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Modern history facts for kids

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Modern Chronology
Teslathinker
Nikola Tesla sits in front of the spiral coil of his high-frequency transformer at East Houston Street, New York.
World heads of state in 1889
"The World's Sovereigns", 1889.
British Empire 1897
The British Empire in 1897, marked in the traditional colour for imperial British dominions on maps
BismarckundNapoleonIII
Napoleon III and Bismarck after the Battle of Sedan

Modern history is the history of the world beginning after the Middle Ages. Generally the term "modern history" refers to the history of the world since the advent of the Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

  1. The Early Modern Times lasted from the end of the 15th century to the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century, circa 1450/92 to 1750/92.
  2. Modern Times are the period from Enlightenment and the 18th century until today.
  3. Modernity, based on Modernism, explores the changes of society due to the industrialization.
  4. Postmodernity, Postindustrialism are theories to apply the art movement term of postmodernism (below) to social and cultural history, or to refer to the change of the industrial society during the past fifty years when the industry was no longer the most predominant basis of economy and society; the prefix "post-" implies a reaction to modernity and in that sense does not cover all contemporary history.

The modern period has been a time of many advances in science, politics, warfare, and technology, and globalization. During this time that the European powers began a political, economic, and cultural beginning to the world.

Late 15th to early 18th century

Further information: 16th century and 17th century

This period is also called the early modern period. This time was a time where the Europeans found the New world and began colonizing it. It also saw trade with China and other Eastern Asian cultures.

Within the early modern period, some events shaped the world immensely:

Industrial Revolution

This period saw advances in industrial technology. Industries were beginning to make clothes, armaments, and other useful tools people need. This industrial revolution began the modern world as we know it.

Napoleonic era

The Napoleonic era is a period in the History of France and Europe. It is also known as the fourth stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory. The Napoleonic era begins roughly with Napoleon's coup d'état, overthrowing the Directory. It ends at the Hundred Days and his defeat by the alliance of several nations at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

19th century

The 19th Century is a time in history from 1815 to 1914

During this century, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Ottoman Holy Roman and Mughal empires start to die

Following the Napoleonic Wars, the British Empire became the world's leading power, controlling one quarter of the World's population and one third of the land area. It helped trade, and battled piracy. This time also sees the first lightbulb, Cars, railways, airplanes, printing press and other inventions

20th century

The 20th century was a time in which advancements in technology and medicine changed peoples way of life. Some advancements were in space exploration, nuclear technology, genetics, and the beginning of the information age.

This was also a time of the two world wars (World War I, World War II), the outbreak of Spanish Influenza, the Cold War, and the decolonisation of many parts of the world.

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