American History
The Scandalous History of Baseball
Join a forensic scientist to dive into the long and sordid history of drug use in America’s favorite pastime. […]
Modern History
European History
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Europe on the Brink of World War I
On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Habsburg throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were both assassinated in the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. Six weeks later, Europe found itself on the brink of the 20th century’s first world war. […]
History
Life in the Arab Cluster—What Does it Mean to Be An Arab?
What does it mean to be part of the Arab cluster? First of all, to be an Arab is not so much an ethnic heritage as it is a cultural identity. Although it’s similar to what it means to be a North American, that doesn’t entirely capture it either. Let me explain. […]
Ancient History
The Eight Fundamental Thresholds of Big History
David Christian structures his groundbreaking Big History course around eight fundamental thresholds. Each of them is associated with new forms of complexity, and each of which has new emergent properties. Here we will take a high-level look at the eight fundamental thresholds of Big History and the material covered within each. […]
Ancient History
Big History: How Do We Study Everything That Has Ever Happened?
By David Christian, D. Phil.,Macquarie University Big History: Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to understand the whole of the past—from the beginning of […]
European History
Ukraine and Russia: A Violent Identity Crisis
The history of Russia and Ukraine has been tumultuous, and marred by violence. Scholars have noted that Russia without Ukraine is a country, but Ukraine and Russia combined is an empire. As the conflict between regions continues, it’s hard to imagine a time when the relationship will finally be stable. […]
European History
Napoleon—The Rise to Power and History of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte stands as one of the greatest self-made men in the history of the world. But exactly how did the second son of a minor noble on Corsica turn himself into Emperor of France and, arguably, the most influential figure of the 19th century? […]
British History
The Great Fire of London
By Professor Robert Bucholz, Loyola University Chicago The summer of 1666 was hot and dry. Most people were grateful because they thought that the heat would […]
American History
Al Capone: Lord of The Chicago Underworld
Throughout American history, the names of certain criminals have taken on romantic associations. Al Capone is a case in point. Capone, who was born in 1899 and lived until 1947, became the leading organized crime figure in Chicago during the 1920s, when the unpopular Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution tempted thousands of citizens to cooperate with criminals to procure alcohol. […]