowe returned. He could save another three people. He had emptied the lifeboat and let the people in the boat enter other boats beforehand.

The following table gives a listing of those who died and those who survived, grouped by age, gender and ships class. Children are those up to age 12. It is taken from a report to British Parliament of 1912. There are other lists, with slightly different numbers.

Last survivor

The last survivor of the 'Titanic disaster to die was a woman named Millvina Dean. She was the youngest passenger on board, as she was then a baby of only nine weeks old. She died in Ashhurst, Hampshire, England on 21 May 2009 aged 97.

Changes after the accident

The Titanic disaster changed many maritime ship laws. Because so many people died, authorities felt that laws should be put into place to make ship travel safer. Changes included requiring all ships to carry enough lifeboats for everyone on the ship, and emergency materials such as flares. Someone must be at the ship's radio all the time.

Alexander Brehm, a German physicist, was shocked when he heard about the disaster. He wanted to invent a technology that would be able to detect icebergs. He wasn't able to achieve that goal until his death, but he was granted patents relating to the measurement of the depth at sea, using sound. Today, this is known as echo sounding.

The wreck was found by a French and American team, led by Robert Ballard, on September 23, 1985 at 1:02 in the morning.

In 1986, Ballard returned to the wreck with a submarine. He took many photos and made lots of films.

In 1987, a French team salvaged 900 objects and took them to the surface.

The story of the sinking has been made into several movies. The most popular film version is a 1997 film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio called . It won 11 Academy Awards, tying Ben-Hur for the record for the most Academy Awards won by one movie.

Other movie versions of the story include the 1958 film A Night to Remember, the 1953 film Titanic, the 1979 film S.O.S. Titanic and the 1996 movie Titanic.

In the 1980 film Raise the Titanic, salvagers raise the shipwreck from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. However, this is impossible to do in reality. The Titanic broke in two, and the wreck is partially stuck in the bottom, buried under more than three feet (1 m) of mud in some spots. The ship has been on the ocean floor for more than 100 years, and would shatter into many more pieces if disturbed. Worms and other animals have eaten away much of the wood and many other parts.

Images for kids

RMS Titanic leaving Belfast for her sea trials on 2 April 1912

The SS Californian, which had tried to warn Titanic of the danger from pack-ice

First Class Lounge of the Olympic which was almost identical to that of the Titanic, seen today as a dining room in the White Swan Hotel, Alnwick

The sinking, according to J. Thayer, sketched onboard Carpathia, based on his description

In Spanish: RMS Titanic para niños

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Ancient Rome for Kids | Learn all about the History of the Roman Empire for Kids

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The Roman Empire - 5 Things You Should Know - History for Kids - Rome

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The worst accident in the history of nuclear power generation was the Chernobyl disaster. It occurred in 1986 in Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. The…

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The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear disaster which occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

This event was one of the worst accidents in the history of nuclear power. It was rated at level 7, the most severe level, on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The only other accident with a level 7 rating is Fukushima. Because the RBMK reactors used at the plant had no containment building to keep the radiation in, radioactive fallout drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the UK, and the eastern United States. Large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated. About 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus. About 360,000 people needed to be moved to other places, where they could live after the accident. In addition, many people suffered from long term illnesses and some people were even diagnosed with thyroid cancer and acute radiation poisoning.

Before the accident, there was a planned power reduction. By the beginning of the day shift, the power level had reached 50%. Following this, randomly, one of the regional power stations went offline. It was then requested that the further power reduction would be postponed. Despite this request, the reduction and preparations for a test that was to happen continued.

The accident occurred when the fourth reactor suffered a huge power increase. This led to the core of the reactor exploding. The explosion was so powerful that it blew the 1000 ton steel lid off the reactor. Due to this explosion, large amounts of radioactive materials and fuel were released. This caused the neutron moderator, made of graphite, to start to burn. The fire caused more radioactive fallout to be released, which was carried by the smoke of the fire into the environment.

Reactor 4 was covered by a "sarcophagus", made from steel and concrete to stop the escape of more radiation from elements such as corium, uranium and plutonium, as well as radioactive dust. The sarcophagus was covered in 2016 with the New Safe Confinement structure.

The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry. The Soviet Union slowed down the process of making its nuclear industry bigger for some time. The Soviet government also had to become less secretive as a result of the accident. Since then, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have become separate countries. Those countries have been burdened with continuing costs for decontamination (removing the radiation) and health care because of the accident. Exposure to radiation leads to a higher risk of getting cancer, a deadly disease. It is difficult to accurately tell the number of deaths caused by the events at Chernobyl. The Chernobyl accident happened when some workers were testing the safety of the reactor. Some of the devices that stopped the reactor from exploding were switched off. Then, there was a power surge; the reactor fell out of control and exploded.

Most of the people affected have not died yet. When and if the people involved die of cancer, or related diseases, it will be hard to tell if this was because of the accident. A 2005 IAEA report tells of 56 direct deaths; of those, 47 were accident workers and 9 were children who died of thyroid cancer. The report thinks that up to 4,000 people may die from long term diseases related to the accident. However, other estimates range from 4,000 to 27,000 by the Union of Concerned Scientists or Greenpeace who estimate that between 93,000 - 200,000 people died as a result of the disaster.

The other three reactors at Chernobyl continued to operate after the disaster because there were not enough other power plants in Ukraine to meet energy demands. Reactor 2 was decommissioned (permanently turned off and stopped being used) in 1991 after a fire in its turbine hall. Reactor 1 was decommissioned in 1996, and reactor 3 was decommissioned in 2000. In 2018, a 3800 panel, 1 megawatt solar plant was opened next to the former nuclear plant.

Related pages

Images for kids

The reactor lid (upper biological shield) nicknamed "Elena" with torn off fuel channel piping is shown lying on its side where it came to rest in the explosion crater. The view transitions to showing the relative position of the paired steam tanks, reactor hall floor and roof trusses overlaid on the explosion crater. Source animation

After the disaster, four square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) of pine forest directly downwind of the reactor turned reddish-brown and died, earning the name of the " Red Forest", though it soon recovered. This photograph was taken years later, in March 2009, after the forest began to grow again, with the lack of foliage at the time of the photograph merely due to the local winter at the time.

Thyroid cancer incidence in children and adolescents in Belarus

Adolescents, ages 15 to 18

While widely regarded as having a cause and effect relationship, the causality of Chernobyl with the increases in recorded rates of thyroid cancer is disputed, as in both the US and South Korea, upon the advent of ultrasonography and widespread medical screening, the latter recorded an almost identical epidemic in thyroid cancer rates, with South Korea reporting a 15 fold increase upon the switch of diagnostic tool, the highest thyroid cancer rate in the world.

Portraits of deceased Chernobyl liquidators used for an anti-nuclear power protest in Geneva

Anti-nuclear protest after the Chernobyl disaster on May Day, 1986 in Berlin

In Spanish: Accidente de Chernóbil para niños

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Animals Arts and Literature Earth and Geography History Life Processes Living Things (Other) Philosophy and Religion Plants Science and Mathematics Society Sports and Recreation Technology

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"On 27 April, probably about 10am, we heard the announcement on the radio, that there will be a temporary evacuation

"When we got on the bus for the evacuation, we thought it was for three days. I planned to go back to school on Wednesday.

"So there was not a single moment of panic or fear. Only my father's face. Basically for two days he could not talk or say anything, he was so depressed and worried.

"My father evacuated with us, but five days later he returned to Pripyat."

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"On 27 April, probably about 10am, we heard the announcement on the radio, that there will be a temporary evacuation "When we got on the bus for the evacuation, we thought it was for three days. I planned to go back to school on Wednesday.

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What Caused the Catastrophic Nuclear Accident in Chernobyl?

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Journey Inside Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone | Short Film Showcase

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Note for screen reader users: once expanded, the first four items of the navigation menu have some associated content which may provide additional information of interest. These sections can be located by jumping to the level 3 heading which follows each sub-menu.

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September 11 Attacks: Facts, Background & Impact | HISTORY

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On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

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In short...

Themes: The events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath; tolerance; compassion.

Summary: This assembly considers the global significance of the events of 9/11 in a way that is appropriate for upper KS2 primary school pupils. It includes a specially-commissioned film and opportunities to reflect on the role we can all play in building a better world. It is particularly suitable each year as we approach the anniversary of the attacks.

Resources: The framework to download / print (pdf), a photograph of the twin towers of the World Trade Center as they were prior to the attack, a detail from the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and a map showing the location of the three crash sites.

Note: the video does not include any pictures showing the moment of the attack on the World Trade Center or of the twin towers collapsing.
On 11 September 2001 four passenger aircraft were hijacked in the skies above the eastern United States by al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both to collapse; a third was flown into the Pentagon - the headquarters of the US military; the fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, following resistance from passengers onboard. In all about 3,000 people were killed, including about 300 firefighters and other emergency workers at the World Trade Center.

Following the attacks President George W Bush announced a 'war on terror'. The al-Qaeda terror group and its leader, Osama bin Laden, were believed to be operating from Afghanistan, sheltered by the Taliban - a religious/military organisation that had seized control of the country in 1996. The Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden and military conflict followed. By December 2001 Afghanistan was in the control of the US and its allies, including the UK, and the Taliban and al-Qaeda were forced to either flee or go into hiding.

In 2003 US and British troops invaded Iraq, another country whose leaders were considered sympathetic to the terrorists' cause, leading to the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

In Afghanistan attacks by the Taliban against US, British and Afghan forces gradually escalated in the years following 2001. In the years 2012 to 2021 successive US administrations released plans to withdraw US troops and peace talks were held between the Taliban and the US and Afghan governments. In April 2021 Joe Biden, the fourth US president in power during the conflict, set 31 August 2021 as the date for the final withdrawal of US forces - ahead of the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

However, with the US and its allies engaged in withdrawal, the Taliban swiftly regained control of the country in August 2021. While the Taliban began arrangements for a new government many Afghans fled to the country's main airport hoping to be evacuated alongside US, British and other foreign nationals. The last US troops left shortly before midnight on 30 August - leaving the country once again in the hands of the Taliban and the Afghan people facing an uncertain future.
NB: Rudi Giuliani, who features briefly in this film, was Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, including at the time of the attack on the World Trade Center. In 2018 Giuliani became part of Donald Trump's legal team. On 14 August 2023 he was indicted in relation to the 2020 election in the state of Georgia and was subsequently arrested on 23 August 2023.
Duration: 5' 01". The final words are: '...hoping that our world becomes a peaceful, better place to live.'

Video questions

On what day did the events of 9/11 take place? (11 September 2001)

Which buildings were targeted that we hear about in the film? (The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near the capital city, Washington DC)

About how many people were killed in the attacks? (3,000 - the vast majority in New York City)

What did President George W Bush do after the attacks? (He declared a 'war on terror')

Which two countries were invaded by the US and its allies after the attacks? (Afghanistan and Iraq)

What is 'Islamophobia'? (Prejudice against Muslims, based on religion)

What can be found at the site of the World Trade Center attack today? (A new, single tower; a museum and memorial)

What happens in New York City each year to commemorate 9/11? (Two beams of light, representing the twin towers, are projected into the night sky).

Suggested framework

1. Entry
You could play a solemn piece of music such as Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings which is often used during commemorations of 9/11.

2. Introduction
Tell the children that they will be finding out about the events that took place in the United States of America on 11 September 2001. Explain that this day is now widely referred to as '9/11' - because in the US it is customary to write the date with the month before the day. (You may also wish to share that in the US 'centre' is spelled 'center'). Explain that the things that happened on this day affected people not just in the US but all around the world - and they continue to affect us today and have been in the news recently. Ask everyone to think about the immediate and long-term effects of 9/11 as they watch the video.

3. The video
Play the video. The duration is 5' 01" and the final words are: '...hoping that our world becomes a peaceful, better place to live.'

4. After the video - Time to talk
Begin with some questions to help children consolidate their understanding of the events of 9/11:

Who can tell me what happened on 11 September 2001? (Hijacked planes were flown into US landmarks, including the twin towers of the World Trade Center, causing them to collapse).

Who was directly affected by the events of 9/11? (The approx 3000 people who died - including many emergency workers; their families; their friends).

How have the events of 9/11 affected people around the world? (Increased security - especially at airports; Muslim people in many western countries have experienced 'Islamophobia', including violence and discrimination; two countries - Afghanistan and Iraq - were invaded in order to effect 'regime change').

What can now be found at the site of the attacks in New York City? (A memorial, a museum, a new tower, beams of light projected in the sky on the anniversary of the attacks). Wait for responses. Follow up with What do you think is the main message of the 9/11 memorial? (To remember those who died, and to encourage compassion and tolerance to avoid events like this from happening again).

Then tell everyone: Turn to the person next to you and ask them: 'How would you have felt if you were watching the news as these events happened on 11 September 2001?'

5. Opportunity to sing
You could include a song here - suggestions from BBC collections below.

6. Opportunity to reflect
Focus your reflection on the people who came together to help each other after the terrible events of 9/11. Ask the children to sit quietly and think about how they can help their friends and family after something bad happens, just by being kind and by being tolerant of other people's views. By showing compassion and tolerance we can all help to make the world a more peaceful place and try to make sure events like 9/11 do not happen again.

7. Opportunity for prayer
Begin with your usual form of address and:
We remember all the people who lost their lives on 11 September 2001.
We thank you for the bravery of those people who risked their lives for others on that day.
Help us to understand that we all have a role in shaping the future...and that by showing compassion and tolerance we can all help to build a more peaceful world.
Amen.

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Remembering 9/11. An assembly for primary schools, most suitable for Key Stage 2, exploring the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Includes a film specially-commissioned for KS2, suggestions for songs and a time for reflection and / or prayer. BBC School Radio. BBC Teach.

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WTC 9/11 | First Plane Hit in North Tower | Jules Naudet Video (Remastered 60fps AI Upscaled)

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Volo Flight United Airlines 175: 11 September 2001 . 11 settembre 2001 (shot from below)

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9/11 Timeline: The Attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City | History

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Lesson Boosters - Kids Science and History Videos

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WORLD WAR 2 for Kids | Learn the Causes, Events, and Facts about  World War 2 | Lesson Boosters

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In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts....
World War 2 facts

1. World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries

- the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

(AD)

2. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by a man named Adolf Hitler

Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany - World War II had begun.

3. During the course of the war, German forces advanced through Europe.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Second World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

4. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn't fit the image of the 'perfect' German

Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the "best" and strongest race - and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a "racial enemy" outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.

5. The group most heavily targeted by the Nazis were the Jews

Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history's most terrible events - the Holocaust. Racist in his views, Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.

6. Around the same time that Germany fought for power in Europe, Japan wanted to control Asia and the Pacific

In 1937 (before World War 2 had officially begun) under Emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked China, bringing the two nations into years of conflict.

7. The US didn't join the war until 1941, when Japan attacked the United States

- at their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On 8 December 1941 (the very next day), the US declared War on Japan and, in turn, its German allies.

8. Some countries remained 'neutral' in World War 2

Such countries were Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - who chose not to join either side.

9. The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

In 1944, an Allied army crossed from Britain to free France from Nazi rule. One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

10. Around 64 million people died in World War 2

- that's more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

Find out more about the countries involved in World War 2 with our Germany, Japan and USA facts. Plus, learn about the life of Anne Frank, a young German girl who wrote a world-famous diary...

*Yugoslavia was a country established in 1918 in south-east Europe, which included modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

*USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet Union) was a former country which included modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Estonia, as well as other socialist states.

What did you think of our World War 2 facts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Learn astonishing World War 2 facts with Nat Geo Kids. When did the war start? Who fought in in the war and why? How did it change the course of history?

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In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts....
World War 2 facts

1. World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries

- the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

(AD)

2. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by a man named Adolf Hitler

Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany - World War II had begun.

3. During the course of the war, German forces advanced through Europe.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Second World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

4. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn't fit the image of the 'perfect' German

Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the "best" and strongest race - and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a "racial enemy" outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.

5. The group most heavily targeted by the Nazis were the Jews

Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history's most terrible events - the Holocaust. Racist in his views, Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.

6. Around the same time that Germany fought for power in Europe, Japan wanted to control Asia and the Pacific

In 1937 (before World War 2 had officially begun) under Emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked China, bringing the two nations into years of conflict.

7. The US didn't join the war until 1941, when Japan attacked the United States

- at their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On 8 December 1941 (the very next day), the US declared War on Japan and, in turn, its German allies.

8. Some countries remained 'neutral' in World War 2

Such countries were Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - who chose not to join either side.

9. The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

In 1944, an Allied army crossed from Britain to free France from Nazi rule. One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

10. Around 64 million people died in World War 2

- that's more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

Find out more about the countries involved in World War 2 with our Germany, Japan and USA facts. Plus, learn about the life of Anne Frank, a young German girl who wrote a world-famous diary...

*Yugoslavia was a country established in 1918 in south-east Europe, which included modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

*USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet Union) was a former country which included modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Estonia, as well as other socialist states.

What did you think of our World War 2 facts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Learn astonishing World War 2 facts with Nat Geo Kids. When did the war start? Who fought in in the war and why? How did it change the course of history?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Poland

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. This began World War II. The Germans used a new kind of attack. They called it blitzkrieg, or "lightning war." Blitzkrieg relied on fast-moving tanks and warplanes to shock the enemy into surrendering.

After this invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and South Africa joined Britain on the side of the Allies. But no one could help when the Soviet Union attacked Poland on September 17. Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland between them. The Soviet Union also invaded Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland during 1939.

Scandinavia and the Low Countries

Between April and June 1940 the Germans took over Norway and Denmark. In May they moved into the Low Countries- Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

France

In mid-May 1940 the first German troops crossed into France. By June 14 the Germans had entered Paris, the French capital.

On June 22 France agreed to let Germans rule most of their country. However, many French people continued to fight the Germans. They were called the Free French. They took orders from Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle's headquarters were in Britain.

As France was falling to the Germans, Italy declared war against France and Britain. On June 10, 1940, Italy entered the war as an Axis power.

Great Britain

Hitler's next target was the island of Great Britain. Starting in June 1940, German warplanes began bombing Britain. However, the British had a new invention called radar. Radar warned the British when German aircraft were nearing. British fighter airplanes shot down many attackers. This battle, called the Battle of Britain, was the world's first major battle fought in the air.

The Germans soon decided not to invade Britain. Instead, they dropped more bombs on London and other cities until May 1941.

The Atlantic Ocean

The British also fought the German navy. Early in the war, the Germans sank many of the supply ships that delivered food and weapons from North America. In 1943 the Allies began to use aircraft carriers to protect convoys, or groups, of supply ships. The number of supply ships reaching Britain then increased.

North Africa

In the autumn of 1940 the Italians invaded Egypt. They wanted to control the Suez Canal, which linked the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. However, the British drove the Italians back.

Then the German general Erwin Rommel led the Germans to victories in North Africa. In 1942 British forces finally stopped Rommel in two battles at El-Alamein, Egypt. By November 6 the British had driven the Germans from Egypt.

The Soviet Union

After conquering the countries on Germany's borders, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. The attack began on June 22, 1941. The Soviet Union joined the Allies soon afterward. The Soviets stopped the Germans on the edges of Moscow (the Soviet capital) and Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

In 1942 Hitler decided to take the Soviet city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). The fight at Stalingrad was the largest single battle in World War II. About 1.9 million soldiers died on both sides. The Germans surrendered in January 1943. After Stalingrad, the Soviets gradually drove out the Germans.

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World War II started in 1939. By the time it ended in 1945, the war involved nearly every part of the world. The two sides that fought the war were called the Axis powers and...

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Using archive video and images from the Imperial War Museum, as well as first-person testimony from veterans and eye-witnesses, this series of short films offers a comprehensive overview of World War Two for primary schools.
These short films are suitable for teaching history at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

They could also be incorporated into cross-curricular learning as they cover a variety of subjects including:
Created in partnership with Imperial War Museums.

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Using archive video and images from the Imperial War Museum, as well as first-person testimony from veterans and eye-witnesses, this series of short films offers a comprehensive overview of World War Two for primary schools.

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What started World War II? Facts and Explanation for Kids!

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The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted from 1957 to 1969. It had to do with the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites, to send humans into space, and to land them on the Moon.

The Space Race began after the Soviet launch of on 4 October 1957. The term "Space Race" started as a comparison to the arms race. The Space Race became an important part of the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Space technology became an extra important area in this rivalry, because of possible military uses.

First artificial Satellite in Orbit

On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to enter the Earth's orbit. This started the Space Race.

First Man in Orbit

One part of the space race was the race to put a man into space. This first was won by the Soviet Union when Major Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth on 12 April 1961.

First Men on the Moon

On May 25 1961, in a speech to a joint sitting of congress, President John F Kennedy of the United States of America set the impossible goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. This also implied a challenge to the Russians to try to do it first. The Americans won this part of the race in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon and returned safely to the Earth.

Images for kids

William Hayward Pickering, James Van Allen, and Wernher von Braun display a full-scale model of Explorer 1 at a Washington, DC news conference after confirmation the satellite was in orbit

Commemorative plaque and the Fallen Astronaut sculpture left on the Moon in 1971 by the crew of Apollo 15 in memory of 14 deceased NASA astronauts and USSR cosmonauts

Space Shuttle (US) docked to Mir (USSR/Russia) (1995), both products of the ending competition, joined in the Shuttle-Mir program (1993-1998) which facilitated the ongoing International Space Station programme.

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The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted from 1957 to 1969. It had to do with the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites, to send humans into space, and to land them on the Moon.

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The Space Race for Kids | Apollo 11 | History Made Easy

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After World War II ended and the mid-20th century began, the Cold War started. The United States and Russia were at war against each other. Space became an arena for this competition as both sides fought with technology, military power, and economic system to prove who was better. Keep reading for more facts about the space race!

Fiction and Trips to Space

Jules Verne's book From the Earth to the Moon and H.G. Wells' book First Men in the Moon is old books about the possibility of going to the Moon.

Robert A. Heinlein also wrote a book about four Americans who flew to the Moon and found people on it. The book became the inspiration for the Space Race.

The Space Race

The Cold War defined much of the early Space Age, including the missile and rocket development in the United States and the Soviet Union.

After the Soviet Union and the Cold War were over, other countries developed their space programs.

The Space Race happened during the Cold War.

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, partners of these two Superpowers, and the Third World nations whose support both sides sought during the Cold War.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched a satellite. This was the first time that people knew about the Space Age.

Sputnik I and II

The launch of the first Sputnik satellite marks when space flight went from being just a thought to something that exists.

The Soviet Union launched the first Sputnik satellite. The next day, they put an article about it in the newspaper that said,

The first artificial satellite was created as a result of very intensive work by scientific research institutes and design bureaus. On October 4, 1957, this first satellite was successfully launched in the USSR. According to preliminary data, the carrier rocket has imparted the required orbital velocity of about 8000 meters per second to the satellite.

Rocket R-1 was the carrier for the satellite Sputnik I. It caused a lot of concern in Western countries.

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had a powerful rocket and achieved space flight before the West. This shows that they are ahead in the Space Race by making the first move.

People were afraid that the Soviets would attack the United States in outer space. They also thought that powerful Soviet rockets might be used to launch missiles.

Then the Soviets successfully launched their second satellite, Sputnik II. It had a dog named Laika on it.

The success of Sputnik made people think about space. People paid attention to the military rockets.

Vanguard and Explorer I

Two months ago, the United States tried to launch a rocket with an important satellite. But they couldn't because something went wrong.

Finally, an Army team led by the German immigrant Wernher von Braun succeeded in launching the first American satellite. It was called Explorer I.

The Explorer was a spacecraft that carried some instruments. These instruments helped to find out about radiation belts. They are named after the scientist James A. Van Allen.

He wrote these words,

We were treated like heroes, rescuing the honour of the United States in this great Cold War with Russia by having a successful satellite.

The launch of the Sputnik I had started the development of communication for satellites. It also helped create two space agencies in the United States, one civilian and one military.

The First Astronauts

Then the space projects started including people in their flights. The programs were called:

Vostok (East) (USSR program for one astronaut. He was Yuri Gagarin, the first man ever in space)

Voshkod (Rise) (USSR program for two astronauts)

Soyuz (Union) (USSR lunar program)

Mercury (American program for one astronaut)

Gemini (American program for two astronauts)

Apollo (American lunar programs)

Both countries first used the one-person spaceship. It was good for them because they got lots of experience.

As spacecraft got larger, people could go outside. Spacewalks are when people go out of the spacecraft. It is also called an extravehicular activity.

The first spacewalk was done by a Russian astronaut called Alexei Leonov. He was tethered to a Voskhod capsule.

American astronaut Edward H. White did the first spacewalk in a Gemini space capsule three months later.

The Soviets began achieving a lot of records in the Space Race:

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to go to space in 1963

Luna 9 was the first landing on the Moon

Kosmos 186 and Kosmos 188 made the first automatic docking on the Moon

Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 made the first docking in space by astronauts

Then US President John F. Kennedy announced,

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.

The Space Race: Reaching the Moon

The US won the race to put a man on the Moon. This happened when Neil Armstrong did it on July 20, 1969.

The Apollo 11 mission used a Saturn V rocket, the Columbia command module, and the Eagle landing module.

More Apollo missions went to the Moon. They were Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. In three years, twelve American astronauts travelled to the Moon.

Afterwards, other American firsts happened until 1983, when Sally Ride went to space for the first time. She was the first American woman in space. Guion Bluford also went to space that year, and he was the first black astronaut there.
Read more about Apollo 11
Spacial Accidents

There were some accidents in the early days of testing. These accidents happened before we were able to test safely.

Three astronauts died in a fire during the Apollo 1 spacecraft test. Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger Bruce Chaffee.

The Soviets lost their first Soyuz spacecraft, and Vladimir Komarov died in space.

The deaths prompted the Apollo spacecraft and safety program to be redesigned. The first human-crewed Apollo flight occurred in 1968 when the vehicle travelled around the Earth 163 times during its mission.

Space Programs to Other Planets

Besides manned spaceflight, NASA and the Soviet space program sponsored unmanned programs that sent probes to different planets and the solar system.

The first Soviet Salyut (Salute) space station was put into orbit. The Soviets launched nine Salyut modules during the eleven-year program, six of which were research stations and three of which were military reconnaissance stations.

The American Skylab 1, 2, and 3 orbited the planet. These space stations enabled the astronauts to spend extended periods in space and conduct research while there. Furthermore, the stations had plenty of room for weightless floating within the spacecraft.

Reusable Spacecraft

The Soviet Mir (Peace) space stations and American reusable Space Shuttle programs, both of which incorporated several missions, helped to expand our knowledge. The Soviets built a reusable spaceflight vehicle called the Buran (Snowstorm) and successfully sent it into orbit unmanned.

The United States designed and operated a fleet of reusable spacecraft, including Columbia, Challenger, Enterprise, Discovery, and Atlantis. In 1981, Columbia was the first to reach space.

After that, space shuttles flew missions to find satellites and bring people. They could even get other spaceships.

The Space Shuttle program was created without an escape system, resulting in two major disasters. On January 28, 1986, the Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff. The crew of five men and two women perished in the tragedy.

Then Columbia went on its 114th mission in 2003. It came back to Earth, and then the spacecraft fell apart, and the seven astronauts on board died.

The End of the Space Race

After the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Space Race ended.

The Space Race had no meaning after the Cold War ended. When the military stopped, there was no reason to compete. Politicians and people didn't care about it anymore.

Many countries want to be better and have more power. They build mega space programs to do this.

Other Countries in Space

The European nations worked together on various initiatives to develop their technologies and space programs.

When the European Organization selected Moomera for the launch test site, Australia joined the European Launcher Development Corporation (ELDO). Still, a satellite could not be launched in any of the four tests. They moved then to the South American country of French Guiana.

China has been making space missions since the 1950s. They have received help from Russia as a young communist country.

The Chinese completed a manned space mission in 2003 when Yang Liwei circled the Earth 14 times in the Shenzhou 5.

Today's Space Race

Today's world is far more complicated than during the Cold War, when there were only two major superpowers competing for ascendancy.

Now, new companies want to show off their spaceflight abilities. They are following the steps of Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

Tomorrow's space race will not be the same as the old days. There are more actors in it, and everyone can win or lose.

Sources

P.S. If you enjoyed what you read and are a teacher or tutor needing resources for your students from kindergarten all the way up to high school senior (or even adults!), check out our partner sites KidsKonnect, SchoolHistory, and HelpTeaching for hundreds of facts, worksheets, activities, quizzes, courses, and more!

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The Space Race Facts for Kids The Space Race Facts for Kids

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After World War II ended and the mid-20th century began, the Cold War started. The United States and Russia were at war against each other. Space became an arena for this competition as both sides fought with technology, military power, and economic system to prove who was better.

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Through space exploration humans have learned a great deal about the planets, stars, and other objects in space. More than 5,000 spacecraft have been launched into space to...

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On July 20, 1969, millions of people gathered around their televisions to watch two U.S. astronauts do something no one had ever done before. Wearing bulky space suits and backpacks of oxygen to breathe, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first human beings to walk on the moon.

After the two stepped onto the lunar surface, Armstrong proclaimed these famous words: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

SPACE RACE

Humans were only able to make that small step after several other space firsts happened. In 1957 the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into space by Russia. The United States launched several satellites of their own afterward. Both countries hoped to be the first to send a human into space.

It wasn't until 1961 that a person went to space: On April 12, Russia's Yuri Gagarin became the first. Less than a month later the United States' Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Following these milestones, President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to put a human on the moon in 10 years or less.

NASA went to work. On July 16, 1969, the spacecraft Apollo 11 prepared to launch a crew of three astronauts into space ... and the history books.

MOON WALK

NASA officials selected Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins as the astronauts who would make the historic trip from Earth on Apollo 11. Just four days after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft neared the moon's surface.

Before touching down, the three men split up. Collins boarded Apollo 11's command module, the Columbia, where he would remain in orbit around the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin boarded Apollo 11's lunar module, the Eagle, and began to descend to the moon's surface.

The Eagle made a risky landing in a shallow moon crater named the Sea of Tranquility. (Most people watching the landing on TV didn't know that the Eagle had only 20 seconds of landing fuel left at this point.) Armstrong and Aldrin looked out the windows of the module at the lifeless and barren lunar landscape.

After six and a half hours pass, the pair inside the Eagle prepared to exit the module. As mission commander, Armstrong stepped out first ... and became the first person on the moon.

Twenty minutes later, Aldrin climbed down the ladder and joined his partner. After reading a plaque that said they "came in peace for all mankind," the two planted the United States' flag on the surface. President Richard Nixon called to congratulate the astronauts.

Armstrong and Aldrin went back to work collecting samples of moon rocks and dust. After over two hours, the astronauts brought 47 pounds back onto the lunar module and prepared to rejoin Collins. It was time to go home.

DOWN TO EARTH

The Apollo 11 crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Over the next several years, 10 astronauts would follow in Armstrong and Aldrin's footsteps. The last mission to the moon was in 1972.

Though humans haven't returned to the moon since, they have continued to explore space. They even built the International Space Station (ISS), a space research station, where they can conduct experiments and study space up close.

Today NASA is working on sending humans to another planet: Mars. Thanks to the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA is hopeful about its chances. The act of putting three people on the moon-and then safely bringing them back home-proved that successful human exploration in space is possible.

Text adapted from Ladders Earth Science: Exploring Above and Beyond by Stephanie Harvey and Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond byDavid A. Aguilar and Patricia Daniels

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The historic event captivated the world-and helped people look to the future.

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Lesson Boosters - Kids Science and History Videos

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The Renaissance for Kids | Learn About Renaissance period | Lesson Boosters Social Studies Lesson

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Trusted parent, teacher and homeschool resources. 

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All About the Renaissance for Kids:learn about the people and innovations that changed history

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The Renaissance was a period in European history. It began in the 1300s, during the late Middle Ages. It ended during the 1500s, when the modern era began. Renaissance means...

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The Renaissance Facts For Kids | Beginning, Religion, Life & Decline

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Renaissance means 'rebirth' in old French, because this period in history was characterized by the renewal of various ancient texts in Latin & Greek.

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The Renaissance is a period in the history of Europe beginning in about 1400, and following the Medieval period.

"Renaissance" is a French word meaning "rebirth". The period is called by this name because at that time, people started taking an interest in the learning of ancient times, in particular, the learning of Ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance was seen as a "rebirth" of that learning. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the "modern age".

During the Renaissance, there were many famous artists, many writers and many philosophers. Many people studied mathematics and different sciences. A person who is clever at a great number of things is sometimes called a " Renaissance man". Leonardo da Vinci, who was a painter, a scientist, a musician and a philosopher, is the most famous Renaissance Man.

The Renaissance started in Italy but soon spread across the whole of Europe. In Italy, the time is divided into three periods:

Early Renaissance

High Renaissance

Late Renaissance

Following the Mannerist period was the period which also spread across Europe from about 1600. Outside Italy, it can be hard to tell where the Renaissance period ends and Baroque begins.

Causes of the Renaissance

In the Middle Ages, most artistic, legal, and historical production took place in and around books, which were produced in and belonged to monasteries, churches, universities, and the individuals who could afford them. Books were produced entirely by hand, which is why they were called manuscripts; illuminated manuscripts refer to those with hand-colored, drawn, and gilded pictures.

Most books at that time were written in Latin, Greek, and Roman which was used in the Catholic Church. Only priests and well-educated people read Latin then. People were forbidden by law from translating the Bible into Italian, English, German, French, or other "local" languages.

Around 1440 the first printed books were made in Europe. The way of printing quickly improved so that large books like the Bible could be made and sold cheaply. It took 300 calf skins or 100 pig skins to print the Bible. The printers then began to print everything that they thought was interesting:- Ancient Greek and Roman writings, poetry, plays, lives of the saints, mathematics textbooks, medical textbooks, Christian stories, books about animals and monsters, advice to princes as to how to rule their people and maps of the world.

Before the invention of the printing press, knowledge belonged to priests, monasteries, and universities. Suddenly, many thousands of people, even merchants could learn far more than they ever could before.

Ancient Roman remains

The time of Ancient Greece and Rome, when there were many philosophers, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and mathematicians was seen by people as a Golden Age, a time when things were beautiful, well-organised and well-run. This time had lasted from about 400 BC to about 400 AD.

In the year 1400, in the city of Rome, people would wander around looking up at the ruins of a city that had once been great. Inside the broken walls that had been smashed in 410 AD were the remains of huge temples, sports arenas, public baths, apartment blocks and palaces. Nearly all of them were ruined and could not be used. Nearly all of them were half-buried in the dirt. A lot of them were pulled down to use as building stone. But they showed people what great things could be done. Among the ruins of this once-great city, the people of Rome lived in cottages. They still went to church in the huge churches ( basilicas) built by the first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, in the 4th century. They still held a market day in the Ancient Roman market place of Campo Dei Fiori ("Field of Flowers").

One day in 1402, into the middle of Rome, came a young man called Filippo Brunelleschi and a teenage boy called Donatello. They were fascinated by everything that they saw. They measured ancient ruined buildings, they drew things and they dug around for weeks looking for bits of broken statues and painted pottery that they could stick together. They were probably the world's first archaeologists. By the time they went back home to Florence, they knew more about Ancient Roman architecture and sculpture than anyone had known for about a thousand years. Brunelleschi became a very famous architect and Donatello became a very famous sculptor.

Money and politics

The city of Florence is really where the Renaissance began. In those days, Italy was not one single country. It was lots of little states, all governed in different ways and all fighting or making allies with each other all the time.

Rome was politically powerful because Rome had the Pope, the person in control of the Roman Catholic Church. Because of his very great importance as a spiritual leader, most people and most cities did not want to argue with the Pope, whichever Pope he might be. Because a new pope was elected when the old one died, everyone who was rich and powerful was always hoping it might be a member of their family. It was always a good idea to have several young men in the family trained as priests, just in case. It was also a good idea to be good friends with other rich families. One way to do this was to have lots of daughters and get them to marry rich powerful men from different cities. This was the way that politics worked.

Other cities that were powerful were Venice with its great big navy, Milan which controlled trade with Northern Europe and was very rich, Genoa which controlled trade with France and Spain and was very rich, and Florence, where many people say the Renaissance started.

The power of Florence was not founded on a strong army, on a strong fortress or a good position to control trade. It was founded on banking. The cleverness in business of one single-family was very important in making Florence powerful and the center of Renaissance learning. The family was called the Medici.

List of important events of the Renaissance

1401, Lorenzo Ghiberti wins the Competition for the Florence Baptistry Doors.

1420s, Masaccio and Masolino paint the Brancacci Chapel, in Florence.

1440s, Donatello makes the statue of Gattamelata on Horseback, Padua.

1470s, Botticelli paints the Birth of Venus, in Florence.

1490s, Leonardo da Vinci paints The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa in Milan.

1508-1512, Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel Ceiling in Rome.

In architecture

1420, building of The Dome of Florence Cathedral begins, to Brunelleschi's design.

1420s, Brunelleschi designs the church of Church of San Lorenzo, Florence.

1444, Michelozzo designs the Medici-Riccardi Palace for Cosimo de' Medici.

1471, Alberti designs the Church of Sant' Andrea, Mantua.

1506, work begins on the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

1550, Palladio designs the Villa Rotunda, near Vicenza.

In science and technology

In thinking

(See illustration above: Raphael's "School of Athens")

Early 1300s, Petrarch publishes writings based on Classical writers and St. Augustine's writing.

Mid 1400s, the Humanist Academy begun, to discuss Ancient writings and modern ideas, patronised by the Medici family.

1511, Desiderius Erasmus publishes In Praise of Folly in which he showed that a lot of people in the church did not live holy lives.

1532, by Machiavelli is published, showing that people who wish to have political power often do wicked things to get it.

In religion

Early 1300s, Dante Alighieri writes The Divine Comedy. (Italy)

1348, Giovanni Boccaccio starts writing a collection of stories called The Decameron. (Italy)

1477, William Caxton publishes Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the first important book in the English language, written in the 1300s. (England)

1532 and 1534, Francois Rabelais writes Pantagruel and Gargantua. (France)

1550, Giorgio Vasari publishes "Lives of the Great Architects, Painters and Sculptors of Italy". (Italy)

1590-1612, William Shakespeare writes his 37 plays. (England)

1605 and 1616, Miguel de Cervantes publishes the tale of Don Quixotte, Man of la Mancha. (Spain)

In exploration

Related pages

Images for kids

Pico della Mirandola wrote the famous Oration on the Dignity of Man, which has been called the "Manifesto of the Renaissance".

Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (c. 1490) demonstrates the effect writers of Antiquity had on Renaissance thinkers. Based on the specifications in Vitruvius' De architectura (1st century BC), Leonardo tried to draw the perfectly proportioned man.

Portrait of Luca Pacioli, father of accounting, painted by Jacopo de' Barbari, 1495, (Museo di Capodimonte).

São Pedro Papa, 1530-1535, by Grão Vasco Fernandes. A pinnacle piece from when the Portuguese Renaissance had considerable external influence.

Theotokos and The Child, the late 17th century Russian icon by Karp Zolotaryov, with notably realistic depiction of faces and clothing.

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The Renaissance is a period in the history of Europe beginning in about 1400, and following the Medieval period. "Renaissance" is a French word meaning "rebirth". The period is called by this name because at that time, people started taking an interest in the learning of ancient times, in particular, the learning of Ancient Greece and Rome.

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One freezing day in January of 1692, something strange happened inside the Parris household of Salem Village, Massachusetts. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail began to twitch and twist their bodies into strange shapes, speaking in words that made no sense. Betty's alarmed father, the Reverend Parris, immediately called on a doctor to examine the girls. The doctor's diagnosis? The pair had been bewitched.

WITCH HUNT

At the time, Salem Village was a small New England town populated mostly by Puritans, or religious individuals with a belief in the devil. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. Upon hearing about the Parris girls' behavior, much of the Puritan community agreed that the duo had been victims of witchcraft.

When asked who had done this to them, Betty and Abigail blamed three townswomen, including Tituba, a Native American slave who worked in the Parris household. Tituba was known to have played fortune-telling games, which were strictly forbidden by the Puritans. The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, weren't well liked by the community either.

ON TRIAL

The three women were thrown in jail to await trial for practicing witchcraft. During the trial, Tituba confessed to having seen the devil and also stated that there was a coven, or group, of witches in the Salem Village area. Good and Osbourne insisted they were innocent. The court didn't believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. The punishment was hanging.

As the weeks passed, other young girls claimed to have been infected by witchcraft too. They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches.

Women were not the only ones believed to be witches-men and children were accused too. By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging.

THE HYSTERIA FADES

Eventually, after seeming to realize how unfair the trials were to the accused, the court refused to hear any more charges of witchcraft. All of the accused were finally pardoned in 1711.

No one's really sure why the witch craze spread the way it did, but it brought lasting changes to the United States legal system and the way evidence and witnesses were treated. The Salem Village hangings were the last executions of accused witches in the United States.

Text adapted from the National Geographic book Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schnauzer.

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Find out what started the witch hunt of 1692.

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Introduction
The Salem witch trials were a series of investigations and persecutions that occurred from June 1692 to May 1693 in the town of Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). The proceedings led to the hanging of 19 suspected witches and the imprisonment of many others.

Background
Witches were considered to be followers of Satan who had traded their souls for his assistance. It was believed that they employed demons to accomplish magical deeds. Witch hunts began in Europe between 1300 and 1330 and ended in the late 1700s. The number of trials and executions varied according to time and place. Historians generally believe that some 110,000 people in total were tried for witchcraft. Between 40,000 to 60,000 of them were executed. About three-fourths of the convicted witches were female.

The "hunts" were efforts to identify witches rather than to pursue individuals who were already thought to be witches. The process of identifying witches began with suspicions or rumors. Accusations followed, often escalating to convictions and executions. The Salem witch trials were the result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysteria.

There were two Salems in New England in the late 17th century. The first was a prosperous port community on Massachusetts Bay known as Salem Town. It would evolve into modern Salem. The second was roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) inland from Salem Town. It was a smaller, poorer farming community of some 500 persons known as Salem Village. The Putnams were one of the leading families in the village. They sought greater autonomy for the village and power for themselves.

In 1689 the influence of the Putnams brought Samuel Parris, a former merchant, to Salem Village. He was to become pastor of the Congregational church. He brought his wife, their three children, a niece, and two slaves-John Indian, a man, and Tituba, a woman. Shortly after beginning his ministry, Parris sought ownership of the parsonage. This move did not sit well with many members of the congregation. In addition, Parris's Puritan theology and preaching divided the congregation. For example, he routinely insisted that nonmembers of the congregation leave before communion was celebrated. Because of his actions, Salem divided into pro- and anti-Parris factions.

Accusations
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, edited by Charles Dudley Warner, 1896

In the early 1690s Parris's daughter Betty (age 9), his niece Abigail Williams (age 11), and their friend Ann Putnam, Jr. (about age 12), began indulging in fortune-telling. Tituba's voodoo tales probably influenced them. In January 1692 Betty's and Abigail's increasingly strange behavior came to include fits. They screamed, made odd sounds, threw things, contorted their bodies, and complained of biting and pinching sensations. In February, unable to explain their behavior medically, the local doctor said it was the supernatural at work.

At the suggestion of a neighbor, Tituba baked a "witch cake." The cake would supposedly identify the witch causing the girls' illness. Using the cake did not uncover a witch. However, Parris was outraged that it was even made. He saw it as a blasphemous act.

Parris soon pressured Betty and Abigail to identify their tormentor. They claimed that Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn bewitched them. Good and Osborn were village outcasts, and neither attended church regularly. On March 1, two magistrates from Salem Town went to the village to investigate. Both Good and Osborn protested their own innocence, though Good accused Osborn. Initially, Tituba also claimed to be blameless. However, after being repeatedly badgered, she told the magistrates that she had made a deal with the devil. In her testimony, she implied that Good and Osborn, along with seven others she could not name, were also guilty.

The magistrates thus had a confession. They also believed that they had confirmation that there were more witches in the community. Public hysteria increased. Other girls and young women began experiencing fits. Most of them were loyal to Putnam and Parris. They included Ann Putnam, Jr.; her mother; her cousin, Mary Walcott; and the Putnams' servant, Mercy Lewis. These victims also identified certain people as witches. However, the accused were no longer just outsiders and outcasts but rather upstanding members of the community. They included Rebecca Nurse, a woman of some prominence. As the weeks passed, many of the accused proved to be enemies of the Putnams. Putnam family members and in-laws would end up being the accusers in dozens of cases.

On May 27, 1692, Sir William Phips, the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, stopped the informal hearings. In their place he convened a special court with multiple judges. However, the accused were forced to defend themselves without help from lawyers. In addition, the court allowed the victims to claim "spectral evidence"-that is, dreams that specters, or spirits, of the accused had attacked them. Those who confessed were spared the court's vengeance because the Puritans believed that they would receive their punishment from God. Those who insisted upon their innocence met harsher fates.

On June 2, Bridget Bishop was the first of the defendants to be convicted. On June 10, she was hanged on what became known as Gallows Hill in Salem Village. On July 19, five more convicted people were hanged, including Nurse and Good. George Burroughs had served as a minister in Salem Village from 1680 to 1683. He was summoned from his new home in Maine and accused of being the witches' ringleader. He too was convicted, and he and four others were hanged on August 19. On September 22, eight more convicted people were hanged.

On October 29, as the accusations of witchcraft extended to include his own wife, Governor Phips once again stepped in. He ordered the proceedings of the court to stop. He subsequently established a Superior Court, which was instructed not to admit spectral evidence. Trials resumed in January and February. Of the 56 people indicted, only 3 were convicted. Phips pardoned them and everyone held in custody by May 1693. In the end, 19 people had been hanged, one had been crushed by stones, and several more had died in custody.

Aftermath and Legacy
In the following years, many of those involved in the trials offered acts of repentance. In January 1697 the General Court of Massachusetts declared a day of fasting and contemplation for the tragedy that had resulted from the trials. That same year, Samuel Sewall, one of the judges, publicly acknowledged his own error and guilt in the proceedings. In 1702 the General Court declared that the trials had been unlawful. In 1706 Ann Putnam, Jr., apologized for her role as an accuser. In 1711 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts exonerated 22 of the 33 individuals who had been convicted. The commonwealth also compensated the families of the victims. In 1957 the state of Massachusetts formally apologized for the trials. It was not until 2001, however, that the last 11 of the convicted were fully exonerated.

The abuses of the Salem witch trials would contribute to changes in U.S. court procedures. The trials played a role in the advent of the guarantee of the right to legal representation. They also gave birth to the right to cross-examine one's accuser and the presumption of innocence rather than of guilt.

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Introduction The Salem witch trials were a series of investigations and persecutions that occurred from June 1692 to May 1693 in the town of Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). The proceedings led to the hanging of 19 suspected witches and the imprisonment of many others.

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Twinkl Teaching Resources - United States

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What are the Salem Witch Trials? for Kids | Twinkl USA

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What really happened during the Salem Witch Trials - Brian A. Pavlac

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The Salem witch trials were done in 1692.

Girls started saying they were getting the devil. They later accused people in their community of being witches.

The court heard the cases, found 18 guilty people, and hanged them, even though they did not do anything wrong.

By September 1692, people were starting to think that the trials weren't fair. The court annulled the guilty verdicts.

In the 1400s, European countries started to kill people who were accused of witchcraft. Many witch hunts took place in places in Europe like Western Germany, France, and Switzerland. According to historical records, between 40,000 and 60,000 people were put to death for witchcraft, ranging from 1650 to 1750. Keep reading to learn more Salem Witch Trials facts.

The "hunts" were to find someone who they thought was a witch. Witches were people who followed Satan and traded their souls for his help.

People thought that witches used demons to do magic. Witches could change from human to animal form or from one human form to another. Animals were the "familiar spirits" of witches. Witches were said to ride through the air at night to worship the devil and use magic for bad things.

The process of identifying witches started with people noticing suspicious things. Accusations followed, and some people were convicted of witchcraft.

When the Salem witch trials happened, church politics and family feuds mixed with the children being hysterical. There were no political authorities there to stop it from happening.

Causes of the Salem Witch Trials

Causes of the Salem with trials were:

In the Puritan community in Salem Village, life could be hard.

English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies. It was called King William's War to colonists, but it affected different colonies in different ways. Refugees came to the county of Essex and especially to Salem Village in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

A smallpox epidemic happened recently.

People were afraid that Native Americans would attack them.

There is a long-standing rivalry with the more wealthy settlement, Salem Town.

The Two Salems

In the late 17th century, there were two Salems. One was a thriving commercial port town on Massachusetts Bay known as Salem Town, which would later develop into modern Salem. The second one was 10 miles to the interior. It was a tiny, low-income farming community of about 500 people known as Salem Village.

The village was divided by a disagreement between two families. This disagreement got worse and worse and made the rivalry. The wealthy Porters were one family who had notable connections with Salem Towns' wealthy merchants. The other people in the village were the Putnams, who wanted more autonomy and were a voice for poorer families. People often fought over land, and it often led to lawsuits.

Samuel Parris

Samuel Parris, a Bostonian by way of Barbados, was elected pastor of the village Congregational church in 1689 due to the influence of the Putnams. Parris had attended Harvard College, where he studied theology (now called Harvard University). He had, however, temporarily left his studies before he was able to complete his degree.

He arrived in Salem Village with his wife, three children, and a niece. He owned two slaves from Barbados who were named John Indian and Tituba. Some people think they were of African heritage, but others thought that they may have been of Caribbean Native American heritage.

This man, Parris, negotiated his contract with the congregation. But he was not happy. He wanted more money, including ownership of the parsonage. That did not sit well with many members of the congregation.

Parris Puritan beliefs had a strong effect on the people. The people in his congregation were divided into two groups, those who agreed with him and those who disagreed with him.

This divide became visible when he requested that non-members of the church leave before communion was celebrated. In Salem, there came to be two groups of people: pro- and anti-Parris factions.

Salem Witch Trials: How it all Began

In 1692, Elizabeth (Betty) Parris and Abigail Williams, the daughter, and niece of Samuel Parris, who was only 9 and 11 years old, had strange fits. The fits resulted in violent contortions and screams that were out of control.

Betty, Abigail, and their friend Ann Putnam, Jr. (age 12) had been influenced by voodoo tales told to them by Tituba. Then they began practicing fortune-telling.

Scholars who looked at the strange behavior with the help of modern science think that it might have been caused by asthma, epilepsy, or a disease called "convulsive ergotism." This is when you eat bread or cereal made of rye that has been infected with fungus.

The girls in Salem village acted strangely like the people from Boston who were believed to be witches. This behavior was described in the book Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions (1689), which these girls probably read.

A local doctor said that other girls in the community had the same symptoms as Betty and Abigail. The doctor said that they were bewitched, and he blamed the behavior on something supernatural. These girls were called Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott, and Mary Warren.

Tituba made a witch cake at the suggestion of a neighbor. The witch cake did not work, and it angered Reverend Parris, who saw it as blasphemy.

Parris pressured Betty and Abigail to identify their tormentor. They said that Tituba and two other people did it. Neither of them went to church a lot, but they were still part of the community.

In February, arrest warrants were issued for Tituba, a Caribbean slave from the Parris family, along with two other women: Sarah Good, a homeless mendicant, and Sarah Osborn, a poverty-stricken older woman.

The Trials Begin

The people who were accused of being witches went to talk to the judges. People saw them and had strange things happen like spasms, contortions, screaming, and writhing.

Initially, Tituba said that she was not guilty. But after the magistrates wanted her to say this for a long time, she finally said what they wanted to hear. She told them that she had made a deal with the devil, and he visited her.

In three days, she told about her encounters with Satans animal familiars. This included a tall man from Boston who asked her to sign the devil's book. The names of Good and Osborn were on the list, but there were others that she couldn't read. Tituba wanted to save herself from being convicted of witchcraft, so she told the Puritans that other witches acted with her.

People in the community became terrified. They said some people were responsible for this. But some of these people were good members of the community, like Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse. The four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good was also accused.

Like Tituba, some accused witches confessed to the crime. And then they named other people who were also accused of being witches. As time went by, more and more of the accused turned out to be enemies of the Putnams. Many of the people blaming others were family members or in-laws.

If the person confessed and named other witches, that person was spared from the court's punishment. This is because Puritans thought that God would punish them.

Soon the trials became too many for the local justice system. So in May 1692, Governor Phips changed things so that there was a special court to hear and decide on witchcraft cases for Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex.

Trials Become Executions

The court was made up of judges who were called Hathorne, Sewall, and Stoughton. The first person they convicted was Bridget Bishop. This happened on June 2nd. She was hung on what is now known as Gallows Hill in Salem Town, exactly eight days after being convicted.

July saw the execution of another five people; there were five in August and eight more in September. Accused witches also perished in jail, seven of them among the accused. Giles Corey, Martha's husband, refused to plead guilty after his arrest, so they crushed him under rocks until he finally died.

There were accusations about people from other communities. Cotton Mathers's father (a minister and the president of Harvard) said that they should not use spectral evidence to make accusations and instead they should accuse directly the people involved.

The End of the Trials

Governor Phips took action when people accused his wife of being a witch. He stopped the court from going on. He made a different court. It was not allowed to use evidence that is only seen in their head (spectral evidence).

After January and February, trials resumed. Only three people were convicted. They were pardoned by Phips in May 1693 when the trials were over. Nineteen people had been hung, and five more died in custody.

Years later, people would apologize for the tragedy that came from the trials. The General Court of Massachusetts asked everyone to fast and think about what happened.

Samuel Sewall publicly said that the trials were wrong. The General Court agreed with him, too. They said that the trials were not lawful in 1702.

When people were accused of being witches, they had no lawyers. Their court procedures did not protect them. They did not have the right to cross-examine their accusers, and they were automatically guilty. These abuses played a role in our modern rules about legal representation, the right to cross-examine your accuser, and the presumption of innocence rather than guilt.

Sources

P.S. If you enjoyed what you read and are a teacher or tutor needing resources for your students from kindergarten all the way up to high school senior (or even adults!), check out our partner sites KidsKonnect, SchoolHistory, and HelpTeaching for hundreds of facts, worksheets, activities, quizzes, courses, and more!

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Salem Witch Trials Facts and History - History for Kids

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The Salem witch trials started in 1692. Learn why girls were accused of being witches and hanged even though they did nothing wrong.

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In 1692 many people in Salem, Massachusetts, came to believe that there were witches among them. As fear gripped the town, they put their fellow townspeople on trial for…

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World Book Online came out to the Salem Witch Museum and asked our Education Director Emeritus, Alison D'Amario, some questions that kids have about the Salem Witch Trials. They made a set of brief videos of kids' questions and Alison's answers. You don't have to be a kid find Alison's answers interesting and informative!

These videos are only viewable using the Internet Explorer browser.

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World Book Online came out to the Salem Witch Museum and asked our Education Director Emeritus, Alison D'Amario, some questions that kids have about the Salem Witch Trials. They made a set of brief videos of kids' questions and Alison's answers. You don't have to be a kid find Alison's answers interesting and informative!

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On Tuesday 11 September 2001 suicide attackers seized US passenger jets and crashed them into two New York skyscrapers, killing thousands of people.

The attack remains one of the most traumatic events of the century, not only for Americans but also for the world.

What were the targets?

Four planes flying over the eastern US were seized simultaneously by small teams of hijackers.

They were then used as giant, guided missiles to crash into landmark buildings in New York and Washington.

Two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

The first hit the North Tower at 08:46 Eastern Time (12:46 GMT). The second crashed into the South Tower at 09:03.

The buildings were set on fire, trapping people on the upper floors, and wreathing the city in smoke. In less than two hours, both 110-storey towers collapsed in massive clouds of dust.

At 09:37 the third plane destroyed the western face of the Pentagon - the giant headquarters of the US military just outside the nation's capital, Washington DC.

The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania at 10:03 after passengers fought back. It is thought the hijackers had meant to attack the Capitol Building in Washington DC.

How many people died?

In all, 2,977 people (not counting the 19 hijackers) lost their lives, most of them in New York.

All 246 passengers and crew aboard the four planes were killed

At the Twin Towers, 2,606 people died - then or later of injuries

At the Pentagon, 125 people were killed

The youngest victim was two-year-old Christine Lee Hanson, who died on one of the planes with her parents Peter and Sue.

The oldest was 82-year-old Robert Norton, who was on another plane with his wife Jacqueline, en route to a wedding.

When the first plane struck, an estimated 17,400 people were in the towers. Nobody survived above the impact zone in the North Tower, but 18 managed to escape from the floors above the impact zone in the South Tower.

Citizens of 77 different countries were among the casualties. New York City lost 441 first responders.

Thousands of people were injured or later developed illnesses connected to the attacks, including firefighters who had worked in toxic debris.

Who were the attackers?

An Islamist extremist network called al-Qaeda planned the attacks from Afghanistan.

Led by Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda blamed the US and its allies for conflicts in the Muslim world.

Nineteen people carried out the hijackings, working in three teams of five and one of four (on the plane which crashed in Pennsylvania).

Each group included someone who had received pilot training. This was carried out at flying schools in the US itself.

Fifteen hijackers were Saudis like Bin Laden himself. Two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt and one was from Lebanon.

How did the US respond?

Less than a month after the attacks, President George W Bush led an invasion of Afghanistan - supported by an international coalition - to eradicate al-Qaeda and hunt down Bin Laden.

However, it was not until 2011 that US troops finally located and killed Bin Laden in neighbouring Pakistan.

The alleged planner of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, was arrested in Pakistan in 2003. He has been held in US custody at Guantanamo Bay since then, and is still awaiting trial.

Al-Qaeda still exists. It is strongest in Sub-Saharan Africa but even now has members inside Afghanistan.

US troops left Afghanistan this year after nearly 20 years, stoking fears from many that the Islamist network could make a comeback.

The legacy of 9/11

Flight safety was tightened around the world in the years following 9/11.

In the US, the Transportation Security Administration was created to beef up security at airports and on planes.

It took more than eight months to clean up "Ground Zero" - the site of the fallen Twin Towers.

A memorial and a museum now stands on the site, and buildings have risen up again, to a different design.

The completed centrepiece - One World Trade Center, or "Freedom Tower" - stands even higher (1,776ft (541m) than the original North Tower, which was 1,368ft.

Reconstruction at the Pentagon took just under a year, with staff back in their offices by August 2002.

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End of World War 2

Because there were three main Axis powers, there were three different endings to World War II. Italy, Germany and Japan all entered the war with different goals, so they ended the war at different times.

Italy. Benito Mussolini led Italy into World War II in 1939. Italian forces fought in Greece and Northern Africa. But by 1943, Mussolini had stretched his resources as far as they would go. When the United forces of Britain, France and America attacked Sicily, they were victorious. Mussolini surrendered to the Allied forces. The European Allied Command handed the government of Italy to King Victor Emmanuel. The king then fired Mussolini from his position as Prime Minister. But that wasn't the end of the story. When Adolf Hitler heard about the surrender, he was furious.

He sent German troops to Italy and conquered the country, putting Mussolini back in power. Germany gave the Italian the choice of fighting with the Nazis or becoming prisoners of war. Only 90,000 soldiers fought with Germany. More than 700,000 soldiers refused. The end of the war in Italy came just before the end of April in 1945. Allied Forces captured Rome. The people of Italy celebrated their liberation. Benito Mussolini and his wife tried to escape the country. They headed for Switzerland, a neutral country. But the Italian resistance caught up with them and took them captive. Benito Mussolini died April 28, 1945.

Germany. When Adolf Hitler saw that Mussolini lost power, he knew that the end was near. The Allied forces bombed Hamburg. With the city destroyed, Germany lost its western port. Allied forces pushed toward Berlin from the west. They freed prisoners in concentrations camps as they went. Allied forces took pictures of the atrocities, the horrible conditions and the dead. While there had been rumors of concentration camps, these pictures gave the first proof. Meanwhile, Stalin's forces had defeated the German forces in the East.

Stalin freed Leningrad and pushed his troops toward Germany. In the last days of April 1945, Adolf Hitler decided he did not want the Allied troops to take him prisoner. He did not want to stand trial for the millions of people he killed. He didn't want to be humiliated by surrendering. He didn't want to see his Third Reich fall to the Allies. So Hitler married his fiancé, Eva Braun and both died on April 30, 1945. Over the next week, generals in many different areas from Albania to Zanzibar surrendered to Allied forces. The final cease-fire occurred on May 8, 1945. People called it "Victory in Europe" day or V-E Day.

Japan. The war in the Pacific still raged, even as Europe began to rebuild. The Allied forces liberated all the islands Japan had taken. They had bases on Okinawa and Midway, which were perfect places to launch air attacks on Japan. China and the United States cut off shipping lanes. This meant that Japan had no access to food or supplies. The shallower waters near the islands had mines, making even fishing dangerous. But Japan refused to surrender. Allied forces began bombing Japanese cities, hoping that this destruction would force Japan to surrender.

It did not. U.S. military experts discussed a land assault, but knew that would be difficult. The shape of Japan made traditional warfare difficult, if not impossible. They could continue to bomb the country, but hundreds of thousands of people may die. Instead, they told Japanese command that they had a new kind of bomb. They dropped leaflets, telling the people to leave the area. On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. This single bomb destroyed the city. But still Japan did not surrender. On August 9, 1945, Allied forces dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. The next day, August 10, 1945, Japan surrendered to Allied Forces. This ended the Second World War.

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Because there were three main Axis powers, there were three different endings to World War II. Italy, Germany and Japan all entered the war with different goals, so they ended the war at different times. Italy. Benito Mussolini led Italy into World War II in 1939. Italian forces fought in Greece and Northern Africa.

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Events of 1940

Rationing was introduced in Britain early in the New Year, but little happened in western Europe until the spring. The 'winter war' between Russia and Finland concluded in March, and in the following month Germany invaded Denmark and Norway.

Denmark surrendered immediately, but the Norwegians fought on - with British and French assistance - surrendering in June only once events in France meant that they were fighting alone.

On 10 May - the same day that Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister of the UK - Germany invaded France, Belgium and Holland, and western Europe encountered the Blitzkrieg - or 'lightning war'.

Germany's combination of fast armoured tanks on land, and superiority in the air, made a unified attacking force that was both innovative and effective. Despite greater numbers of air and army personnel - and the presence of the British Expeditionary Force - the Low Countries and France proved no match for the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. Holland and Belgium fell by the end of May; Paris was taken two weeks later.

British troops retreated from the invaders in haste, and some 226,000 British and 110,000 French troops were rescued from the channel port of Dunkirk only by a ragged fleet, using craft that ranged from pleasure boats to Navy destroyers.

In France an armistice was signed with Germany, with the puppet French Vichy government - under a hero of World War One, Marshall Pétain - in control in the 'unoccupied' part of southern and eastern France, and Germany in control in the rest of the country.

Charles de Gaulle, as the leader of the Free French, fled to England (much to Churchill's chagrin) to continue the fight against Hitler . But it looked as if that fight might not last too long. Having conquered France, Hitler turned his attention to Britain, and began preparations for an invasion. For this to be successful, however, he needed air superiority, and he charged the Luftwaffe with destroying British air power and coastal defences.

The Battle of Britain, lasting from July to September, was the first to be fought solely in the air. Germany lacked planes but had many pilots. In Britain, the situation was reversed, but - crucially - it also had radar. This, combined with the German decision to switch the attacks from airfields and factories to the major cities, enabled the RAF to squeak a narrow victory, maintain air superiority and ensure the - ultimately indefinite - postponement of the German invasion plans.

The 'Blitz' of Britain's cities lasted throughout the war, saw the bombing of Buckingham Palace and the near-destruction of Coventry, and claimed some 40,000 civilian lives.

Events of 1944

With advances in Burma, New Guinea and Guam, Japan began its last offensive in China, capturing further territory in the south to add to the acquisitions made in central and northern areas following the invasion of 1938. However, their control was limited to the major cities and lines of communication, and resistance - often led by the Communists - was widespread.

The Allied advance in Italy continued with landings at Anzio, in central Italy, in January. It was a static campaign. The Germans counter-attacked in February and the fighting saw the destruction of the medieval monastery at Monte Cassino after Allied bombing. Only at the end of May did the Germans retreat from Anzio. Rome was liberated in June, the day before the Allies' 'Operation Overlord', now known as the D-Day landings.

On 6 June - as Operation Overlord got underway - some 6,500 vessels landed over 130,000 Allied forces on five Normandy beaches: codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

Some 12,000 aircraft ensured air superiority for the Allies - bombing German defences, and providing cover. The pessimistic predictions that had been made of massive Allied casualties were not borne out. On Utah beach 23,000 troops were landed, with 197 casualties, and most of the 4,649 American casualties that day occurred at Omaha beach, where the landing was significantly more difficult to achieve, meeting with fierce German resistance.

Overall, however, the landings caught the Germans by surprise, and they were unable to counter-attack with the necessary speed and strength. Anything that was moving and German was liable to be attacked from the air.

Despite this, in the weeks following the landings Allied progress was slowed considerably, by the narrow lanes and thick hedgerows of the French countryside. Nevertheless, Cherbourg was liberated by the end of June. Paris followed two months later.

Hitler's troubles were compounded by a Russian counterattack in June. This drove 300 miles west to Warsaw, and killed, wounded or captured 350,000 German soldiers. By the end of August the Russians had taken Bucharest. Estonia was taken within months, and Budapest was under siege by the end of the year.

One glimmer of light for Germany came in the Ardennes, in France, where in December a German counteroffensive - the Battle of the Bulge - killed 19,000 Americans and delayed the Allies' march into Germany.

Events of 1945

The New Year saw the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz, and the revelation of the sickening obscenity of the Holocaust, its scale becoming clearer as more camps were liberated in the following months.

The Soviet army continued its offensive from the east, while from the west the Allies established a bridge across the Rhine at Remagen, in March.

While the bombing campaigns of the Blitz were over, German V1 and V2 rockets continued to drop on London. The return bombing raids on Dresden, which devastated the city in a huge firestorm, have often been considered misguided.

Meantime, the Western Allies raced the Russians to be the first into Berlin. The Russians won, reaching the capital on 21 April. Hitler killed himself on the 30th, two days after Mussolini had been captured and hanged by Italian partisans. Germany surrendered unconditionally on 7 May, and the following day was celebrated as VE (Victory in Europe) day. The war in Europe was over.

In the Pacific, however, it had continued to rage throughout this time. The British advanced further in Burma, and in February the Americans had invaded Iwo Jima. The Philippines and Okinawa followed and Japanese forces began to withdraw from China.

Plans were being prepared for an Allied invasion of Japan, but fears of fierce resistance and massive casualties prompted Harry Truman - the new American president following Roosevelt's death in April - to sanction the use of an atomic bomb against Japan.

Such bombs had been in development since 1942, and on 6 August one of them was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later another was dropped on Nagasaki. No country could withstand such attacks, and the Japanese surrendered on 14 August.

The biggest conflict in history had lasted almost six years. Some 100 million people had been militarised, and 50 million had been killed. Of those who had died, 15 million were soldiers, 20 million were Russian civilians, six million were Jews and over four million were Poles.

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How the Treaty of Versailles Contributed to Hitler's Rise to Power

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In September 2002, people stop to read from the list of the victims of the World Trade Center in New York City during the one-year anniversary of the attacks.

The September 11 attacks transformed the first term of President George W. Bush and led to what he referred to as the war on terror. The accuracy of describing it as a "war" and its political motivations and consequences are the topic of strenuous debate. The U.S. government increased military operations, economic measures, and political pressure on groups that it accused of being terrorists, as well as increasing pressure on the governments and countries which were accused of sheltering them. October 2001 saw the first military action initiated by the US. Under this policy, NATO invaded Afghanistan to remove the Taliban regime (which harbored al-Qaeda) and capture al-Qaeda forces.

Critics point out that the Afghan conflict has contributed to the destabilization of neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan has undergone a long war, culminating in the return of the Taliban in 2021. The US government has also asserted that the US invasion of Iraq is connected to 9/11.

Satellite image of the World Trade Center site after the attacks with the location of the Twin Towers and others in the complex superimposed over the debris field

New York fire department personnel examining a smashed New York City police car, during 9/11.

Because of the events that took place on September 11, 2001, American society as a whole suffered dramatically. Recovery took years, and the economy declined drastically after the attacks. Various first responders united that day to help as much as possible. Whether they were paramedics, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, or ordinary civilians, the main objective was to cooperate and help the wounded. More than 1,500 first responders, ironworkers, engineers, heavy equipment operators, and other workers worked at Ground Zero to attempt to find survivors and clean up the wreckage. Cranes and bulldozers were brought in along with search and rescue dogs in order to locate survivors and bodies of the deceased, however, operations were hindered by the presence of approximately two feet of soot at the site, which obscured objects and bodies.

Fires burned amidst the rubble of the World Trade Center for weeks after the attack.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, only 20 survivors were pulled alive from the rubble, although there were several human remains and belongings that were removed from the site. The day after the attack, then-mayor Rudy Giuliani told reporters that they were receiving mobile phone calls from people trapped in the debris. The task of removing debris and rubble continued well into 2002, with some 108,000 truckloads of 1.8 million tons of rubble removed by May 2002.

Outside of the general hazards due to fires, falling debris, heavy machinery, broken metal, and hazardous air conditions, there were also hidden concerns within the clean-up zone. The parking garage under the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks held nearly 2,000 automobiles; each held an estimated 5 gallons of gasoline, which could ignite and explode. Other concerns were around buried fuel tanks that were located on the site, and the 1.2 million rounds of ammunition that were housed at Building 6 for the use of the U.S. Customs Service.

September 13, 2001: A New York City firefighter looks up at what remains of the South Tower.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, George W. Bush's job approval rating soared to 86%. On September 20, 2001, the president spoke before the nation and a joint-session of Congress, regarding the events of that day, the intervening nine days of rescue and recovery efforts, and his intent in response to those events in going after the terrorists who orchestrated the attacks. In the speech, he characterized the speech itself as being akin to the President's customary State of the Union address.

The attacks also had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the United States population. People began rallying around the popularized phrase, "United We Stand," in hopes of being resilient and keeping the American spirit alive in the face of a devastating attack. The majority of the US population rallied behind President Bush and the federal government in widespread support to the recovery and the expectant reaction to the attacks. The highly visible role played by Rudy Giuliani, the Mayor of New York City, won him high praise nationally and in New York City. He was named Person of the Year by magazine for 2001, and at times had a higher profile in the US than President Bush.

Two major public reactions to the attacks were a surge of public expressions of patriotism not seen since World War II, marked most often by displays of the American flag; and an unprecedented level of respect, sympathy, and admiration for New York City and New Yorkers as a group by Americans in other parts of the United States. Some criticized this particular reaction, noting that not everyone who died was from New York City (for example, some of the passengers on the planes) and that the Arlington County, Virginia community also suffered in the attacks. Many people joined together to help the victims. Gratitude toward uniformed public-safety workers, and especially toward firefighters, was widely expressed in light of both the drama of the risks taken on the scene and the high death toll among the workers. Many people paid tribute to the police officers and firefighters who died during the attacks by wearing NYPD and FDNY hats. The number of casualties among the emergency service personnel was unprecedented.

Blood donations saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11. According to a report by the Journal of the American Medical Association, "...the number of blood donations in the weeks after September 11, 2001, attacks was markedly greater than in the corresponding weeks of 2000 (2.5 times greater in the first week after the attacks; 1.3-1.4 times greater in the second to fourth weeks after the attack)." At the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show that took place in New York in February 2002, a tribute was paid to the search and rescue dogs who not only assisted in locating survivors and bodies from the rubble but were also inside the World Trade Center buildings before they collapsed.

In weeks following the attacks, there was a surge in incidents of harassment and hate crimes against South Asians, Middle Easterners, and anyone thought to be "Middle Eastern-looking" people-particularly Sikhs, because Sikh males usually wear turbans, which are stereotypically and erroneously associated with Muslims by many Americans. Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man, was one of the first victims of this backlash; he was shot dead on September 15 at the gas station he owned in Mesa, Arizona. Mark Anthony Stroman, a white supremacist, killed two men and injured a third in a shooting spree beginning September 15 in Dallas, Texas. His victims, including Bangladeshi American Rais Bhuiyan, were all targeted because they looked "of Muslim descent". His motive for the killings was revenge for the 9/11 attacks. On July 20, 2011, Stroman was executed for the crime.

In many cities there were reports of vandalism against mosques and other Islamic institutions, including some cases of arson. In the year after the attack, anti-Muslim hate crimes jumped 1,600 percent and this is further aggravated by a climate of prejudice that manifests in different ways.

The only death officially recorded as a homicide in New York City on September 11 was Henryk Siwiak, a Polish immigrant who was shot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. While he had taken a wrong turn on his way to a new job onto a street known for high rates of robbery and drug dealing, his family has theorized he may have been the victim of a hate crime in the wake of the attacks, since he was wearing camouflage clothing, had dark hair and spoke imperfect, heavily accented English-all of which may have led someone to believe he had something to do with the attackers. The case remains unsolved; police are open to the family's theory but have not classified the killing as a bias crime.

In 2008, author Moustafa Bayoumi released the book How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America. The author says mass arrests and deportations of Arabs and Arab Americans were conducted by the various government organizations, including the FBI, often with insufficient evidence to connect them to terrorism; that some were incarcerated indefinitely without notifying the detainee's relatives as if they had just disappeared. Bayoumi maintains deportation of Arabs and Arab-Americans significantly increased following 9/11, often at short notice, saying in one case a man was deported without his clothes.

The attacks were regarded by some as particularly disturbing to children, in part because of the frequency with which the images were replayed on television. Many schools closed early, especially those with children whose parents worked in Washington, D.C., and New York City. In Sarasota, Florida, Emma E. Booker Elementary School became a part of history, as President George W. Bush was reading to a classroom of children there when the attacks happened.

Psychological studies focused on children exposed to the attacks in Lower Manhattan and New York City found higher rates of clinically significant behavior problems among preschool children, as well as elevated rates of PTSD and depression in the years after the attacks. For children who lost a parent in the attack, psychologists noticed that while some coped well initially, they would at times succumb to bouts of depression and self-harm later in life, or become reluctant to discuss their family history.

The thousands of tons of toxic debris resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers contained more than 2,500 contaminants, including known carcinogens. Subsequent debilitating illnesses among rescue and recovery workers are said to be linked to exposure to these carcinogens. The Bush administration ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue reassuring statements regarding air quality in the aftermath of the attacks, citing national security; however, the EPA did not determine that air quality had returned to pre-September 11 levels until June 2002.

Health effects also extended to residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby Chinatown. Several deaths have been linked to the toxic dust, and the victims' names were included in the World Trade Center memorial. As of January 1, 2002 the New York Police Department had received 37 disability claims, and the Fire Department reported 269 disability claims related to injuries suffered as a result of the attacks. Approximately 18,000 people have been estimated to have developed illnesses as a result of the toxic dust. By 2004, nearly half of more than 1,000 screened rescue-and-recovery workers and volunteers reported new and persistent respiratory problems, and more than half reported persistent psychological symptoms. Because of the long latency period between exposure and development of asbestos-related diseases, exposed Manhattan residents, especially rescue-and-recovery workers, can suffer future adverse health effects. One such death related to health effects was the January 6, 2006 death of NYPD James Zadroga which was ruled by a New Jersey coroner as directly due to clean-up at the WTC site. This ruling was unequivocally rejected in October 2007 by the New York City Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Charles Hirsch, and Medical Examiner Michele Slone. On June 29, 2019, former New York Police Department detective Luis G. Alvarez died from colorectal cancer, with which he was diagnosed in 2016 and is believed to be caused from his three months spent at Ground Zero after 9/11.

There is also scientific speculation that exposure to various toxic products in the air may have negative effects on fetal development. A notable children's environmental health center is currently analyzing the children whose mothers were pregnant during the WTC collapse and were living or working nearby. A study of rescue workers released in April 2010 found that all those studied had impaired lung functions, and that 30-40% were reporting little or no improvement in persistent symptoms that started within the first year of the attack.

Years after the attacks, legal disputes over the costs of illnesses related to the attacks were still in the court system. On October 17, 2006, a federal judge rejected New York City's refusal to pay for health costs for rescue workers, allowing for the possibility of numerous suits against the city. Government officials have been faulted for urging the public to return to lower Manhattan in the weeks shortly after the attacks. Christine Todd Whitman, administrator of the EPA in the aftermath of the attacks, was heavily criticized by a U.S. District Judge for incorrectly saying that the area was environmentally safe. Mayor Giuliani was criticized for urging financial industry personnel to return quickly to the greater Wall Street area.

After the terrorist attack, various repercussions took place that affected the U.S as a whole. All the money and claims that were being put out to help aid the victims of the attack, as well as different security and laws to protect the U.S, caused several layoffs and un-employments. Specifically, It was said that 462 extended masses were layoffs because of the attacks that displaced approximately 130,000 employees. The unemployment rate inclined to a total of 5.0%.

The attacks caused an estimated overall economic loss to the city of $82.8-94.8 billion, with the lower number being consistent with the NYC Partnership's November 2001 estimate and the high end being consistent with the New York City Comptroller's October 2001 estimate. It was calculated that the lost human productive value, life insurance payouts were $2.63 billion, federal payments after offsets were estimated at $2.34 billion and charitable payments were $0.79 billion.

It was projected by one individual that the public art that was damaged or destroyed during the attacks was valued at $10 million. Art by Louise Nevelson, Alexander Calder, and James Rosati were all destroyed along with a memorial sculpture by Elyn Zimmerman in memorial for the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing.

As of August 2002, there were approximately 1,464 claims against the city of New York City that amounted to approximately $8.2 billion. Although the New York City's Law Department indicated at the time that the City's liability for the claims would only be around $350 million, provided through an act of Congress. The claims ranged from City employee's personal injuries that totaled around $5.2 billion, suffering due to the loss of life that totaled around $3 billion, and for the destruction of property such as the one filed by AEGIS Insurance Company for $250 million.

Following the road to recovery, the federal government and state begin issuing grants and various funds to compensate and help those who suffered. The 9/11 Heroes Stamp Program was administered by the Department of Homeland Security which gave funds to those who became disabled from direct contact in the attack or suffered a loss from the attack. The Post- 9/11 GI Bill became a result after 9/11, paying homage to the U.S military soldiers, which provided educational and financial assistance to those soldiers who were returning to civilian life. Federal grant aid assisted states, communities, and local organizations in their efforts to stay safe and remain readily prepared. For that to happen the program law enforcement training and technical assistance grant was created hoping to stop or better compose for a terrorist attack.

The September 11th Victim Compensation fund (VCF) was established to provide financial assistance to those that experienced the disaster directly or those who lost family members from the attack. The fund has provided reimbursements for medical treatments for various conditions affecting victims, including PTSD and health effects from being exposed to toxic air.

The attacks affected trade relations with foreign countries, complicating the supply of oil demands. After the attack, oil prices skyrocketed.

Rebuilding of the area began shortly after clean up, and construction began on the Freedom Tower and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

Park51 (originally named Cordoba House) is a planned 13-story Muslim community center to be located two blocks from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The majority of the center will be open to the general public and its proponents have said the center will promote interfaith dialogue. It will contain a Muslim prayer space that has controversially been referred to as the "Ground Zero mosque", though numerous commentators noted that it was neither a mosque nor at Ground Zero.

It would replace an existing 1850s Italianate-style building that was being used as a Burlington Coat Factory before it was damaged in the September 11 attacks. The proposed multi-faith aspects of the design include a 500-seat auditorium, theater, a performing arts center, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a basketball court, a childcare area, a bookstore, a culinary school, an art studio, a food court, and a memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks. The prayer space for the Muslim community will accommodate 1,000-2,000 people.

The evolution of security and protective services changed tremendously due to the attacks. Immediate changes included air travel policies, airport security and screening, and guidelines that must be obeyed before getting on board. Congress immediately responded after the terrorist attack by passing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which applied to different types of transportation, not just air travel.

Additional screening was another main focus that took place during the period after the attacks, and many passengers were prescreened and advanced screened at different security checkpoints. This led to the major issue of racial profiling and invasion of privacy, as many Middle Eastern-looking people were singled out for further screening. Luggage screening was another main objective, as new technology was introduced to scan passengers' luggage thoroughly and search for weapons or bombs. In addition, some pilots were required by the Department of Homeland Security to carry a firearm on board. Better known as a Federal flight deck officer, these pilots undergo training to prevent terrorist attacks or other potential dangers on an airplane.

Another act was passed known as the USA Patriot Act, which broadened the powers of law enforcement to identify terrorist activity. For example, law enforcement was allowed able to break one's premises without a search warrant and their consent, if they were suspected of terrorist activity. This also included roving wiretaps as a method of surveillance. For instance, the government was allowed to search through one's record searches and intelligence searches. Specifically, if one searched terrorism activities or showed unusual behavior and then deleted their history, the government was able to see that. The purpose of this act was to catch acts of terrorism before any attacks were planned and executed. A program called Total Information Awareness was developed to enhance the technology that would collect and analyze information about every individual in the United States, and trace unusual behaviors that could help prevent terrorist activities. Information that was gathered through the program included internet activity, credit card purchase histories, airline ticket purchases, and medical records.

9/11-related plots and attacks within the US (2001-2021)

Coffins of soldiers killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting being loaded aboard an aircraft for the flight to Dover Air Force Base

Bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan occurred after the attacks and were reposted live by CNN correspondent Nic Robertson less than 24 hours after the attacks in America.

Part of the North Tower's antenna mast displayed at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., behind it a panel of September 12 front pages from around the world

The attacks had major worldwide political effects. Many other countries introduced tough anti-terrorism legislation and took action to cut off terrorist finances, including the freezing of bank accounts suspected of being used to fund terrorism. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies stepped up cooperation to arrest terrorist suspects and break up suspected terrorist cells around the world.

Reaction to the attacks in the Muslim world was mixed. Also, shortly after the attack, the media picked up on several celebrations of the attacks in the Middle East with images of these celebrations being broadcast on television and published in print. Less publicized were public displays of sympathy, including candlelight vigils in countries like Iran.

In the immediate aftermath, support for the United States' right to defend itself was expressed across the world, and by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, was in Washington D.C. at the time of the attacks and invoked the ANZUS military alliance as a pledge of Australian assistance to the U.S.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks many United States-based airports would not accept airplane flights to land, causing Operation Yellow Ribbon in which all incoming international flights were rerouted by the FAA to airports in Canada. Many Canadians opened up their homes to stranded travelers and organizations such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gave comfort to animals and other special groups that were stranded by the diversions.

In France, calls to the United States Embassy were placed by locals who offered rooms within their homes to stranded passengers and observed the official day of mourning with three minutes of silence and stillness.

The attack prompted numerous memorials and services all over the world with many countries, along with the United States, declaring a national day of mourning. In Berlin, 200,000 Germans marched to show their solidarity with America.[citation needed ] The French newspaper of record, , ran a front-page headline reading " Nous sommes Tous Américains", or "We are all Americans". In London, the US national anthem was played at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. In the UK, national anthems are typically only played for official state visits. To mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, New York City lit the Empire State Building in purple and gold, to say "thank you" for this action.[citation needed ]

Hate crimes against Muslims increased around the world. For example, Canada experienced a 16-fold increase in anti-Muslim attacks immediately a year after 9/11. In the year leading to the attack, there were only 11 reported crimes but a year following 9/11, there were 173 hate crime cases reported. The same also happened in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the latter's case, a study conducted in Sydney and Melbourne revealed an overwhelming majority of Muslim residents who experienced racism or racist violence since the attack. Another study claimed that hate crimes "increased for all Muslims after 9/11, although the relative risk was much higher for those individuals living in countries with smaller Muslim populations."

An increase in racial tensions was seen in countries such as England, with a number of violent crimes linked to the September 11th attacks. The most severe example was seen in Peterborough, where teenager Ross Parker was murdered by a gang of up to ten Muslims of Pakistani background who had sought a white male to attack.

1. ^ President Bush said "The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terrorism that began on September 11, 2001..." , and the Vice President Dick Cheney suggested that Iraq was involved in the September 11 attacks during a "Meet the Press" interview: Iraq is "the geographic base of the terrorists who had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9-11" (Knight-Ridder October 3, 2003, archived at ). Also, the US government has continued to maintain that the war on Iraq is critical to the American "War on Terrorism". "In the war on terrorism, Iraq is now the central front..." said President Bush on December 14, 2005.

2. ^ York, Joanna Walters in New (2011-09-10). "9/11: 'I was the last person pulled alive from the rubble of the Twin Towers'". Express.co.uk.

3. ^ Glynn, Simone A.; Busch, Michael P.; Schreiber, George B.; Murphy, Edward L.; Wright, David J.; Tu, Yongling; Kleinman, Steven H. (May 7, 2003). "Effect of a national disaster on blood supply and safety: the September 11 experience". Journal of the American Medical Association. 289 (17). NHLBI REDS Study Group: 2246-2253. doi:10.1001/jama.289.17.2246. ISSN 0098-7484. PMID 12734136. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010.

4. ^ "Many minority groups were victims of hate crimes after 9-11". Ball State University. October 9, 2003. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.

5. ^ "American Backlash: Terrorists Bring War Home in More Ways Than One" (PDF). SAALT. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2010.

6. ^ Jha, Sandhya Rani (2015). Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines. St. Louis: Chalice Press. p. 82. ISBN 9780827244931.

7. ^ Taylor, Angeline (September 10, 2011). "Sarasota school teacher remembers when Bush visited her classroom on 9/11".

8. ^ Thompson, William Jr. (September 4, 2002). "One Year Later; The Fiscal Impact of 9/11 on New York City" (PDF). Comptroller of the City of New York Office.

9. ^ "CCCEH Study of the Effects of 9/11 on Pregnant Women and Newborns" (PDF). World Trade Center Pregnancy Study. Columbia University. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011.

10. Makinen, Gail (September 27, 2002). "The Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment" (PDF).

11. ^ Olbermann: There is no 'Ground Zero Mosque' NBC News's Keith Olbermann questions Americä's religious tolerance

12. ^ Chase, Steven (September 12, 2001). "Canada rolls down security shutters". The Globe and Mail: A7.

13. ^ Perry, Barbara; Levin, Brian; Iganski, Paul; Blazak, Randy; Lawrence, Frederick (2009). Hate Crimes, Volume 3. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. p. 86. ISBN 9780275995690.

14. ^ Thomas, Deborah; Phillips, Brenda; Lovekamp, William; Fothergill, Alice (2013). Social Vulnerability to Disasters, Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 346. ISBN 9781466516380.

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Aftermath of the September 11 attacks - Wikipedia

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The September 11 attacks transformed the first term of President George W. Bush and led to what he referred to as the war on terror. The accuracy of describing it as a "war" and its political motivations and consequences are the topic of strenuous debate. The U.S.

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Walt Disney was a pioneer in the field of animated, or cartoon, films. He became famous for creating such well-known characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. At an early age Walt had a gift for drawing and painting. While attending high school he took art classes to develop these skills. Disney left school to serve as an ambulance driver during World War I.

In 1923 Disney moved to Hollywood, California. There he began creating the characters that would make him famous. In 1928 he released the short cartoon film Steamboat Willie. It starred a cheerful mouse named Mickey. The next year Disney formed Walt Disney Productions to create more animated films.

Other popular cartoon characters followed. In the 1930s audiences were introduced to Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Goofy. Disney's first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was released in 1937.

In the 1940s Disney's company began making movies with live actors. Mary Poppins, from 1964, was the most successful of these. Disney also continued making animated features, including such classics as Pinocchio (1940), Cinderella (1950), and Peter Pan (1953).

In 1955 Disney's company opened Disneyland, a large theme park in Anaheim, California. Walt Disney World, a second and larger amusement park, opened in Orlando, Florida, in 1971. Disney died on December 15, 1966.

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Walt Disney was a pioneer in the field of animated, or cartoon, films. He became famous for creating such well-known characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. At an early age Walt had a gift for drawing and painting.

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Walt Disney Story For Kids | Bedtime History

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Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 - December 15, 1966) was an American business entrepreneur, animator, cartoonist, producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur, and voice actor. Disney was an important person in the American animation industry and throughout the world. He is regarded as an international icon, and philanthropist. He is well known for his influence and contributions to the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy Disney, he was the founder of Walt Disney Productions. The corporation is now known as The Walt Disney Company.

As an extraordinary animator and entrepreneur, Disney was well known as a film producer and a showman, as well as an innovator in animation and theme park design. He and his staff created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters including Mickey Mouse. He provided the original voice for Mickey Mouse. He received four honorary Academy Awards and won 22 Academy Awards from a total of 59 nominations, including a record four in one year. It gave him more awards and nominations than any other person in history. Disney also won seven Emmy Awards. He gave his name to the Disneyland, and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the United States, as well as international resorts like Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.

He died on December 15, 1966 from lung cancer. A year later, construction of the Walt Disney World Resort began in Florida. His brother Roy Disney inaugurated the Magic Kingdom in 1971.

Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 at 2156 North Tripp Avenue in Hermosa, Chicago, Illinois. His father Elias Disney had Irish-Canadian ancestry and his mother, Flora Call Disney had German and English ancestry. His great-grandfather, Arundel Elias Disney, had emigrated from Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland where he was born in 1801. Arundel Disney was a descendant of Robert d' Isigny, a Frenchman who had traveled to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. The d'Isigny name was anglicized as "Disney" and the family settled in a village now known as Norton Disney, south of the city of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire.

About the time Disney was entering high school, his family moved to the big city of Chicago. Disney took classes at the Chicago Art Institute and drew for the school newspaper. When he was sixteen, Disney decided he wanted to help fight in World War I. Since he was still too young to join the army, he dropped out of school and joined the Red Cross. He spent the next year driving ambulances for the Red Cross in France.

Disney's best-known creation is the cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. Disney even provided the voice for Mickey Mouse for many years. Donald Duck is another famous creation. Minnie Mouse and Pluto are also his creations. Disney was once fired from a newspaper company in Kansas City, Missouri because of his lack of creativity.

Disney began as a cartoonist in the 1920s. He created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit but lost ownership of the character due to a contract problem. He then created Mickey Mouse. Disney started the Walt Disney Studios and created the first full-length animated movie when he created Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The movie was a huge success. The money from the movie helped Disney create many more cartoons and movies such as (both 1940) (1941), and (1942). New animated and live-action films followed after World War II, including the critically successful Cinderella (1950), (1953), and Mary Poppins (1964), the latter of which received five Academy Awards. He earned 32 academy awards. Disney once refused an offer from Alfred Hitchcock to make a movie at Disney World after Hitchcock filmed Psycho. He also served as the host of The Wonderful World of Disney, a weekly variety show that had Disney cartoons and some live-action skits.

In the 1950s, Disney created Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Disneyland was the first modern theme park. Disney also bought the land for Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Disney did not see Walt Disney World finished though because he died before it opened. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World (and now other Disney theme parks) are famous for their design, level of detail, being very clean, and animatronics.

Personal life and character

Early in 1925, Disney hired an ink artist, Lillian Bounds. They married in July of that year, at her brother's house in her hometown of Lewiston, Idaho. The marriage was generally happy, according to Lillian, although according to Disney's biographer Neal Gabler she did not "accept Walt's decisions meekly or his status unquestionably, and she admitted that he was always telling people 'how henpecked he is'." Lillian had little interest in films or the Hollywood social scene and she was, in the words of the historian Steven Watts, "content with household management and providing support for her husband". Their marriage produced two daughters, Diane (born December 1933) and Sharon (adopted in December 1936, born six weeks previously). Within the family, neither Disney nor his wife hid the fact Sharon had been adopted, although they became annoyed if people outside the family raised the point. The Disneys were careful to keep their daughters out of the public eye as much as possible, particularly in the light of the Lindbergh kidnapping; Disney took steps to ensure his daughters were not photographed by the press.

In 1949, Disney and his family moved to a new home in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. With the help of his friends Ward and Betty Kimball, who already had their own backyard railroad, Disney developed blueprints and immediately set to work on creating a miniature live steam railroad for his backyard. The name of the railroad, Carolwood Pacific Railroad, came from his home's location on Carolwood Drive. The miniature working steam locomotive was built by Disney Studios engineer Roger E. Broggie, and Disney named it Lilly Belle after his wife; after three years Disney ordered it into storage due to a series of accidents involving his guests.

Disney grew more politically conservative as he got older. A Democratic Party supporter until the 1940 presidential election, when he switched allegiance to the Republican Party, he became a generous donor to Thomas E. Dewey's 1944 bid for the presidency. In 1946, he was a founding member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, an organization who stated they "believ[ed] in, and like, the American Way of Life ... we find ourselves in sharp revolt against a rising tide of Communism, Fascism and kindred beliefs, that seek by subversive means to undermine and change this way of life". In 1947, during the Second Red Scare, Disney testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), where he branded Herbert Sorrell, David Hilberman and William Pomerance, former animators and labor union organizers, as communist agitators; Disney stated that the 1941 strike led by them was part of an organized communist effort to gain influence in Hollywood. It was alleged by The New York Times in 1993 that Disney had been passing secret information to the FBI from 1940 until his death in 1966. In return for this information, J. Edgar Hoover allowed Disney to film in FBI headquarters in Washington. Disney was made a "full Special Agent in Charge Contact" in 1954.

Disney's public persona was very different from his actual personality. Playwright Robert E. Sherwood described him as "almost painfully shy ... diffident" and self-deprecating. According to his biographer Richard Schickel, Disney hid his shy and insecure personality behind his public identity. Kimball argues that Disney "played the role of a bashful tycoon who was embarrassed in public" and knew that he was doing so. Disney acknowledged the façade and told a friend that "I'm not Walt Disney. I do a lot of things Walt Disney would not do. Walt Disney does not smoke. I smoke. Walt Disney does not drink. I drink." Critic Otis Ferguson, in The New Republic, called the private Disney: "common and everyday, not inaccessible, not in a foreign language, not suppressed or sponsored or anything. Just Disney." Many of those with whom Disney worked commented that he gave his staff little encouragement due to his exceptionally high expectations. Norman recalls that when Disney said "That'll work", it was an indication of high praise. Instead of direct approval, Disney gave high-performing staff financial bonuses, or recommended certain individuals to others, expecting that his praise would be passed on.

Death and legacy

On December 15, 1966, Disney died of lung cancer in Burbank, California at the age of 65. His movies and theme parks are still enjoyed by millions of people. His company continues to produce very successful new theme parks and films.

His ashes were interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California.

Awards and honors

Disney received 59 Academy Award nominations, including 22 awards: both totals are records. He was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, but did not win, but he was presented with two Special Achievement Awards‍-‌for Bambi (1942) and The Living Desert (1953)‍-‌and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. He also received four Emmy Award nominations, winning once, for Best Producer for the Disneyland television series. Several of his films are included in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant": Steamboat Willie, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo and Mary Poppins. In 1998, the American Film Institute published a list of the 100 greatest American films, according to industry experts; the list included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (at number 49), and Fantasia (at 58).

In February 1960, Disney was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars, one for motion pictures and the other for his television work; Mickey Mouse was given his own star for motion pictures in 1978. Disney was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1986, the California Hall of Fame in December 2006, and was the inaugural recipient of a star on the Anaheim walk of stars in 2014.

The Walt Disney Family Museum records that he "along with members of his staff, received more than 950 honors and citations from throughout the world". He was made a Chevalier in the French Légion d'honneur in 1935, and in 1952 he was awarded the country's highest artistic decoration, the Officer d'Academie. Other national awards include Thailand's Order of the Crown (1960); Germany's Order of Merit (1956), Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross (1941), and Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle (1943). In the United States, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on September 14, 1964, and on May 24, 1968, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He received the Showman of the World Award from the National Association of Theatre Owners, and in 1955, the National Audubon Society awarded Disney its highest honor, the Audubon Medal, for promoting the "appreciation and understanding of nature" through his True-Life Adventures nature films. A minor planet discovered in 1980 by astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina, was named 4017 Disneya, and he was also awarded honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Related pages

Images for kids

Theatrical poster for Trolley Troubles (1927)

In Spanish: Walt Disney para niños

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This year, the world celebrates a century* of Disney magic, marking 100 years of captivating stories, beloved characters, and countless imaginations sparked since 1923 by the ever-evolving enchantment*.

Walt Disney was the visionary* whose creativity and imagination founded the Disney empire* we cherish today.
Who was Walt Disney?
Walter Elias Disney, was born 5 December, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Flora Call and Elias Disney.

He had four siblings: Herbert, Raymond, Roy, and Ruth Disney.

Roy, in particular, played a significant role in Disney's career, as they co-founded the Disney Brothers Studio, which later became The Walt Disney Company.

From a young age, Disney had a vivid imagination and a passion for drawing and storytelling.

In 1928, he introduced the world to his most iconic* creation, Mickey Mouse, with the release of Steamboat Willie.

Mickey, with his big round ears and cheerful personality, quickly became a beloved character.

This success marked the beginning of Disney's journey to bring joy to countless people, children and adults alike.
From Mickey Mouse to magical worlds
Mickey Mouse was just the beginning of Disney's creative genius*. He went on to create a diverse array of beloved characters, including Donald Duck, Goofy, and classic Disney princesses like Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.

Disney's dream extended beyond the world of animation*, however, and in 1955, he brought characters and stories to life at Disneyland in California, the very first theme park of its kind.

Disneyland was a place where visitors could step into their favourite stories and interact with Disney characters in person.

Disneyland was followed by Disney World in Florida, and today, Disney theme parks can be found in different parts of the world.
Magic on the silver screen
Disney was a pioneer* in the world of movies, producing the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937.

The film marked a significant milestone in cinematic* history, and the movie's success paved the way for classics like Cinderella, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast.

Disney's creative endeavours* extended beyond animation, with live-action hits like Mary Poppins and adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean.
Television and beyond
Disney made his mark on television with hit shows like The Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Disney.

These shows brought Disney magic directly into people's homes as TV took off, captivating audiences with a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and sneak peeks of upcoming Disney projects.

The Mickey Mouse Club also became a springboard* to global fame for a number of child star "Mouseketeers", including Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.
Fame and fortune
Disney's beginnings were quite humble*.

When he co-founded the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy in 1923, they started with a lot of big dreams but very little money.

Their early works, including the creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928, began to earn an income, but it took time for the Disney empire to grow.

Today, Disney is one of the world's most valuable and influential entertainment companies.

The Walt Disney Company, as it is now known, is worth billions of dollars, encompassing not only animation and movies but also theme parks, television networks, and an array of merchandise.
The Disney family
Disney married Disney ink artist Lillian Bounds and they had two daughters, Diane and Sharon.

Although work was a big part of Disney's life, it has been reported he was a "very attentive father" and created many lasting memories with his family.

His love for his daughters was a big source of inspiration for creating Disneyland, a place where families could create their own magical memories.

Even after his passing, Disney's family continued to carry on his legacy*, contributing to the Disney company's ongoing success, ensuring that the magic he created would endure* for generations to come.
The legacy lives on
On 15 December 1966, 10 days after his 65th birthday, Disney passed away. He had been battling lung cancer.

A major patron* of the arts in her later years, Lillian Disney died aged 98 in 1997, outliving her late husband by 31 years to the day.

Today, the Walt Disney Company continues to create well received movies, shows, and theme parks.

New characters like Elsa and Anna from Frozen and superheroes from the Marvel universe have joined the Disney family.

Walt Disney's enduring message to the world is simple but powerful: "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them".

His dream was to create a world of happiness and wonder, and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
Weird and wonderful little-known Disney facts
Walt Disney's Secret Apartment: In Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, there's a secret apartment called The Dream Suite that Walt Disney used for special guests. There is no price tag on a night here, instead, it's invite only.

Hidden Mickeys: Keep an eye out for Hidden Mickeys when you visit Disney parks or watch Disney movies. These are cleverly placed, subtle Mickey Mouse shapes hidden throughout Disney attractions, hotels, and movies.

Haunted mansion's ghostly residents: The Haunted Mansion ride found in several Disney theme parks is filled with spooky fun, but did you know it has 999 "happy haunts"?

These "happy haunts" are not your typical, frightening ghosts but rather playful and mischievous spirits that have taken up residence in the mansion.

Throughout the ride, visitors encounter various ghostly characters, each with its own quirky* personality and story.

Hidden inspiration: Disney movies often draw inspiration from classic stories and real-life places. For example, The Lion King was inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Beauty and the Beast was influenced* by a French fairytale.

Walt Disney's Oscar record: Walt Disney holds the record for the most Oscar wins by a single person. He won 22 Academy Awards and was nominated 59 times.

Underground magic: Disney parks have a network of underground tunnels called utilidors, short for "utility corridors*". These tunnels are used by cast members to move around the park so they don't "ruin the magic" for guests.

Imagineer secrets: Imagineers are the creative minds behind Disney's theme park attractions. They have a special way to pay homage* to Walt Disney by hiding the initials "WD" in their designs.
GLOSSARY

century: a period of 100 years

enchantment: a feeling of great pleasure and delight

visionary: a person with big ideas and imagination

empire: a large group of businesses or territories under one authority

cherish: to care for and value something deeply

iconic: extremely famous and well-known

creative genius: an exceptionally creative and imaginative person

animation: the process of making pictures and characters move in a movie or TV show

pioneer: someone who is the first to do something new

cinematic: relating to movies or film

endeavours: efforts or attempts to achieve something

springboard: something that helps you achieve success

humble: not fancy or extravagant; simple

legacy: something that is passed on to the next generation

patron: a person who supports and gives money to artists and creators

endure: to last for a long time

quirky: unusual and unique

influenced: to have an effect or impact on something

utility corridors: underground tunnels used for practical purposes

homage: a tribute or show of respect

EXTRA READING 100-year-old Disney's Australian 'world first' Could your family qualify for free home internet? What you need to know this snake season Can you believe this snake cat photo is for real? QUICK QUIZ

1. Where was Walt Disney born?

2. What famous character did Walt Disney create in 1928?

3. What is the name of the first full-length animated film produced by Disney?

4. Describe "Hidden Mickeys" and where can you find them?

5. Recall the main message that Walt Disney's enduring legacy conveys to the world?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Create a character
Create a new character inspired by the "happy haunts". Draw the character, write a personality profile and then write a story or create a storyboard where they are the star.

Time: allow 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts, Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
Why do you think the Walt Disney Company became so incredibly successful?

Use the information in the story and your own ideas to write a list of reasons.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History

VCOP ACTIVITY
Disney memories
If you ask your parents and your grandparents, they all probably have a favourite Disney movie or character. They are iconic to most of our childhoods - after all, 100 years is a long time!

Convince someone else that your favourite movie or character, is the best of all time! (If you don't have a favourite, then convince them of why your don't.)

Include some information about your movie or character, in case people haven't heard of them before, or simply need a reminder.

Make sure your use emotive language to explain why they are your favourite, so that your feelings can be felt in your words.

Try and include some examples or reasons why you feel this way.

Re-read your work to make sure it is clear and makes sense, before sharing it with someone else. Can you edit and Uplevel any of your VCOP to make your writing more engaging for the audience?

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100 years of Disney magic: Who was Walt Disney?

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A criação da Walt Disney World | RIQUEZAS INSANAS DA ANTIGUIDADE | HISTORY