History > European History Videos

Europe is not a very large continent compared to others. In fact, it’s the world’s second-smallest continent. But it has exerted a lot of influence towards other continents the world over.

Philosophy, for one, is a great contribution of European civilization to the modern world. The ancient thinkers Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates began the practice of gathering knowledge from the world around them. Before science was developed, there was philosophy. Most of the modern fields of study stemmed from the different kinds of philosophy that were developed in ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome.

The world’s best-known scientists mostly had European origins. Albert Einstein was German. Niels Bohr was Danish. Pierre Curie was French. Enrico Fermi was Italian. Even the pioneers such as Isaac Newton were born in Europe. Newton, for one, was English. All across history, European scientists helped shape most of the body of knowledge that is studied today.

Also, many of the great empires from the history books hailed from European countries like Spain, Britain, and France. These kingdoms were avid explorers who were always eager to find new territories to conquer. British influence, for one, extends into the far reaches of the world, from America to Africa and all the way to Australia. Due to their influence, many modern cities that were once under British rule have a lot of semblance to actual British cities.

Europe also had its fair share of devastations in its history. A very well-known example is the Black Death, which happened around the medieval period. The disease eliminated in excess of 50 million people in a matter of a few years. It was one of history’s deadliest known epidemics.

Even then, Europe is still a thriving continent composed of different countries with diverse cultures. Most of it today is enjoying various economic benefits as part of the European Union, which was formed in 1993.