Time Period	Key Developments	People and Vocabulary
1900–1914	Tensions among European powers rise due to nationalism, militarism, and imperial rivalries Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparks World War I	Nationalism Militarism Imperial Rivalry Archduke Franz Ferdinand Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance Allied Powers Central Powers
1914–1918	World War I reshapes empires and leads to new nation-states The Treaty of Versailles imposes harsh terms on Germany	World War I WWI Trench Warfare Chemical Warfare League of Nations Woodrow Wilson David Lloyd George Georges Clemenceau
1919–1939	Rise of totalitarian regimes in Italy, Germany, and Japan Economic depression (Great Depression) destabilizes governments	Fascism Nazism Totalitarianism Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Mao Zedong Great Depression Hoovervilles New Deal
1939–1945	World War II breaks out after Germany invades Poland Axis powers expand across Europe, Africa, and Asia Holocaust and other atrocities occur	World War II WWII Axis Powers Allies Holocaust Nuremberg Trials Pearl Harbor D-Day Hiroshima/Nagasaki Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin
1945–1991	Formation of the United Nations and Cold War tensions between the U.S. and USSR Nuclear arms race and ideological conflict shape global politics	Cold War Iron Curtain Containment Policy UN Charter Marshall Plan Truman Doctrine Joseph Stalin Harry S. Truman Khrushchev

Time Period	Key Developments	People and Vocabulary
1945–1960	Decolonization accelerates in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia Many former colonies face challenges like poverty and political instability	Decolonization Non-Aligned Movement Mahatma Gandhi Jomo Kenyatta Ho Chi Minh Indian Independence Act (1947) Partition of India
1945–1960	The Cold War divides the world into capitalist and communist blocs Proxy wars occur in Korea, Vietnam, and Latin America	Cold War Proxy Wars Iron Curtain Berlin Wall Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy Khrushchev Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jr.
1960–1980	Civil rights movements gain momentum in the U.S. and globally Women's rights, anti-colonial resistance, and environmental awareness grow	Civil Rights Movement Second Wave Feminism Montreal Olympics Iranian Revolution (1979) Malcolm X Rosa Parks Golda Meir Yasser Arafa
1980–1991	End of the Cold War with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union Rise of multinational corporations and globalization	Glasnost Perestroika Fall of the Berlin Wall Ronald Reagan Mikhail Gorbachev Lech Wałęsa Multinational Corporations Globalization
1900–Present	Wars of national liberation challenge colonial rule Conflicts like the Korean War and Vietnam War reflect global tensions	Wars of Liberation Vietnam War Korean War Ho Chi Minh Kim Il-sung Fidel Castro Anti-Colonial Movements Self-Determination

Time Period	Key Developments	People and Vocabulary
1900–1945	Science and technology reshape global communication and transportation Medical advances save lives and extend life expectancy	Green Revolution Penicillin Vaccines Albert Einstein Marie Curie Alexander Fleming Science and Technology Industrialization
1945–1990	Postwar reconstruction and economic development lead to rising standards of living in some regions The rise of multinational corporations transforms economies	Economic Development Multinational Corporations European Recovery Program (Marshall Plan) John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Free Trade Capitalism vs. Socialism
1990–Present	Digital revolution transforms how people communicate and access information Environmental issues become urgent, including climate change and deforestation	Internet Social Media Climate Change Silicon Valley Environmental Organizations Greta Thunberg Barack Obama Angela Merkel Global Warming Deforestation Biodiversity Loss
1990–Present	Global health crises such as HIV/AIDS and more recently, pandemics like Covid-19, highlight interconnectedness Migration patterns shift due to war, economic hardship, and climate change	Pandemics Public Health Crises Refugees Asylum Seekers Climate Migration UNESCO WHO International Monetary Fund (IMF) Covid-19 Pandemic HIV/AIDS Crisis
1990–Present	Women’s roles continue to evolve, with increased access to education and workforce participation Human rights movements push for equality, justice, and reform	Feminist Movements Human Rights Suffrage Gender Equality LGBTQ+ Rights Malala Yousafzai Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Unit 7, 8, and 9 CED