Turning points remembered for their political, geographic, and historical importance.
A battle becomes historically important because of what came before and after it. Historians study objectives, geography, available resources, leadership decisions, and long-term consequences rather than treating combat as an isolated event.
A major episode in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Learn MoreA battle that transformed medieval England.
Learn MoreA turning point in the American Civil War.
Learn MoreThe Allied landing that opened a western front in Europe.
Learn MoreFought in 490 BCE, Marathon became famous because an Athenian-led force defeated a Persian invasion attempt. Its significance comes from the larger struggle between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire.
In 1066, William of Normandy defeated King Harold II. The result changed England's ruling elite, landholding system, language, and political connections with continental Europe.
The 1863 battle ended a major Confederate invasion of the North and became one of the American Civil War's best-known turning points. Its enormous losses also showed the human cost of the conflict.
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, France. The operation helped establish a western front against Nazi Germany and required extensive coordination among many nations.