Many of you may have learned about these people or heard these terms back when you were still in middle or high schools. Well, here’s a guide to 157 of the most common terms and people from the world’s history! This is great for review, especially if any of you have kids that are learning these topics, or if you’re just curious who some of these people were or what some of these terms mean. This is just a basic guideline and if you wish to learn more, then individual research is necessary. Hope this proves to be of some use!
1. Prehistoric: time before written history
2. Monarchy: government where there is single ruler
3. City-State: city and surrounding area acting as an independent political unit
4. Dynasty: line of rulers from same family
5. Empire: political unit in which number of peoples or countries controlled by one ruler
6. Culture: a people’s unique way of life; shown by tools, customs, arts, ideas
7. Pharaoh: title given to ruler of Egypt, considered a god on earth
8. Neolithic Age: “new stone age”; around 8000-3000 B.C.; grow crops, raise animals
9. Mesolithic Age: “middle stone age”; between Neolithic and Paleolithic
10. Paleolithic Age: “old stone age”; around 2,500,000-8000 B.C.; crude stone tools
11. Monotheism: belief in one deity
12. Papyrus: used as paper in ancient Egypt, can grown in Nile delta
13. Hieroglyphics: form of writing of ancient Egypt, use of symbols as ideas and sounds
14. Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped” writing, used by Sumerians
15. Osiris: ancient Egyptian God of the Dead
16. Hammurabi: a ruler of Babylon; famous for Code of Hammurabi, first written laws
17. Fief: estate granted to a vassal by a lord under feudal system of feudal Europe
18. Lord: person who controlled land in feudal Europe, could grant estates to vassals
19. Vassal: person who was granted an estate by lord for pledge of loyalty and services
20. Serf: medieval peasant, bound to live on lord’s estate
21. Manor: lord’s estate in feudal Europe
22. Black Death: plague that spread through Europe, killed up to 40% of people
23. Tithe: taxes paid to the church, 10% of one’s income
24. Excommunication: taking away person’s right of membership in Christian church
25. Interdict: prohibit or place under ecclesiastical or legal sanction
26. Peter’s Pence: practice of lays of Roman Catholic Church giving money to the Pope
27. Priest: member of second grade of clergy, authority to administer sacraments
28. Canterbury: city of Archbishop of Canterbury, famous pilgrimage site
29. Doomsday Book: famous census of 1086, taken to find out how much each person owned so could be taxed accordingly
30. Magna Carta: document signed by King John, limited monarch’s powers in England
31. Great Schism: division in Roman Catholic Church, popes in Avignon and in Rome
32. Heretics: dislocation of a belief by introduction of a denial of essential part therin
33. Hundred Years War: war between France and England, 116 years of fighting
34. Renaissance: rebirth of interest in knowledge; advances in art, music, sciences, etc.
35. Inquisition: judgment of heresy by Roman Catholic Church
36. Buffer State: area between territories of 2 different countries
37. Open-Door Policy: all nations should have equal trade rights in China
38. Extraterritoriality: a foreigner doesn’t have to follow the native country’s laws
39. Meiji Restoration: industrial revolution in Japan
40. Sepoys: native to India, soldier allied to European country
41. Neolithic Revolution: also called agricultural revolution, people begin growing crops
42. Neanderthal Man: 200,000-30,000 B.C., found in Europe and Southwest Asia
43. Herodotus: famous Greek historian, “Father of History”
44. Tyrants: absolute ruler, governs without restrictions, often in harsh cruel manner
45. Metics: resident alien in ancient Greece, no citizen rights
46. Polis: Greek term for city-state
47. Aristocracy: government run by small privileged class
48. Olympics: event held every 4 years, originated in Greece, show off athleticism
49. Crete: island in Mediterranean, Minoan empire originated here
50. Homer: blind poet known for “Iliad” and “Odyssey”
51. Athena: Greek goddess of wisdom
52. Agora: term given to open market area of ancient Greece
53. Hippocrates: ancient Greek physician, outstanding figure in the history of medicine
54. Thucydides: ancient Greek historian, made accounts of Peloponnesian Wars
55. King Leonidas: Spartan king, fought Persians at Thermopylae
56. Age of Pericles: golden age of Athens, ruler was Pericles
57. Hellenized: term describing spread of Greek culture
58. Tribune: officer of ancient Rome, selected by Plebeians to protect their rights
59. Punic Wars: wars between Gaul and Roman Empire for control of Mediterranean
60. Patricians: upper class in ancient Roman society, minority of population
61. Plebeians: lower class in ancient Roman society, majority of population
62. Constantine: Roman emperor of East Roman Empire, founded Constantinople
63. Hannibal: Gaul general, famous for crossing of Alps to fight Romans in Italy
64. Scipio: Roman general who eventually defeated Hannibal at Battle of Carthage
65. Nero: Roman emperor, many attempts to kill mother, all of which but the last failed
66. Twelve Tables: tablets containing laws in Roman Empire
67. Battle of Thermopylae: 300 Spartans hold off Persian army at narrow pass
68. Charlemagne: king of Franks, Holy Roman Emperor, biggest empire since Romans
69. Crusades: religious wars during Medieval times, attempts to reclaim holy land
70. Petrarch: famous Italian author, known for form of sonnets, “father of humanism”
71. Maria Theresa: a ruler of Austria, fought with Kingdom of Prussia
72. Humanist: believer in humanism, system of thought centering around humans
73. Perspective: painting technique, all lines run to vanishing point in horizon
74. Magellan: Portuguese explorer, sailed around the world, named the Pacific Ocean
75. Raphael: Renaissance painter, portrait of Castigliones, one of trinity of great masters
76. Erasmus: scholar, wrote “In Praise of Folly”
77. Leonardo da Vinci: a true Renaissance Man, famous for Mona Lisa and Last Supper
78. Machiavelli: Italian author, known for “The Prince”
79. Michelangelo: Italian artist, famous for painting the Sistine Chapel
80. Prince Henry: Portugues Prince, supported exploration, built navigation schools
81. Vespucci: Americas named after him, famous mapmaker
82. Charles V: a Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of Spain, cousin was Mary I of England
83. Czar: title given to the male ruler of Russia
84. Intendant: administrative official serving a monarch
85. Glorious Revolution: overthrowing of King James II, “bloodless” revolution
86. Thirty Years War: religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, fought mostly in Germany, involved much of Europe
87. Versailles: city in France, famous for the palace there
88. Regent: one who rules during the minority, absence, or disability of a monarch
89. War of Spanish Succession: conflict over succession to the Spanish Throne
90. Edict of Nantes: granted Huguenots substantial rights, issued by Henry IV of France
91. Pragmatic Sanction: guaranteed that Austrian throne be inherited by Maria Theresa
92. Philip II: a ruler in Spain, sent the Spanish Armada
93. St. Petersburg: famous city in Russia, built on swampland, only warm-water port
94. John Calvin: French Protestant, developed Christian theology of Calvinism
95. Copernicus: came up with heliocentric theory, everything orbits around sun
96. Gutenberg: developed the printing press, books could be printed much more quickly
97. Cervantes: Spanish author, famous for his magnum opus “Don Quixote”
98. Galileo: built first telescope, proved Earth revolved around sun
99. Loyola: Ignatius of Loyola, founder of Society of Jesus, order of Catholic Church
100. Huguenots: French Protestants, often discriminated against by Catholics
101. Martin Luther: started Protestant Reformation, famous for 95 Theses
102. Descartes: “Father of Modern Philosophy”, developed Cartesian Coordinate Plane
103. Indulgences: sold by church, forgave you of all your sins
104. Charles II: king of England, Scotland, and Ireland; succeeded Charles I
105. Louis XIV: also known as “Sun King”, built palace at Versailles
106. James I: first of England’s Stuart kings
107. Oliver Cromwell: led forces that dethroned Charles I
108: Henry Stanley: journalist famous for his search for Dr. Livingstone in Africa
109. Cecil Rhodes: British-born South African, made fortune in diamond business
110. Matthew Perry: sailed into Tokyo Harbor, opened up trade with Japan
111. Sino-Japanese War: war between China and Japan over Korea
112. Clemenceau: French member of Big Four after WWI
113. Rickenbacker: American flying ace of WWI
114. Orlando: Italian member of Big Four after WWI
115. Princip: man who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo
116. Lloyd George: first and only Welsh prime minister of Great Britain, served during WWI
117. Triple Alliance: Germany + Austria-Hungary + Italy
118. Triple Entente: Great Britain + France + Russia
119. Powder Keg of Europe: term given to the Balkan Peninsula
120. Woodrow Wilson: president of the U.S. during WWI, member of the Big Four
121. Zimmerman Telegram: sent to Mexico, offered lost land back if fought with U.S.
122. Von Richtofen: name of German flying ace, the Red Baron
123. Pershing: led the U.S. forces during WWI
124. Lusitania: British ship sunk by German U-boat, 120 or so U.S. citizens died
125. Treaty of Versailles: treaty ending WWI, fined Germany $33 billion
126. Atlantic Charter: declaration on which allied peace plan at the end of WWII was based
127. Final Solution: Hitler’s term given to annihilation of all Jews
128. Il Duce: title that Mussolini gave himself after coming to power
129. Fascism: political party, hated communism, one party, single ruler
130. Maginot Line: allied forces dug in here during WWII, gap at the Ardennes
131. Der Feuhrer: title Hitler gave himself after coming to power.
132. Munich Conference: meeting giving Hitler Sudentenland
133. Axis Powers: Germany + Italy + Japan + their allies during WWII
134. Allied Powers: Britain + France + Russia + U.S + their allies during WWII
135. Dunkirk: French city from which famous evacuation was made
136. Pearl Harbor: U.S. naval base, bombe by Japanese Dec. 7, 1941
137. Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister during WWII
138. Franklin D. Roosevelt: U.S. president through Great Depression and WWII
139. Battle of Midway: battle in which Japan’s navy destroyed
140. Douglas MacArthur: commander of U.S. ground forces in Pacific during WWII
141. Kamikazi: the “divine wind”, Japanese suicide bombers during WWII
142. Operation Overlord: name given to D-Day, landing on beaches of Normandy
143. Hiroshima: Japanese city on which first A-Bomb was dropped
144. Manchuria: area in Asia that Japan invaded
145. Hirohito: Japanese Emperor during WWII
146. VE Day: Victory-in-Europe Day
147. VJ Day: Victory-in-Japan Day
148. Truman Doctrine: stated that U.S. would help prevent countries from falling under communist control
149. John Kay: invented the flying shuttle
150. Robert Fulton: invented the steamboat
151. James Hargreaves: invented the spinning jenny
152. Eli Whitney: invented the cotton gin
153. Samuel Morse: invented Morse code, used in telegrams
154. James Watt: perfected the steam engine, unit of measuring power named after him
155. Henry Bessemer: invented Bessemer furnace, made smelting steel much easier
156. Jethro Tull: inventor of the seed drill, nickname was “Turnip”
157. John McAdam: developed new and simple technique of paving roads
