Information At Your Finger Tips. Factopedia Editor Brian Harrod has spent years researching the biggest and best list of interesting facts organized for you
Historical Information Resources
Great sources for information on a myriad of historical events and personalities.
The 1900 House – Travel back in time, from the Information Age to the Victorian Age, with ‘The 1900 House’ which transports an actual modern family back to life in 1900.
A Moment In Time – Dan Roberts delivers two-minute history lessons on public radio stations around the world.
Access to Archival Databases – The Access to Archival Databases (AAD) System gives you online access to electronic records that are highly structured, such as in databases. The initial release of AAD contains material from more than 30 archival series of electronic records, which include over 350 data files totaling well over 50 million unique records.
Amelia Earhart – A historical site loaded with well-structured and careful content
America from the Great Depression to World War II – 45,000 black and white (more coming) and 1600 color photographs from the Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information collection have been digitized. Includes scenes of rural and small-town life, migrant labor, the effects of the Great Depression, and mobilization for World War II.
American Experience: Mount Rushmore – Companion site to the PBS special on Mount Rushmore. Why were the faces of four American Presidents carved into a granite cliff in South Dakota’s Black Hills? How, and when, was it done? What obstacles were overcome to cut the 60-foot-high heads out of a wilderness mountain? Who possessed the audacity — or lunacy — to create such a gargantuan work?
Ancient Origins – “News and articles relating to ancient human origins, archaeology, anthropology, scientific mysteries, sacred writings, ancient places and more.”
Avalon Project, The – Yale Law School – Extensive collection of primary documents from law, history, economics, politics, foreign relations, and government.
Battle for the Holy Land – With Israelis and Palestinians in an escalating war in the holy land, this companion site to the PBS show Frontline, goes behind the lines and underground in the west bank and gaza strip to reveal the tactics and strategies that led to violence of the current intifada.
Berlin Wall – This searchable site contains vast amounts of information on the Berlin Wall, including a timeline; an extensive collection of photographs with views of Checkpoint Charlie, escapes, wall art and the walls demolition; facts about the wall: and an extensive archive of documents (most in German) and photographs.
The Civil War at a Glance – “This site by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, provides a thumbnail summary of the Civil War, supplemented by a series of maps detailing the various battles of the War.”
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System – The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System is a computerized database containing very basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War.
Collapse: Why do Civilizations Fall? – site explores the decline of four ancient civilizations: the Maya, the early civilization of Mesopotamia, Chaco Canyon (the Anasazi of the Southwestern United States), and the Mali and Songhai of western Africa. The methods used by archeologists to understand why these particular civilizations collapsed are also presented.
Colonial Williamsburg History – “A resource for bios, essays, and articles on the everyday lives of extraordinary Americans. Check here for background and research on the people and places of 18th-century Virginia.”
DuSable Museum of African American History – This Chicago museum was “established to preserve and interpret the historical experiences and achievements of African-Americans.” In addition to information about the museum, its exhibits, and events, the site maintains a list of recommended links that includes other African-American museums and selected Web sites with more information on African American history and culture.
Egyptians – Around five thousand years ago the ancient Egyptians established an extraordinary and enduring civilisation. Their achievements have captured the imagination of the world ever since. This BBC site provides articles, including: “Building the Great Pyramid,” “The Decipherment of Hieroglyphs,” “The Story of the Nile” and “Ancient Egyptian Magic.”
Eye Witness to History – Your ringside seat to history – from the Ancient World to the present. This site presents history through the eyes of those who lived it.
Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens – Site by PBS that explores Galileo’s struggles to persuade church authorities of the truth behind his discoveries about the cosmos.
Gettysburg Address, The – Includes digitized images and transcriptions of two early drafts of perhaps the most famous speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln. There are additional primary source documents associated with Lincoln’s visit to Gettysburg as well as the only known photograph of him there. This site even includes translations of the speech in 28 non-English languages. From the manuscript collections of the Library of Congress.
Hercules: Greece’s Greatest Hero – site tells the stories of the Greek mythological hero, Hercules. The tales include Hercules’ 12 labors, his triumph over the giants, and the influential women who took part in his feats. Excellent photographs of museum pieces depicting the life of Hercules and pictures of geographical locations highlight the text.
HistoricBuffalo.com – “Historic Buffalo features ongoing historical research on the great city in the world – Buffalo, New York.”
Historical Maps: The Perry Castaneda Library -Historical maps of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, polar regions and oceans, Russia and the former Soviet republics, and the United States.
History Channel, The – “The History Channel is a cable television station offering programming related to historical events and people. This site provides in-depth visual, audio and text commentary on the key events and people in history. The new site is a destination for thousands of original video, photos, interactive learning tools and robust historical information.”
History: St. Patrick’s Day – “St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.”
History Place, The – The History Place is not meant to be a total history resource. Rather it offers a series of in-depth studies, using various media, of some important eras and events in both US and world history.
HistoryWorld – Site offers resources and tools designed to “make history make sense.”
HyperHistory: World History Chart – World History : World History Online navigates through 3 000 years of world history with links to important persons of world historical importance; civilization timelines; cultural events and facts; and historical maps.”
Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project – digital versions of documents, images, and even music related to Abraham Lincoln’s life in Illinois from institutions throughout that state. Users will be able to access materials via browsing chronological and thematic sections or searching database sets.
Mechanical Marvels of the Nineteenth Century – Here is the most extensive collection of images and information on Victorian-era robots to be found in the whole World Wide Web. Read illustrated accounts of the world’s first robot, the Steam Man, created in 1865!
Nuremberg War Crimes Trials Proceedings V.1 – V.22 Complete – All 22 volumes of the proceedings before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Tables of contents for the volumes are accessed by volume number at the bottom of the page. A keyword search engine is also provided.
Roosevelt, Theodore – 1858-1919 – a timeline of events in Roosevelt’s life, a biography, bibliography, and links to other resources related to this president and Rough Rider.
Rulers of the World – listings of heads of state and heads of government for all currently existing countries, a handful of international organizations (including the UN), and listings for current and former governors for all 50 states.
Secrets, Lies, and Atomic Spies – Companion to a PBS NOVA program that chronicles the lives and covert activities of the so-called ‘atom spies’ in the 1940’s. Features information about “translations of Soviet cables decrypted back in the 1940s by the Venona Project, the U.S. government’s effort to intercept messages from Soviet military intelligence.
The Stars and Stripes – From February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919, by order of General John J. Pershing, the United States Army published a newspaper for its forces in France, The Stars and Stripes. This online collection, presented by the Serial and Government Publications Division of the Library of Congress, includes the complete seventy-one-week run of the newspaper’s World War I edition.
Talking History – a weekly broadcast/ Internet radio program that “focuses on all aspects of history: how we recall it, how we preserve it, how we interpret it, how we transform it into myth, and how we pass it on.
Teaching with Historic Places – Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP has created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom.
Treasures of the Sunken City – The Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, lies buried underwater just offshore from the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
uboat.net – “The U-boat War 1939-1945” experience the inside of a captured WWII German submarine. You can take a virtual reality tour of the submarine, exploring each room of the submarine in a 360 degree interactive environment. You can also listen to recorded stories from American and German naval officers recounting their days aboard the sub.
U.S. History.org – Welcome to the ushistory.org “Congress of Websites,” created and hosted by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. Our mission is to bring American history to life for visitors worldwide on the Internet.
Voice from the Days of Slavery – Voices from the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Stories provides the opportunity to listen to former slaves describe their lives.
Washington, George – 1731-1799 – Over 135,000 documents relating to George Washington have been collected by the University of Virginia for eventual compilation in the Letterpress Edition of the Papers of George Washington, a series of approximately 85 volumes. This site provides excerpts from this massive project, selected articles about Washington, as well as an index to the names of people identified in the series.
World History Compass – index of world history sites organized topically, regionally, and chronologically, as well as news about history-related topics.
