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Timeline of the Titanic’s Final Hours

Lusitania sinking, illustration from The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919. World War I, WWI. This image is one of three on the page. (See source file for the other two.)

7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks

illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that

America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

Why Is Ireland Two Countries?

Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment)

Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture

German machine gunners occupy a trench during World War I.

Weapons of World War I

Cuzco summary

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Cuzco.

Cuzco, Peru: cathedralThe cathedral of Cuzco, Peru.

Cuzco , City (pop., 2002 est.: 301,342), south-central Peru. It is located high in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of about 11,150 ft (3,400 m). One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere, it was founded in the 11th or 12th century and was once the capital of the vast Inca empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured the city in 1533. It suffered major earthquake damage in 1650 and again in 1950, though many sites have since been restored. Nearby ruins include Sacsahuamán, an ancient Inca fortress, and Machu Picchu, an Inca resort. Cuzco’s cathedral (1654) incorporates the foundation and several walls of the Temple of the Sun. Many of the city’s other buildings, including the university (1692), also date from the colonial era. The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

World Heritage site Summary

World Heritage site, any of various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural

Peru Summary

Peru, country in western South America. Except for the Lake Titicaca basin in the southeast, its borders lie in sparsely populated zones. The boundaries with Colombia to the northeast and Brazil to the east traverse lower ranges or tropical forests, whereas the borders with Bolivia to the

Map showing the countries of South America with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic and Pacific.

South America Summary

South America, fourth largest of the world’s continents. It is the southern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. The continent is compact and roughly triangular in shape, being broad in the north and tapering to a point—Cape

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Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Weapons of World War I

Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) (ad 50-54) the fifth Roman emperor (ad 54-68), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius.

Did Nero Really Fiddle as Rome Burned?

The impeachment trial of Pres. Andrew Johnson, illustration from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 28, 1868.

What If the President Is Impeached?

9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)

6 Important Mughal Emperors

World Heritage site summary

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see World Heritage site.

World Heritage site, Any of various areas or objects designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This convention, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, provides for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural and natural treasures throughout the world. Each site on the list is under strict legal protection by the government of the nation in which it is situated. Among the cultural sites are many of the world’s most famous buildings. The ratio of cultural to natural sites on the list is roughly three to one.

Angkor Wat Summary

Angkor Wat, temple complex at Angkor, near Siem Reap, Cambodia, that was built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II (reigned 1113–c. 1150) of the Khmer empire. The vast religious complex of Angkor Wat comprises more than a thousand buildings, and it is one of the great cultural wonders of the

Ashur, Iraq, designated a World Heritage site in 2003.

Ashur Summary

Ashur, ancient religious capital of Assyria, located on the west bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq. The first scientific excavations there were conducted by a German expedition (1903–13) led by Walter Andrae. Ashur was a name applied to the city, to the country, and to the principal god of

Chartres Cathedral Summary

Chartres Cathedral, Gothic cathedral located in the town of Chartres, northwestern France. Generally ranked as one of the three chief examples of Gothic French architecture (along with Amiens Cathedral and Reims Cathedral), it is noted not only for its architectural innovations but also for its

Valparaíso Summary

Valparaíso, city, capital of Valparaíso región, central Chile. It lies on the south side of a broad, open bay of the Pacific Ocean, 84 miles (140 km) northwest of the national capital of Santiago. The city stands on the slopes of a semicircular spur of the coastal mountain range that ends in the