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Presentation Guidelines

GOAL: The point of your talk is to share your research paper’s thesis and your arguments in support of it. Obviously, you cannot discuss everything that your paper covers – just as you cannot discuss everything in your paper that your research uncovers.

THE CRITERIA FOR THE PRESENTATION:

• clarity of thesis
• organization and development of the argument
• introduction, argument’s main points, and conclusion
• historical detail and accuracy
• delivery (eye contact, posture, movements, voice, pronunciation, grammar)
• adherence to the time limit

THE INTRODUCTION:

• The presentation must have a clear introduction that explains what your talk will be about. It should make clear how your talk will be organized and your main points.
• It is almost impossible for an introduction to be too explicit in its explanation of your topic, thesis, and organization. Do not be afraid to list, for instance, the four main points of your argument.

THE BODY OF THE PRESENTATION:

• The supporting arguments for the thesis presented in your introduction must be clearly organized and carefully and explicitly (if briefly) explained.
• Assume that your audience is smart, but completely unfamiliar with your topic. Remember that your listeners cannot “reread” your talk in order to understand parts that you do not make clear.
• The audience has only your quickly passing spoken words to help understand your presentation, so your organization and your explanations must be more explicit than in your paper and must use organization and content appropriate to a talk, not to a paper.
• For example, explain in your introduction that you will discuss four points; list them. As you reach each during your talk, announce that you are now on point one. “Too obvious” is not a phrase often associated with oral presentations.

THE CONCLUSION:

• You should reiterate the key points of your presentation.
• You should discuss the direction that future research should take.
• You should come up with a clear, structured ending.

VISUAL AIDS:

Do not forget that what is clear and simple to you will likely be complex and confusing to your audience; your audience may benefit from a visual aid.

Use visual aids or handouts to illustrate your points—or perhaps use the blackboard, either at the outset for reference or during the talk for explanation/emphasis.  [This visual aid could just be a map, chronology, picture or photograph of the person/topic/event being studied.]  Bear in mind, however, these points:

• Make sure all aids looked “professional.”  Sloppy, marginally relevant, materials are worse than none at all.
• If handouts (or other visual aids) are not brief and easy to read, your audience will be reading rather than listening.
• Never use a visual aid without telling listeners when to refer to it (e.g., “As you can see on the handout” and “As the diagram on the board demonstrates”). A quick nod in the direction of the board or at a handout is not sufficient.
• If you do use PowerPoint, remember that it should augment your presentation, not BE the presentation.
• Do a practice run in the room with the computer ahead of time.
• Bring the presentation on multiple formats (CD-ROM, USB Flash Key, email attachment).

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• Do not write out your presentation verbatim. You should use carefully constructed note cards. Many professors will require you to turn the note cards in immediately after your talk.
• It is important that your graded presentation is NOT the first time you deliver your talk before an audience. Receive advice and encouragement–as well as a taste of standing before an audience–before you speak for a grade. Adjust your presentation according to the advice you receive about clarity, organization, mannerisms, etc. Practice also to make sure you are taking full advantage of your allotted time, that you do not run over, and that time signals do not fluster you.
• If the classroom is available–as it usually is on weekends and most evenings–use it for practice sessions.
• You should take advantage of the various resources that the  Speaking Center  can provide.
• Be reasonable about nervousness; everyone has “butterflies” when they address a group.
• You will feel more nervous that you look.
• Remember that you have an understanding audience, one that is going through the same things you are.
• Also remember that this assignment is a learning exercise; you are NOT expected to be flawless; you are expected to be new at this process. In other words, this presentation is no different from your graded written assignments. It is a learning exercise to help you do better in future presentations.

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How to Give a Twenty Minute Oral Presentation

Getting organized….

• Organize your major points on a page or a page and a half of paper.
• Type all quotations (or xerox them) on separate pieces of paper so you can find them at the appropriate time.
• Prepare a transparency or multiple copies for the class if you have special maps, a chronology, technical terms, or illustrations that everyone should see.

When you begin…

• Start out with a strong, clear thesis of what your presentation is all about.
• Make sure you have a limited number of major points which you stress, and illustrate.
• Have a sense of how long you will take by practicing before a mirror or an available roommate.

As you start to write…

• Remember that you will know more than you put down on paper. Try for a limit of ten pages (which is more difficult than fifty!).
• Begin with a substantive statement of the topic/problem you are dealing with.
• End with a summary, with questions that are left unanswered, with a new thought that you would like to pursue. The end of your paper should be as strong and interesting as the beginning.
• Use standard footnote procedures. Jacques Barzun and Henry Graffís The Modern Researcher or Kate Turabianís Manual will serve as references. You may use anthropological style (Author, year of publication: page number) if you organize your bibliography properly: Author. Year. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.
• Footnotes and bibliography may be at the end; however, footnotes that explain something in the text should be at the bottom of that page. So, if the major notes are at the end, and something in the text needs explaining, use a symbol in the text, * for instance, and place the explanation at the bottom of the page.
• Proofread. No “A” paper can be sloppy, full of typos and misspellings.

– Eleanor Zelliot

See also: How to Lead a Class Discussion

The World of Teaching

Free Teacher resources including over 1000 Powerpoint presentations

History powerpoint free to download for teachers

Powerpoint presentations on history free to download.

History is the study of past events, particularly human activities, societies, and civilizations. It encompasses the exploration, analysis, interpretation, and understanding of the past based on various sources of evidence, such as written records, archaeological findings, oral traditions, artifacts, and more. History aims to reconstruct and narrate the story of humanity’s journey over time, examining the actions, ideas, and experiences of people from different eras and regions.

Below are a list of historical powerpoint presentations.

By studying history, we can gain insights into how societies have evolved, understand the factors that have shaped human progress, and learn from the successes and failures of the past. It helps us develop a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of our own cultural, social, and political contexts.

Please submit history powerpoints at the foot of this page

Anything you have also produced to enable other history teachers around the world to benefit.

Overall, history provides a foundation for understanding our present, illuminates the complexities of human behavior, and contributes to our collective knowledge and identity as a civilization.

Please submit any of your own powerpoints using the form below. It is very much appreciated.

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Free History Templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Make your presentations and lessons stand out with these free templates for History .  

Download them to use with PowerPoint or edit them in Google Slides and start creating!

Celebrate Women in Style: Free PowerPoint and Google Slides template for International Women’s Day. Mark your calendars, because March 8th is all about celebrating the incredible achievements of women worldwide! This year, elevate your International Women’s Day presentations with this inspiring PowerPoint and Google Slides template. You can showcase the […]

Free PPT & Google Slides Theme for International Women’s Day.

Showcase historical figures and highlight key moments in Black history with this free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme February is Black History Month, a time to honor the achievements and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. This year, elevate your presentations with this stunning PowerPoint template and Google Slides […]

Celebrate Black History Month with this free PPT & Google Slides theme.

History and Art scrapbook free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme. A walk through art & history free template is perfect for your next history or art presentation. It features a scrapbook style filled with sticker images of famous sculptures and statues, such as Michelangelo’s David and The Winged Victory […]

A walk through art & history free scrapbook presentation template.

Free newspaper style presentation template for PowerPoint and Google Slides. A simple template that resembles a newspaper and its sections. And since it’s a newspaper you can use this theme for a large number of subjects. Current affairs and news, economy, leisure, or you can ask your students to write […]

Newspaper style Google Slides and Ppt presentation template.

Free Template for PowerPoint and Google Slides MacCarthy MacCarthy is a simple template that resembles an old newspaper. You can use it for a history or journaling lesson. In order to for the images to match its style, once you have inserted your pictures, select them and click on Format Options, […]

MacCarthy Old Newspaper theme for Google Slides and ppt. Updated Template.

Old paper and maps free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme for history lessons and presentations. Ready to navigate history? Grab your compass and let’s start this journey! This history template features old paper, maps, a globe and a compass and it’s perfect to talk about the world trough history […]

Old Maps History Lesson free theme.

Africa landscapes and animals free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme Africa Viva is perfect to talk about Africa, the savannah or the animal kingdom. It has beautiful sunset colors and papercut style landscapes made with different layers. I’ve included two different title slides, one with the African continent and […]

Africa Viva, free presentation template.

China inspired free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme This template was designed by my 12yo daughter. She had to make a presentation for school about Ancient China, so here it’s the result: Cherry blossom trees, a sketch of the Great Wall, lanterns, clouds and even a dragon. All this […]

A Chinese Tale. A China inspired presentation template.

Free animated Google Slides and PowerPoint template. Create a presentation that looks like an old movie intro – with countdown and everything! – using this free Google Slides and PowerPoint template. This template features a vintage film reel design with a countdown timer and it is perfect for anyone looking […]

Old movie intro aesthetic free animated presentation template.

Free PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. Harlow is a creative free template to use with Google Slides or download as PowerPoint. It features organic shapes and littles touches of bronze. This free presentation template has organic shapes with different shades of brown with some touches of bronze. Use it […]

Harlow, organic shapes slides template.

Free PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. Celebrate Black History Month slides backgrounds. Black History Month celebrates the contributions that black people have made to the world. Some countries, like US or Canada, celebrate it on February, while others, like the UK do it in October. DOWNLOAD POWERPOINT OPEN IN […]

Black History Month slides presentation theme.

Free PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. Free virtual art gallery to showcase students’ work or to create an interactive lesson. Another special request! This time by Ximena. Given that now most schools don’t allow to display anything on the walls, and that many students are distance learning, she needed […]

Virtual Art Gallery, interactive template.

Free PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. This is a Classified template; you shouldn’t be reading this! Unless you are a SlidesManiac and therefore you are authorized! This free template for Google Slides or PowerPoint is perfect for school activities such us digital breakouts, a history lesson, to investigate a […]

Top Secret, these slides are classified.

Free Template for PowerPoint and Google Slides Presentations Monet Monet free presentation template is, of course, perfect for presentations about art! Even though I chose Monet, you can use images from any other artist. I have found these images on the Art Institute of Chicago website. If you have time, I […]

Monet Free Template for Google Slides or PowerPoint Presentations

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Free Presentations in PowerPoint format for American History

Explorers, Colonization

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Index of Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities for American History

Explore American History

For kids and teachers, creating a new nation.

• Native Americans in Olden Times
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• 1st and 2nd Continential Congress
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• Events Leading up to the American Civil War
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• 13th Amendment ending slavery forever
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Growth in the West

The nation grows, world war i, the great war, the roaring 20s, the great depression, slavery in america, segregation for kids - civil rights, us holidays.

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History Presentation Templates

Captivating history powerpoint templates and google slides themes with vintage charm are ready to use. step back in time with our 100% customizable presentation slides. engage your viewers with stunning visuals, antique elements, and various historical themes to bring your narratives to life. perfect for educators, students, and historians. explore now.

• Aesthetic Vintage Look: Every history PPT template comes with a touch of nostalgia, perfectly mirroring the era it represents.
• Captivating Visuals: With our history slides, your audience will be engrossed by the mesmerizing visuals that range from nautical adventures to the medieval era and the art history thesis.
• Versatility: Whether you're discussing ancient history or specific figures and events, our templates come specialized, so your content always finds a fitting background.
• Editable Features: Our editable features ensure that every history template becomes uniquely yours to fit the narrative.
• Diverse Imagery: Our slides are filled with rich visuals that transport your audience back in time.

We're here to help you!

What are history presentation templates.

History Presentation templates are ready-made presentation slides that contain pre-formatted graphics, text, and animation that you can use to create a professional-looking presentation about any historical event, person, or period.

Where can we use these History Slides?

You can use these History Slides for educational activities in a classroom, lectures, seminars, or presentations at conferences or special events. They can also be used as a reference tool for research or as a teaching aid to help explain a specific historical event or period.

How can I make History PPT Slides in a presentation?

Create a PowerPoint with high-quality, high-resolution images. Add color and texture to your slides. Also, use attractive fonts and font sizes to create a unique look for your slides. Suppose you want to learn how to use the PowerPoint tool. Visit Tips and tricks for detailed instructions.

Who can use History Presentation Templates?

Anyone can use History Presentation Templates to create an informative presentation about a historical event or period. They can be used by teachers, students, historians, and museums.

Why do we need History Presentation Slides?

History Presentation slides provide an efficient and effective way to present historical information to a class or audience. They offer a visual representation of the material with images and text.

Where can I find free History Presentation Templates?

Many websites offer free History Presentation templates. Slide egg is one of the best PowerPoint providers. Our websites' uniquely designed templates make your presentation more engaging and visually appealing.

Cool History Topics: 151 Great Historical Events & Ideas

History is one of the most fascinating and influential fields of study. It’s not merely a narration of the events of the past but a constant search for answers. It’s a re-examination of our human experience and understanding of how far we have come.

There are thousands of interesting history topics that a student can write an essay about. From ancient tribes to the modern world issues, there are plenty of things to explore. However, you might still find it challenging to work on your history project, presentation, or research paper.

There are a few reasons why:

First of all, there are too many choices to pick one. Secondly, when it comes to history, saying something new and genuinely original is tough. A lot of people try to find a research topic that will be fun to write about. You can feel as if all the ideas were already examined.

This is why our team has come together to provide you with this list of cool history topics to write about. Find some unique and fresh ideas on our page!

For some students, picking a popular topic in history is not enough. They want something unique and cool. If you are one of these students, this list can give you some fresh ideas on cool history topics to write about.

• ✨ Top Interesting Topics
• 😎 What Idea is Cool?
• 🥇 Important Events
• 📌 10 Cool Events
• ✨ Popular Topics
• 💡 American History
• 🌍 World History
• 🏺 Ancient History

✨ 15 Interesting History Topics

• World Wonders.
• Chernobyl Disaster.
• Ancient Egypt.
• The Cold War.
• The Red Scare.
• The Holocaust.
• Edo Period.
• Famous Italian Painters.
• The Civil War.
• The 20 th Century.
• Thirty Years’ War.
• South African Apartheid.
• Modern World History.
• Eiffel Tower.
• The Great Depression.

😎 What Is a Cool History Topic?

You may still wonder whether the topic you chose to talk about is cool enough. Well, you can ask people around you to determine. Don’t settle for a random history topic. Make sure it is worth your time.

Talk to your friends, your family, and people you know. Question them about the most important event in world history. It is a good topic to talk about with your friends and learn about exciting events in history. Another great option would be looking up free college essays collected in a samples database. They usually cover a variety of topics and include numerous paper types.

If you don’t have time, this list will give you ideas about some cool history topics to write about. Consider the options, pick the most engaging one, and start your paper.

🥇 Most Important Historical Events

Selecting one of the events that changed the world is a daunting task for anyone. You might ask, with everything that has happened in the past 5000 years, how can you choose what was the most important?

Here is our list of the most important historical events ever:

• Alexander the Great: the political and cultural impact of Alexander the Great’s Conquest . Alexander the Great was one of the most influential kings of the ancient world. In the essay about his political and cultural impact, talk about his military campaigns. How did he, by the age of 30, create one of the biggest Empires in the world? Allow the readers to see how big and powerful the empire was. Elaborate on the legacy that Alexander the Great left after his death.
• The Factors that contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire . Historians agree on several factors that contributed to it. At the beginning of the essay, identify them. You can also decide to focus on several factors that seem the most important.
• Islam and Christianity Impact on the Middle Ages
• Nudity in the paintings of the Italian Renaissance
• Leonardo Da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor . An essay about this person is destined to be intriguing. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most captivating figures in the history of humankind. Just imagine: he was an artist, a scientist, and an inventor at the same time. You can pick several most important paintings to talk about. How about The Mona Lisa or The Last Supper?
• Could World War II be prevented?
• How will historians remember the 2010s?
• Heroes after the Middle Ages
• Impact of the Black Death: the greatest population disaster
• American family’s changes since the 20th century
• Racism and Education in the United States . In this essay, students should focus on the history of discrimination in the United States. You can talk about Brown versus The Board of Education but try to go a bit further. Think about disproportionate funding in the public education sector. See if there is a connection with the minorities. Where do they live and go to school?
• Was there a need to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• The Fall of Constantinople – the greatest capital in the world. Your tutor will most probably expect you to write about the greatness of the city. But this essay topic should focus on the fall of it. Talk about the last decades of the city and about the most important factors that contributed to the fall of it.
• What were the effects of Gutenberg’s Printing Press? The printing revolutions started after Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. It’s another transformational event in world history. It was crucial in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Age of Enlightenment. This topic has a lot of things you can talk about.
• The Ideology of Colonialism
• Paradoxicality of Christianity and Slavery. Not many people know, but Christian slaveholders used religion to justify slavery. They usually picked up verses from the book of Genesis and interpreted them in the manner that served their needs. Sometimes they used the New Testament to justify slavery. You could compare the attitude early Christians had towards slaves and how it changed.
• The scar of colonialism and the presence of post-colonialism
• Impact of the American revolution on women. Women played an integral part during the revolution. Depending on their social status, their involvement varied. They affected the revolution a lot, but also the revolution had a great impact on them. Women did not have any political voice in Colonial America. So, see how it changed after the American Revolution was over.

• The Rise and Fall of Napoleon
• Culture, work, and social change after the Industrial Revolution
• Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
• French Revolution: why Marie Antoinette lost her head?
• The importance of the Berlin Wall in the Cold War
• Communism Collapse in the USSR . Write about what caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discuss Gorbachev’s decision to democratize the Soviet Union and how people reacted to it. Write about the impact that the collapse of the Soviet Union had around the world.

📌 10 Cool Events in History to Write About

• The Apollo 11 Landing – 1969.
• Formation of the UN – 1945.
• The Suffrage Movement – 1847-1920.
• The American Revolution – 1775-1783.
• Fall of the Wall – 1989.
• The Gunpowder Plot – 1605.
• Discover of DNA – 1860s.
• 20th Century Space Race – 1955-1975.
• The Trojan War – 12th Century BCE.
• The Renaissance – 15th-16th Century.

✨ Most Popular History Topics

This list is great if those who want to pick one of the famous topics in history. The selected ideas have a great depth to them. They are relevant and will be excellent to write about. You will be able to find information in history encyclopedias, journals, articles, and podcasts.

Moreover, your classmates and teacher will like your research too. Here’s our list of popular history essay topic:

• The Industrial Revolution and how did it change England
• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States . Elaborate on the political climate before the civil rights movements. Discuss the events that triggered it in the United States. What was the movement able to achieve? If you choose this essay topic, be ready to have a strong opinion about it.
• Martin Luther King: the life and death. Another idea that, in a way, relates to the civil rights movement essay topic. It’s impossible to explore race relationships without talking about Martin Luther King. He was a bright and influential individual. For sure, this essay topic is among the most popular ones.
• The autobiography of Malcolm X
• French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era
• Causes of the 1812 war . Write about the immediate causes and the remote causes of the 1812 war. You can also talk about the groups that opposed the war and the groups that supported it.
• Why did William win the battle of Hastings?
• Mongol’s Conquest Causes, Battles, and Results
• Music and paintings during the Renaissance in Italy
• Compare British and American slavery. Examine the differences and similarities between British and American slavery. For a very long time, historians believed that the Southern type of slavery was harsher. Think about it and examine the evidence that you have. You can use slave diaries and the novels they wrote about their experiences.
• Dehumanizing psychology of slavery: does it still exist?
• Transatlantic Slave Trade: from West Africa to the Americas
• African-American cultural identity
• The history of Buddhism
• The lasting impact of Karl Marx’s works. Karl Marx was not a politician, nor he ever considered implementing his ideas. However, not that long after his death, his works were picked up. They were interpreted and revolutionized. This is a great essay topic for everyone who is looking for an engaging theme to write about.

• The history of math
• The fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of feudalism
• When did Pearl Harbor become a naval base?
• Economic Recession in the United States in the 2000s
• Mental Illness in America: Nellie Bly, Kate Chopin, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Canadian history through sports. Canada is all about sports. In this essay, write about how the image of Canada was continuously shaped by sports victories. It’s a fascinating and cool topic to explore.
• The space race during the Cold War
• Positive and Negative Effects of the Cold War. The Cold War was a different type of conflict. While it created a lot of calamity and negativity, there were some positive sides to it as well. Talk about those effects. For instance, focus on political stability, or economic growth, or the space race.
• The history of aviation
• Post-Civil war reconstruction in American history
• The role of Capitalism and the life of workers
• Arab-Israeli conflict

🔥 Top 76 Coolest History Topics

If you are looking for the coolest history topic, you are in the right place. Find a title that interests you personally and start writing. Be sure the process of writing won’t be tedious. Instead, it should make you curious about more historical events of the past.

We combined this list of topics to help you get inspired.

💡 Cool American History Topics

• How did the Civil War affect the distribution of wealth in the United States?
• The 1992 Los Angeles Riots
• African Communities in America . African Communities in America have a long history. It’s full of discrimination, slavery, the oppression. Despite all of that, African communities in the United States are among the fastest-growing.
• Condition of Women and Minorities During the War
• The first wave of immigration to the United States
• Racism and segregation in the US
• The first civilizations of the Native Americans
• Did Barack Obama change America? Barack Obama was the first African American President in the United States. Look at the political reforms, foreign and immigration policies implemented during his presidency. Then, try to answer this question for yourself.
• A bill of rights and an amendment
• The origins of automobile drag racing in the U.S.

• How did the highway system change US culture? America has one of the best highways in the world. All thanks to the 1921 Federal-Aid Highway Act and 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Acts. They led to a highway system to become faster and even more efficient. It allowed America to be interconnected. Talk about the effects it had on economic, political, cultural life.
• Events after the Pearl Harbor invasion
• The American red and blue state divide . Every single state had both conservative and liberal voters. However, since the 2000 United States Presidential elections, blue and red states were referred. The respective voters predominantly choose the Democratic party or the Republican party. In this essay, write about this divide. Talk about the differences between both groups of voters.
• The development of clinical psychology in America
• The founders of clinical psychology in the United States. In this essay, talk about the founders of clinical psychology in the United States. Discuss what is clinical psychology and what makes it different from general psychology. Explore how this field evolved in the world and how it started in the United States.
• African American soldiers during the Vietnam War
• Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
• How did the media shape Americans’ perceptions of the Vietnam War?
• Native American Weaponry
• History of American Stock Market
• How did the Great Depression end?

🌍 Cool World History Topics

• How Capitalism beat Communism
• The Cold war and its consequences for the world
• How Genghis Khan conquered Persia
• How Aborigines made Australia
• The history of the Mayan Civilization
• How did women’s rights in America change over the last century. In this essay, talk about how far women’s rights advanced in the previous century. Look at the 1920 and 2020 to see what actual steps were taken and what has been changed.

• The most important events in the history of the Ottoman Empire.
• Enlightening and Revolution: Europe and India
• Gender Inequality and Socio-Economic Development
• The Decolonization of Africa. The road to independence for African countries was paved with blood and tears. The decolonization of Africa is a period between 1950 and 1975. During this time, African countries fought for independence. Examine the external and internal causes. Elaborate on the economic and political effects of decolonization.
• The influences between Greece, Egypt, and Rome.
• Nuclear Arms Race between the US and the USSR
• Chairman Mao and the Great Chinese Revolution
• History of Modern South Africa. This beautiful Southern African nation had extremely upsetting pages in its modern history. From nationalism to apartheid, terrorism, and racial segregation and oppression. Nowadays, South Africa is among one of the strongest economies in Africa. In this essay topic, you have a lot to talk about.
• The importance of teaching boys and girls about gender equality
• The social psychology of gender inequality
• Women in World War II
• China in Revolution
• History of Jews and the Holocaust
• European Image of the African 1400-1600
• American and French Revolution
• What happened at the Nuremberg trials? Talk about the Nuremberg trials and what is the importance of it. Gladly, we have the trials recorded, so you can just see it for yourself.
• History of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This moment during the Cold War is crucial. The confrontation is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a nuclear war. Comment on the blockade, the international response. How did the crisis end? What effect did this event have for the people of Cuba?
• The European Union and the European crisis
• East versus West
• Totalitarian regimes in Germany and USSR

🏺 Cool Ancient History Topics

• Mesopotamian influence on the Oman Peninsula
• Why were the pyramids built? This essay will be fun to write about. Who isn’t intrigued by the Egyptian pyramids? There are plenty of legends, stories, and myths that surround the architectural monuments. We suggest you look into the facts. Make your arguments based on proven historical findings and evidence.
• The kings of Ancient Egypt
• Alexander the Great’s Reign
• Fall of the Ancient Roman Empire. The fall of the Ancient Roman Empire, without any doubt, is one of the most important historical topics. Explore how gradual the process of decline was. Discuss the military, political, and financial reasons for the fall.
• The culture of Ancient Greece
• Race in Ancient Egypt
• Religion in Ancient Greece
• The government organization of Ancient Rome
• Life of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar wasn’t only an Emperor. He was a writer, philosopher, and historian. In this essay, talk about military victories of the Roman leader. Explore his influence on the rise of the Roman empire and the demise of the Roman Republic.
• Agricultural aspects of ancient Egypt
• Social issues of ancient Egyptians
• History of Athenian democracy
• Factors that influenced the development of human civilizations
• The military forces of the Roman Empire
• Famous scholars of Ancient Greece. Some of the most influential and prominent philosophers of all time were from Ancient Greece. Socrates, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, and many others. Don’t try to write about each one of them. Instead, elaborate on the position the poets and the philosophers had in the Ancient Greek Society.
• Evolution of Greek Acropolis

• The societies of Ancient Mesoamerica
• Romans and Barbarians: the decline of the Roman Empire
• The daily life of the ancient Maya
• Maya, Aztec, and Inca collapse
• Civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt
• Historical analysis of Sparta and its pop-culture depiction. Do you have a favorite movie or a book about Sparta? Compare the depiction with historical facts. Write about the differences and similarities between these two representations. Think about why it is so frequently used in pop culture.
• Hunting and gathering societies in the Americas
• The fall of Pompeii. Pompeii was an ancient city buried under the ashes left after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Due to this sudden event, historians can examine the life of the people of Pompeii. It remained almost untouched. Several historians recorded first-hand accounts of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption. Read them to have a vivid picture of what was going on in the city before the tragedy.
• The battle of Pharsalus
• The Western Roman Empire: the significance of its collapse
• The Great Wall of China: cultural and historical analysis

Being able to select your essay topic can seem like a lot of fun at the beginning. However, it is also a big responsibility and a challenge at times. Hopefully, one of these essay topics will help you with the ideas for your essay.

Thank you for reading it, and the best of luck with your assignment! Leave a comment below and share the article with those who may need it.

🔗 References

• The 10 Most Important Moments and Events in History: Rebecca Graf for Owlcation
• Psychology Research Paper Topics, 50+ Great Ideas: Kendra Cherry for Verywell Mind
• Historical Topics: In-Depth Articles from HistoryExtra
• History Topics: National Women’s History Museum
• Hot Topics in World History: World History Center, University of Pittsburgh
• World History Topic: Newspapers.com
• Effective Writing: Grammar Rules
• Cliché, Examples and Definition of Cliché: Literary Devices
• Writing Guides: Colorado State University
• What Good Writers Know: Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
• Resources: University of Alberta
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Blog > The History and Evolution of PowerPoint

The History and Evolution of PowerPoint

04.20.20   •  #ppt #history #versions.

On April 20, 1987, the first version of PowerPoint was released. Because we love the software so much (and we know many of you readers do, too!), we wanted to celebrate PowerPoint’s 33rd birthday with a whole article dedicated to its origins, history, and use cases! 95% of presentations are created with PowerPoint, 30 Million PowerPoint presentations are given everyday, and 500 million people all over the world are using the software. So without further ado, let’s dive into the success story of PowerPoint - with the early beginnings and the development throughout the different versions (except for version 13, which was skipped due to triskaidekaphobia concerns ).

Timeline & Version History

5. july 1984: the idea was created.

Robert Gaskins was hired by Forethought Inc. as vice president of product development. His task was to create a new software for graphical personal computers like Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh. Already 1 month later, Gaskins came up with the idea of PowerPoint. Back then, the project description was labeled as "Presentation Graphics for Overhead Projection". For the next year they continued to work on the first specification of the software.

November 1984: Start of development

Development officially started under the name "Presenter". However, they started to work on the Macintosh version first. The first developer besides Gaskin was Thomas Rudkin, who joined after 6 months.

January 1987: Funding by Apple

To continue development, the team needed more money. Apple's Strategic Investment Group selected the company for its first investment. One month later, when they announced the software at the Personal Computer Forum in Phoenix, famous Apple CEO John Skully reportedly said "We see desktop presentation as potentially a bigger market for Apple than desktop publishing".

21. January 1987: The name PowerPoint was established

Originally, they chose to keep the name "Presenter" for the final software. However, to everyone's surprise, when they tried to register the trademark, their lawyers replied that the name was already used by another software product. The team had to find a new name quickly and thought about "SlideMaker" and "OverheadMaker". According to Gaskins, one night he came up with "Power point" randomly under the shower. Initially, nobody liked it, but when his colleague Glenn Hobin independently had the same idea (he saw a sign on an airport reading "POWER POINT"), they took it for an omen and stuck with the name. The reason why the name now is a single word with an upper-case P is that back then it was required in the naming of all Macintosh software applications. The common belief that PowerPoint got its name because it "empowers" people is therefore wrong.

20. April 1987: PowerPoint 1.0 (Macintosh)

The first 10.000 copies of the first version of PowerPoint for Macintosh shipped from manufacturing by Forethought Inc. The release was received quite well by the media, commenting it "People will buy a Macintosh just to get access to this product."

July 1987: Acquisition by Microsoft

In early 1987 Microsoft started an internal project to develop a software to "create presentations". Shortly after, they heard that a company called Forethought had nearly finished such a software. The successful release of PowerPoint 1.0 convinced Microsoft to buy the company entirely.

May 1988: PowerPoint 2.0 (Macintosh)

One year later, the second version of the software was introduces. It included color, more word processing features, find and replace, spell checking, color schemes for presentations, guide to color selection, ability to change color scheme retrospectively, shaded coloring for fills.

May 1990: First Windows version of PowerPoint

Almost 3 years later, the presentation software was finally released for Windows PCs. It was announced at the same time as Windows 3.0 and was using the same version number as the current Macintosh variant (2.0).

May & September 1990: PowerPoint 3.0

It was the first application designed exclusively for the new Windows 3.1 platform. New features were: full support for TrueType fonts (new in Windows 3.1), presentation templates, editing in outline view, new drawing, including freeform tool, flip, rotate, scale, align, and transforming imported pictures into their drawing primitives to make them editable, transitions between slides in slide show, incorporating sound and video.

February & October 1994: PowerPoint 4.0

The new version included among others: Word tables, rehearsal mode, hidden slides. Moreover, Microsoft first introduced a standard "Microsoft Office" look and feel (shared with Word and Excel), with status bar, toolbars and tooltips.

July 1995: PowerPoint 95 (new version naming)

To align PowerPoint with all other Office applications, Microsoft decided to skip versions 5 and 6 and instead call it PowerPoint 95.

October 2003: PowerPoint 2003

The 2003 version was the first to include the now called "Presenter View": tools visible to presenter during slide show (notes, thumbnails, time clock, re-order and edit slides). Furthermore, it included an option to "Package for CD" to write presentation and viewer app to a CD.

January 2007: PowerPoint 2007

It brought a new user interface (a changeable "ribbon" of tools across the top to replace menus and toolbars), SmartArt graphics, many graphical improvements in text and drawing, improved "Presenter View" and widescreen slide formats. Another major change was the transition from a binary file format, used from 1997 to 2003, to a new XML file format.

June 2010: PowerPoint 2010

This release added: sections within presentations, a reading view, save as video, insert video from web, embedding video and audio as well as enhanced editing for video and for pictures.

October 2012: PowerPoint for Web was released

The first time ever, the presentation software could be used in your web browser without any installation.

January 2013: PowerPoint 2013

Changes: online collaboration by multiple authors, user interface redesigned for multi-touch screens, improved audio, video, animations, and transitions, further changes to Presenter View. Clipart collections (and insertion tool) were removed, but were available online.

July 2013: First PowerPoint app for Android & iPhone

Finally the famous presentation software came on your mobile device with the first versions for Android and iOS. Giving presentations but as well basic editing of slides was already supported on the small screens. However, there wasn’t an iPad optimized version just yet.

September 2015: PowerPoint 2016

September 2018: PowerPoint 2019

New things in 2019: Morph transition, easily remove image backgrounds, inserting 3D models and SVG icons and a handy Zoom feature.

Are you interested in even more details on the story? You're lucky! Robert Gaskins gave an interview at the 25th anniversary of PowerPoint where he reveals even more on the history of the famous presentation software.

Modern use cases of PowerPoint

Most people use PowerPoint mainly for creating presentations, but did you know that there are many other ways of using the software? PowerPoint is not just for presenting plain slides to your audience - it can do much more - here are some interesting use cases you might not know about:

Games are a great way to lighten the mood during a presentation. Also, they engage the audience. Memory, Charades, or PowerPoint Karaoke - your options are endless! You can choose whatever suits your own presentation style and preference. If you don’t feel like thinking of games yourself, check out the best PowerPoint Games article , where you will get a lot of inspiration, creative game ideas and even a Memory template.

The times of boring, uninspired PowerPoint slides are long gone! Instead, we want to see interactive elements that engage the audience in new, exciting ways! Add Q&A sessions, get your audience’s feedback, share media and capture your audience with stories and unexpected elements! If you want to learn more about audience engagement and interaction, check out our blog post on 10 tools to boost Audience Engagement ! (Also, if you want to save time and energy, you can download SlideLizard , which allows you to create polls, do Q&A sessions, share media and slides and get audience feedback - all in one place!).

Quizzes are extremely popular, and you can create them easily with PowerPoint. We promise that your audience will love them! You can even take your quiz to the next level by matching the design of your quiz to popular quiz shows, like "Who wants to be a Millionaire" (actually, we designed a Who wants to be a Millionaire template with the original design and sound effects so you don’t have to do it yourself). Our advice for quizzes: Use a PowerPoint add-on that allows you to do live quizzes, like SlideLizard . That way you can easily let your audience vote via their smartphones or laptops.

Do you know the struggle of talking in front of a shy audience that doesn’t seem to open up? If you do, you’re definitely not alone: many presenters have to cope with this issue everyday. But there’s good news: By using some icebreaker questions at the beginning of your presentation, you can - well - break the ice. From "How are you feeling today" to "What would your superpower be" you could ask anything, really. Especially funny icebreaker questions (e.g. "Have you ever…?") are known to be very effective. You could even do more than one of these questions in the beginning (to be sure the ice is really broken). We've created a list of 20 great icebreaker questions , which you can use as inspiration.

Common struggles

PowerPoint is easy and intuitive to use - which is the reason why it has become the most used presentation software in the first place. However, there are several little struggles users sometimes have to deal with. They are all easy to solve though, and we will show you how.

Sometimes, the wrong language is set in the beginning, or you would simply like to add another language to your existing one. You can easily change that in the settings. In our blog post, you will get a detailed tutorial on how to install a new language pack and switch to your desired language .

Occasionally, PowerPoint files can get really big in file size. The reason for that are usually pictures or videos within the slides. To save a lot of storage space, you can compress your PowerPoint’s file size (without losing quality!). To learn how to do it, read this detailed step-by-step tutorial on reducing PPT file size .

This problem occurs often: You design a perfect presentation with custom fonts on your computer at home, but once you want to give that presentation on a different computer, all your beautiful custom fonts are gone and replaced with default fonts. That’s really annoying, but can be solved by embedding fonts into your .pptx file .

Templates are so useful, as they save so much time. The sad thing is that not that many people actually use them. We want to contribute to changing that by teaching you how to make your own custom design template for PowerPoint . And if you don’t feel like creating a template yourself, you can download one of ours for free:

• the wonderful Blue Alps template
• the simplistic Elegant Architecture template
• the fresh Caribbean template to get that summer holiday feeling

When was PowerPoint created?

The idea of PowerPoint came up in 1984. In the following years, development started under the name "Presenter". In 1987, the first version of PowerPoint for Macintosh was released. The first Windows release followed in 1990.

When did PowerPoint come out?

The first version of PowerPoint for Macintosh came out on April 20, 1987. The initial Windows version followed 3 years later, in May 1990.

Who created / invented / developed PowerPoint?

Robert Gaskins is one of the inventors of PowerPoint. He developed the first version with the help of his colleagues at Forethought Inc., Dennis Austin and Thomas Rudkin. Microsoft bought the company in 1987.

How old is PowerPoint?

The first version of PowerPoint was released on April 20, 1987, which means that PowerPoint celebrates its 33rd birthday in 2020. However, it was for Macintosh only, the Windows version was release in May 1990.

When did PowerPoint become popular?

According to Google Trends, PowerPoint had its peak in popularity in November 2009 (measured by number of searches). However, PowerPoint was already a popular presentation software in the 1990s.

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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.ppt file extension.

A .ppt file is a presentation which was made with PowerPoint, that includes different slides with texts, images and transition effects.

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Why I Prefer Google Slides to Microsoft PowerPoint

Quick links.

• Ease of Collaboration
• Offline Access
• Integration With Other Google Tools
• More Storage Space
• Compatibility With PowerPoint
• AI Features
• Provide Detailed Version History
• Customization Features and Template Options

PowerPoint and Google Slides are two popular options for presentations, but which one is best? As someone who has used both programs for a long time, I've found that Google Slides offers many advantages that make it my go-to choice.

Let's be clear: I'm comparing the web-based PowerPoint and Google Slides versions. It's unfair to compare Google Slides to the desktop version of PowerPoint, isn't it? Here are some reasons why Google Slides is my favorite presentation tool.

1. Ease of Collaboration

Ease of collaboration was the central reason I switched to Google Slides for my presentation needs. As a content creator, I always aim for a seamless collaboration experience while dealing with my clients and team members. Google Slides offered exactly that, and I was in love with it.

So, is Google Slides better than PowerPoint for collaboration? It certainly has advantages that make it an ideal choice for a lot of users.

With Google Slides, you can efficiently work with others and share your work , no matter what kind of computer or phone you use. If you have a Google account and the link to the presentation, you can join in and make changes simultaneously with other members.

In contrast, to collaborate in PowerPoint, you have to consider various external factors, such as the user's working device and storage locations. For example, you might not be able to easily collaborate with someone who has an older version of PowerPoint, or with someone using a PowerPoint mobile due to feature limitations. Some things that are restricted in the free web and mobile version compared to PowerPoint on desktop include limited commenting tags, editing options, and more.

Additionally, Google Slides also has built-in chat and commenting features. This feature allows all your team members to stay on the same page and communicate with each other to streamline editing. In PowerPoint, you're limited to comments only.

2. Offline Access

Another important reason for my switch to Google Slides is the offline access feature. With this feature, you can create, edit, and present presentations to others even without an internet connection. Any changes you apply offline are synced automatically once you're back online, so you can keep working even without an internet connection.

You can activate offline access by checking the offline mode option in your Google Drive settings.

Also, with Google Slides, you don't need software installed on your computer to access your presentations offline. However, Microsoft PowerPoint requires an internet connection to save changes to OneDrive storage. No internet, no autosave!

3. Integration With Other Google Tools

Switching to Google Slides is easy if you already use Google apps like Docs, Sheet, Meet, and Gmail. They all work well together. You can import charts and tables from Google Sheets into your presentations with just a few clicks. Any modifications to the original data in Google Sheets will automatically be reflected in your Google Slides presentation.

For example, on Google Slides, open the "Insert" tab and navigate to the "Chart" option. From there, click on the "From Sheets" option and import a chart from Google Sheets.

Furthermore, you can add Google Keep notes to your Slides and share your content in Google Meet with Smart Canvas without switching between tabs.

On the other hand, Microsoft PowerPoint integrates with other Microsoft tools, but it's not as seamless as Google Slides and has limited integration capabilities. For example, unlike Google Sheets, which updates data automatically in Slides, PowerPoint requires you to manual refresh to update Excel charts. This means you need to copy and paste the updated chart from Excel to PowerPoint.

4. More Storage Space

Google Slides offers more storage space through Google Drive. With a Google account, you get 15GB of storage shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. This is significantly more than what Microsoft offers with its free PowerPoint Web version, which only provides 5GB of OneDrive storage. If you create large presentations with many images or videos, Google's extra storage space can be a significant advantage.

Additionally, Google offers affordable plans to upgrade your storage if needed. For example, you can get 100GB of storage for a $20 annual fee, which is perfect for those who create and store a lot of presentations. However, it's important to note that pricing for additional storage might be different depending on your region.

For detailed information, it's best to check your plans manually by clicking the "Get More Storage" option in Drive.

5. Compatibility With PowerPoint

I know what you're thinking—what if I need to work with someone who only uses Microsoft PowerPoint? Fear not; Google Slides has got you covered. You can import and export PowerPoint presentations into Google Slides, making switching between the two platforms easy.

This feature has been a lifesaver for me when I work with my clients or colleagues who use PowerPoint. I can easily collaborate with them and edit their files without any hassle. After making changes, I can save the Google Slides file again as a PowerPoint file.

You can add your PowerPoint file to Google Slides by either uploading it on Drive or directly opening it from the File > Open option.

6. AI Features

You can also use Google AI tools like Gemini to improve your presentations. For example, the Gemini AI feature in Google Slides allows users to generate images and slides based on their prompts. You can access Gemini from the Slides side panel and input your prompts, such as "Create a slide about," and it will generate slides accordingly.

This feature lets you quickly add relevant and visually appealing presentation content without leaving the Google Slides platform. Using Gemini AI, you can also generate background images in various styles, such as Vector art, Photography, Watercolor, and others.

In contrast, Microsoft AI feature tools like Copilot are not available on the PowerPoint web version. To use Copilot and other AI features in PowerPoint requires a paid subscription to either Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro.

7. Provide Detailed Version History

Both Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint allow you to view and restore previously edited versions of your presentation. However, Google Slides stands out with its detailed version history feature. This feature groups certain versions of your presentation together if you make multiple changes over a short period. This makes it easy to find and select the version you need. These group versions are displayed under the Version History panel.

Another notable feature of Google Slides is the ability to name the modified versions. This is quite useful when working on large documents with multiple collaborators, as it can take time to find the version you want, among many others. To rename a version, open the "Version History" panel, click the three-dot icon, and then select "Name This Version" from the dropdown menu.

Once you've named important versions of your presentation, you can filter them by selecting the "Named Versions" option from the drop menu. This will highlight only the renamed versions, along with the current version of the document, making it easy to locate the version you need.

8. Customization Features and Template Options

The web version of Microsoft PowerPoint has limited features compared to the PowerPoint desktop app, which can sometimes be helpful while designing presentations. For example, you can't insert charts or equations in the web version. Additionally, you can't add hyperlinks to pictures or shapes. On the other hand, you can add equations, charts, and hyperlinks to images in Google Slides.

While both platforms offer a good selection of templates, I prefer Google Slides because its templates are user-friendly and easy to customize. It also provides more flexibility when working with themes compared to the web version of PowerPoint.

Google Slides isn't a flawless tool, but for me and many other presentation creators, it not only gets the job done but also has some advantages over PowerPoint. Whether you're a student, team, or regular user, you can use it to make clear and effective presentations.

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Ypei graduation marks first b.a. presentation in a connecticut prison.

(Photos by Karen Pearson)

Last week, a program led by the  Yale Prison Education Initiative at Dwight Hall  (YPEI) and the University of New Haven (UNH) held a graduation ceremony at a Connecticut prison, at which 12 incarcerated students received degrees.

During the ceremony, held on May 17 at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institute in Suffield, Connecticut, 10 graduates received Associate of Arts (A.A.) degrees and, for the first time in the program’s history, two received Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees.

It marked the first-ever bachelor’s degree ceremony held in a Connecticut prison.

Zelda Roland ’08, ’16 Ph.D., who founded the Yale Prison Education Initiative, called it a historic milestone for the program, which offers incarcerated students access to Yale credit-bearing classes, equivalent to on-campus courses in rigor, course load, and expectations. Last fall, for the first time, the program offered a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, awarded by UNH.

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“ We are so proud to celebrate our graduates’ incredible accomplishment, as well as this historic milestone for the program,” said Roland. “YPEI went from being a highly unlikely, long-shot idea, to offering our first credit-bearing course offerings in 2018, to now, our first B.A.s in this profound and historic moment.

“ This program is not just about the credits and degrees we offer — it provides a network of support, resources, and community that have the power and potential to change people’s lives and trajectories, while they’re in prison and beyond. It makes a generational impact, and it makes an impact inside prison, in our communities, and on our campuses.”

Since its founding in 2018, the Yale Prison Education Initiative has become a leader in the movement to reinvigorate liberal arts instruction in correctional institutions. (The program belongs to the  Bard Prison Initiative’s  national Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison.)

All 10 A.A. degree recipients recognized during last week’s ceremony graduated with High Honors. Two of the A.A. graduates earned 4.0 GPAs, making them co-valedictorians. One of the B.A. recipients graduated cum laude and the other magna cum laude . A graduation address was offered by the poet and essayist Claudia Rankine.

And in a series of speeches, the graduates described the life-changing consequences of their experience.

One graduate named Michael described his newly earned degree as “arguably the most unlikely success of my life.” He also contemplated what it means in the context of the mistakes he’s made in the past.

“ Now, the good I’ve done may not wash out the bad, but the bad sure as hell doesn’t wash out the good either,” he said. “We are more than the sum of our parts. I might have failed at a lot, but I’ve succeeded at a lot too, and here’s the proof. So the next time you’re tempted to ask yourself if it matters, remember: it all matters.”

This was the second graduation ceremony for the program, which conferred A.A. degrees on seven graduates during its first-ever commencement last spring. That celebration was also the first-ever college graduation at MacDougall-Walker, a maximum-security correctional facility for adult men and the largest prison in the U.S. Northeast.

The program this year also awarded the first A.A. degrees at the Danbury federal women’s prison, where it is currently offering the only college program available for incarcerated women in any federal prison in the U.S. These first degrees will be celebrated in a graduation ceremony next year.

In one speech, a graduate named Khari reflected on the transformative effect of the program.

“ Being in the YPEI-UNH program created an opportunity to challenge myself, to grow into a version of myself I never thought possible,” he said. “I embraced the challenge and it sparked my imagination into the possibilities of what could be. I believe education is the key to any meaningful change.”

The work required in the program was grueling, and sometimes overwhelming, added Khari. But he also “never felt such a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment as when I received my grade at the end of a semester.”

“ And every semester, I walked away learning an important fact,” he said. “What I thought I knew is nothing compared to what can be learned.”

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