Every year, the nonprofit National History Day organization puts on a competition in which students in grades 6–12 choose a topic in history based on an annual theme. After thinking critically about a topic’s significance, students conduct extensive research in libraries, archives, and museums and then present their conclusions and evidence in their choice of a paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or website. They enter their projects at local, state, and national levels, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. HistoryNet is proud to collaborate with National History Day to provide resources for this year’s theme: Turning Points in History.
Table of Contents
Check out the 2024 NHD Theme Video: Turning Points in History
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Frontiers in Race
Why the Civil Rights Movement Was Really a Guerrilla War
In this excerpt from his new book, “Waging a Good War,” Tom Ricks explains why the fight for equality had to use military tactics to achieve its goals.
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Women’s Frontiers
See the Real Rosie the Riveters at Work
Compelling images from aircraft factories in World War II underscore the impact women had assembling the arsenal of democracy.
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Frontiers in Thought
Is Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Series Really Anti-Irish? And Where Did That Stereotype Come From, Anyway?
“The Rings of Power” has sparked a controversy. But don’t blame Jeff Bezos for that ugly Irish cliche.
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LGBTQ+ Frontiers
Jimi Hendrix Pretended to Be Gay to Get Out of the Army
At the time, the military viewed homosexuality as a “manifestation of a severe personality defect.”
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Exploring the Frontier
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Frontiers of the Ancient World
Alexander the Great Captured This Island With Innovative Engineering and—As Usual—His Personal Bravery
They mocked him for challenging Poseidon, god of the sea. But they soon learned Alexander feared nothing.
Brunanburh: The Little-Known Battle That Unified England
Celts versus Vikings, more than a century before Hastings.
Uncovering the Legacy of Rome’s ‘Pirate King’: An Interview With Simon Elliott
New research sheds light on the life and leadership of a Roman naval commander who seized strategic water routes and defied the empire.
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Indigenous Frontiers
The Warriors Who Nearly Destroyed Cortés — Before Joining Him
As Hernán Cortés made his way toward the Aztecan heart of Mexico, the conquistador ran up against the Tlaxcalans, a people who could ally with or annihilate him
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historynet magazines
Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people, the wars, and the events that shaped America and the world.
Political Frontiers
Is Taiwan a Country? Why the US and China Are So Worked Up Over the Island
Why is China firing live missiles over Taiwan? How did this rocky little island become a thorn in the side of superpowers?
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World Frontiers
When the Mongols Set Out to Conquer the World, There Was Only One Limiting Factor: Grass
The steppe nomads invented the operational level of war, with the essential nutrient for their herds dictating where — and when — they fought.
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Scientific Frontiers
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The Final Frontiers: Air & Space
How Quick Thinking Saved the First Airliner to Break the Sound Barrier
In August 1961 a crew of Douglas Aircraft test pilots proved the new DC-8’s worth by diving it through the speed of sound
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The Wild West
How a Young Jewish Immigrant Widow Launched a Ranching Dynasty in New Mexico Territory
After her husband’s untimely death, Yetta Kohn joined forces with her sons and daughter to run the family store, bank and ranch.
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Disability Frontiers
The Top 10 One-Eyed Commanders of All-Time
Despite physical impairment, these captains let nothing stand in the way of their vision for war.
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historynet magazines
Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people, the wars, and the events that shaped America and the world.
