The Modern World, THU-UST
Industrialization, nationalism, world war, decolonization, and technological change have made the modern world a time of staggering disruption and reinvention. Explore the forces that shaped it.
The Modern World Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Thubron, Colin
Colin Thubron is a British travel writer and novelist whose works, often set in foreign locales, explore love,......
Thurman, Howard
Howard Thurman was an American Baptist preacher and theologian, the first African American dean of chapel at a......
Tikhon, Saint
Saint Tikhon ; canonized Oct. 9, 1989) was the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church following the Bolshevik......
Tikhonov, Nikolay Aleksandrovich
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonov was the premier of the Soviet Union from 1980 to 1985, a staunch Communist Party......
Till, Emmett
Emmett Till was an African American teenager whose murder catalyzed the emerging civil rights movement. Till was......
Till-Mobley, Mamie
Mamie Till-Mobley was an American educator and activist who helped galvanize the emerging civil rights movement......
Tillman, Pat
Pat Tillman was an American football player who left a lucrative National Football League (NFL) career playing......
Timeline of Anne Frank
Annelies Marie Frank, better known as Anne Frank, was a German Jewish girl who hid in a building with her family......
Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement came to national prominence in the United States during the mid-1950s and continued to......
Timeline of the Holocaust
Even before the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, they had made no secret of their antisemitism. As early......
Timeline of the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War began as an attempted military coup in 1936 and evolved into a bloody proxy war that killed......
Timeline of World War I
Sparked by a political assassination in 1914, World War I inflicted historically unprecedented devastation on Europe.......
Timeline of World War II
The deadliest conflict in human history lasted almost exactly six years, beginning with Germany’s invasion of Poland......
Timoshenko, Semyon
Semyon Timoshenko was a Soviet general who helped the Red Army withstand German forces during the early part of......
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, case in which on February 24, 1969, the U.S. Supreme......
Tirol avalanches of 1916
Tirol avalanches of 1916, series of massive avalanches in December 1916 that killed as many as 10,000 troops in......
Tiso, Jozef
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak priest and statesman who fought for Slovak autonomy within the Czechoslovak nation during......
Tito, Josip Broz
Josip Broz Tito was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. He was secretary-general (later president) of the Communist......
Today in History—April 4: A Nation Mourns Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, as he was preparing to leave......
Today in History—April 7: That time the U.S. briefly lost a nuclear bomb
At 10:33 am on this day in 1966, Spain’s embassy sent out a message and a sigh of relief: The U.S. military had......
Today in History—August 14: The End of the War in the Pacific
In July 1945, while Allied leaders were deciding the fate of postwar Germany at the Potsdam Conference, U.S. Pres.......
Today in History—February 27: The Discovery of Solar Radio Waves
On this day in 1942 a British physicist made a monumental discovery…and couldn’t tell anyone. British radar equipment......
Today in History—February 8: The Battle That Turned the Tide in the Pacific
On this day in 1943, with World War II well underway, the Imperial Japanese Navy evacuated its 10,000 remaining......
Today in History—January 23: The Day the “Endless War” Didn’t End
On this day in 1973, U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon addressed the nation to announce what could be called a historic......
Today in History—June 13: The Pentagon Papers Reach the Public
On this day in 1971, The New York Times began publishing parts of a leaked government report about decades of U.S.......
Today in History—June 14: The Day Anne Frank Started Her Diary
Two days after turning 13, Anne Frank wrote her first full entry in “Kitty,” the name she called the diary she......
Today in History—June 26: The Berlin Airlift Takes Flight
After World War II and the fall of the Third Reich—the Nazi regime that left scars crisscrossing Europe—no one......
Today in History—June 6: World War II’s D-Day Gets Underway
“OK, we’ll go.” In the end, it all came down to those words, spoken by American Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower on June......
Today in History—March 15: The Nazi Seizure of Church Bells
On this day in 1940, the Nazi Party—by way of Hermann Göring, Adolf Hitler’s second-in-command—issued a decree:......
Today in History—March 23: The U.S. Military’s Pigeon Service Ends
Draft ads that ran during World War I might’ve read like this: Seeking service members to deliver messages on the......
Today in History—March 31: How WWI Invented Daylight Saving Time
World War I was raging, and countries were increasingly desperate for coal—desperate enough to bend time. The idea......
Today in History—May 16: The WWII Story That Inspired Saving Private Ryan
It was May 1944, and D-Day—the coordinated landing of nearly 160,000 Allied soldiers along the Normandy coast and......
Today in History—May 26: The British and Allied Forces Escape at Dunkirk
It was May 1940, and months of “Phony War” had come to a shocking end with Germany’s blitzkrieg attack on the Low......
Today in History—May 2: A War Changed by the Blink of an Eye
American Comdr. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., had been held by the North Vietnamese for 10 months when he met with a......
Today in History—May 30: The Real Story of A League of Their Own
Swing, batter, batter, swing! And she did, on this day in 1943, when the All-American Girls Professional Baseball......
Today in History—May 7: The Sinking of the Lusitania
Off the coast of Ireland on the morning of May 7, 1915, Capt. William Turner slowed his swift ship near shore as......
Today in History—November 11: The Armistice That Ended World War I
At 11 am on this day in 1918, more than four years of fighting in World War I came to an end. But the official......
Today in History—October 12: Nikita Khrushchev’s Shoe Speech
On this day in 1960, one of the most shocking and iconic Cold War moments unfolded when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev......
Today in History—September 1: The Secret Story of the Titanic’s Discovery
What do the Titanic and two nuclear submarines have in common? All three sank in the Atlantic. And all were part......
Tokyo, Bombing of
Bombing of Tokyo, (March 9–10, 1945), firebombing raid (codenamed “Operation Meetinghouse”) by the United States......
Ton Duc Thang
Ton Duc Thang was a Communist leader who succeeded Ho Chi Minh as president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam......
Tora Bora, Battle of
Battle of Tora Bora, (December 3–17, 2001), a U.S.-led coalition attack on the cave complex of the White Mountains......
treaty
treaty, a binding formal agreement, contract, or other written instrument that establishes obligations between......
Treblinka
Treblinka, major Nazi German concentration camp and extermination camp, located near the village of Treblinka,......
Trenchard, Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount, Baron Trenchard of Wolfeton
Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard was a British officer and air marshal who helped lay the foundations......
Treurnicht, Andries
Andries Treurnicht was a South African politician. A preacher in the Dutch Reformed Church (1946–60), he later......
Trevor-Roper, Hugh, Baron Dacre of Glanton
Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton was a British historian and scholar noted for his works on aspects of......
Trianon, Treaty of
Treaty of Trianon, (1920), treaty concluding World War I and signed by representatives of Hungary on one side and......
Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact, agreement concluded by Germany, Italy, and Japan on September 27, 1940, one year after the start......
Trotsky, Leon
Leon Trotsky was a communist theorist and agitator, a leader in Russia’s October Revolution in 1917, and later......
Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine, pronouncement by U.S. Pres. Harry S. Truman declaring immediate economic and military aid to the......
Truman, Harry S.
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States (1945–53), who led his country through the final stages......
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa (TRC), courtlike body established by the new South African government......
Tsar Bomba
Tsar Bomba, Soviet thermonuclear bomb that was detonated in a test over Novaya Zemlya island in the Arctic Ocean......
Tuchman, Barbara
Barbara Tuchman was an author who was one of the foremost American popular historians in the second half of the......
Tukhachevsky, Mikhail
Mikhail Tukhachevsky was a Soviet military chief responsible for the modernization of the Red Army prior to World......
Tunisia
Tunisia, country of North Africa. Tunisia’s accessible Mediterranean Sea coastline and strategic location have......
- Introduction
- Arabic, French, Berber
- Oil, Phosphates, Tourism
- Constitution, Politics, Society
- Culture, Cuisine, Traditions
- Ancient, Roman, Arab
- French Protectorate, Colonialism, Independence
- Domestic Development, Reforms, Economy
- Jasmine Revolution, Arab Spring, Democracy
- Unity, Government, Revolution
Tunkin, Grigory Ivanovich
Grigory Ivanovich Tunkin was a Soviet legal scholar and diplomat who played a major role in formulating Soviet......
Turing, Alan
Alan Turing was a British mathematician and logician who made major contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis,......
Turkey
Turkey, also called Türkiye, country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly......
- Introduction
- The central massif
- Urbanization, Migration, Diversity
- Population, Migration, Ageing
- Constitution, Government, Politics
- Culture, Cuisine, Religion
- Marriage, Family, Customs
- Ottoman Empire, Geography, Culture
- Republic, Mustafa Kemal, 1923
- Kemalist, Policies, Reforms
- Military Coup, 1960, Politics
- Politics, 70s-90s, Reforms
- Kurdish Conflict, Ethnicity, Borders
- AKP, 21st Century, Politics
- Erdogan, AKP, Resistance
- NATO, EU, Middle East
- Russia, Regional Affairs, Erdogan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan, landlocked country of Central Asia. It is the second largest state in Central Asia, after Kazakhstan,......
Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen, black servicemen of the U.S. Army Air Forces who trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama......
Tutu, Desmond
Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric who in 1984 received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in......
Tuân, Phạm
Phạm Tuân is a Vietnamese pilot and cosmonaut, the first Vietnamese citizen in space. Tuân joined the Vietnam People’s......
Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, (Feb. 14–25, 1956), event notable as the first stage......
Twining, Nathan F
Nathan F. Twining was a U.S. Air Force officer who played a large part in directing the air war against Japan during......
Types of Landing Craft of World War II Infographic
During World War II, Allied forces employed a variety of landing craft—relatively small naval vessels used primarily......
Typhoon
Typhoon, British fighter and ground-attack aircraft used in the latter half of World War II. Conceived as a replacement......
Tōjō Hideki
Tōjō Hideki was a soldier and statesman who was the prime minister of Japan (1941–44) during most of the Pacific......
U-2 Incident
U-2 Incident, (1960), confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that began with the shooting......
U-boat
U-boat, (“undersea boat”), a German submarine. The destruction of enemy shipping by German U-boats was a spectacular......
U.S.-Iraq War
On March 20, 2003, a U.S.-led coalition of 49 countries invaded Iraq and overthrew the government within three......
Ugaki Kazushige
Ugaki Kazushige was a Japanese soldier-statesman, who in the years before World War II headed the so-called Control......
Ukraine
Ukraine, country located in eastern Europe, the second largest on the continent after Russia. The capital is Kyiv,......
- Introduction
- Soils, Climate, Agriculture
- Forests, Steppes, Fauna
- Ethnicity, Religion, Language
- Russian, Ukrainian, Yiddish
- Agriculture, Industry, Trade
- Resources, Power, Economy
- Economy, Banking, Currency
- Politics, Constitution, Autonomy
- Politics, Independence, Reforms
- Health, Welfare, Reforms
- Culture, Traditions, Cuisine
- Art, Music, Theater
- Folk, Choral, Instrumental
- Cultural Institutions
- Soviet Union, Independence, Revolution
- Lithuanian, Polish, Rule
- Cossacks, Steppe, Black Sea
- Autonomous Hetman, Sloboda Ukraine
- Imperial Rule, Cossacks, Hetmanate
- Habsburg Monarchy, Western Ukraine, Galicia
- Bukovina, Carpathians, Culture
- WWI, Independence, Revolution
- Interwar, Soviet Union, Independence
- Holodomor, Famine, 1932-33
- Polish Rule, Galicia, Habsburgs
- Transcarpathia, Czechoslovakia, History
- Nazi Occupation, Soviet, Genocide
- Soviet Union, Postwar, Independence
- Shelest Rule, Soviet Union, Independence
- Soviet Rule, Independence, Revolution
- Independence, Sovereignty, Reforms
- Parliamentary Democracy
- Culture, History, Politics
- Economic Struggles, Reforms, Crisis
- Kuchma, Reforms, Independence
- Orange Revolution, Yushchenko, Presidency
- Maidan, Protest, Revolution
- Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, Conflict
- Poroshenko, Administration, Reforms
- Russian Invasion, Crimea, Conflict
Ultra
Ultra, Allied intelligence project that tapped the very highest level of encrypted communications of the German......
Umkhonto we Sizwe
Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1961 until 1993.......
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam, popular symbol for the United States, usually associated with a cartoon figure having long white hair......
unemployment
unemployment, the condition of one who is capable of working, actively seeking work, but unable to find any work.......
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, flag of
In the early days of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks considered the Red Banner to be sufficient......
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates, federation of seven emirates along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Abu Dhabi,......
United Front
United Front, in modern Chinese history, either of two coalitions between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and......
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises......
- Introduction
- Highlands, Islands, Geography
- Lowlands, England, Wales
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Christianity, Islam, Judaism
- Urbanization, Cities, Towns
- Economy, Trade, Manufacturing
- Trade, Manufacturing, Services
- Local Gov, Devolved Regions, Councils
- Health, Welfare, Care
- Universities, Colleges, Education
- Sports, Recreation, Culture
- Ancient History, Celts, Romans
- Roman Britain, Celts, Anglo-Saxons
- Roman Society, Culture, History
- Anglo-Saxon, England, History
- Heptarchy, Kingdoms, Unification
- Scandinavian Invasions, Britain, Anglo-Saxons
- Church, Monastic, Revival
- Normans, 1066-1154, Monarchy
- Monarchy, Succession, William I
- Early Plantagenets, Monarchy, Sovereignty
- John, 1199-1216, Monarchy
- Henry III, 1216-72, Monarchy
- Edward I, Magna Carta, Parliament
- Industrialization, Immigration, Devolution
- Edward III, Monarchy, Reformation
- Richard II, Monarchy, Parliament
- Lancaster, York, History
- Wars of Roses, Dynastic Conflict, Plantagenets
- 15th Century, England, Politics
- Dynastic, Threats, Wars
- Henry VIII, Tudor, Reformation
- Reformation, Henry VIII, Church of England
- Edward VI (1547–53)
- Elizabethan, Society, Monarchy
- Spanish Armada, Elizabeth I, Reformation
- Stuart Monarchy, Commonwealth, Civil War
- Monarchy, Union, Parliament
- Charles I, Civil War, Restoration
- The Long Parliament
- Commonwealth, Protectorate, Monarchy
- Monarchy, Revolution, Union
- Revolution, 1688, Glorious
- Anne, Union, Sovereignty
- 18th-century Britain, 1714–1815
- Walpole, Politics, Reforms
- Industrialization, Reforms, Monarchy
- Britain from 1754 to 1783
- William Pitt, Prime Minister, Reforms
- The Napoleonic Wars
- Early and mid-Victorian Britain
- Gladstone, Disraeli, Politics
- Cultural change
- Late Victorian Britain
- The return of the Liberals
- Industrialization, WWI, WWII
- Baldwin, Abdication, Crisis
- Post-WWII, Brexit, Monarchy
- Thatcher, Politics, Economy
- Blair, Politics, Devolution
- Conservative, Liberal, Coalition
- The “Brexit” referendum
- Society, state, and economy
- Family, Gender, Society
- Monarchs, Royalty, History
United Nations
United Nations (UN), international organization established on October 24, 1945. The United Nations (UN) was the......
- Introduction
- International, Peacekeeping, Security
- Organs, Security Council, General Assembly
- Global Issues, Reforms, Solutions
- Subsidiary Organs
- Peacekeeping, Diplomacy, Development
- Peacekeeping, Peacemaking, Peacebuilding
- Arms Control, Disarmament, Peace
- Economic Welfare, Cooperation, Global Issues
- Social Welfare, Cooperation, Global Issues
- Human Rights, Global Peace, International Law
- Climate Change, Pollution, Sustainability
- Global Peace, Security, Cooperation
- Secretaries General
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), administrative body (1943–47) for an extensive......
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), subsidiary agency created......
United States
United States, country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states. Besides the 48 conterminous states that......
- Introduction
- Appalachians, Geology, Ecology
- The Western Cordillera
- Climate, Regions, Seasons
- The Dry West
- Settlement Patterns
- Automobile, Congestion, Pollution
- Urbanization, Diversity, Culture
- Regions, Culture, Geography
- Southern Culture, History, Economy
- Culture Areas, Migration, Diversity
- Diversity, Immigration, Culture
- Indigenous Tribes, Culture, History
- Economy, Diversity, Power
- Railroads, Highways, Airports
- Executive Branch, Government, Constitution
- Federalism, Local Laws, Elections
- Political parties
- Diversity, Culture, Society
- Postmodernism, Visual Arts, Culture
- Film Industry, Hollywood, Movies
- Popular music
- Colonization, Revolution, Constitution
- New England, Colonies, Puritans
- Imperial organization
- Cultural, Religious, Development
- Native Resistance, Assimilation, Sovereignty
- Constitutional Differences, Sovereignty, Federalism
- Revolution, Colonies, War
- Founding Fathers, Constitution, Democracy
- Constitution, Framers, Ratification
- Revivalism, Sects, Denominations
- Jeffersonian Republicans, Democracy, Federalism
- Expansion, Industrialization, Reforms
- Industrialization, Manufacturing, Economy
- Jacksonian Democracy, Political Reforms, Expansion
- Reform, Politics, Economy
- Abolitionism, Slavery, Emancipation
- Civil War, Secession, Reconstruction
- Popular Sovereignty, Democracy, Federalism
- Secession, Civil War, Politics
- Civil War, Battles, Union
- Reconstruction, New South, Industrialization
- Civil Rights, Legislation, Equality
- Jim Crow, Segregation, Discrimination
- Industrialization, Economy, Growth
- Haymarket Riot, Labor Unrest, Anarchism
- Garfield, Arthur, Presidents
- Sherman Antitrust, Competition, Monopoly
- Populism, Farmers, Reforms
- Expansion, Democracy, Diversity
- Reforms, Immigration, Industrialization
- Progressive Movement, Roosevelt, Reforms
- World Power, Expansion, Industrialization
- WWI, Allies, Neutrality
- Great Depression, WWII, New Deal
- Great Depression, Economic Crisis, 1930s
- New Deal, Supreme Court, Reforms
- WWII, Allies, Axis
- 1944 Election, FDR, Truman
- Red Scare, McCarthyism, Cold War
- Cold War, Economy, Politics
- Kennedy, Johnson, Cold War
- Civil Rights, Equality, Activism
- Watergate, Vietnam War, Stagflation
- Gerald Ford, Presidency, Domestic Policy
- Economic Growth, Immigration, Politics
- Democracy, Economy, Culture
- Obama, Presidency, Reforms
- Midterm Elections, 2010, Politics
- Occupy Wall St, Iraq Withdrawal, Economic Recovery
- The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
- Ferguson, Freddie Gray, Charleston
- Trump Presidency, Policies, America
- The travel ban
- The indictment of Paul Manafort, the guilty pleas of Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, and indictments of Russian intelligence officers
- Presidents, Elections, History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, museum and memorial to the Holocaust, located in Washington, D.C., U.S.......
United States presidential election of 1932
United States presidential election of 1932, American presidential election held on November 8, 1932, in which......
United States presidential election of 1940
United States presidential election of 1940, American presidential election held on November 5, 1940, in which......
United States presidential election of 1944
United States presidential election of 1944, American presidential election held on November 7, 1944, in which......
United States presidential election of 1952
United States presidential election of 1952, American presidential election held on November 4, 1952, in which......
United States presidential election of 1964
United States presidential election of 1964, American presidential election held on November 3, 1964, in which......
United States presidential election of 1968
United States presidential election of 1968, American presidential election held on November 5, 1968, in which......
United States presidential election of 1972
United States presidential election of 1972, American presidential election held on November 7, 1972, in which......
United States presidential election of 2004
United States presidential election of 2004, American presidential election held on November 2, 2004, in which......
UNSCOM
UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission), United Nations inspection agency established in April 1991 in the wake......
Uruguay
Uruguay, country located on the southeastern coast of South America. The second smallest country on the continent,......
USS Arizona
USS Arizona, U.S. battleship that sank during the Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu island,......
USS Indianapolis
USS Indianapolis, U.S. Navy heavy cruiser that was sunk by a Japanese submarine on July 30, 1945, shortly after......
Ustaša
Ustaša, Croatian fascist movement that nominally ruled the Independent State of Croatia during World War II. In......