History

Seventeen Provinces: a political entity of the late medieval Low Countries Seventeen Provinces Historic personal union of duchies, counties and lordships in the Low Countries (15th–16th centuries) that shaped modern Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and sparked the Dutch R…

Severan dynasty (Roman emperors, 193–235) Severan dynasty Roman imperial house founded by Septimius Severus that ruled 193–235 CE; noted for military dominance, legal reforms, influential imperial women, and a role in the lead-up to the T…

Sexagenary cycle (stems-and-branches) Sexagenary cycle A traditional East Asian system combining ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches into a 60-term cycle used to mark years, months, days and hours for calendars, astrology an…

Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) Shang dynasty Early historic Chinese dynasty on the Yellow River plain, known for bronze ritual vessels, oracle-bone writing, state formation, and archaeological remains at Anyang.

Shinjitai: Postwar simplified kanji forms in modern Japanese Shinjitai Shinjitai are the modern, simplified forms of many Japanese kanji introduced after World War II. This article explains their features, history, examples, and how they compare with…

Shiribeshi Province (Shiribeshi-no-kuni) Shiribeshi Province A short-lived Meiji-era province on western Hokkaido (1869–1882), roughly matching today’s Shiribeshi Subprefecture and northern Hiyama; known for ports, Ainu heritage and mountain…

Shitoku (Japanese era name, 1384–1387) Shitoku Shitoku was the Northern Court era name during the Nanboku-chō period, spanning February 1384 to August 1387. It overlapped rival Southern Court rule and the Ashikaga shogunate’s i…

Shōan (Japanese era, 1299–1302) Shōan Shōan was a Japanese era name (nengō) that lasted from April 1299 to November 1302, spanning part of the Kamakura period and the reigns of Emperors Go-Fushimi and Go-Nijō.

Shōchō (Japanese era, 1428–1429) Shōchō Shōchō was a short Japanese era (nengō) from April 1428 to September 1429, spanning the end of Emperor Shōkō's reign and the accession of Emperor Go-Hanazono during the Muromachi p…

Shōchū era (1324–1326) — Japanese nengō during Emperor Go‑Daigo's reign Shōchū (era) Shōchū (正中) was a Japanese era name from December 1324 to April 1326, covering part of Emperor Go‑Daigo's early reign in the late Kamakura period; it succeeded Genkō and preceded K…

Shōgen: the Japanese era name (1259–1260) Shōgen Shōgen (正元) was a short Japanese era name spanning March 1259 to April 1260, covering the transition between Emperors Go-Fukakusa and Kameyama within the classical nengō system.

Shōhei (era): Southern Court nengō of Japan, 1346–1370 Shōhei Shōhei (正平) was the era name used by Japan's Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period from December 1346 to July 1370, associated with Emperors Go-Murakami and Chōkei and rival…

Shōhō era (1644–1648) — Japanese nengō of the early Edo period Shōhō Shōhō (1644–1648) was a short Japanese era in the early Edo period under Emperor Go-Kōmyō and the Tokugawa shogunate. Overview, context, and its place among nengō.

Shōji (Japanese era) Shōji (era) Shōji (正治) was a Japanese era name from April 1199 to February 1201, under Emperor Tsuchimikado. It followed Kenkyū and preceded Kennin and belongs to the early Kamakura-period seq…

Shōka: Japanese era name (1257–1259) Shōka Shōka (正嘉) was a short Japanese era during the Kamakura period, running from March 1257 to March 1259 under Emperor Go-Fukakusa. It is one of many nengō used to mark imperial years…

Shoku Nihongi (Continuation of the Chronicles of Japan) Shoku Nihongi An official Japanese court history compiled in 797 CE covering 697–791. Second of the Six National Histories, it records imperial reigns, court affairs, rituals, disasters and fore…

Shōkyō (正慶): a Japanese era of the Northern Court, April 1332–April 1334 Shōkyō Shōkyō (正慶) was a nengō used by the Northern Court from April 1332 to April 1334, a short era in the time of rival Northern and Southern courts associated with Emperor Kōgon and Em…

Shōō (Kamakura period): Japanese era 1288–1293 Shōō (Kamakura period) Shōō (正応) was a Japanese era name from April 1288 to August 1293 during the Kamakura shogunate, concurrent with Emperor Fushimi. It followed Kōan and preceded Einin and saw politic…

Shōryaku era (990–995) — a Heian period nengō Shōryaku Shōryaku (正暦) was a Japanese era name from November 990 to February 995, spanning part of Emperor Ichijō’s reign during the Heian period and marking years in court calendars and re…

Shōtai (Japanese era, 898–901) Shōtai Shōtai (昌泰) was a Japanese era name used from April 898 to July 901 during the early Heian period, covering the early reign of Emperor Daigo and used for official dating and court…

Shōtoku (Japanese era, 1711–1716) Shōtoku (era) Shōtoku was a Japanese era name from April 1711 to June 1716 under Emperor Nakamikado; the nengō means “Correct Virtue” and it bridged the late Hōei era and the Kyōhō reforms of th…

Shōwa (Kamakura period, 1312–1317) Shōwa (Kamakura period) Shōwa (正和) was a Japanese era from March 1312 to February 1317 during the Kamakura period, under Emperor Hanazono. It followed Ōchō and preceded Bunpō within the nengō system.

Shōwa period (1926–1989) Shōwa period Japanese era (Shōwa) from 1926 to 1989 under Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), spanning prewar militarism, World War II, Allied occupation, and postwar economic recovery and social transfo…

Shuchō (朱鳥) — the brief Japanese era of 686 Shuchō Shuchō (朱鳥) was a short-lived Japanese era name in 686 CE, spanning only a few months during the transition from Emperor Tenmu to Empress Jitō; notable for its rarity and symbolic…

Shunga Empire (mid-2nd–1st century BCE) Shunga Empire A polity that replaced the Mauryan state in northern India, noted for military activity, patronage of arts and learning, and a transition toward regional kingdoms; founded by Pushy…

Siberian Intervention (1918–1922): Allied expedition in the Russian Civil War Siberian Intervention Foreign military intervention in Siberia and the Russian Far East (1918–1922) by Allied states and Japan during the Russian Civil War; causes, course, and consequences.

Silla: an overview of the Korean kingdom (57 BC–935 AD) Silla Silla was a Korean kingdom (57 BC–935) centered on Gyeongju. It evolved distinctive institutions, adopted Buddhism, contributed major art and architecture, unified much of the peni…

Sino‑Soviet split: causes, course, and global consequences Sino-Soviet split The Sino‑Soviet split was the breakdown of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, reshaping communist movements and global align…

Sixpence (British coin) A former British small silver and later cupronickel coin worth six old pence (half‑shilling). First struck in the mid‑16th century, decimalised to 2½ new pence in 1971 and withdraw…

Slave states and free states in U.S. history Slave states and free states Overview of U.S. slave states and free states: definitions, legal and social differences, key events and legislation, the role in the sectional conflict and abolition with the Thir…

Slavery in the United States: History, Structure, and Legacy Slavery in the United States An overview of the institution of slavery in what became the United States, its legal and economic structures, development from colonial times to abolition, and its cultural and hi…

Soap made from human corpses: history, myths and investigations Soap made from human corpses An overview of wartime rumors that Nazis produced soap from corpses, the limited evidence and research behind those claims, postwar inquiries, and the significance for memory and h…

Solomonid dynasty of Ethiopia Solomonid dynasty Royal house claiming descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; ruled Ethiopia from 1270 until the mid-20th century and shaped its religion, culture and state institutions.

Song dynasty (960–1279): politics, culture and innovation Song dynasty Chinese dynasty from 960 to 1279 that reunified much of China, advanced technology, commerce and arts, and divided into Northern and Southern periods before falling to the Mongols.

Songhai Empire (15th–16th century West Africa) Songhai Empire A dominant Sahelian state of the 15th–16th centuries, centered on Gao, Timbuktu and Djenné; noted for trans‑Saharan trade, Islamic scholarship, strong military rule and eventual de…

Southern Court (Nanchō) of Japan — the Yoshino imperial line, 1336–1392 Southern Court The Southern Court (Nanchō) was the rival imperial line based at Yoshino during Japan’s Nanboku-chō division (1336–1392), led by Emperor Go-Daigo and his successors and later judge…

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands were the southern territories of the historic Low Countries, encompassing most of modern Belgium and neighbouring areas; ruled successively by Spain, Austr…

Southern Rhodesia: history, governance, and path to Zimbabwe Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British colony in southern Africa that evolved from company rule to settler government, experienced unilateral independence and conflict, and…

Soweto Uprising (16 June 1976) Soweto uprising A student-led series of protests in South Africa against compulsory Afrikaans in schools that sparked national unrest, drew international attention, and is commemorated as Youth Da…

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939): causes, course, and legacy Spanish Civil War A concise encyclopedia overview of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939): political roots, main factions, international involvement, human cost, and long-term consequences for Spain an…

Spanish colonization of the Americas Overview of Spanish exploration, conquest, colonial institutions, and lasting impacts from Columbus's 1492 arrival to 19th-century independence movements.

Spanish conquest of Yucatán The multi-century Spanish campaign to bring the Maya polities of the Yucatán Peninsula and neighbouring lowlands under colonial rule, begun in the early 1500s and completed only in…

Spanish Empire (Hispanic Monarchy): Origins, Reach and Legacy Spanish Empire Comprehensive overview of the Spanish Empire: its rise after the Reconquista, global expansion, administration, culture, military strengths, decline and lasting legacy.

Spanish Golden Age (El Siglo de Oro) Spanish Golden Age A cultural flowering in Spain from the late 15th to the 17th century marked by major advances in literature, drama, painting, architecture and the consolidation of Castilian langua…

Spanish Inquisition A royal tribunal established in late 15th‑century Spain to enforce Catholic orthodoxy; notable for its procedures, targets (conversos, moriscos, Protestants), public punishments an…

Spanish–American War (1898): Causes, Campaigns, and Consequences Spanish–American War Overview of the 1898 conflict between Spain and the United States, its causes, principal battles, treaty terms, and the war's role in ending Spain's colonial era and expanding US i…

Storm history and legacy of Hurricane Katrina Storm history of Hurricane Katrina Chronological account of Hurricane Katrina's development, track, impacts, and legacy, including formation near the Bahamas, Gulf intensification, landfalls on Florida and the Gulf…

Sub-Roman Britain The transitional era in Britain after the Roman military withdrawal (c. 410–early 7th century): political fragmentation, cultural continuity, Anglo‑Saxon settlement, and the archae…