The Mariel Boatlift: a Cold War-Era Mass Exodus of Cubans to the U.S.

Crowds gather for the The Harlem Cultural Festival on June 29, 1969.

A 1960s-era TV set on legs is shown between a potted plant and red footstool.

How Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’ Confronted an Ugly Era of Lynchings

How Hernán Cortés Conquered the Aztec Empire

Karen Juanita Carrillo

Karen Juanita Carrillo Archives - History.com

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America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process they discovered an entirely New World: North and South America, plus many other lands.

Exploration

Latin American History

Hispanic Heritage

The 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. The era was defined by the temperance movement, Progressive-era activism, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I.

Early 20th Century US

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latin and Hispanic communities. The event, which spans from September 15 to October 15, commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large.

Hispanic History

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. From Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to Selma to Montgomery March to the Black Lives Matter movement, Black leaders, artists and writers have helped shaped the character and identity of a nation.

Black History

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements.

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.

European History

During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.

1980s

Ancient America was home to sophisticated civilizations such as the Maya, Inca, Olmec and Aztec societies, and mysterious ruins like Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, Serpent Mound, Tikal, Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.

Karen Juanita Carrillo ‑ Stories

7 Groundbreaking Inventions by Latino Innovators

Why the Watershed 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival Was Overshadowed for 50 Years

How Hernán Cortés Conquered the Aztec Empire

How Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’ Confronted an Ugly Era of Lynchings

The Mariel Boatlift: How Cold War Politics Drove Thousands of Cubans to Florida in 1980

How the Chicano Movement Championed Mexican‑American Identity and Fought for Change