History Day Theme 

Every year the National History Day office selects a broad theme to be used in the History Day Competition. Students who are interested in participating in history day may choose any topic related to local, regional, national, or world history, as long as there is a connection to the theme. There are a panel of judges who will look for evidence that the History Day theme has been addressed in their projects. 

To celebrate our 50th anniversary, NHD’s theme will be Turning Points in History. This year’s theme invites you to consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. 

A turning point in history is more than just an important event that happened a long time ago. It is more than a new idea or a particular action taken by an
individual. A turning point is an idea, event, or action that directly, or sometimes indirectly, causes change.

The following resources are available to start defining your topic and begin your research.