World history | Arts and humanities | Khan Academy

Khan Academy: World History Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive chronological survey of human history, organized into six primary units and thematic modules.

• Unit 1: Beginnings – 600 BCE
  • Focuses on prehistory, the Paleolithic era, the Neolithic Revolution, and the birth of agriculture.
  • Covers early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, Mesoamerica, and the Andes.
• Unit 2: 600 BCE – 600 CE (Second-Wave Civilizations)
  • Explores state-building in Persia, Classical Greece (including the Peloponnesian War), and the Roman Republic/Empire.
  • Examines the rise of Chinese dynasties, philosophies (Legalism, Daoism), and the development of major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism).
  • Covers transregional trade, specifically the Silk Road.
• Unit 3: 600 – 1450 (Regional and Interregional Interactions)
  • Covers the Byzantine Empire, the rise and spread of Islam, the Golden Age of Baghdad, and the Crusades.
  • Examines Song China, Medieval Japan, and the Mongol Empire.
  • Analyzes social and economic structures, including serfdom, peasant revolts, financial institutions, and the impact of disease (demography).
  • Covers the Americas (Maya, Aztec, Inca) and human migration patterns.
• Units 4 & 5: 1450 – 1900 (Renaissance, Reformation, and Revolution)
  • Covers the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther, Counter-Reformation), the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment.
  • Includes the American and French Revolutions, and the Napoleonic era.
• Unit 6: The 20th Century
  • Focuses on the causes and fronts of World War I, the aftermath, and the reshaping of the Middle East.
  • Covers the rise of Fascism (Mussolini) and Nazism (Hitler).
  • Provides a detailed timeline of World War II from 1939 to 1945.
• Course Note: The current course content is scheduled for updates on June 30, 2026.