A German drawing of a submerged U boat in British waters during World War One. (Credit: Classic Image/Alamy)

The Coast Guard’s New London-based vessels as seen in 1927 for prohibition enforcement. Among them is CG-290, which was later involved in the Black Duck incident. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard)

Joseph A. Williams

Joseph A. Williams Archives - History.com

Home

History.com

Naval History

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. Over the centuries, Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of parties, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating for kids and adults.

Halloween

The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.&nbsp;

1970s

In the Roaring Twenties, a surging economy created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.

Roaring Twenties

Labor Day

The 1970s were a time of profound social and economic change in the United States.&nbsp;

Inventors

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy in 1945. Explore the battles, leaders and atrocities from the war and its impact on geopolitics and humankind.

World War II

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Science

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded control over politics and business.

19th Century

Shipwrecks

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

Joseph A. Williams ‑ Stories

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

This 1920s Inventor Sped Up Climate Change With His Chemical Creations

The Secret World War II Mission to Kidnap Hitler’s A‑Bomb Scientists

When Truckers Shut Down America to Protest Oil Prices—and Became Folk Heroes

In 1857, NYC Police Didn’t Keep the Peace—They Caused a Riot

The Deadly Speedboat Shooting That Spurred an End to Prohibition

The Daring Deep Sea Divers Who Helped Crack WWI German Codes