The former Soviet Union collectivized many aspects of agricultural and industrial development in the 1950's. While some efforts were successful others like the cotton-growing around the Aral Sea have proven to be an ecological nightmare.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the defining moments of the mid-twentieth century and of the presidency of John Kennedy. How did the two Cold War powers of the USSR and the USA come to the point of threatening nuclear war?

Constantinople was a part of the Roman Empire then became the seat of the Byzantine Empire and then was the imperial city of the Ottoman Empire. Here is the story of the fabled city and its history of power and conflict through the ages.

The encounter between the conquistador and opportunist Hernan Cortés and the indigenous peoples of Central America is one of history's tragic tales of greed conflict imperial weakness and superior weaponry.

Timing is everything just look at what happened in 1848. How did the finding of gold in Sutter's Mill make an impact on the development of California and the history of the United States?

A disease that developed and killed within a few days decimates Europe and changes the course of history.

In the 17th century a long period of civil war in France and war across Europe rebellious members of the French Parliament dubbed The Fronde defy the monarchy and this defiance does not end well for them...and changes the history of France.

Unable to bring mob boss Al Capone to justice for many of the crimes ascribed to him the US Federal government took a new tack to end the rule of gangsters in the Depression.

How did one man succeed in relaunching the Olympic spirit and turn the Games into a global event?

In the 15th century an inventor in a workshop in Strasburg came up with a machine that would eventually change the history of the entire world and shake a religion to its core. The choice of the first work to be printed is an astute one: Saint Jerome’s Latin version of the Bible.

In late Victorian England women began to organize to gain the right to vote. The fight for women's suffrage lasted well into the early 20th Century.

The battle between the French and English for the French territory of New France hinges on the presence of the British navy. And the Battle on the Plains of Abraham is tipped to Great Britain by the solidly trained soldiers of the British army. This changed the landscape of North America.