Important World History Events and Dates in Chronological Order: Revolutions, World Wars and Modern Events for SSC GK
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
In this note
- 1.Medieval and Early Modern Period
- 2.Revolutions of the 18th and 19th Centuries
- 3.World War I (1914–1918)
- 4.Between the Wars
- 5.World War II (1939–1945)
- 6.Cold War and After
- 7.Famous Leaders and Their Roles
- 8.Tricks to Remember
- 9.Quick Tips
- 10.Quick Revision Points
- 11.Practice Questions With Answers
- 12.How to Practise This Chapter
- 13.Frequently Asked Questions
PDF Notes: Important World History Events and Dates in Chronological Order: Revolutions, World Wars and Modern Events for SSC GK
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SSC GK includes questions on the important events of world history, such as revolutions, wars and treaties, and their years. This guide on important world history events and dates for SSC gives a chronological table of the major events, the key facts about the two World Wars, the Cold War and the modern events, with tricks and practice questions.
Medieval and Early Modern Period
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1066 | Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror (Battle of Hastings) |
| 1215 | Magna Carta signed by King John of England |
| 1453 | Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks; end of the Byzantine Empire |
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus reached the Americas (the West Indies) |
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in India by the sea route |
| 1517 | Martin Luther’s 95 Theses; the Protestant Reformation began |
| 1588 | Defeat of the Spanish Armada by England |
| 1688 | Glorious Revolution in England |
Revolutions of the 18th and 19th Centuries
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1776 | American Declaration of Independence (4 July); thirteen colonies against Britain |
| 1789 | French Revolution began; the Bastille was stormed on 14 July; slogan of liberty, equality and fraternity |
| 1799 | Napoleon Bonaparte became the ruler of France |
| 1815 | Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon defeated by Wellington |
| 1861–1865 | American Civil War; Abraham Lincoln; the abolition of slavery in 1865 |
| 1869 | Suez Canal opened |
| 1871 | Unification of Germany under Bismarck; unification of Italy completed (1870) |
World War I (1914–1918)
- Cause: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914; the war began on 28 July 1914.
- Two sides: the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, later the USA and Italy) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria).
- The war ended with the Armistice on 11 November 1918.
- Treaty of Versailles (28 June 1919) was signed with Germany.
- The League of Nations was formed in 1920 (headquarters at Geneva).
- The Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution took place in 1917 under Lenin.
Between the Wars
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1917 | October (Bolshevik) Revolution in Russia |
| 1922 | Mussolini came to power in Italy; the formation of the USSR |
| 1929 | Great Depression began with the Wall Street crash |
| 1933 | Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany |
| 1936 | Spanish Civil War began |
World War II (1939–1945)
- The war began on 1 September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland.
- The Axis Powers: Germany, Italy and Japan; the Allies: Britain, the USSR, the USA, France and China.
- Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and the USA entered the war.
- D-Day (the Allied landing in Normandy): 6 June 1944.
- Germany surrendered on 7–8 May 1945 (V-E Day).
- The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August 1945).
- Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, and the formal surrender was signed on 2 September 1945.
- The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945 (headquarters in New York).
Cold War and After
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1945 | United Nations established |
| 1947 | Truman Doctrine; Marshall Plan; Independence of India and Pakistan |
| 1948 | State of Israel created; Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted |
| 1949 | NATO formed; People’s Republic of China founded on 1 October under Mao Zedong |
| 1950–1953 | Korean War |
| 1955 | Warsaw Pact formed; Bandung Conference |
| 1957 | USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite |
| 1961 | Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space; the Berlin Wall was built |
| 1962 | Cuban Missile Crisis |
| 1969 | Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon on 20 July 1969 |
| 1989 | The Berlin Wall fell (9 November) |
| 1990 | Reunification of Germany (3 October) |
| 1991 | Disintegration of the Soviet Union (December) |
| 2001 | 9/11 terror attacks on the USA |
| 2008 | Global financial crisis |
| 2016 | Brexit referendum; the UK voted to leave the EU; Paris Agreement came into force |
| 2020 | WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic (11 March) |
| 2022 | Russia invaded Ukraine (24 February) |
Famous Leaders and Their Roles
| Leader | Role |
|---|---|
| George Washington | First President of the USA |
| Abraham Lincoln | 16th US President; abolished slavery |
| Napoleon Bonaparte | Emperor of France |
| Lenin | Leader of the Russian Revolution of 1917 |
| Joseph Stalin | Soviet leader (1924–1953) |
| Adolf Hitler | Dictator of Nazi Germany; started WWII |
| Winston Churchill | British Prime Minister during WWII |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | US President during most of WWII |
| Mao Zedong | Founder of the People’s Republic of China |
| Nelson Mandela | First black President of South Africa (1994); ended apartheid |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | Last leader of the Soviet Union; glasnost and perestroika |
Tricks to Remember
- The two World Wars: 1914–1918 and 1939–1945; Armistice on 11 November (11/11).
- 1776 (America), 1789 (France), 1917 (Russia): the three great revolutions.
- Hiroshima 6 August, Nagasaki 9 August 1945; the UN on 24 October 1945.
- 1961: Gagarin and the Berlin Wall; 1969: the Moon landing; 1989: the Wall fell.
Quick Tips
- Learn the three great revolutions: 1776, 1789 and 1917.
- Remember the start and the end of the two World Wars.
- Learn the Cold War events in order.
- Link the events with their leaders.
Quick Revision Points
- The French Revolution began in 1789.
- World War I: 1914–1918; World War II: 1939–1945.
- The UN was founded on 24 October 1945.
- The Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
- Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in 1969.
Practice Questions With Answers
- In which year did the French Revolution begin?
Answer: 1789 - Which event started World War II?
Answer: German invasion of Poland (1939) - On which date did World War I end?
Answer: 11 November 1918 - When was the United Nations founded?
Answer: 24 October 1945 - Who was the first man on the Moon?
Answer: Neil Armstrong - In which year did the Berlin Wall fall?
Answer: 1989 - Who led the Russian Revolution in 1917?
Answer: Lenin - In which year did Columbus reach America?
Answer: 1492 - Which city was hit by the first atomic bomb?
Answer: Hiroshima - Which agreement ended World War I with Germany?
Answer: Treaty of Versailles
How to Practise This Chapter
Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the General Knowledge notes page, read the previous topic Nicknames of Personalities, Places and Cities and the next topic Famous Monuments of India and Their Builders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Magna Carta?
A charter signed in 1215 by King John limiting the powers of the king.
When did the French Revolution begin?
In 1789.
What was the cause of World War I?
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.
When did World War II begin?
On 1 September 1939.
When was the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
On 6 August 1945.
What is the League of Nations?
An international organisation formed in 1920 after World War I.
What is the Cold War?
A period of tension between the USA and the USSR after World War II.
Who was the first person in space?
Yuri Gagarin in 1961.
What is NATO?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in 1949.
Is this topic asked in SSC?
Yes. World history events are asked in the GK section.
When did the USSR collapse?
In December 1991.
Who was the first President of the USA?
George Washington.
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Nicknames of Famous Personalities, Cities and Countries: Complete GK List for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS and GD
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Famous Monuments of India and Their Builders: Forts, Temples, Tombs and Memorials with Locations for SSC
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.